How to Find the Job You Love

Most people don’t believe that it is possible to love your job – to love what you do and to be passionate about doing it. Most feel that work is how you make the money to have the life you want. But in today’s world the right job is one that plays to your strengths, activates your passions, allows for your best performance and adds great value to your life. Finding the right job is not complicated but it does require you to take the time to know your talents, strengths, passions and interests. There is no reason for you to hate your job; with a little direction, you can learn to define and hired into your dream job. Now is the time to find the right job and a job you love.

Though there are great many more people looking for jobs in today’s economy, great companies are always hiring the best talent. Understand that if you are right for the job (you have the talents and the passion to do the job) then you are the best talent. By knowing what you are great at and what activates your passions, you identify roles and jobs that need what you do best – this makes you very competitive. This is what gives you the confidence to apply for jobs in which you know you will make a great difference. This confidence comes from being great at what the job needs and passionate about doing it. This is what great companies are always looking for.

Those who have found their “right” jobs have committed the time to learn their talents and passions. They know what they are great at and have committed to working in areas that activate their passions because it activates their best performance.

Today, passion is a key performance motivator. The more passionate you are about what you do, the greater your performance, the quicker you learn, the more connected you feel to the work, and the greater impact you provide. You can see that the right job now must be based on your talents and your passions, as it allows you to progress to your greatest performance.

Self-awareness is critical in today’s emotional workplace. It is critical that you take the time to understand how you think, what you are great at and what you love to do. Each of our brains is unique – hardwired to respond in very particular ways. This is the reason that a salesman and an accountant would rarely like to change jobs. Each of their brains processes information in a particular way – one more social and one more analytical. The right job for one is not the right job for the other. So it is critical for our success that we know ourselves well enough to know which jobs are the right fit – and they will always be those jobs or roles that play to our strengths and activate our passions.

To help you identify the “right” job, follow these seven steps:

1. List what you are great at. (Intellectual connection on the grid image). Take a talent assessment if you need help or simply list what you are naturally great at. Notice this said “great” not “good” as the focus must be on things that you are the best at to be the most competitive. Don’t be humble. Be accurate and be honest.
2. List what you are passionate about. (Emotional connection on the grid image). Passion drives energy; the more you involve your passions in your job, the more engaged and excited you will be in your role. This is the most significant component of performance. Identify what you love to do. You may see this play out in your hobbies and interests.
3. List what will make you feel successful in your role. (Success connection on the grid image). Will it be to progress to management, work a flexible schedule, work from home, have a certain impact, work with a certain type of customers, people or products, etc? Be clear in your definition of what success is from your perspective.
4. Review what you listed from areas 1, 2 and 3 above and identify where any of the items listed intersect. In other words, what are you great at, passionate about and meets your definition of success? This intersection indicates the areas of your greatest performance fit. This is critical information needed to identify your dream job – your “right” job.
5. What careers, roles or jobs need what you are great at, passionate about and meet your definition of success? These are opportunities that play to your strengths and activate your passions. These opportunities will allow you to be the most connected and most engaged. This will encourage your greatest energy, performance and impact. Create a list of your “Right” jobs, roles or careers. Consider everything that meets your criteria. You may find that the best job for you does not yet exist and if created would add great value to an organization. Don’t be afraid to invent your ideal job. Just be sure to identify its value.
6. Apply only for jobs that meet your criteria. Highlight your “fit” on the face of your resume. Use a talent-based resume – one that highlights your talents (what you are great at) and then presents how you have used your talents in other jobs. This helps a hiring manager easily and accurately assess your job fit. Since the job also activates your passion, applying for the job is now exciting, empowering and engaging. Applying for jobs that activate your passions encourages your best job application, resume and cover letter. This is your moment to show your fit and passion. Don’t miss this opportunity – this is where you get their attention.
7. Go into your interview with great confidence. You know the talents needed in the job match your talents. You know you love the nature of the work as it appeals to your passions. You have used these talents in other roles so you can easily show how they look to others. You have everything going for you. You know you are a good fit – and good fit is exactly what the hiring manager is looking for. Be confident. Don’t over prepare. Talk candidly, honestly and openly about your performance, your talents, how you fit and what value you can provide. This is how to stand out and get hired.

When you focus on “fit” – how you are the right person for the job – you show that you understand yourself, have defined roles that play to your strengths and passions and have applied for jobs that allow you to create the greatest impact. This process gives you a competitive advantage. You now stand out against applying for jobs. Not only are you good at what the job needs done but you are emotionally or passionately connected to doing it. The thought of it gets you fired up and excited to show up for work. And at work, you are happy to be there, doing what you do best and making a significant impact.

Today, job fit matters. You are unique; how you think, what you are naturally good at (talents) and what activates your passions now influences your effectiveness in the workplace. Play to your strengths. The best performers are those who love what they do. You deserve a job that needs our passionate performance. So follow these seven steps to work strong and live stronger. And managers – insist that who you hire be well matched to the talents needed in the job. This improves performance and connection.

Check out “Stand Out and Get Hired” to determine your intellectual connection, and learn to apply for the right job.