Confidence within yourself

As a follow up to the last post about finding your strengths, I think its important to remember the inspiring Eleanor Roosevelt who said:

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent

Sometimes the biggest hurdle to overcome when starting a job search is within yourself. You must have the confidence to believe in your abilities. When you start receiving the positive feedback requested from those you trust, take the time to digest and more importantly, believe it.

Just as a surgeon wouldn't expect an interior designer to repair an organ, a surgeon is not expected to know how to develop architectural renderings of a home remodel. Again, understand and believe in your strengths. Know that just because you may not have been the best employee at your last position, does not make you a failure.

When you find a job that excites you and it is in line with your strengths, you will think to yourself...Can I do this job? Know that you can. The more confidence you have in your abilities, the easier it will be to convince a hiring manager of the same. Keep your head up and believe in yourself!

A fulfilling job AND a fulfilling life

It always seems easier to give advice to someone who knows what they want. You can be specific about your search and how you sell yourself to potential employers. What if you still haven't figured out what you want to do with your life?

I have been taking some time to really dig down on this issue. There seems to be a constant battle between finding fulfillment in a job and then just having a job to provide the lifestyle that you want. I still want both and I don't think that is too much to ask for.

Next steps....after talking to some good friends about this, I am working to better understand my strengths. No matter how much you tell yourself that you can do anything, it doesn't seem to change the fact that doing something you are good at is a much more rewarding experience. So I have been reaching out to former colleague, clients, and friends to ask for their honest opinion on this area. The results have been fantastic. Remember that your view of yourself is only one side of the story and the effect you have on other people could be eye opening for you.

If you are debating with similar issues regarding the next steps in your career or your life, don't be afraid to reach out for help. People, in general, like to help others and if you can make them part of your exciting journey of self discovery, they may provide more help than you ever imaged.

Recommendations:
Try the Myers-Briggs test. You should be able to find this online for free if you have not taken it before. It's a great first step to understanding yourself and your strengths and weaknesses.

Email former colleagues whom you trust. Ask for honesty when they provide feedback, if they are not comfortable with it, don't push. It is more important to get the truth. If they tell you what they think you want to hear, its may be a nice ego boost, but not going to help you get where you need to do.

Let me know if you have other ideas you want to share from your journey!