The jobs climate is still tight and tenuous, whether you’re a new college graduate or a seasoned worker. We welcome back author and life coach Dan Miller to talk finding work you love. His books include No More Dreaded Mondays; 48 Days to the Work You Love, and Wisdom Meets Passion, and he helps us use our passions and gifts to build a satisfying career.
Dan starts by warning us that the work models are changing. “Consultant,” “contingency worker” and “entrepreneur” are now commonly-used terms in today’s work force. The 9-5 long-term connection with any one company is becoming a-typical. How does this affect our work? Dan says, we need to re-frame the discussion and take a fresh look at where security truly exists. For those in today’s working world, the security comes from finding something you love and are passionate about and building a career around that.
Dan encourages us to spend time exploring these three areas related to work:
Skills and abilities
You can ask, “How did God uniquely wire me? What makes me passionate?” It’s not wrong to spend time searching for a career at the expense of searching for a quick paycheck.
Personality
How do I relate to other people? Am I an introvert or an extrovert? Does my productivity increase when I’m on my own or when I’m around others?
Values, dreams, and passions
What makes me come alive? What gets me fired up? What do I see that I’d like to improve or change?
Dan also suggests that we look beyond higher education and recognize that college doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good job. “We have to be careful about assuming… that if I just get that college degree, the world will be beating a path to my door.” Seek out godly counsel and creative people who will help you, train you, and push you to take risks and find out where God wired you to work.
Image: Flickr
