Who do I want to be? Sometimes this is the most difficult question to answer in your career search.

The answer often involves much soul searching, personal introspection, commentary from friends, network, coaches. But in the end…the answer is inside you.

So what is the best way to figure it all out? Here’s 7 tips to help:

Set Broad Goals: Set broad goals for Work/Life Balance, material and family goals, knowledge and experience goals, before you set income, title, or company goals.

Ask: Ask yourself what you enjoy, what you are best at, what your challenges are. Ask your peers, ask your network, ask coaches, ask interviewers, ask employers. Ask industry forums and Question/Answer sites (See my earlier article on LinkedIN Questions). Ask everybody.

Listen: Really listen. Remember that listening to this type of advice may be difficult. You may hear things you don’t want to (but need to) hear. You may get advice that conflicts with the personal view you have of yourself. Listen to the marketplace, via job ads, industry forums, question/answer sites. The more people you ask, the more conflicting advice you’ll get. But listen to your gut and to your close personal advisors…together decide who’s right, and who gives advice that makes sense.

Question: Ask Why. Research: Research the marketplace. See which skills are the most in demand. SimplyHired offers a great tool for this, which I reviewed here Ditch your Crystal Ball. Try Hiring Trends Instead…..

Match: Match your skills with what’s in demand in the marketplace based on your research. For more information, see my earlier article Which Subject Matter am I an Expert at? Match your skills with your non work demands and needs for work vs life tradeoffs.

Embrace Change: Change is good. Change is personal growth and progress. Change brings unplanned opportunity and serendipity. If you embrace change with a positive attitude and visualize your goals, you can’t help but reach your goals. Just remember, that in your journey to reach your goals…they often change as you grow and change personally.

Phil Rosenberg
President, reCareered
Blog: http://reCareered.blogspot.com

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