52 Week Collage: Week 6 Confusion

[pegkerr]

Week 6 Confusion
My thoughts are flying in a million different directions.



I have been working hard on job hunting this week. But I have nothing to show for it. That's because job hunting has not yet reached the point of having a resume because I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR. I have done assessments. I have done worksheets. I have listed accomplishments. I am flailing around, and it's a most uncomfortable feeling. And I'm going to feel quite sheepish when I show up at the job support meeting on Monday and still don't know what I want to do.

It didn't strike me until this week that all of my cards so far are more or less self-portraits.

Oh, by the way: results of my Strengthfinder assessment:

1. Strategic - Create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

2. Achiever - Has a great deal of stamina and works hard. Takes great satisfaction from being busy and productive

3. Input - Has a craving to know. Collects and archives all kinds of information

4. Individualization - Intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. Can have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

5. Empathy - Can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations

Comments

[wintercreek]

Are you looking for job/field suggestions? Some fields come to mind when reading your strengths - happy to share what I see in your assessment, if you want me to.

[pegkerr]

Sure, if you have any ideas, I'd like to hear 'em. You've been reading my LJ for years, so maybe you have some thoughts?

[wintercreek]

One big one that comes to mind is social services of some kind - you have the kind of organization and combination of big picture thinking with attention to detail that could be wonderful in helping people make plans for navigating transitions. (I'm thinking specifically about case management for people who are in transitional housing - helping them figure out what's needed to get/improve employment, get housing, access resources, etc - which is mostly because I'm interning with a transitional housing agency right now.)

Another one (again, at the top of my brain because it's relevant to my daily life at the moment) is that you'd be a great church secretary/administrator. My home church is looking at our office job and realizing how important it is for someone to fill that role who can hold the big picture and the details, who can empathize and be a steady presence.

Maybe something along those lines will spark for you?

[naomikritzer]

There's a supportive/affordable housing organization that I pass every day when I take my daughters to school, CommonBond. Their employment page: http://commonbond.org/employment.aspx

There's nothing on there that currently leaps out at me, but maybe keep an eye out.

[naomikritzer]

So, a couple of miscellaneous thoughts.

1. Last year sometime, Ed went to a workshop on Spiritual Gifts that involved a self-assessment to figure out what your spiritual gifts were. The concept of Spiritual Gifts seemed to me to be a very interesting lens through which to look at what work you'd find fulfilling. I could track down the program he used, if you would like to take a look.

2. That said, work doesn't have to be fulfilling; sometimes, it's just a relatively painless way to keep a roof over your head. So another way to frame this for yourself is, what jobs out there wouldn't suck?

3. You could ask your friends (probably on FB, but you could point them to LJ or invite them to share via e-mail) to tell you about their jobs. What is your job title? What do you do all day? What do you enjoy about the job, and what do you dislike about it? How much do you make (for those comfortable sharing that information)? etc. That might give you some ideas and inspiration.

[cyllan]

I will second the "Work doesn't have to be fulfilling" statement. Not-sucking may be the primary goal that you're looking for.

Sadly, I have most of my experience in the tech industry, and I'm not sure that's the industry for you. If, however, you're interested in the side positions of the tech world (managers, scrummasters, technical writers, and so on) I can offer some suggestions.

Also, consider the practical: how much does your new job need to pay for it to be sustaining to your family? Make sure that's part of your calculations when looking at options.

Good luck! I'm pulling for you.