We are all fragile when your job and your reputation are put to the test. Rejection, hearing “No” or not hearing a response from anyone, is common patterns in the fabric of your job search. Learning how to deal with your own feelings and understanding that this thing called a “job” happens to everyone and sometimes it’s a perfect fit and other times it’s not.  The important thing to keep in mind is that you are a central part of the process in being satisfied in your job and if you don’t take care of your emotional needs and wants first no one else will.  Remember, it’s important that you “handle with care” when you are looking for your next job.

Following all the steps like updating your resume, attending networking events and following up on good job leads are all necessary and important steps in finding your next job.  But what do you do for yourself once you get there?  How well to you handle your approach in keeping your job when you are feeling like you made the wrong choice or that you have changed and the job hasn’t?  It’s okay to evolve in your career as a mater of fact it’s an important part of your personal AND professional growth and development. Knowing when it’s time to move on and being in touch with your feelings means you are taking care of not just your resume but honoring how important your happiness is as part of the process.

Handling your feelings about your career with care takes you front and center in your search for the perfect job.  It’s not that you can’t find help or make a move without making what you want a priority.  But being clear about what you really want before you set upon the chase will help you make the right choice when you may have said “Yes” to the job offer before you thought it through.

You know what you want but honoring who you are and how you will be treated is part of any process in making sure you are not just taking care of the bank account but your personal account as well.  Most people think a job will make them happy and a healthy paycheck will answer all of their concerns.  It’s not the case.  You are the only one who can make yourself happy and if you are not happy when you embark on your job search, trust me you will be attracting the wrong opportunities to you even though it might look great from the outside.

Honoring yourself means being truthful about what makes you happy and it’s not just about where you work or whom you work for.  Although important, understanding what excites you, what inspires you and what makes you happy to drive to work is what honors who you are and what talents you have to offer a new employer.  If you don’t honor and respect yourself in your job search process, no one else likely will.

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Knowing what you want to do and whom you want to do it with is not as easy as it might seem.  Some people come out of the gate knowing exactly who they want to be when they grow up and who they’d like to be with.  For the rest of us, finding out which job box you fit into maybe the missing key.  I often realized that I did not fit into any one-job box.  Not the marriage box, not the traditional employee box nor the athlete box.  I kind of created my own box along the way although I don’t think that was what I ever really set out to do.

We start out with the best of intentions, whether it’s thinking we’ll get married and have kids to longing to make a million or buy your first home.  There are milestones along the way we can celebrate but sometimes, they remind us that we might not be on the path we chose for ourselves long ago.  Maybe you had pressure to become a doctor, writer, and musician because that was what was expected of you or you are following a long-standing family tradition.  Maybe you jump from one job to another not sure which one feels right only to realize you like the idea of something new and different and have made a career out of the job-hopping process.  Finding your job box means you are willing and happy with jumping into something that fits your personality, your work habits and propels you to do great things with your talents.

It may take you some time to realize what you are good at or, you may know that you are good at many things and can’t seem to choose which career path to take.  Finding and jumping into the right job box is in itself a process where you need to be both patient and trusting of yourself.  Knowing which job box is the right one for you can be overwhelming. You may not fit neatly into any one box but like to hop-the-top so to speak of each finding pleasure in doing many things well.

No one is holding a gun to your head and asking you to choose one job over another.  You have to know what you love to do and where you see yourself doing it in order to make the right choice for you. Following your passion is one way but when that passion can’t pay the bills or won’t yield the lifestyle you envision for yourself it’s time to hop into another job box that might be a better fit.  Prioritizing your wants, desires with your passions, skills and abilities may make the process of choosing your job box easier for you when it comes time to make a change in your career.

Remember, no one-job box is right for everyone.  Knowing yourself and what you want from your job, your career and your life, is the only true test in making sure you are choosing for you and not to please someone else.

