How to create your own job?

Most of us are brought up to feel that our futures are controlled by other people. No one tells us this, but there is a subtle conditioning that starts with our families- our wonderful, well-meaning parents who want to keep us from harm- and so they hold us tightly by the hand, surround us with rules and controls intended to keep us safe; they’re in charge. And then the circle of control grows wider; our teachers, the leaders of our sports teams and youth groups. Little wonder that we are well conditioned by the time we enter the working world and our boss, the recruiter, or the corporate office naturally becomes the control icon in our lives.          

Reality can be, and indeed is, different. If you haven’t instinctively grasped the thinking process of the movers and shakers in this real world of entrepreneurship, it can be learned – step-by-step.  At the Crystal-Barkley Corporation, through our Life\Work Design process, we give individuals training in the ‘how tos’ of this in a very precise manner, and then coach them as they make their desired changes. The process is built on several principles, which dictate the point of view – such as:

• Who you are as a person should have more to do with your work decisions than what jobs are available out there;

• Everyone is loaded with talents – the task is to access them;

• Staying close to your true interests invites success;

• Knowledge about who you are and what the truth is about the part of the world of work which interests you is your most important career tool;

Jobs are responses to needs, which are perceived by those who can pay for them.

True Expression

Consider the situation Elaine faced. She was a valued officer in a major financial institution overseeing benefits and compensation. As such she had the ear of the Chairman and played a major role in high-level corporate meetings. The problem was, she was bored stiff.  She lived for her off-work hours when she trained her lovely soprano voice, sang in a choir and occasionally gave well-received recitals. Many urged her to give up the corporate life for an operatic career.  She had this murmur in the back of her head, however, that reminded her how insecure such a route would be; her family had always emphasized how important it was to have a stable corporate job.

When Elaine become involved with learning the Life\Work Design process she first investigated how she might transfer her various talents to a career associated with music. The more she learned, the more she realized that in order to do what she wanted, she would have to travel internationally, a thought she did not relish at all.  Gradually, Elaine became aware of some of the skills, which bolstered her exceptional voice: a stage presence; a graceful way of expressing her thoughts; the ability to focus directly on each person in her audience; and a keen sense of timing. Elaine also discovered that, while she did not enjoy crunching numbers in her current position, she did care a lot about the people who were affected by her figures.  In fact, she realized she was spending increasing amounts of time coaching individuals in her department, and others on how to present themselves more effectively.  This realization led Elaine naturally to the prospect of investigating just what importance the Chairman and other officers placed on the presentation skills of their key people. What she turned up was strong latent frustration on the part of almost everyone she queried about their own and others’ abilities to communicate.

You guessed it! Elaine ended up proposing that she initiate a corporate presentation training program. The Chairman recognized this unmet corporate need and allowed her to explore this on a daily basis while retaining her status.  Elaine now runs the corporate Training and Development Department, much expanded from her original idea, and has a number of equally skilled people reporting to her. She doesn’t have to travel; the people she trains come to her.

Creating Jobs

Whether your interests are similar to Elaine’s or more like James’ who was the only one in the IT department of an insurance company to survive a merger when he proposed an innovative way of integrating systems; or Robin, who came up with a new electrical product idea and went from sales to overseeing production; or a host of others who actually created their own jobs, you are likely to succeed if you do your homework and stick with the things you love to do.

You can start by asking yourself the following questions:

• How long do I want to stay in my career?

• What are the principal skills required in my current work?

• How naturally do I practice these skills?

• Am I having any fun at work?

• What do I most look forward to doing when I am not working?

• What did I used to dream about doing when I was young?

• How valuable do I personally consider my present work?

• Am I substituting sound finances for pleasure at work?

• How much do I feel my contribution is valued at work?

• What would I most like to learn to do at this point in my life?