The average person born in the latter years of the baby boom held 11 jobs from age 18 to age 44, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.  It can be a long process to find a career we truly enjoy.  The work we do does much more than just provide an income.  It consumes the majority of our days during our time on earth.  For many it becomes an identity.  A definition of who they are.  For others it is simply a means to an end.  Surviving the grind until that ever elusive day of retirement.  In an entry on career it is tempting to get into the misperception that wealth brings happiness, but we will save that for a later entry.  Instead we want to talk about discovering your passions and living them out by converting those passions into a potential means of income, i.e. career.

 

For many in these tough economic times, any job would be nice, regardless of what it is.  Even while unemployed or working a “dead end” job, one can seek to pursue what they are passionate about.  One of the best resources out there on discovering some key areas of career you may thrive in is called StrenthsFinder 2.0.  Amazon.com discusses this resource in saying “Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths. To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.” 

 

Obviously discovering what you are good at is just the beginning.  Next you need to discover what you love and see if it matches what you are good at. Finally, you need to put all that into action as you seek to earn a living.  You can start today by discovering your strengths and we greatly encourage you to get StrengthsFinder 2.0 to do that.  For more information on career development or any general questions about counseling, please contact us at www.olivercounseling.com.