Stuck in the "in-between"?

Are you in the in-between? 

Maybe you are stuck in a job you actually don’t like anymore or a company which doesn’t treat  you the way you would like them to.  
Maybe you think you deserve a higher salary or a better work set up.  
Maybe you long for more freedom or even more structure.  
Or maybe you are looking for a job which gives you meaning and fulfills you more? 

Whatever it is you are looking for in your job, you know you want more, but you don’t know how  to take the next step. What is the next step anyway? A new job? A new company? A whole new  career?  
These thoughts can be overwhelming, and the missing clarity often leads to struggle and the  feeling of being lost because we don’t want to be where we are, but we also don’t know what to  do.  

It’s exhausting and frustrating because it’s not about your missing motivation or willpower. I know you WANT to … but what and how?  
Most likely, we want to find THE JOB. And funny enough that’s exactly the one thing which keeps  us apart from finding the right thing. It’s all about finding one purpose which will give us fulfillment. 
Let me tell you… you couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes some people decided for themselves  that their life purpose is xyz and hey… good for them! Most of us are different, because life is not  just about the one thing. Life consists of multiple things which make you happy and content. 

For example: You don’t have to use your passion to make a living. You can have a job which you  find good enough (use the job satisfaction framework below) and enjoy your passion after work.  
And you don’t have to work in a job which helps people but doesn’t make you happy because  you worry about money every day. You can find a job which pays you well for 30 hours and use  the rest of your time as a volunteer with more energy because you don’t have to worry about money.  

Finding THE ONE JOB is creating pressure and a gap between where you are and where you  want to be and from what it actually is: multiple small things which end up in a beautiful big  picture.  

But hey, I got you! 

Let’s reflect on your past first to build a path for your future.  
Here is a step-by-step plan on how you can get out of your own way.  

1. I want you to go through your life and think about achievements. When have you been really  proud of yourself or just happy that you made it? In which period of your life have you been  happy and why? What was the dominant feeling in this time? Have you been proud of yourself  because you achieved something hard or have you been happy because everything was  flowing? These will give you hints to pattern of how you feel accomplished.
2. This step is a little bit annoying, but it’s crucial for your own understanding of what fulfills you.  Go through every step of your career til today. Write down all the tasks you have done in each  job. (If you need some inspiration of the tasks because you can’t remember fully, use ChatGPT  with the following prompt: “Hi ChatGPT, I worked as xxx in a company in the xxx industry. Can  you list me the main tasks?”) List them under every job and write down what you really liked  doing. Maybe rate it even from 1-10 of how much you enjoyed it and why you enjoyed it? Did  it give you a sense of fulfilling, did you enjoy working with people, did it make you feel  accomplished and competent? What did you like about it? Do this with every task and every  job in your career. 
3. Write down all the tasks you enjoy (your top-rated ones). Put them together as if they are a job  description. You can add the things you would like to do as well which you haven’t done, yet,  but you are keen to learn or to work on them. Now use ChatGPT with the following prompt:  “Hey ChatGPT, I would like to know which jobs are including the following tasks (enter your  tasks).” See which jobs it will list. 
4. Now take a look at Linked-In and search for the jobs ChatGPT gave you. Pro-Tip: Start  searching worldwide or in your country - we are using this just for research and not to find a  job, yet. Take a look at all the jobs which are listed and the companies. Are there jobs you  like? Is there any job which piques your interest?
5. Find your job satisfaction framework. As mentioned above I don’t believe in finding THE ONE  JOB. It just creates unnecessary pressure for you. So finding the right job for you consists of  these things:  

• What is important to you at work? 
• Which values are important for your work? 
• Which tasks give you a sense of importance / impact / fulfillment? 
• Which company structures do you like working in? (StartUp, Corporate etc.) - What set-ups do you find fulfilling? (Remote work, hybrid, office) 
• Which leadership style do you prefer?  
• How would success look like for you? 
• How do you feel appreciated at work?  
• How would you like to be seen at work? (Authority, Support, Leader) 
• How much responsibility are you willing to take on? 
• How much flexibility do you need in terms of your time? (Do you like 9-5 or do you need more  freedom)  
• What is your desired salary (min.)

     6. If you find jobs you like but feel like you don’t have the 100 %        requirements, please apply  anyway. Most of the time the job requirements are “nice to have’s” and not 100 % necessary  unless they actually write it. Get your CV up to date and transfer all your competences to the job  you are applying for in your resume. And most important: Interview the company as much as they  interview you. Take a close look if you want to work for them and if they fulfill your criteria!  

I hope this helps and if you have any questions you can reach me on LinkedIn.

………………..

Melina Stöver is a German Business and Career Coach with a background in HR and Talent  Acquisition. With almost a decade of experience in hiring positions from interns to top level  executives she loves connecting the right people with the right job opportunity. Since 2021, she  has also been an internationally certified systemic Business and Career Coach, leveraging her  expertise from reviewing hundreds of CVs daily and headhunting high-level talent in diverse, fast paced industries. Furthermore, she took a big leap of faith, sold everything she owned and started  the journey as a digital nomad which led her to some of the world’s most breathtaking spots  including Bali, Spain, South Africa, Turkey or the United Arab Emirates and most important: to a  life of freedom. 

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