by Shwah deVeev

Created on: February 13, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

The most important thing you need to do before you even start looking for a job, is to first find out what sorts of things interest you. Sit down and make a list of what activities, interests, hobbies and anything else that you can think of, that gives you joy and fulfillment - or even things that you haven't tried out yet, and you think would suit who you are.

And finding out who you are, or better yet - what kind of person you are is another key element in helping you find that job that won't make you miserable. Are you artistic? Are you analytical? Do you love numbers? Do you have that special knack when it comes to: animals, children, research, organization, teaching/training, teamwork, technology etc?

Write down what your dream job would be. Write down a list of personality traits. Are you outgoing, introverted, bossy, active and so on. Dig a little deeper and really take a good look at yourself, and listen to what your heart says.

The main reason why people are miserable in their jobs is because what they are doing for work is at odds with what kind of person they are, and what kind of activities and interests make them happy.

In order to start your search for the job that suits you as a person, you need to be absolutely clear on what it is that excites you, and what it is that you have a passion for. Do you enjoy the sciences? Do you love the written word? Are you comfortable and intrigued with computers and what you can do with them?

It doesn't matter if your list is long or short. What matters is that you focus on the things that you would really like to do. "Find out what you love, and then figure out a way to get paid to do it." I'm not saying that this is an easy thing to do. It might end up being one of the hardest things you've ever done.

Turning your hobby into a dream job. That takes guts, gumption and a whole lot of determination. What might keep you going is remembering all those awful jobs you've had in the past (or present!) that just made you so miserable. You might still have to stick with that miserable job while you work on and lay the foundations for getting that dream job.

Once you've got your lists written out, the next steps are to do a little research into what kinds of work might be available in your areas of interest. Think out of the box. If you have a love of dance, you might consider working in kinesthetics or teach dance, yoga or aerobics. What kind of schooling or training might you need in order to get qualified to be a candidate

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