Discover your passions to find the right job

By Alaina Love, Co-author of “The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results”

We’ve all heard the bad news about the challenging odds that today’s job seekers are up against. Unemployment rates are high and competing for a position with so many other skilled workers can feel like a bit like being a rookie player on the court with Kobe Bryant. So what can you do to stand out among all of the other candidates competing for positions today? Tap into your passions!

In order to find the right job, it’s essential to understand the kind of worker you are and the internal drivers that provide you with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Operating from your passions will not only make you shine during the interview process, it will allow you to soar once you’ve landed the job. Passion is what we can combine with our skills to deliver great results and at the same time find meaning in our work. So, rather than adopting the mindset that you’re looking for a job, and concentrating solely on the title and job description, why not focus instead on whether the position will offer an outlet for your passions? It might open up whole new possibilities in your job search.

Through extensive research and testing, we at Purpose Linked Consulting have identified 10 “Passion Archetypes”, or styles of passion that workers demonstrate. They are specific and measureable personality characteristics described in “The Purpose Linked Organization” (McGraw-Hill, 2009), which offers free access to the customized Passion Profiler™ tool that will help you identify your individual purpose and distinct Passion Archetype:

· The Builder: This is an archetype that welcomes opportunities to construct new business or build a new function on an open landscape. Builders love uncharted territory and work best with an established goal and a clean sheet of paper; they require the freedom to create their own blueprint for achieving objectives. Builders are relentlessly results- oriented drivers of the business and are often natural leaders.

·The Transformer: This archetype thrives in chaos and change. Transformers identify and embrace possibilities for improvement in the business, the environment or in others. They rarely wait for change to happen, but instead seek to orchestrate change and may become bored when things remain the same.

· The Processor: Quality oriented and analytical, Processors enjoy sifting through information and data to see what it reveals. They often anticipate what course corrections are needed based on their interpretation of information, saving themselves or the organization from serious mistakes.

· The Altruist: With a strong passion for doing work that benefits society or contributes to the higher good of the organization, the Altruist often acts as the company’s moral compass. Altruists will challenge the organization to make decisions that positively impact the larger world.

· The Healer: This archetype takes personal responsibility for helping others navigate through their pain to find a better place. Healers can be found working behind the scenes in an organization, offering advice and counsel to co-workers, as well as in traditional healthcare roles. They are likely to be the first to identify dysfunction in the organization and step forward with a remedy.

· The Connector: With a passion for communications, negotiation and building bridges between people and needs or between problems and solutions, the Connector is the architect of relationship. They seek common ground through which issues can be resolved and individuals brought together.

· The Creator: Like the Great Masters, Creators take the concepts in their minds and translate them into a form that others can appreciate. Creators focus intently on the aesthetic, and look for beauty and functionality in whatever they manifest through their work. They are the artisans of the organization.

· The Teacher: These individuals are promoters of learning and avid seekers of knowledge. Teachers can be counted on to help others develop, to translate new information in ways that make it easily understandable, and to share all that they know within their area of expertise.

· The Discoverer: They are the explorers of the organization. Discoverers enjoy designing experiments or approaches that will help uncover a hidden truth. They are often innovators who enjoy solving challenging puzzles.

· The Conceiver: Big-picture intellectual acrobats, Conceivers consistently push the edges of the envelope of thought and are likely to be the ones with the crazy idea that contributes to a breakthrough product, service, process or strategy. Because of their expansive thought patterns, they may resolve challenges while others are still grappling with understanding the question.

It’s a startling fact that most of us spend more 84,000 hours of our lives at work — and in these economic times, organizations are asking employees to deliver even more. So, why not make the most of that time by building a career in which you can thrive? Applying passion and skill at work is the winning formula that can make the difference between a just having a job or a creating a lifestyle.

Alaina Love is a business consultant, writer, speaker and the president of Purpose Linked Consulting, a leadership and organization development firm. She is co-author of the new McGraw-Hill book, “The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results.” Alaina is also the author of “Leading With Purpose,” a monthly column for BusinessWeek.com.

source: http://www.primecb.com/discover-your-passions-to-find-the-right-job/