Why It's Important To Know What You Want

I have received many job applications from people who do not know what they want. Some headline that in bold in their cover letters, stating so confidently that they are applying for 'any suitable position'. From freshies to the veterans to the comeback working mums. Any suitable position. One thing I can tell you is, "any" will not be a suitable position. You won't like it. You will like a position better if I give you what you deem is suitable for you. And only you know what that is. So do yourself a favour, clarify what you want, and your chances of getting it will be so much better.

Knowing what we want in our careers is in fact knowing what we want in life. A job is a job is a job. Any job comes with its shit. It's about how you want your life to be and to end. If you can decide for yourself early in your life how you want to live it, then you will be able to make wise career choices instead of leaving it up to other people to set it out for you.

This doesn't mean that the day after your convocation ceremony you must already get it all sorted. It takes time to figure out what you want. The Spice Girls didn't really know what they really really wanted at the age they sang "Wannabe". But they had an IDEA of what they wanted. And that's good enough for a start. When I was a kid I wanted to be someone who advised others and help them when they have problems. I had no idea what kind of work that would be, and I didn't even know what HR was until I finished law school. I held on to that idea of living that life of becoming people's "guiding light" though. Today I am an AHRI Mentor and also mentor to many of my ex-students and current colleagues. My life is all figured out, at 45.

Notwithstanding this, there is no deadline for figuring ourselves all out. Some of us are late bloomers. Some peak too soon (but remember, you have a second wind). The idea is to live life with an open heart and mind. Explore more, read more, learn more. Meet lots of people, collect life stories. Then reflect upon them, vis-a-vis your own accomplishments and setbacks and bucket lists, and start charting your path to where you want to be.

Another thing is to be specific. Don't tell yourself, "I just want to be happy." Instead, have a precise idea of what brings you happiness. Research on the different career paths or activities that could bring you closer to attaining that happiness.

It is imperative for all us to know what we want because if we live a life that is being controlled and commanded by other people, we will not be fulfilled and will end up depressed and regretful. And that is not how a life is to be lived. We may also continually compare ourselves to others, perpetually harbouring feelings of low self-esteem and never seeing the blessings we have actually been bestowed upon.

Once we have an idea of what we want, set out to do two things. Start building a nest of savings to fund ourselves towards our ultimate goal. That financial cushion should take into account emergencies and unexpected turns in life so that our plans will not be interrupted. Secondly, pick a few close and trusted friends, or family members, to be our support system and team of confidantes who can give us the moral support, encouragement and advice we need along our journey towards our life goals. We can go further if we venture together.

#life #lifelessons #happiness #goals #careers #explore #read #learn