It's Time for Some Spring Cleaning

Kitty Boitnott, Ph.D., NBCT, RScP

Career Transition and Job Search Coach

We are fast coming up on the end of March already, and before we know it, spring will be here. Those of us who live on the East Coast got a cruel taste of it a couple of weeks ago before that awful last blast of frigid temperatures hit, but it should be mostly uphill from here.

I am already in the mood for spring. I have had some guys come to clean my carpets, and they look like new. Next month, I have an appointment with a power washer guy who is coming to spruce up my deck and clean my windows inside and out.

I have talked about the effect that clutter has on us mentally and emotionally. Spring is a great time of year to clear out the clutter that piled up over the winter months. And it doesn't just have to do with clutter in your house or office.

Do you need to spring clean in other areas? Like your job perhaps?

I talked with a gentleman the other day who had just completed planning and executing a major job fair event that included 102 employers and over a thousand candidates who came through the doors from ten until two on the day of the fair.

"Kitty, people are getting hired like crazy," he told me. That's the good news.

The bad news is that I talk with people every day who have a job but who aren't happy. They feel like something is off. They don't enjoy the work anymore, or they have a new supervisor or boss who drives them up the wall.

If you are one of those people, maybe it is time to do some spring cleaning in your job or career endeavor area. Perhaps it is time to explore what your alternatives are instead of feeling mired down in a job that no longer makes you happy.

Given that there is no time like the present to take action, I have a challenge for you, and here it is. Take a moment to consider on a scale of 1 to 10 how happy you are in your current job. One is for you hate it and you wish you could quit tomorrow. Ten is for you love it and can't imagine doing anything else (which makes you one of the lucky ones.)

Don't give it a lot of thought. Don't overanalyze your answer. Just go with your first instinct at the gut level Where are you? 

If you are five or below, then you need to start taking action toward making a change in your life. If you are at a six or above, good for you! There may be some tweaks you can make if you are a six or seven to make your situation even better. If you are an eight or above, you are in the truly blessed category.

So, what do you say? Are you game? GO! 

On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you with your current job or career?

Until next time.

P.S. Would you like to learn what you should consider if you do want to change your job or career? If so, then download this free guide now.