Finding the Perfect Job

After attending college for 3 ½ years and changing my career 5 times, I came to a conclusion that should have been obvious from the start: I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Unfortunately, I was in the majority. Many kids come out of high school without a clue as to what they want to do with the rest of their lives. They feel frustrated and confused about what careers are even available.

With a heavy heart, I dropped out of college feeling like a complete and utter loser. I had grown up with the idea that you go to high school and get good grades so that you can go to college and get good grades so that you can have a career and earn a living that will provide for your family. Where did I go wrong? Everyone seemed to have an opinion of what I should do with my life, everyone that is, except me. My father felt that I would be excellent in sales, but I really don't like talking to people that much. My mother thought that I would be a great teacher, except that I'm not very patient. Still others suggested Human Resources, Journalism and Stock Broker. All of them held a little interest, but nothing seemed like a "perfect fit".

I began working through temporary agencies in Administrative work. I held several long term temporary and contract assignments. Each company that I worked for gave me glowing reviews and some even offered me permanent positions. Finally about 10 years ago, one of the temporary agencies that I was working through offered me a position as a Staffing Supervisor. My position would be to interview candidates, assess their backgrounds and place them in temporary positions. I loved that job! I loved talking to people about their backgrounds, their hopes and desires, their goals and their dreams. I loved helping them find a position that made their lives better. I began to notice that many people were extremely qualified individuals; they had good personalities, good degrees, good work histories and good references. However, for one reason or another they were not able to find the job of their dreams.

The company that I was working for offered me the opportunity to move into a Permanent Recruiter position. In this position I would be working with higher-level clients assisting them in finding higher-level candidates. In this position, I found my "perfect place". I market candidates, so Dad was right - I am good at sales. I teach candidates to write better resumes, to interview better and to plan their career progression, so Mom was right, I'm also a good teacher. My position requires a good knowledge of Human Resources, because we must keep good records, be careful to ask appropriate questions and be aware of when we are being asked to discriminate by clients. My position allows me to use my love for writing by assisting people in writing their resumes, putting together advertising and marketing plans and writing "how-to" tutorials for the entire interview process. While my position has nothing to do with the Stock Market, it does involve managing money. In order to succeed as a recruiter, it's important to always keep in mind how much time you are spending on a search. What kind of a return are you likely to get on your investment of time?

My position is slowly evolving into that of "Career Coach". There are candidates whom I have worked with for years. When they get the idea to change positions, they call me and ask whether it's a good idea. They call to get advice on asking for a promotion or a raise. I assist them in making the right moves for their goals.

Recently, I have begun giving seminars in high schools about the types of people that companies are looking for. I help High School Seniors decide what career paths might a fit for their personalities and interests. I assist them in filling out college applications to best represent their high school background. Every day, I help people avoid the frustration and discouragement that I felt while in college. It turns out that my perfect job just happened to be helping other people find their perfect job!