quickly and learn new things. Writing resumes filled all those requirements, so I expanded my side hobby into a real side job. It was something fun to look forward to at the end of the day, and nothing felt better than hearing from clients that as soon as they sent out their resume, they got called in for interviews. To me, every resume is a masterpiece, a written portrait of the individual. My goal is for the client to fall in love with themselves on paper. (Obviously, the hiring manager too…) There was only one little problem that started coming up, again and again. My first questions to someone who called to discuss a resume are: “What kind of job are looking for? Do you have a specific job in mind?” The problem is when the answer is, “I’m not sure… I have a few ideas. I can go in a few directions… I’d like a general resume to send out to a few jobs I noticed,” I apologize and explain that I only write resumes that I believe have a strong chance of getting a person a job. My homework for them is to call me back when they have three jobs in the classifieds that they would like to get. To me, writing a resume without a goal would be like selling a car without an engine. It isn’t going to get you too far. Wanting to help people come up with clear goals of what kind of job they would enjoy, I spent a lot of time on the phone with clients, trying to provide direction based on the person’s interests, ideas and dreams. I didn’t want to leave people without any solution. And even worse, if they found a job to write a resume for, that still didn’t mean that they wouldn’t hate the job. I realized that it wasn’t enough to help people just find jobs; I wanted to help people find jobs that they loved. I had basic knowledge and fascination of personality types and the psychology of work-fit, but it clearly wasn’t enough, so I searched for a solution. I researched many options for career coach training. After nixing a few programs, I struck gold. I found a program that
provided high-level career coach training that, in my opinion, put all the others to shame. My apprehension at the cost of training quickly disappeared after my first in-depth assessment with my Senior Coach. In fact, I couldn’t believe that money could buy such happiness. After an analysis of my specific skills and cognitive abilities, I was left with the most comprehensive and validating evidence of my own skills. All my habits, interests and even relationships made sense. I got right back to work, offering testing and consultations for people who needed help deciding on a career, as well as people with years of experience who just didn’t love going to work. It was thrilling to see each person’s reaction at the end of every session. It was like all the times they thought there was something wrong with them, or worried that maybe they just weren’t talented, faded away, leaving a sense of power, mission and self-confidence in their natural abilities. Finally, I had the golden keys to a lifetime of happiness at work. As for me, I felt like I finally found what I’ve been searching for. I realized that although childcare is one of my passions, there are parts of it that are best done by someone else. I hired more staff that do a better job than I could running the daily activities, which gives me a break during the day and lets me focus on the parts of childcare that I excel in. I get the intellectual stimulation from my work as a career coach, and it satisfies my needs to use my other skills on a regular basis. The work-life balance is said to be a myth. That’s the myth. I believe that there is an individual way for every person to find a place where their talents are utilized, so that work, play, family and life itself all blend to sustain each other with the happiness that comes when someone is truly living their purpose. Join me next week when this column takes a new twist!
November 22, 2017 / THE MONSEY VIEW / 133 www.themonseyview.com / 845.600.8484