Potential job change

[abstract]

Hey guys, I have been thinking...I really wanna find a way out of the food industry. I know it has been suggested that i work in a music store, but to be frank the only music store left is guitar center since they drove all the small stores out of business.

Anywho, i have seen this ad online that says they are opening a new health food store in my area, and they offer benefits. I was considering that, only problem is that i'm not exactly in the prime position to be switching jobs, so ultimately, i just wanna formulate a plan. P-L-A-N. Not just making things up as i go along, I always screw up because of that habit.

I'm just running things through my gulliver right now, thinking of this way or that way and so on.

I'm even considering finding a second part time job, or some other way of bringing in more money, since i don't have much in the way of savings. I need to stay at the job i am at for the time being, but i'm really not satisfied with it. Maybe i'm just beating a dead horse. I know that there are ways to make money besides a "real job." What the heck is a "real job" anyway?

The bottom line is that this is less about money, although i could use more, and more about the fact that i just feel as though i am "starving my soul" here. any thoughts???

 

[shijing]

Hi abstract --

I think it might not be a bad idea to consider the health food store. I don't know what you mean exactly when you say it isn't a good time for you to switch jobs, but it couldn't hurt to inquire into what positions they are offering, what the hours are like, and so on. Maybe you could temporarily carry it as a second job until you found a good time to leave your present one. Since you have been enthusiastic about changing your diet, you would probably come across as very sincere in an interview, and they might be even more impressed that you know what things like 5HTP are (and that gluten is evil!).

 

[pete02]

I think the health food store could be beneficial place to work actually. Especially if they're offering you benefits. If anything, you could at least use it to learn more about products, get discounts on dietary supplements (some are rather pricey) and you could use the benefits for dental, vision and even just a regular checkup. Nothing says you have to make a life out of it but you can make the most out of it! ;)

PS: It might also be a good place to turn some people onto the E/E video too!

 

[mcb]

Hey guys, I have been thinking...I really wanna find a way out of the food industry. I know it has been suggested that i work in a music store, but to be frank the only music store left is guitar center since they drove all the small stores out of business.

Anywho, i have seen this ad online that says they are opening a new health food store in my area, and they offer benefits. I was considering that, only problem is that i'm not exactly in the prime position to be switching jobs, so ultimately, i just wanna formulate a plan. P-L-A-N. Not just making things up as i go along, I always screw up because of that habit.

I'm just running things through my gulliver right now, thinking of this way or that way and so on.

I'm even considering finding a second part time job, or some other way of bringing in more money, since i don't have much in the way of savings. I need to stay at the job i am at for the time being, but i'm really not satisfied with it. Maybe i'm just beating a dead horse. I know that there are ways to make money besides a "real job." What the heck is a "real job" anyway?

The bottom line is that this is less about money, although i could use more, and more about the fact that i just feel as though i am "starving my soul" here. any thoughts???

How do you really "plan" something like this? I have found that I can be clear with my intention for what I want to and things sort of fall in line with that, though in a very unpredictable way. The intention has to be combined with "doing." A lot of times you don't know exactly what to do, so you do what you know to do, and things happen. No doing, no happening. Actually, though, there are many effective things you can do to find a better situation, and learning more about that may be the best place to start. Also, look to see if anything seems to be standing in your way, and what you can do about that.

If your job leaves you feeling like you are "starving your soul" then you may very well be. My job was like that until a couple of years ago and I am glad to be gone from it even though it paid very well. It was costing me in other ways. I kept delaying doing anything about it and finally found myself laid off, although with a large severance check and some very good paid-for help with finding a new job. Something was standing in the way and, with the help of this forum and some of the recommended books, I discovered what it was and dealt with it.

The process I went through was to come up with a statement of what I wanted accomplish, my intention statement. It became the concluding sentence of the summary (leading) section of my resume. At first I found that I couldn't formulate the statement and I spent several months discovering why and doing something about it. I also had to clarify the kinds of work that I wanted to pursue. I have done many different things within my field, and I had to let go of all the things that I didn't really want to do again so that my resume could be clearly focused. I also had to let go of a belief I held that only "soulless corporations" paid well enough to meet my needs.

