by Saara B

Created on: December 21, 2006   Last Updated: May 21, 2007

Finding the right job is not easy in this day and age, when we are faced with more options than ever before. Whereas many baby-boomers and parents of baby-boomers may only have held the one job for their entire working life, starting straight out of school and leaving with a gold watch and a handshake, Generations X and particularly Y may hold anywhere between one and ten jobs, often changing their career path entirely. So, how do you find a career that will make you happy? There is no simple answer to this question, however here are a few hints to get you pointed in the right direction, things many of us may have already learned the hard way...

Be realistic:
Ok, so you just finished your degree and you're about to enter the workforce, or you have just left a job that makes you miserable. Realistically, what can you expect now? What skills do you possess? Do you need to retrain and, if so, can you afford it? Or can you find a potential employer who will provide you with that training? Most important of all, how will you make ends meet now? It's ok if you live with your parents or have a supportive partner, but if you are your own sole provider you cannot afford to waste time, so...

Focus on your strengths...your real strengths:
Just because you were good at collage in the first grade it does not make you a graphic artist. Likewise having ambition but no ideas does not make you an entrepreneur. You need to take a cold, hard look at yourself and your real strengths, and then match those to your goals or perhaps it may be necessary for you to reset your goals to match your strengths. This may mean saying goodbye to your childhood dream of, say, being a prima ballerina, but hey if you are 6'5" perhaps basketball is more up your alley anyhow...

Do your research:
It is important to know everything you can about a potential career, start by researching it on the Internet, or if you are still at school utilize the resources available to you: careers advisers actually do know something! Read the job ads, find out just how much you should expect to earn and the kind of hours you will be expected to work. If you can, find yourself a mentor, or just someone who already works in the industry you are interested in who doesn't mind answering a few (hundred) questions. If the job you want has publications which are specific to the industry or Internet forums, read those.

Write your own job description:
Imagine you are writing a job description for your dream role, and that all of

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