Tools to get out of the wrong job… and onto the right career path

Many people are stuck in the wrong job and don’t quite know how to get into their ideal career. The first step lies in understanding your unique strengths, and there are tools that exist to help.

The reality of work

Although. as children, we might have harboured secret ambitions to work in glamorous professions, the reality is that many of us end up in jobs that simply don’t match our particular talents and interests. The fact is that the labour market is tough, careers advice is often minimal, and people find themselves in a series of roles, or following a career path, more through chance than by design. It can be very difficult to make a change with confidence, particularly where retraining is involved. And the prospect of starting again can be daunting.

Why you need to take charge

However, it is undeniably important to work in a role that gives you enjoyment and some degree of fulfilment. Research estimates that we will spend over 80,000 hours at work during our lifetime and yet less than 3,000 of these hours will be spent having fun in the job. This is a fairly dismal state of affairs when you consider how much of your life you will devote to work. Do you really want all of your energy and life purpose to be frittered away in a 9-5 that you don’t particularly look forward to?

Finding your perfect job

The secret to getting the dream job that you want is to start by really understanding yourself: what you are good at; what motivates you; and what truly makes you stand out from others. This mix of special attributes differs from person to person, but if you can pin this information down you will be able to position yourself very strongly indeed. Those in roles that truly match their strengths invariably perform extremely well and reach their full potential.

In contrast, people stuck in poorly matched roles will rarely find that they get true enjoyment or fulfilment from their careers and will also struggle to achieve great career heights. The same applies to the organisation in which you choose to work. By understanding yourself, you can understand in which sort of company you will thrive and be at your happiest. Don’t just drift along and maintain the status quo if you are unhappy in your current profession; take charge and improve things!

The tools that you need

Big 5 Assessments is a global provider of leading assessments, tests and tools that help individuals to learn more about themselves, their personalities, strengths and motivations in order to make better decisions about their future direction. This kind of assessment is now in high demand, as people seek to find more fulfilment and success in their lives, and take control over their future.

We have recently launched a new career test called ‘what Job Fits Me’ designed to help students, job seekers and would-be career changers find their perfect match.  They enable you to better understand your own unique mix of strengths and workplace preferences, and to see how these would potentially match with appropriate roles and career choices. Our test help you to understand your personality in detail, and how it manifests itself in the workplace, giving you powerful information for career decision making.

Find out more

This type of insight is hugely valuable in helping with next steps. It is essential in working out a game plan, leaving an unsatisfying role and moving successfully to a role that really matches you as an individual.

Visit www.whatjobfitsme.com to find out more 

About the Author: nikkyvb

Nikky van Bommel is the Marketing Director for Big 5 Assessments and has worked in the Psychometric Testing industry for over 10 years. Nikky is responsible for all marketing and social media for the organisation.