CHOOSING THE RIGHT BUSINESS FOR YOU

For many of us, choosing the right business to be in is a serious decision. For me it was a no-brainer as fortunately I found "my passion" at an early age. However having said that, my understanding is that there are thousands, if not millions of people out there who are stuck in dead end jobs, performing mind killing excercises in order to put food on the table.

In many of these instances people feel the "need" and/or are forced, due to circumstances to start their own businesses and this is where it gets really scary, because they have no idea what they want to do and many of the avenues that they perceive are open to them are outside of their realm of understanding (like someone buying a franchise restuarant when they have only ever worked as a receptionist and can't even boil an egg) or completely outside of what their passion is - providing of course that they know what that passion is.

These businesses and these people are doomed to fail before they have even started!

I don't really know how to tell anyone to "find" their passion - you see, my passion found me! The only guidance and/or advice that I can give you here is that you need to ask yourself this one question. If you were to win say R50 000 000 on the lotto, what would you do - yes I know go on holiday, buy a house, a car and a jukuzi and then, then what? What would you do? When you know the answer to that question, the possibility is there that you are on the right track to finding your passion.

Knowing what your passion is, is the basic requirement that you need when choosing a job, a career and even a business.

I hope that you all find your passion or that your passion finds you!

Your job is a big part of you; choose the right one

Workplace staff

02 March 2007 at 06h00

Many students, and adults, are confused about the career choices they need to make. They are often unsure of their career interests and their own abilities, and often have limited knowledge of the world of work and the different career fields available. This is unfortunate as the result of this confusion is often an incorrect career-choice decision, which can lead to job dissatisfaction and an unfulfilled life.

Career counsellor Heather Jones believes that doing the wrong type of work for a sustained amount of time can lead to a deterioration in the quality of life. "Career-related research makes a link between career choice, job satisfaction and mental health. "In her own career, Jones found herself in a series of work positions to which she was unsuited. "I could never work out why I was unhappy in the jobs I had but, even more importantly, I was never sure of what I really wanted to do," she says. "There were times when I felt I would never find my niche."

Today, Jones runs a career-consulting business offering career counselling and career education to both young people and adults. She is passionate about people development and helping others to improve the quality of their lives by improving their career choices. "I am also very interested in the patterns and meanings of lives that you find embedded in the life career history," she says.

Jones has recently launched a career self-exploration workshop that focuses specifically on exploration - of the self and of the different career fields. The workshop helps people to identify their career interests, abilities, values and the meaning embedded in their life career histories. "We also focus on assessing levels of career maturity and the influence that family and culture has on career decision-making," she says.

The workshop includes a theoretical component, which is used to explain the various career-related concepts used. It also focuses on work environment and career field exploration, career decision-making, goal-setting and how to create a new reality for yourself. The workshop is run over one day and includes research assignments to be completed by participants. These research assignments include interviewing someone in a career field you have a particular interest in, obtaining information on specific careers and researching the world of work. "The workshop is fun, interactive and includes exercises, questionnaires, and individual and group work," explains Jones."From the response I have already received, it is clear there is a big need out there for this type of career workshop and individual career counselling. "Adults and students alike are seeking help for the important career choices we all need to make," says Jones.

Those interested in the Career Self-Exploration Workshop can contact Heather Jones on 011-312-2082 or 083-976-2716 or secretrain@xsinet.co.za