If someone had sat you down as a child and explained that you would spend approximately 90,000 hours of your life working, what would be your first thought? Shock? Disbelief? Hopefully it would make you realise that you better be doing something you love or at least enjoy. 90,000 hours is a lot of time to be unhappy, unfulfilled, undervalued and potentially underpaid.
Work for the majority of us is a necessity but we are fortunate to live in a time where there are many opportunities to control the occupational path we take. I am sure everyone can relate on some level to those who have made some poor choices along the way… wrong course, wrong college, wrong job, and now they find themselves so far down a path they can’t see the point in trying to turn things around.
My advice as a recruitment specialist is it’s never too late to turn things around. If you are unhappy in your current position then take the necessary steps to change that NOW!
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
As you can imagine, in my position I have met an endless list of people who complain about their jobs, but still stay in them. The most common reasons are the threat to financial security, age, lack of experience or ‘it’s better the devil you know’.
If you’ve ever used any of those excuses reasons, you might just be covering for a fear of failure. You’re afraid your CV won’t be impressive enough to prospective employers, or that you’ll fail at the interview. You might even be worried that if you get the position you might fail 2 months down the line. That fear is often irrational and the first thing you need to put aside if you want to make a change in your career.
“Failures are part of life. If you don’t fail you don’t learn, if you don’t learn you will never change” – Unknown
As a recruiter the first thing I need to do is put a stop to that attitude. The thoughts of creating or updating a CV are daunting to everyone, but it’s the best way to present your skills and experience. In my experience, most candidates have more valuable skills than they ever realised.
Before creating or updating a CV, I would advise everyone to make a note of all the responsibilities and achievements in your jobs no matter how big or small. Have you received any recognition or awards in the workplace? Are there certain attributes you have that co-workers and management have highlighted in the past? Are there things you know that you do well or particularly enjoy? Sit down and think about it all for 5 minutes, focus on the positives aspects and how they will help you transition into a role that’s better and more suited to you. You will be pleasantly surprised.
The simple process of listing your achievements, big and small, will help you to recognise the value in many duties you thought nothing of: training new staff, recruitment & selection, handling cash operations and keeping premises secure. When you think about all aspects of your current and past positions, and focus on your successes, you will get a much better picture of all you have to offer an employer.
“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Saint Francis
If you aren’t lucky enough to be in a job you love, then at the very least be in one that you enjoy, one that lets you live comfortably and feel valued. The first step is to get over your fear of failure and recognise your ability to get that dream job. And if you need more convincing, get in touch with a recruiter. We can help you to assess your options, do your research and make it happen!