”The only way to do great work is to love what you do”
We get a lot of young people asking us for career advice. It’s not easy working out what you want to do when you’re a student or graduate so we’ve put this FREE toolkit together to help.
You may be feeling overwhelmed by the vast sea of possibilities that lie ahead of you. But with the right tools and strategies, you CAN and WILL successfully navigate and land your dream job.
Our first piece of advice is to start thinking about it and writing down your thoughts.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”
The next thing is to get to know yourself better and understand what energises you. This may sound odd, but the reality is that most of us can’t see the wood for the trees when it comes to our own superpowers and kryptonite. As Steve Jobs said (pictured above), “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
Start by taking a personality test
These help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. This FREE personality test site is very good.
https://www.16personalities.com/
Keep a journal
Write down your thoughts and feelings. It will help you better understand yourself and identify patterns and insights about what you value, believe, and what motivates you.
Seek candid feedback
Ask friends, family, and coworkers for feedback on your strengths and areas for improvement. This can give you an outside perspective and help you identify any blind spots. Simply ask people…
- What do you think my superpower is?
- What am I really, really good at?
- When am I at my best?
- What do I enjoy most?
- What kind of people energise me most?
- What kind I talk about for hours on end?
- What do you think my kryptonite is?
- What am I not so good at?
- What stresses me out most?
Try new things
Don’t be afraid to try new things you might fail at. Exploring new activities and hobbies can help you discover new interests and passions you may never have even considered. It also helps you step out of your comfort zone and gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
Practice self-reflection
Take time to reflect on your experiences, behaviours, and decisions. Ask yourself questions like, “What did I learn from this experience?” or “How did I handle that situation, and how could I have handled it better?”
Remember! Self-discovery is a lifelong journey, and it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers right away. Be patient with yourself and embrace the process of self-exploration. “You can’t rush a tree, but you can help it grow strong by taking care of it”
Research companies and people
Then, with all that in mind, cast your net wide and explore various career options. Talk to professionals who you admire in different industries and attend career fairs to gain insights into potential paths.
Match your strengths and passions
Match your needs with the companies that interest you to help you narrow your focus. What do they need that you could help them with if they gave you the opportunity to join them? Don’t worry about the fact you don’t have experience. Good companies hire people with potential and help them by giving them opportunities to learn on the job.
Use our ambition wheel tool
Now it’s time to set out your ambitions with clear, measurable goals and create a plan of action to achieve them.
We’ve created a FREE easy-to-use template that you can download here.
Remember, this is the rest of your life you’re planning so things will change. Be patient, be flexible, adapt to changes and roadblocks. Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
And remember that everyone, especially the most capable and talented people, spend their lives doubting themselves. That’s just your brain playing tricks on you so don’t let it! Be brave.
Now go out there and make history!
