Finding the Cookie Cutter Job

Three different colleges, numerous career avenues and thousands of dollars. This is what has brought me to my current state of no college degree, no job that I love, and extreme debt. These are the challenges that many of us in our lifetime will experience as we attempt to discover how our talents can fit into our dream jobs.

So many of us have wonderful talents in many different areas, and as we get older we become more and more involved in many unique avenues. For me, music and writing were probably the two biggest influencers in my high school year. However, as I've moved out of my post high school and post college days I have found that while I love music and writing, I do not feel called to make them my full time career.

Instead, I found I have really enjoyed my sales experience while selling cosmetics and love being around people and helping them feel good. I also know that I am passionate about being outdoors and becoming physically fit. I truly admire people who help one another and those who want to change the environment in and around them. Just how can we narrow down our passions and our talents into one career and find something that works?

It has been said that this new generation of employees will not stay in one career an entire lifetime as many of our parents have. We will move from job to job as not only ourselves, but the companies we work for, are always looking for change and renewal. Respect is at an all time low between employer and employee as we fight for better work environments and career paths.

When you begin preparing to find the "right" career for this point in your life, each of our situations will bring about different search patterns. Some of us are in secure enough jobs that we can leisurely search for the perfect fit in employment. Others have been left high and dry by an uncaring or defunct employer and are need of immediate assistance. Whichever situation you are in, it is important not to jump at instant gratification.

I, myself, have previously found myself in a position in which I needed to find a job immediately in order to pay the bills. Unfortunately that has now left me with a job that barely pays the bills and gives me no satisfaction. However, because I am in a stable job that will get us by financially, I can now be choosy in my career search to find the most suitable and enjoyable job to fit my character.

Being choosy in finding a great job to fit your personality and lifestyle is the most vital part of your career search. Do not hesitate to only use career searches that factor in your desired income (always try and reach for 50% more income that is needed to pay your bills and cover your expenses), will to travel, and general location, schedule and workload duties. Even the minutest details are important.

Other things to consider are history of the employer and feedback from other employees on how they treat their staff short term and long term. If a company offers awesome benefits, but horrible retirement options you may want to prepare yourself for a short career. 25 years down the road you want to be able to have financial security, not just in the short term. However, if a company has many employees who have been there since the beginning, but there is very little company morale and few options for pay upgrades despite the time you put into you work, you can expect to be stuck in a dead end job. You need to have a variety of both criteria mixed into one employer to ensure that you will be taken care of today and tomorrow.

Do not forget to incorporate your families' needs into your employment search. If you know that your children have commitments on evenings and weekends, not only do you want to search for a great set daytime schedule, but ensure flexibility when you need to make adjustments to be there for their important events.

Also be sure to look for an employer who offers earned vacation time. Earned vacation time usually earns you more days off throughout the year rather than a set amount annually. Having this option allows you to work harder to earn more hours towards a longer vacation and more time to spend with your loved ones. Most employers have a set policy, but it is something worth negotiating before being hired. Also make sure to go into the final interview with a list of pre-set vacations that you have planned so that you will be guaranteed that time off.

The most important thing while negotiating through a career change and the interview process is to keep your options open at all times, prepare in detail and be willing to alter your plans and negotiate. Employers will value a future employee who is willing to bend to fit into their ideal employee setting and employees will get the most advantages going into an interview with this attitude. This doesn't mean to give up on your dreams and goals, but be willing to "go with the flow" so that both parties will be happy.

Many times when you go into an interview, you may find that an unknown job or market is the perfect fit. Be confident, search everywhere and do not discount any job even if it doesn't seem like a cookie cutter fit for your life. A career change is a brutal process, but keeping in mind the most important things to your lifestyle, you can find the perfect job for you.