“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”― Mark Twain
As a child and adolescent, I must have had the same conversation with adults hundreds of times. You know the one: “What are you going to be when you grow up?” And while all the friends and family members that asked this question were well-meaning and genuinely interested, there was something very important that they missed … something vital when it comes to using the phone as part of your job search.
What’s the one important thing that adults miss when talking to young people about their future careers? And how does it relate to picking up the phone?
When someone would ask what I was going to do when I grew up, I would give them an answer like “nursing” – because I either knew someone doing it or I’d heard about it at school. No one ever asked me the more important questions, the ones that ignited my curiosity and fueled my energy: “What do you want?” and “What do you love to do?”
These aren’t easy questions to answer. And they change throughout our lifetime, but the way you answer today can influence your job search. For example:
What do I love to do? Well, it’s a long list but so far…
- My love of decorating cakes put me behind the counter of a grocery store bakery (so fun!) and led me to understand that my creativity can be used in strategy and innovation.
- My interest in personal growth and self-awareness has me attending events and classes where I continually expand my knowledge and skills, and meet other like-minded people.
- And my desire to use my French language? Well, that brought me to The Phone Lady and translating content for a webinar that has led to a full-time partnership. Wow!
None of these things would have happened without having lots of conversations and being able to pick up the phone. Of course, before you pick up the phone, you need to know who you want to call … and why.
That’s Step 2 in developing your job search super power, which I’ll explore in more detail in my next post.