Labor Day reminded us about our current job status. Are you fortunate enough to be employed? Are you even luckier to be employed and love your job. Or, are you still looking for a position that best fits your personality, family needs and, more important, your fiscal needs?
Illness has prevented me from updating this blog more often, but my recent health experiences reaffirmed how fortunate I am to work for the Bangor Daily News. Working for a company that truly cares how you are feeling and adjusts your work schedule accordingly is not what one finds every day. Not only do I love my job; but my company truly cares about me.
Over the past 10 months I have had many readers, friends and family contact me about their current job search. They all want to find the right job, but many of them don’t know where to begin. Here are a few things to think about as you search for your perfect job.
1) What previous jobs have you enjoyed the most and why? If you look at the patterns of your employment and which positions brought you the most internal happiness, your eyes will be opened as to what types of positions to look for (as well as what types not to look for). I’ve had positions that I loved that simply didn’t allow me to support my family of four; and then I had positions that allowed me to support my family but not to SEE my family because I was on the road so much. My position with the Bangor Daily finally allows me to do both, which is wonderful!
2) What do you want to be when you grow up? Have you come anywhere near doing what you dreamed about as a child? If you can’t find THAT position, can you find a position within a company that has some opportunities similar to your dreams? For me, I always wanted to be a writer. So, when the Bangor Daily News had a sales position open, I knew that position had a chance of allowing me to pursue that childhood dream. Writing a blog certainly isn’t writing a best-selling novel; but it allows me to write and have what I write read by the general public, which is a start!
3) What can you see yourself doing until you are in ready to retire? If your present job leaves you stressed and fretting about your job even when you are not there, that probably isn’t the best position for you to think about staying long term. What caused that stress? I’ve had those stressful positions in the past; and to now come home excited about my accomplishments of the day, it reaffirms my decision to finish out my career, hopefully, with the Bangor Daily.
If you still haven’t found the job of your dreams start getting ready for the upcoming EmployME Job Fair to be held on October 15th, at Spectacular Events in Bangor from 10 am to 2 pm. Take another good look at your resume, or better yet, have someone else take a good look at it to see if there are any improvements you can make. Pick out the best professional outfit in your closet and make sure it’s ironed and ready to go in October. If you don’t have that outfit yet, head over to a resale store and I am quite sure you will find something amazing at an amazing price! And most importantly, reflect on which positions in your life have made you the most satisfied and happy to get up and go in the morning!
Great article! I, too, feel very blessed to have an employer that has been so accommodating and flexible, especially since I had my daughter. I also agree that it’s important to figure out what you are looking for – as someone who has interviewed many people, it is much better to interview someone who knows exactly what they are looking for rather than someone who says “I’ll take anything.”
Thanks for your comment Esther! You make a very good point!