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Like the Hunger Games you might be ready to do battle and fight for your job survival at any cost. But how well you play the game is just as important as whether or not you are in it to win it.   Catching job fire means you are ready to take on your career game for the fight of your life.

Like any good winning champ, you’ve got to first discover what you are really good at and what makes you stand apart from your competition.  Highlighting your skills on a resume is one thing but really being a subject matter expert in your field and showcasing your accomplishments is another.  How do you do that exactly you might ask?  Well, making sure you are seen and not just heard is one way to showcase your talents to the world.

When was the last time you were asked to speak on a panel?  When did you judge a competition in your field?  When were you asked to be a keynote speaker at an industry conference?  Being your own press machine helps you promote your skills and talents to a wider audience than to just your co-workers and to your boss.  It’s good to be recognized by your peers but being acknowledged and revered by your industry is a way to know you are not just well liked but you are loved in return!

When you know what you are good at you can promote your expertise and showcase your knowledge and maybe give back a little something in return.  Even if you are not looking for your next job, realizing that you need to be seen AND heard in order for people to know who you are is important when it’s time to ratchet up your game to the next level.  Your ability to make yourself known for all the right reasons means you are able to traverse your accomplishments and skills to the next level playing field which will set you apart from all the others out there trying to do the same.

You are a master at what you do and knowing how to leverage your skills and highlight your accomplishments beyond your LinkedIn page is what the world of Facebook and Twitter is all about.  Self-promotion is the way to become the lead horse in the race to your career like no other vehicle.  We tend to think promotion is left for product-placement and brand strategy.  But when you start to think of yourself as a brand than you are making a larger connection to showcasing your talents on a whole new level.

Being good at something and getting a raise in title and compensation is one way to catch job fire.  Figuring out how to scale to the highest levels in your field is another way to show off what you have to offer and help others in your field do the same.

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There maybe times in your life when you feel you can’t move fast enough and that you’ll never get to where you want to go no matter how much you sprint.  It’s nice to have so many options rolling around your head but when it comes time to making a move do you know which direction you will take? There are those who procrastinate and find it challenging to make a decision even if it’s about what to have for breakfast in the morning let alone what to do with their career life.  Then there are those that have so many ideas, so many interests that the thought of choosing just one makes them mad!  There are ways to tame your restless ambition even if you are not sure which career is right for you.

Making a plan and sticking to it seems like a good idea when you are fresh out of school and the world is a blank page from which you can write your own story.  Then there is “life” and all that comes up in the course of a day, week, year that forces you to twist and turn with uncertainty and makes you anxious to make a career commitment.  You may have a job you love but hate the pay.  You may make tons of money but hate the work you have chosen to do.  You may long to be an entrepreneur but need to support a family.  You may wish to go it alone but work in a family business.  Whatever your ambition, you need not make the choice a stressful one no matter how restless you are to get ahead.

Managing your ambition is like maintaining self-control when the options, choices and possibilities seem endless or overwhelming. Knowing how to say “No” to what does not work and “Yes” to what feels right is the difference between knowing when too much chocolate is a bad thing. Whether you know what you want or you can’t decide, managing your expectations about the future will help you overcome feeling like the world is rushing ahead without you.

Playing catch-up with your career goals may have you looking over your shoulder at every passing opportunity in hopes of getting a second chance at success. Don’t press the panic button just yet!  If something passes you by it just means it was not right for you.  Becoming anxious over any missed opportunity will not help you get to your career goals any faster.  Being restless about your next move may make you jump into the wrong situation before you’ve had a chance to really think it through.  Moving too fast especially when you have many options to consider may cause you to make an abrupt choice in your next move towards success.

Being restless can work to your advantage in that nothing generates more opportunity for you than when you start to obsessively focus on what you want next from your career move.  Restless does not have to spell reckless when it comes to making a decision about where you want to spend the rest of your career days.

Looking for a job?  Find us at www.greenlightjobs.com

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