Middle Age, Out of Work?--Create your Ideal Job

Are you at mid-life and unemployed--perhaps for months, even years? Are you frustrated by traditional job search? Is no one hiring for a position like the job you lost? Take heart--you can first define, then seek out or create the position of your dreams. I know this because I have been through 2 extended job searches myself and today have the perfect job for me.   This is the second in my series of blogs on mid-life career transformation. This week's challenge is to prepare in detail a position description for the job of your dreams. So what do you really want to do over your remaining productive years? Once completed, we can concentrate on turning your ideal career vision into reality.   Take out a clean sheet of note paper or create a new word document on your laptop. At the top of the page, list a job title for your ideal position. On the next line, list your intended next employer which may be "you" if you intend to launch a new business, purchase a franchise or work from home. Targeted employer may be either a specific entity or a general category of business, government or non-profit enterprise.   As a third step, list anticipated primary job functions you wish to perform. Fourth, list required vocational qualifications and educational prerequisites. Fifth, identify the person(s) to whom you will report (this may be "no one" if your goal is self-employment) and those who will report to you. As a final entry, at the bottom of the page write down annual compensation you expect to receive.   Once completed, examine your dream position description as you would an attractive job posting in a newspaper or on the Internet:   1. Would my ideal position as defined provide significant value to others?   2. Am I qualified this very day to assume my dream position? Would a personnel manager     or executive recruiter consider hiring me?   3. If not fully qualified now, can I become so given a reasonable amount of time, effort and     money?   4. Will anticipated compensation along with spousal earnings and other resources be     enough to support targeted family lifestyle?   5. Do my spouse and offspring support my targeted career transition? Will they share in     necessary sacrifice?   As a final exercise, visualize yourself performing anticipated routine daily tasks and functions. Is this truly how you wish to spend the remainder of your productive years? In the past, have you enjoyed and excelled at similar tasks? Are you certain that the vocation of your dreams is not simply a passing fancy?    Should you conclude after examination that your dream position is not a realistic possibility, your secondary task is to define an alternative position which is. At age 50 with no previous medical training you cannot realistically target to become a physician. On the other hand, should you excel at business and desire to promote health, you might target hospital or clinic administration, opening a health food store or marketing health care products from home. Your goal is to identify a realistic secondary career option provides similar gratification. Once fully defined, this secondary position will become your primary transition target.   My primary advise for today is to place yourself squarely in charge of your own job search by first defining in precise detail the position you seek. Next, you continually imagine yourself occupying your targeted position which over time will cause you to think and act like an incumbent. You can measure actual future employment opportunities as they arise against your ideal. Next week I will demonstrate how to establish and maintain a positive mindset tharoughout your search which invariably leads to an ultimate favorable outcome. The following week, I will suggest a method of take-charge, up-front financing which can "buy" you all the time needed to ensure a rewarding career in life's second half.   Please comment on this blog or contact me with questions or suggestions at roy@middleagerenewal.com or call me at (515) 221-9902. I encourage you to visit our MART web site at www.middleagerenewal.com.