Think Outside the Box

To be able to see job endings as opportunities, you have to think outside the box. Every ending is a chance to do something new. So what would you like to do? What would you REALLY like to do if you could have your dream job?

A gentleman I met at a job search meeting had spent years in inside sales. It was an OK way to make a living, but he never felt he was really good at it. Still, it was all he knew, and others in his life expected him to stay with it, so he was looking for a job in sales. During a break, I chatted with him and asked him, "If you could have your dream job, the job you REALLY want to do, what would it be?" Without hesitation, he said, "Landscaping! I love being outdoors and making the yard look perfect." I said, "Do you see how you lit up when you talked about landscaping? It doesn't take any special education or preparation. Why don't you just do it?! Print a few business cards, get a few spot jobs, and try it out." "Yeah!" he said. "I think I will."

Next time I saw him, he was very busy earning a satisfying living in landscaping. It was exactly the right thing for him, but he couldn't see it at first because he was "supposed to be" doing something else. Don't let "supposed to" get in the way of doing what you love!

So what's your dream job or business? What's stopping you? The obstacles are never insurmountable. Just get started and be creative. If it takes a lot of education or experience, take it in small steps. Go to the college and talk to the Financial Aid department about how you can get the funds you need. Then go for the first step. If you want to be an architect, like George Costanza, the Seinfeld character, maybe get a one- or two-year certificate in architectural drafting. Then work for an architecture firm as a drafter and see if they will help pay your way for the rest of your degree in architecture.

Whatever it is you dream of doing, there is a way! Just get started, and as Larry The Cable Guy says, "Git 'er done!"