I highly recommend abilities testing to all of my clients. There are several sources of abilities testing available. I use The Highlands Ability Battery. I have heard of other people using Johnson-O’Connor test. You can find these tests via personal coaches, college career centers, state-run career centers, etc. Be sure to ask for an abilities test and not a personality or communication-style assessment (such as Myers-Briggs or Strong Interest Inventory).

Abilities tests define your natural abilities based on timed work samples. This allows for an objective way of discovering (or affirming) kind of work to which you are best suited. These tests also tell you about your preference for introversion or extroversion, your time frame orientation, your preference for abstract or tangible work, and other work style information. It is important to know and confirm type of abilities that come quickly and easily to you. When you find work that calls upon these abilities, it will not only be easier for you to succeed, but you will also gain a greater sense of satisfaction from your work.

Step #6: Inventory Your Skills

The sixth step in process of discovering work you will love is to take stock of your skills. Your skills augment your natural abilities. They are things you have picked up along way in your career journey (public speaking, computer programming, project management, etc.). These are areas that you have experience in, courses you have taken, on-the-job training you may have received or any other areas where you feel you have gained competence.

You may find it helpful to look at past resumes, project notes and performance reviews to create a thorough list of skills you have acquired and would like to continue to use in future. From this comprehensive list, narrow it down to three to five skill areas that you feel are your strongest.

Step #7: Create A Road Map to Actual Positions

Finally, you have made it to last step! By now you should know a lot more about yourself than you did at beginning of this process. Now is time to put all of pieces together and start to define positions. So often when clients first come to me, their natural inclination is to start career change process by immediately trying to identify new job titles.

They come to me saying things like, "maybe I should be a nurse" or, "I heard that photography is a good career." I always tell them same thing: it is best not to look at job titles until you have explored your inner desires, passions, abilities, interests and values. It is best to keep all your options open during first six steps. You have a better chance of finding work you will truly love when you fully unleash creativity of this process. You may be surprised about what you uncover!

To complete Step #7, use information you have collected from Steps 1 through 6 and put them on a note card in this format:

--Top three personal interests --Top three core values --Top three natural ability areas --Top three to five acquired skills

Once you have created this card, you can start to show it to friends, relatives and anyone else you might consult. Ask them what kind of job this list describes to them. Do they know anyone who has a job like this? If so, perhaps they can help you line up informational interviews to confirm that this type of work would indeed be of interest to you.

I had a client who took this card to a trade show and discovered two new job titles that neither of us had ever heard of before. After two informational interviews with people in those positions, it was clear that she had found a whole new career opportunity for herself that neither of us would have ever known existed!

A few final notes about undertaking a career change:

1. Be thorough, be persistent and be true to yourself and you will find job of your dreams. It’s important to be patient with yourself during career change exploration process. It is like filling a large funnel at top. You are putting in new information day-by-day – your reasons for changing, your logistical requirements, your interests, your values, your abilities, your skills, etc. What will happen eventually is that one or two job titles will fall through narrow opening at bottom of funnel.

The payoff you will receive for investing in getting to know yourself through this seven-step process is that jobs you uncover will be most exciting opportunities of your life. You will have finally found work you can truly love.

2. Be sure your financial situation is stable while you go through career change process. It is much easier to explore freely when you don’t have to worry about how your bills are going to be paid. Remember, this seven-step process is about finding your passion and figuring out how you can make your unique contribution to world. It will need your attention for a little while.

3. If you are currently unemployed and looking for immediate work, watch out for this trap: just being good at something doesn’t mean you should be doing it! This is a valid and possibly quickest road to a renewed paycheck, but don’t confuse this with engaging in a real career change process to find work you love.

4. It is normal to be frightened and to worry about being unrealistic about career choices. After all, we all need to make a living. Regardless of whether you are currently working, these thoughts will naturally arise if you are considering making a major change from status quo. Let these feelings rise and fall. It’s okay. Talk it out with your friends, your career coach or write about them in your journal. Making a career change can be stressful but don’t let that stop you from finding work you love!

Deirdre McEachern's passion is helping her clients achieve their dreams. She believes strongly that you can find a career you enjoy, express your natural talents and have a life!

