At this point, some of you may be saying, 'well, she shouldn't be so picky' or 'she has to go where the jobs are'. 

I take an opposite approach.  You 'Work to Live, Not Live to Work'.   You should not have to give up the things most important to you (ie;family, friends, etc…).    My attitude really doesn't matter though as the real issue is …SHE NEEDS A JOB.   So she and I spoke the other day on how to figure out what you want to do with your life.

So How do you figure out what you want to do?   Here are several methods:

1.  Create 3 columns on a piece of paper:   

        a.What you Love Doing (if you could do this everyday you'd be in heaven) – boating, coaching, writing, working with kids, sewing,  making beer, etc…

       b. What you Are Really Good at Doing – great organizer, writing, parenting, speed skating, making quiche, etc..

       c.  What skills have you learned from your work or education – chemistry, training, recruiting, managing, computer programming, etc…

    After you've made these 3 lists start matching them up what could be a great new business for you.  For example using the lists above this person may really love making beer.  If they could do this every day they would.  This person may have learned to be a great organizer and at work is always the person who trains people and is a great manager.     If they could wake up every morning and do a combination of these skills what types of jobs come to mind?    

Invite friends over and start brainstorming over some of that homemade beer you made.

2.  Use a Fishbone Diagram to Find Out What you can do

    What's a fishbone diagram?  Very simply, The technique can help to structure the process of identifying possible causes of a problem .  I like to use it to figure out what are the things I like to do,  do real well and am trained to do (similar to above) and brainstorm off a chart.  Here's how it works:

• On a broad sheet of paper, draw a long arrow horizontally across the middle of the page pointing to the right, and label the arrowhead with the title of the issue to be explained. This is the ‘backbone’ of the ‘fish’.
• Draw spurs coming off the ‘backbone’ at about 45 degrees, one for every item you like to do, are trained to or are good at.   Highlight any causes that appear more than once – they may be significant.
• So if you have a line that says Training.  From that line you draw lines attached to it that are jobs that use that skill..
• Eventually there are lots of job ideas that come off the main skill.
• Circle anything that seems to be reappearing and use these ideas to come up with new job opportunities

There's an old story about a South African Farmer who wanted to be rich so he sold his farm and travelled all over Africa to find his riches.  He died destitute and poor never finding what he was seeking.  A farmer who bought his property was fishing in the stream on the farm he had purchased and found a beautiful rock. He put the rock on the mantle in his living room.  A couple years later a visitor saw the rock and asked where he found it.  The farmer said in his stream and that his property is littered with these beautiful rocks.  The man examined it and took it to a University who told the man that this rock may be the largest uncarved diamond ever known.  The Farmer found out his land was littered with the largest diamond find ever.  

The first farmer did not try to investigate what he already possessed and went searching.  The moral is if you spend the time to think through what you enjoy doing, are trained to do and have the skills to do you might just go in a direction that you will be extremely passionate about and be incredibly successful at.

So what is this miracle cure?  Exercise.

The word "exercise" may make you think of running laps around the block or getting on that exercise bike in the basement. But a wide range of activities that boost your activity level help you feel better. Certainly running, lifting weights, playing basketball and other fitness activities that get your heart pumping can help. But so can gardening, washing your car, or strolling around the block and other less intense activities. Anything that gets you off the couch and moving is exercise that can help improve your mood.

You don't have to do all your exercise at once, either. Broaden how you think of exercise and find ways to fit activity into your routine. Add small amounts of physical activity throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther away at work to fit in a short walk. Or, if you live close to your job, consider biking to work.

IMPROVED HEALTH

Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.

In an article on Depression, the Mayo Clinic wrote the following:

Exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

Exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits too. It can help you:

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.

When you get to the job interview you want to feel good about yourself.  You want to look good, feel good, feel refreshed and full of energy.  If you've spent the last few months sitting by a computer and reviewing job ad after job ad you will have very likely gained some weight, lost energy and lost some enthusiasm.  If you start each day with a walk or can get out in the garden and work or even more proactively, gotten a group of others in your position and bike, run or walk on a regular basis you will increase your chances of employment.

How does this help my job search?  Those chemicals mentioned above will help you think more creatively;  you will work harder and smarter; you may join groups of other people, and that's called networking; y ou will look better in the interview and you will show more enthusiasm and excitement when you speak.  These things will all come through in the interview and present you as a better candidate.

Anybody up for a jog?

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 William G Morgan, the Job Swami, is the Regional Manager and an Executive IT & Sales Recruiter with Segula Technologies, Inc.   He can be reached at (610)579-3216 if you are looking for great people or are looking for next employment.

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