“Considering a radical departure from your career path can be both exhilarating and terrifying. The first creates momentum, the second paralyzes. It’s important to distinguish between the two.”

Adapted from In Search of the Perfect Job, by Clyde C. Lowstuter with Cammen B. Lowstuter, 2007.   Sometimes the broad question, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” is too large and overwhelming a question. As a result, individuals fail to fully assess their experiences, capabilities, interests, and skills in order to identify what motivates them and to discover how they can optimally contribute to their organization. Don’t jump into another career search until you’ve given these 26 questions some thought and consideration. Through this process of self-discovery, you will examine, evaluate, and discuss the many parts that comprise the total “you.” Have fun with these questions. They may give you the grounding necessary to rekindle your passions, focus your search, and develop some keen insight about yourself. We recommend that you thoughtfully answer each question. 1. What is your career path? Describe title, function, and industry. 2. Who do you know who might be an expert in this area, someone from whom you can learn and someone whose behavior and career path you can model? 3. What skills are required to effectively perform in this role or industry? 4. What appeals to you when you see yourself in this role? 5. What motivates you to want to do this? 6. What are the positive aspects of this job? 7. What are the negative aspects of this job? 8. What skills, abilities, and contacts do you have to succeed in this role? 9. What skills, abilities, or contacts do you lack? 10. To be fully equipped to function in this role, what is required? 11. Who do you know who is already successful in your ideal role? 12. What specific actions have these people taken to be successful? 13. How would you establish credibility? 14. What are you willing to do to be successful? By when? 15. How will you know when you’ve acquired the necessary skills for this job? 16. What do you gain by pursuing this dream? 17. What do you lose by pursuing this dream? 18. What do you gain by not pursuing this dream? 19. What do you lose by not pursuing this dream? 20. How can you support yourself financially until your dream is fulfilled? 21. If you were someone else, would you invest in you? Why? Why not? 22. Are you truly enough of an expert to be successful? 23. How will you create a sufficient distinction for you to succeed? 24. How much of a market is there for your services, how is your competition, and to what extent will you be able to capture business? 25. How will you earn enough to support yourself both in the short-term and long-term? 26. How extensively are you prepared to risk your worldly possessions on this career move? Information on this best-selling McGraw-Hill publication can be found in our Product Catalog.