Contact Deirdre at deirdre@vip-coaching.com

for a free career-coaching consultation or

I highly recommend abilities testing to all of my clients. There are several sources of abilities testing available. I use The Highlands Ability Battery. I have heard of other people using Johnson-O’Connor test. You can find these tests via personal coaches, college career centers, state-run career centers, etc. Be sure to ask for an abilities test and not a personality or communication-style assessment (such as Myers-Briggs or Strong Interest Inventory).

Abilities tests define your natural abilities based on timed work samples. This allows for an objective way of discovering (or affirming) kind of work to which you are best suited. These tests also tell you about your preference for introversion or extroversion, your time frame orientation, your preference for abstract or tangible work, and other work style information. It is important to know and confirm type of abilities that come quickly and easily to you. When you find work that calls upon these abilities, it will not only be easier for you to succeed, but you will also gain a greater sense of satisfaction from your work.

Step #6: Inventory Your Skills

The sixth step in process of discovering work you will love is to take stock of your skills. Your skills augment your natural abilities. They are things you have picked up along way in your career journey (public speaking, computer programming, project management, etc.). These are areas that you have experience in, courses you have taken, on-the-job training you may have received or any other areas where you feel you have gained competence.

You may find it helpful to look at past resumes, project notes and performance reviews to create a thorough list of skills you have acquired and would like to continue to use in future. From this comprehensive list, narrow it down to three to five skill areas that you feel are your strongest.

Step #7: Create A Road Map to Actual Positions

Finally, you have made it to last step! By now you should know a lot more about yourself than you did at beginning of this process. Now is time to put all of pieces together and start to define positions. So often when clients first come to me, their natural inclination is to start career change process by immediately trying to identify new job titles.

They come to me saying things like, "maybe I should be a nurse" or, "I heard that photography is a good career." I always tell them same thing: it is best not to look at job titles until you have explored your inner desires, passions, abilities, interests and values. It is best to keep all your options open during first six steps. You have a better chance of finding work you will truly love when you fully unleash creativity of this process. You may be surprised about what you uncover!

To complete Step #7, use information you have collected from Steps 1 through 6 and put them on a note card in this format:

--Top three personal interests --Top three core values --Top three natural ability areas --Top three to five acquired skills

Once you have created this card, you can start to show it to friends, relatives and anyone else you might consult. Ask them what kind of job this list describes to them. Do they know anyone who has a job like this? If so, perhaps they can help you line up informational interviews to confirm that this type of work would indeed be of interest to you.

I had a client who took this card to a trade show and discovered two new job titles that neither of us had ever heard of before. After two informational interviews with people in those positions, it was clear that she had found a whole new career opportunity for herself that neither of us would have ever known existed!

A few final notes about undertaking a career change:

1. Be thorough, be persistent and be true to yourself and you will find job of your dreams. It’s important to be patient with yourself during career change exploration process. It is like filling a large funnel at top. You are putting in new information day-by-day – your reasons for changing, your logistical requirements, your interests, your values, your abilities, your skills, etc. What will happen eventually is that one or two job titles will fall through narrow opening at bottom of funnel.

The payoff you will receive for investing in getting to know yourself through this seven-step process is that jobs you uncover will be most exciting opportunities of your life. You will have finally found work you can truly love.

2. Be sure your financial situation is stable while you go through career change process. It is much easier to explore freely when you don’t have to worry about how your bills are going to be paid. Remember, this seven-step process is about finding your passion and figuring out how you can make your unique contribution to world. It will need your attention for a little while.

3. If you are currently unemployed and looking for immediate work, watch out for this trap: just being good at something doesn’t mean you should be doing it! This is a valid and possibly quickest road to a renewed paycheck, but don’t confuse this with engaging in a real career change process to find work you love.

4. It is normal to be frightened and to worry about being unrealistic about career choices. After all, we all need to make a living. Regardless of whether you are currently working, these thoughts will naturally arise if you are considering making a major change from status quo. Let these feelings rise and fall. It’s okay. Talk it out with your friends, your career coach or write about them in your journal. Making a career change can be stressful but don’t let that stop you from finding work you love!

Deirdre McEachern's passion is helping her clients achieve their dreams. She believes strongly that you can find a career you enjoy, express your natural talents and have a life!

Contact Deirdre at deirdre@vip-coaching.com

for a free career-coaching consultation or