Once I had my statement written, I immediately found a job; in fact I was still finishing my resume when I came across the offer.

At least you do have a job now, and that means you can be more careful and deliberate about researching and choosing a new one. But you need to be clear about where you want to go. That, really (I think), is "the plan."

 

[Voyageur]

Hi abstract,

What Shijing and PeterO2 said could defiantly be food for thought – no pun indented. Perhaps a FOTCM project might work your way and develop.

Income work for all of us has many variability’s, loves and hates, pleasant or difficult interactions and senses of being meaningful or not, coupled with a sustainable salary that we require. The real Work of course is completely different which everyone here is working upon, but the two works do intermingle. How to balance is tricky and totally personal. It would feel awkward to say do this or do that as advice not knowing your full spectrum of options and circumstances, but by your own omission, planning stage mentioned, you are looking for change or augmentation and fwiw, perhaps this is on the way for you and you are just waiting for the right moment to know and act.

Don’t think you are being a dead horse whatsoever, good searching to you abstract. :)

 

[Ca.]

abstract: Follow your heart. The fact that you have become aware to the needed of change is an indication of the growth you seek. Which is perhaps also a means of change of many fronts. The jobs that I had and often, I was always confronted with the dilemma, when a job had just become a job... It lacked growth, it was mundane, stagnant, run it's course, bottomed out, for the future as well as any benefit's. There was always that pit in the stomach (like a knot) that was felt when confronted with these ideas of change. I would come to recognize it and what it meant, that I was on the right track, when I thought that it was time to move on. I also married it with the awareness, my feelings, and surrounding's. That would eventually lead to many changes in the many jobs I would move through. As they provided stepping stones that has lead to where aim right now. As there many stones to step there were many job changes. From the transcript :march 7, 1995 or 950307 also ( below) 950102:


A: Another session we will.
Q: (M) Can you indicate to me what I am supposed to do in my
career?
A: Career path should be, as for everyone, that which is attractive,
effortless and painless.
Q: (L) In terms of material activities, what would be the best course
for M*** to follow in his healing process right now?
A: Don't follow. Not following anything is a key. It is up to the
individual.
Q: (L) Could you give us in a few words, the potential in each of us,
for the greatest forward movement or growth?
A: We cannot tell anyone of you this, because then you would not
learn, and if you do not learn, you do not progress as an individual
soul!
Q: (L) Is there such a thing as a 'soul number' as someone we know
has been told?
A: Only if you want there to be. Time to say "good night, Gracie."
Q: (L) Good night.
session 950102:Q: (L) Well, I thought that was what I was supposed to be practicing and, in fact, have been. I thought that this whole thing was about doing and practicing things to make us different than we had been programmed to be.
A: When it is wholly within your "comfort zone" not before, remember, in "Bringers of the Dawn" it says to do that which is effortless.
Q: (L) Okay, it says to do what is effortless. It takes a lot of effort to put up with Frank when he is like that so he will have to swear and vow that he will never complain to me again. Agreed. It takes too much effort for me to deal with it.
A: Would cause karmic backsliding.
Q: (L) Now, just a minute here. You just said to do what is effortless. I said it takes a lot of effort for me to put up with that kind of stuff, and now you are saying that this will cause me karmic backsliding?
A: No we said "do" that which is effortless, "acceptance" is another matter entirely.

 

[Bluestar]

Hi Abstract,

Have worked in health food stores for many years and loved it. Of course like any job it has its ups and downs, but offering my service to those of like mind was great. Learned a great deal about foods and supplements and also was given a discount on what I purchased. Helped a lot in the supplement department & organic produce, being that they can be expensive. Having a health food store offer health benefits is awesome and not usual. If the pay is fair, it can be a great environment and opportunity to learn lots. Then you never know where this path may take you, management, back to school, the future is open...

