Employed, Unhappy and Looking for a New Job in 2011?

If so, you have a lot of company. CNN recently reported that 84% of people who are employed plan to look for new job this year. A survey of 1400 workers in the United States asked the question “do you plan to pursue new job opportunities in 2011”? An amazing 84% answered yes, an increase of 24% from 2009.

It’s clear that there are a lot of people who are employed but are unhappy in their work and think they can do better. But will they just jump at the first opportunity that comes along, or will they look for a job that really fits?

One thing I've realized since my own career changed direction is that you have to take responsibility for your own happiness and, as the above figures show, simply having a job is not the way to happiness. Real happiness and true career success come when you find career fit, a job and employer that really are a match for you. And that requires some work before you start applying for new jobs.

In my book, How to Hire the Perfect Employer, I show you how to start with a good look at yourself and ask: “what you are good at? Who do you work well with? What employers are right for you?”

If you’re concerned with real career success, simply landing a new job should not be your goal.

You need to land the right job -- the job that fits you.

A Message of Hope this Christmas

Christmas is the time of year when everybody is supposed to be happy, secure, and safe. Christmas songs filled with sentiments of hope and joy occupy the airwaves, and the glitzy images in shopping mall windows show us what Christmas should look like.

But the reality is that, for some, this Christmas will be a harsh reminder of the absence of happiness, security, and safety in their lives.

For the unemployed, Christmas can be an unsettling time. Rather than seeing the new year in with warm, fuzzy optimism, many of them feel a sense of foreboding at what might lie ahead.

But despite the bleak outlook, there is always hope. I’m a firm believer that adversity is the mother of invention, and I spend a lot of time helping my unemployed clients to see this period in their lives in a new light. Often, when they take a good look at themselves, and at the job they’ve lost, or left behind, they find that it was simply the wrong job for them. This is so important.

I know from experience that losing your job is not easy, but the time of introspection that often follows is absolutely necessary if you are going to build something better.

Today, I thoroughly enjoy every single day of my work. I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled -- and perhaps it won't be long before you'll be saying the same.

My very best wishes to you and your family at this holiday time.

JB