Recently I made a presentation to graduate student interns from over 200 NCAA conference offices. The title was Next Steps: Preparing for the Job Search. I outlined six steps to guide students on their path to landing their dream job in sports: Assessing Oneself, Researching, Planning, Preparing, Executing and Evaluation. I told them the most important step was the first one. Why? Because if they don’t know themselves, how could they ever know the best job fit for them?
A critical element to assessing oneself is identifying what’s really important to you – your passion, values, motivation. Assessing oneself not only helps you identify your passion but helps you to be honest about who you are and what type of career and work environment are best suited for you. When career coaching young and transitioning professionals, I’m always amazed that they haven’t asked themselves the important questions relevant to landing their dream job. “What do I love and how can I get paid doing it?”
Here are some questions I hope will help you identify your passion, assess yourself and land the best job for you. I call them the 5 Ws:
WHAT
really interests you and why? Make a list.
are your goals? What do you want from a job? Salary? Challenge?
are the skills, qualities and experiences needed to do these jobs?
are your strengths, attributes?
do you know about what this job pays, how you advance, are evaluated?
WHY do you want this job?
WHO is in your network?
WHEN do you plan to start working? Is additional education, training needed?
WHERE do you want to live? Willing to relocate? What’s the work culture, environment?
Assessing oneself is the first step towards matching your passion with the right job for you. Now you’re ready to begin the six-step process I’ve successfully employed with others. Check it out in the career coaching section of our website and let me help you reach your goals!