Dream Job Visioning
A few of my clients lately have been in a similar situation. They want to move on. They want change. However, they don't know what that new job or position could be. Do they stay and grow in their current organization, or make a clean break and get into a new industry?
Being able to create a solid vision for yourself of what something could look like, is often a great way to start the process of narrowing down what is really interesting to you, practical for you and exciting for you, and then being able to self-assess in order to see what changes, learning, or positioning you need to make in order to land that ideal position. Starting from the wild realm when anything is possible, allows you to shift back to a reality made up of many more possibilities.
I've created a process of self-reflection that anyone can use to examine what it is they really want to do, and then how to go about trying it out in their reality. If you find yourself in a similar position, try it out. Be curious about yourself and let your answers be wild and uninhibited. Reach inside and pull out that dream job vision.
1. Imagine your ideal position. It doesn’t even have to be a real job
that could exist. Write out a job description with as much detail as you can:
What would the hours be?
What would the workload look like?
What would the deliverables be?
What change in the world would you be working towards?
What type of day to day work would it entail?
What would it definitely NOT entail?
Would it be a support or leadership position?
Would it be collaborative or independent work?
Would you report to someone? Would someone report to you?
Would you travel?
Would you work from home?
What would be the salary? Perks? Benefits?
2. Follow it up with a list of qualifications needed for this job:
Do you need to be comfortable speaking in public?
Do you need to be able to relate with others?
Do you need to be a self-starter?
Do you need to be passionate about the topic?
Do you need to have certain strengths? Skills?
3. View yourself as a potential candidate for this position.
What makes you really well qualified?
What areas would you need to pay more attention to or put more effort into building?
Which of your strengths would be best highlighted in this position?
How can you work on bringing those strengths forward more?
What are two things you could do tomorrow to bring you closer to being the perfect candidate for this position?
4. What did you learn about your current strengths and the areas you want to better develop?
Can this knowledge help you in your current position?
Who in your network best models the areas you wish to develop? How can you connect with them?
How often are you putting your top strengths forward?
5. How does this change the way in which you think about your job search?