How can you decide what job you really want? The answer is by deciding which job you really want. No riddle or waste of time intended here; just the establishment of an important principle. Seek a career instead of a job. That will help cement your goals. The problem is that if you don't make a decision as to where you really want to go, you will be riding a horse without reins, drifting from one company to another, dissatisfied and unable to dismount. Even the simple decision to stay exactly where you are can be a difficult one, for job definitions are changing and expanding every day.

One thing that might help is to start thinking about goal setting. This means in practical terms to sort through the morass in your brain and examine your past accomplishments, looking at your strongest and most enjoyable skills. This process is very successful and is probably the most important one you can do in helping to establish the kind of job that you really want. People are happiest when they are working towards a goal, and many are unhappy in their current jobs because they don't know where they are going.

If you have enjoyed certain jobs, step back and try to understand why. This will help you replicate the enjoyable aspects of the work experience. Get control of your life, as there is nothing in the external world you can manipulate. Know your next move and forge your own way. There are plenty of jobs for those who are willing to learn and change with the times. Even when you land your next job you will still have to "manage your career." The process of growth and development will never end throughout your working lifetime.

So set those goals and ride that horse. Now!

Learn more about this author, M Dee Dubroff.
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