Good luck

 

[abstract]

OK...well you all have good suggestions, I still need to give it some thought.

A: Career path should be, as for everyone, that which is attractive,
effortless and painless.

Mkay...hmm...attractive, effortless, painless.

Maybe i shouldn't take the c's literally, but that makes me wonder what career would be "attractive, effortless, and painless"

 

[mcb]

OK...well you all have good suggestions, I still need to give it some thought.

A: Career path should be, as for everyone, that which is attractive,
effortless and painless.

Mkay...hmm...attractive, effortless, painless.

Maybe i shouldn't take the c's literally, but that makes me wonder what career would be "attractive, effortless, and painless"

Focus on your innate talents and strengths. There is a good discussion about this in the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham, or the updated version "Strengthsfinder 2.0.

When I went through the exercises in the latter book I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know from 40 years of career experience. The important part for me was realizing that I had been "guided" into focusing a lot of energy and effort on trying to do things better that I don't naturally do especially well. Now I push back if I find my employer doing that. The first 30 pages or so of either of these books examine this issue.

If you don't know what your strengths are then you might find the exercises in "Strengthsfinder 2.0" helpful as well.

 

[Helle]

OK...well you all have good suggestions, I still need to give it some thought.

A: Career path should be, as for everyone, that which is attractive,
effortless and painless.

Mkay...hmm...attractive, effortless, painless.

Maybe I shouldn't take the C's literally, but that makes me wonder what career would be "attractive, effortless, and painless"

I can only speak for myself, but for me it means : attractive =something that feels worth it for me, effortless = something I do almost naturally, and painless = something that doesn't make me worry, something that builds me up rather than tear me down both psychically and mentally.

Have I found that yet? No, but I have an idea what path I need to travel down to get there eventually. It has to do with body movement and breathing. For many years I dreamed about being a yoga teacher, now my dream is to be a Certified EE teacher when such a title develops, and it will I believe.

Abstract I hope you'll figure out what it is you want to do, and achieve your goal.

 

[Al Today]

... but that makes me wonder what career would be "attractive, effortless, and painless" ...

I think if you have FUN on the job, the job would be all those. Although perhaps rare, a job could be "fun"...

For grins and giggles, check out this Work Interest Quiz Work Interest/Appraisal Quizzes
_http://www.myfuture.com/toolbox/workinterest.html
_http://career.usajobs.gov/cig/questions.asp

And here is an interesting web site for Advice and Tips on How to Find a Job...
_http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchhelp/a/findajob.htm

Please forgive me but this thread has triggered emotions of mine. I was what could be called a professional job seeker. Over 25 years of independent contractor status. Even while working, I'd be looking for the next project/PayCheck. After some time, one can become the interviewer. I mean... I would interview the company as to if I'd like to work there. Being a contractor, I saw lots-o-krap work environments... The good, the bad, and the very ugly... More easily said than done, try to interview the company as to if you wanna work for them. You have talent, work ethics, and what not. Is that company worthy of you???

edited because I cain't type.!.!.!

 

[abstract]

can only speak for myself, but for me it means : attractive =something that feels worth it for me, effortless = something I do almost naturally, and painless = something that doesn't make me worry, something that builds me up rather than tear me down both psychically and mentally.

Thank you, helle, for the laymen's terms. That makes A LOT of sense.

Thank you, Al today, for the links and i will check those out.

There is one other little thing that concerns me.

What if I go and change jobs, hypothetically, and suppose that i believe that it's something i might ACTUALLY want to do. What if i get in there and after a few weeks of employment i start doing what i've done at all previous jobs, thinking to myself: "I hate being here, it's such a waste of time", etc. and so forth. I am just freaked out a teensy bit because of
the possibility that maybe i won't be satisfied with the work i do for a long time. But also, i'm wondering about another aspect of this.

