Are you feeling stuck because you haven’t got a clue what your dream career could be? Part 1

We are often clear on what we don’t want, but can find it very challenging to focus on what we do want. When it comes to our career there is so much choice. To help you to start to gain some clarity, take some time out to think about the following question. What do you really, really, want?

I am not asking you to be specific about a job title or career. If you have a specific career in mind that’s great; you are streets ahead. This is about taking time out to dream about what you want your life to be like, not just your career.

Your career is there to support your lifestyle, not the other way round. Think about and list where you live, friends, family, health, relationships, finances, fun and recreation, etc.

There may be other categories that you would like to include. However, for those of you who don’t know, what dream career is – you can become paralysed by not knowing, and this can lead to you not taking action.

So what action can you take, even if you are not sure what your next career move could be? Think about what’s making you feel dissatisfied with your current career? It’s important to be clear on what it is about your current role that makes you feel dissatisfied.

Take a piece of paper and write it down. How is your current career not meeting your needs? Is this a recent thing or have you felt it for some time? Recent changes at work can impact on how you feel about your current role; e.g. a new boss, a company take-over or changes in working practices. If that’s the case, you may need to change your work environment rather than your career.