Different Journeys, Same Destination

If I asked you what a construction worker, a tutor for those taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test, a Director of a consumer health business unit at a flavor manufacturer and a business executive with varied career experiences had in common – you may think not very much.  However, these are the jobs which four of my current clients hold.  Where they all have something very much in common is that they each see another career opportunity out there for them that appeals to them far more than what they are doing now.  For the construction worker, it is taking advantage of his certification in the field of broadcasting.  The tutor has a degree in English and a teaching certification plus an intense passion for assisting the disabled to be able to do for themselves, and would like to put those skills together either in the world of non-profits or publishing.  The Director at the flavor manufacturer has at one time or another been in 23 countries in this world, and knows they can be of service in the profession of developing businesses in underdeveloped countries.  The executive has always been creative and is looking to get new entrepreneurial ventures off the ground with his chief operational and chief executive officer skills.

Although four very different individuals, at differing stages of their careers, all are fascinating to work with.  For the construction worker and the tutor who are in the early stages of their work career, there is the fascination with learning job search skills in a disciplined and strategic manner.  With the two more senior individuals who have actually been exposed to many of those skills in the past, there is the realization it is time to take a reassessment of where they are in their career journeys and partner with someone who will share with them alternative ideas and strategies.

All are learning the value of the need to first assess what it is you really want to do next.  That introspection is done through a series of assessment tools, some with a focus on preferences from the past and one key one that allows for a projection into the future so as to ensure that which is selected now matches with those future goals.  The importance of being able to summarize what it is you want to do in a few short sentences that can be used in conversation with others, on written documents such as cover letters and resumes’, and frankly to reinforce in themselves who they are looking to become, is also something all have in common.  They will all learn the value of research, some via books and the internet, some by talking with those already in the fields in which they seek to break in.  Ultimately, they’ll all learn how to put what they are learning about themselves together in preparing for interviews with hiring managers and being able to display what have to offer and how they are able to address a set of needs that a hiring manager currently has.

For me as a career coach it is a pleasure and a challenge to work with all of them.  It requires extensive listening on my part to hear what they are truly saying, (and sometimes prodding them to what they’re not saying), to ensure we’re taking the proper steps at the appropriate time.  Being backed by a solid methodology that has been researched and tested and has worked for thousands of clients over 25 years certainly helps boost my confidence in being able to assist them.  However, the response in them when introduced to the methodology is where the real pleasure comes in.  When progress begins to be made by making that new contact that leads them to that next person that may be of assistance to them on their search, or when it becomes clear exactly what it is they want to pursue and they’re able to talk about it with everyone they meet, that’s when you really see the power of a organized, disciplined approach to their job search process.

Yes, it is something special when we find that point in our career where what we do is something we thoroughly enjoy and look forward to each day. Those who really care about their career constantly seek this out.  And, even though the actual work duties for one person versus another and the way they may reach that perfect job or career may differ substantially, they’re really both looking to get to the same place.  It may require a different journey than your neighbor to get where you want, but if you both have your searches built from a solid methodology, a persistence to achieve what you want and the desire to identify and explore all options open to each one of you, you each actually both arrive at the same destination.