Well, "Join the club!" The vast majorities of people starting out weren't sure, aren't sure, and probably are bluffing if they sound sure. In addition (which really surprised me), many people, long after they have successfully entered what appears to be a highly rewarding career, still have doubts and wonder if they have done the right thing and sometimes hanker for a new or different life than the one they have chosen. Personally, I have heard bishops, senators, corporation presidents, professors, carpenters, newsmen, policemen, and many more express serious doubts about their work, why they chose it, whether they really are happy in it, expressing envy about the other fellow's job-the whole uncertainty bit. 1 have heard it to such an extent that I have now concluded it is simply a part of life; doubt, envy, curiosity are all very natural feelings and do not go away in thirty years or forty years or fifty years or maybe ever. So, how about giving up the "unsure what you want" as an excuse for the postponement of doing anything at all.
Next, have you ever noticed that other people you know are pretty easy to figure out, but that you, on the other hand, are highly complicated, different, fascinating? Yes, you are fascinating but no one else sees you as you do (or should, for that matter). But does the acceptance of this invite all kinds of excuses for doing nothing, for postponing decisions until you have thought about it just a little more?
Now, basically, what are you doing? Aren't you accepting your own excuses which you would not accept from anyone else? Well, if you don't accept theirs, why should they accept yours?
In the job market you are not the "you" that you know and are trying to know better. You are a product! That may not sound nice, but it is true. Maybe it needs to be that way, for did you ever think that we would all be in sad shape if we, each of us, truly understood everyone else's fears, frustrations, worries, and motives as we do our own; so maybe it is part of self-preservation.
You, in the job market, are simply a product that can help other people with their problems, for which they will be willing to pay you. Or you are a problem to them and create problems for them. In which case, they will quickly conclude they don't need more problems (yours)-they need fewer.
Next, if you don't know what it is that you want to try and do to help them, how do you expect them to know what it is you want to do. So, when you ask if they have anything available, it gives them a pretty good clue you don't know what you want and hence probably are bringing problems with you rather than help for them, which is the only thing they want to pay for.
By now you may well be saying, "O.K., O.K., I understand all that, but that still doesn't help me know what it is I want to do. And I know this decision is important because I see so many people locked into jobs they really hate but can't leave because they would lose too much money to start all over with a wife and three kids and that mortgage and the whole bit." Right? Well, while you are worrying about that first big decision, you may want to remember that 85 per cent of the people in the U.S. do not end up doing what they started out doing. However, this is not to say that if you know what you want, and stick to it without wavering for thirty years, you can't get just about anything you want.
But the statement neglects a whole lot of life- like luck, health, responsibilities-and the fact that a career is only a part of a total life, not (hopefully) for most of us the be-all and the end-all of everything.
Well, O.K., but where and how do 1 start? How about honestly timing yourself on how long you spend worrying about the "What job" decision, both the worrying by yourself and the talking about it with your friends. And really time it! Now, will you spend an equal amount of time finding out about jobs, so that you will have some facts on which to base a decision? Go to the library and ask the librarian for a book on job descriptions and read some of them. O.K., most of them sound real boring. Well, scratch them from your list, and, remember, a scratch is just as important as a yes or a maybe.
Then make a list of possible jobs and go see people who work at those jobs. If you can, call and make an appointment, making it clear you are not job hunting but just want information. You will be amazed how many people will give you time to talk about their jobs. But, before you go, please make out a list of questions which you want answered: "Would you describe an average day?" "How long did it take you to get where you are?"
"What are the current basic problems that you are coping with?" "Who are your main contacts?" "As you see it, on what basis do promotions come in this kind of job?" "Inside?" "Outside?" "With people?" "With figures?"
"What is the pay Hike?" "Hours?" "Could I go around with you for a day or two?"
Also, you may want to just drop in on neighbors and or friends and ask the same kinds of questions; and the more specific you make these questions, the more specific the answers will be.
Keep adding to your file of facts about potential jobs and keep cutting the list to those that still look good to you. But, please go find out; don't depend on hearsay, a movie or TV show, or some vague reference made to a job by a friend who may or may not be leveling with you.
In other words, cut the worry and fret time and start getting facts on which to base your decision. Sure, it cuts down on the cop-out possibilities, but it also cuts down on the amount of grief you may be exposed to later on.
With regard to when to start your sales campaign of you, generally the answer is the sooner the better. But specifically, it will depend on your age, your education, and the type of job you will be seeking. The high school graduate can usually relocate faster than the college graduate, because the level of pay and responsibility both tend to be lower. Similarly, the older the persons and the higher the job they are seeking the longer it will tend to take to relocate. This means that they should get started looking sooner, for they know it will take longer.
As a very rough rule of thumb, high school students should start the early stages of their sales campaign before the Christmas holidays of their senior year, and college students should start their campaigns midway through their junior year. Relocation for those already employed and who are earning $8000 to $12,000 annually will take about three months; for those earning S12,000 to $20,000, an average of six months; and for those earning over $20,000, up to and often over a year.
