“Some people just want to change, but before looking for a new job, figure out what you do best…”
Where to Start?
While January may be the number one month for new hires in Manhattan, and a good time for those interested in a career change to send out resumes, the biggest challenge in finding your dream job may be knowing what your dream job is.
The first question people need to ask themselves in their search for a new profession is, “Who am I?” By looking at themselves and finding what makes them feel successful, a job seeker can find a position that will fulfill their basic need for success.
“Just because there’s a nursing shortage doesn’t mean everyone should be a nurse.”
Sometimes, though, desire isn’t enough – talent is required, whether innate or learned. “A person needs to look at their personal gifts,” Gerberg says. Some people are naturally inclined for certain professions. Her husband, Mort Gerberg, always loved to draw cartoons, she said, but also naturally very good at it, which made a profession as a cartoonist a natural fit.
Others will need to educate themselves. Just because a person might not be good at something today, doesn’t mean they can’t learn, But they have to ask themselves: Are they willing to do what it takes to go back and become a student? The best advice says Judith Gerberg is to “try the outfit on.” Too many times she sees people too afraid to try something new, “The worst danger is doing nothing”.
Still stuck? Gerberg suggests finding a qualified person to work with. As a career counselor, her job is to “help people connect to who they are and what they need.”
Excerpt from an article in Our Town Downtown, Thursday, January 16, 2014.