***** Positive Thinking, Happy Living

Are you happy when you come to work in the morning, or happy when it is time to go home? Do you look forward to Friday, and then get knots in your stomach on Sunday evenings? If this is the case, there is probably nothing wrong with you physically. You may be in the wrong job.

Most people view their lives as being separate parts: work life/social life/home life. Your life has many components, but when you are in the wrong job, the rest of your life is out of balance too.

So How Do You Know If You Are In The Wrong Job? Ask Yourself The Following:

8 out of 10 Americans want a new job (Society of HR Professionals, Dec. 2003). When people want to figure out their career situation, they are generally looking for something that is “better” or more, i.e., more passion, more of a challenge, more balance, or more money. Ironically, I’ve found that most clients start the career planning with a limited sense of possibility.

Limitations come from:

* Lack of confidence ("On one level I know I can start out on my own, but when it comes to doing it, I think I can't; so I don't!")

More often than not, resumes are your first introduction to an organization – giving them the responsibility of persuading the reader to want more. It is common for individuals to agonize over writing a resume and more often than not the finished product looks more like a career obituary or personal statement than a first class ticket to your dream job. A resume is an advert, an advert that introduces an individual, their career achievements to date and predicts how they will perform in their next role.

When it comes to making your "big" career decision, it's important that you take into consideration the big picture-all of the various parts of your life. Not only do you need to have worked out what your priorities are, you also need to look at things such as finances, family responsibilities, education, experience, where you are at personally in your life right now, and the list goes on.

If you are ambitious and want to get ahead, the current economic slowdown may well be frustrating your plans to move your career forward. Many people will be working long hours, whilst 'keeping their head down' just to maintain the status quo and maximise their job security.

However, there are four proactive steps you can take now to maximise security in your current role and, as economic conditions improve, place yourself in pole position to move your career forward.

Step 1 - Get Organised.