Summer holidays often inspire people to reconsider their path, writes Jim Bright.
Jason has been struggling with career direction during the holidays. He has had time to reflect and writes: "At the end of last year, all I was focused on was having a holiday, organising Christmas for my family and watching the cricket. What I wasn't planning on was getting this feeling that I am in the wrong job and possibly even the wrong career. Simple question: how do I work out the right career and set some goals for 2012?"
Jason, like a lot of people at this time of year, has had an opportunity to put some distance between himself and his workplace and with this distance comes reflection; we see our work from a different perspective. This can be unsettling, especially as we tend to highlight the shortcomings in our current work.
Most of us rarely consider the positive aspect of our salary cheque, because we don't see it - it goes into the bank and the bank or landlord then takes what seems like half of it and our power bills seem to take the rest.
We adjust to whatever salary we are paid and convince ourselves it is not enough. We are prone to this after an expensive Christmas period.
Similarly, we skew our perspective by focusing on colleagues and managers whom we dislike rather than considering our friends or supportive colleagues. And then we have the dreaded first week back at work, which is a torture so vile that it makes waterboarding seem like a pleasant variant on surfing.
This thinking happens against an insistent clamour that a new year presents an opportunity to change our lives, usually with overly simplistic prescriptions. This type of reasoning can mislead us into thinking we are in the wrong role and that we must change.
My first advice to Jason is to do nothing, go back to work and muddle along until we are well clear of the impulsive season. If there are still significant doubts when all is back to normal, then it is time to take them more seriously.
The next advice is to stop thinking there is likely to be a "right" career out there for you. Humans are incredibly adaptable and this means they can often adapt to, and ultimately enjoy, work they never thought they would have any interest in.
Jobs and occupations are continually changing, which means occupations that were once attractive may no longer be so, because the conditions or work tasks have changed.
It is a lot more self-affirming to start thinking about the range of skills you possess, or are willing to gain, and then to consider as many different possible occupations that attract you.
Then I'd suggest exploring these occupations - find out what is involved in each. Looking through the articles on mycareer.com.au and also the job advertisements would be a good start.
Talking to friends and colleagues in different jobs and occupations is a good idea. Government website myfuture .edu.au is an excellent source of information and advice.
Obviously, discussing your concerns with a qualified career counsellor would be a sensible option. Jason should also make a list of his skills and then try linking them to different occupations, or grouping his skills into clusters that would be useful in different occupations.
This will help him see that he has many more options than he realises and that a range of different occupations may well provide him with the engagement and satisfaction he wants.
Jim Bright is professor of career development at ACU and a partner at Bright and Associates, a career management consultancy
Email marked clearly "FOR PUBLICATION" to brightside@jimbright.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheFactoryPod.