The Quote Putting Pressure on Your Job Search

Quick question: Is it just me, or is it time to throw out that quote, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”?

It just puts so much unnecessary pressure on us to find something so uniquely exciting and amazing that we get stuck in this constant quest—or worse, inaction. That is unless you’re part of that small percentage of people who grow up knowing exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life (that wasn’t me!). 

How about we find work that’s interesting and engaging and that allows you to have a healthy life/work blend? Something that feels like Charlotte York’s marriage where we might not be happy all day, every day, but we do feel happy every day (and some financial stability from the job would be nice too!). 

I mean, take Beyoncé for example. Do you think the hours and hours of time she puts into rehearsals or in the recording studio don’t feel like work? It may be work she loves, but it still feels like work. 

That quote just feels a bit irresponsible to me. LOL! It’s putting unrealistic expectations in our heads. 

There was always one BIG problem for me when it came to pursuing work that I knew would interest me. That problem…? ME! I was afraid and I allowed that fear to keep me feeling stuck. Stuck in this box of limiting the view of my potential to what I’ve done in the past or what I felt I was capable of doing based on that experience. 

It wasn’t until I started looking at my transferable skills (and answering some self-reflective questions, similar to those from last week’s email) that I realized I was capable of more than I was limiting myself to. 

I also had to get creative, since my view of work that was possible was also limited. Some of my favorite tools became LinkedIn and job boards like Indeed and Zip Recruiter. I’d search general keywords, like Finance, to see what jobs were out there and the qualifications. 

Sometimes that wasn’t enough and I’d turn to career assessments. LET ME TELL YOU!, If you’re looking for direction to find work you’ll enjoy, assessments are a GAME CHANGER, my friend. My favorite? 16personalities.com. The profile at the end of the assessment gives you a lot of ideas to explore. Trust me, it’s worth the time. 

Ok, so huddle up. Our new focus is on finding work that we will enjoy. Something that will keep us engaged and challenged in the right way. You’ve got this!