I wonder more and more everyday why I, regardless of all the things i do to keep myself from being angry or edgy, just seem to have this part of my personality that is constantly screaming "LET'S GO! LET'S MOVE! LET'S GET SOME SPEED GOING HERE! i WANNA GOOO!!! LET'S GO!" and i can't pin it down to anything specific.

I was wondering today if i might like to do something involving traveling at high speeds, y'know, like a racecar driver or something. I just have this craving for adrenaline or something. Something inside me wants to go really, really fast.

 

[mcb]

Please forgive me but this thread has triggered emotions of mine. I was what could be called a professional job seeker. Over 25 years of independent contractor status. Even while working, I'd be looking for the next project/PayCheck. After some time, one can become the interviewer. I mean... I would interview the company as to if I'd like to work there. Being a contractor, I saw lots-o-krap work environments... The good, the bad, and the very ugly... More easily said than done, try to interview the company as to if you wanna work for them. You have talent, work ethics, and what not. Is that company worthy of you???

If you have a job and are looking for a better situation, I would think you should be interviewing them. Why would it be hard -- or were you thinking about about interviewing when you don't already have a job? You research the company, compile your list of questions, and when you interview you ask them, including the hard ones. Especially the hard ones, and the ones that come up while you are talking to them. It's not entirely unlike interviewing a prospective employee, and if you don't on the whole like the way they respond, you thank them and go.

You can do the same kind of thing if you don't have a job, but you may not want to be quite as selective. I would at least want to try to rule out jobs where I didn't think I would be able to stay for a few years. Researching the company and coming prepared with questions and a knowledge of what they do should actually improve your chances.

 

[mcb]

...What if I go and change jobs, hypothetically, and suppose that i believe that it's something i might ACTUALLY want to do. What if i get in there and after a few weeks of employment i start doing what i've done at all previous jobs, thinking to myself: "I hate being here, it's such a waste of time", etc. and so forth. I am just freaked out a teensy bit because of
the possibility that maybe i won't be satisfied with the work i do for a long time. But also, i'm wondering about another aspect of this...

This is something you do with every job? It sounds to me as though there is other work you need to do before you look for another job. One possibility is that you always look for work that is not what you are best suited to do. What would you need for you to be "satisfied" with a job?

I wonder more and more everyday why I, regardless of all the things i do to keep myself from being angry or edgy, just seem to have this part of my personality that is constantly screaming "LET'S GO! LET'S MOVE! LET'S GET SOME SPEED GOING HERE! i WANNA GOOO!!! LET'S GO!" and i can't pin it down to anything specific.

At least you are starting to ask questions that might lead to answers. Could you try to pin it down anyway?

I was wondering today if i might like to do something involving traveling at high speeds, y'know, like a racecar driver or something. I just have this craving for adrenaline or something. Something inside me wants to go really, really fast.

How is your natural talent for driving race cars? When you find your natural abilities, you tend to just do them. Remember, they are "attractive, effortless, painless." Does that describe your "need for speed?" Otherwise, what is this "something inside you" really saying?

 

[Tempus Fugit]

Hi Abstract,

Lots of helpful replies in this thread, however this was standing out as I was reading the recent forum posts:

I have slowly been getting more regular with my ee. I'm such a procrastinator.

Which seems to be an interesting contrast with:

I wonder more and more everyday why I, regardless of all the things i do to keep myself from being angry or edgy, just seem to have this part of my personality that is constantly screaming "LET'S GO! LET'S MOVE! LET'S GET SOME SPEED GOING HERE! i WANNA GOOO!!! LET'S GO!" and i can't pin it down to anything specific.

I was wondering today if i might like to do something involving traveling at high speeds, y'know, like a racecar driver or something. I just have this craving for adrenaline or something. Something inside me wants to go really, really fast.

Maybe start with:

I have been thinking...I really wanna find a way out of the food industry.

How come? What bothers you about what you are doing now? And why?

Of course I'm not really sure, but it certainly appears like you may be trying to tell yourself something. Maybe understanding what you don't want to do with your time and why can help you find what you'd rather be doing?