What Job Would Make You Happy

What Job Would Make You HappyWhat Job Would Make You HappyTime for a change. Try this visualization exercise to figure out where you should go next with your career.Among the most distressing facts of the Great Recession is the length of unemployment. Previously, job seekers could expect a search to last four to six weeks for every $10,000 they expected to earn. The average length of unemployment now can extend to more than seven months, more for senior job seekers and high-income earners. Executives whose industries have been hit especially hard face even greater periods out of work or may never work in their fields again.So, its fair to ask the question At what point is it time to start considering a different line of work?Dont get me wrong If youre fully engaged in what feels like a fruitful job search, please stay with it. But what if youre not? What if your contacts and connections have dried up and you havent had an active lead in far too long? What if youve hit a permanent dea d end?Sure, Napoleon Hill said, Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. But maybe your next step has less to do with perseverance than reinvention. Maybe its time to take what you already know and can do and apply it in an entirely new way.Your awesome dayEven if youre just wondering what other type of work you might do, its not a bad idea to think things through a bit. So here are a few ideas to help get you startedImagine your ideal workday. Its likely someones suggested this to you already and you gave it lip service or blew it off entirely. This time, give it a try. Take a morning and go somewhere peaceful, affirming and inspirational. Wear comfortable clothes. Bring a small snack, something to drink, and pen and paper. (Leave your technology at home.) Now, start to sketch out your perfect day at work.Consider the place Do you prefer working in an office building, a home office or on the road? What does your Ideal Workp lace look like? What colors do you see? What textures? Whats the feel of the place - literally and figuratively? Tempo-wise, is the environment fast-paced, formal or more relaxed? Ask all your senses for input.Consider the people Who else do you imagine working with you? What are they like? Whats important to them about what they do? For what do they rely on you? Think about the questions for which your colleagues might turn to you. Imagine the meetings and projects theyd want you to lead. Whos calling and e-mailing you? What are they hoping you can do for them? What value-add do they know you can provide?Consider the clock Trace your ideal day. How does it start? What time are you getting out of bed? What are the first five things you do in the morning? Imagine lunchtime. Are you in a cafeteria, nearby restaurant or at your desk? What does the afternoon look like? At the end of the day, what did you achieve? What made the day totally worthwhile for you? Whats on tap for tomorrow?C onsider your thoughts Write down any notes you want to remember at this point and then take a short break. Enjoy your snack to cleanse your palate. Stretch your body take a few deep breaths.(You might find it helpful to start at the opposite end of the process and begin by identifying the things that would not be part of your ideal day. With that all out of the way, what is ideal often emerges more readily.)Imagine your ideal work week. Returning to your imagination, string five (or six) of your Ideal Workdays together into a full ideal work week. How does it feel? Whats missing? What, if anything, would make Thursday as compelling as Tuesday? What specific tasks and responsibilities are essential for you? Dont overthink it dont worry about labels or titles. Just relax into your imagination and let it take you wherever it wants.Take note of your notesReflect on whatever insights, discoveries and realizations these ideal scenarios prompted. Using the following chartList out the four or five core duties of your absolutely ideal jobIdentify two or three accomplishments from previous jobs that speak directly to your familiarity with each of the core duties you listedAssess the match/fit (high/medium/low) between those accomplishments and your core duties. Pay particular attention to the medium and low ratings you may even want to check earlier versions of your resume for stronger, more compelling, accomplishments to cite.Assessing the Match/Fit Between My Prior Accomplishments and the Core Duties of My Absolutely Ideal JobCore Duties of Your Absolutely Ideal JobPrior AccomplishmentsMatch/Fit1.a)H M Lb)H M Lc)H M L2.a)H M Lb)H M Lc)H M L3.a)H M Lb)H M Lc)H M L4.a)H M Lb)H M Lc)H M L5.a)H M Lb)H M Lc)H M L 2010, GottaGettaCoach, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Whats Next? is whats nextBased on your assessment, what do you see now as your next steps? Is it time to pursue your ideal job? Is it time to renew your efforts in your current job search? Is it time to repeat thes e exercises and see what else percolates for you?Give yourself permission to think more freely about whats next for you and find out.Barry Zweibel, MBA, MCC, president of GottaGettaCoach Inc., is a noted executive coach, leadership consultant and master certified life coach. He engages smart, capable executives in deeply meaningful conversations about their personal growth and professional development. For more information, or to schedule an exploratory coaching conversation with Barry, visit www.ggci.com/life-coaching or call (847) 291-9735.