The solution is that you've got to help them help you. That means you need to articulate what you want in terms they can understand; to compartmentalize yourself into a package they can handle. In other words, you do need to be able to tell them what you want to do; what kind of work you think you're interested in; and, where you want to do it (i.e., in what industry and organization). The more specific you can be, the better. The best way to begin this whole process is by doing self-assessment.
That means you need to find out who you are. You need to look inward to isolate those elements that are important to you in a job. You need to start thinking about what you like doing, what you're good at doing, what functions you wish to perform, and the skills and knowledge you want to use and develop further. This is an important step even if you've already defined the occupation you're interested in pursuing. This is because many occupations are flexible enough to include a whole range of activities. For example, engineering positions might include research, design, and production in different degrees. If what you really like is research, then you ought to know that so you can pick a position in which research is the most important element of the job.
A sales job might entail phone sales or person-to-person contact. It could involve selling an expensive product line, meeting with high-level corporate clients and making complicated presentations, or it might involve selling a high volume of low-cost merchandise to consumers. You need to know something about yourself to determine where you'd be more comfortable.
For those of you who don't know what occupation you're interested in pursuing, this step is essential. It's an opportunity for you to begin thinking about what you like doing, what you're good at doing, and what functions you wish to perform so you can begin refining your options until they're more manageable. Although some people think it's easier to get a job if they say they'll ''do anything", this is not the most productive approach.
There are essentially two ways of approaching the job search. One way is to find out what jobs are available and to apply for them. The other is to determine what you want to do and where you want to do it, and to pursue it. Most effective job searches combine elements of both, and in either case, your search will be more productive and more fruitful if you know something about yourself. After all, it's easier to convince someone to hire you if you know what you do best. A fact of life is that everyone doesn't do everything equally well. And most likely, your achievement history - be it in school or at work or during leisure time - will suggest that you have some skills and abilities that are more highly refined than others. It is your ability to articulate what these talents are that will make you more marketable to employers. It is your understanding of what these are that will make you successful in your job search.
While there are a number of resources specifically geared to helping you determine what your skills and abilities are, you may wish to begin this process by doing some self-examination. What you're looking for are peak experiences. As you reflect upon your life up to now, think about those activities you've genuinely enjoyed. Consider all aspects of your life, including work, school, and social experiences. What were you doing when you felt on top of the world? Running a 10-K? Organizing a speaker's program? Designing a new filing system for the insurance office you worked for? Learning to speak French? Attending the NCAA Championships for your college basketball team?
If this task seems overwhelming, because you've got 20-plus years to evaluate, then begin by organizing your background into manageable categories, like: school, work, and social environments.
Consider all education and training, classroom and informal learning experiences. What have you liked best about school? Did you enjoy the small seminars more than the large lecture courses? Was it the personal interaction with other students, the professor/student relationship, or the goal orientation of being accountable for preparing a certain amount of work on a weekly basis that appealed to you? What does this tell you about yourself?
