A Vision for Your Future—Where Are You Going?

In my last posting, I talked about building your own job hunt strategic plan, starting with defining a vision of what you will be doing and in what environment. By taking time to think through your vision, you will give yourself a direction and a starting point. It’s true that in today’s job market, even in the Washington, D.C. area, you may feel lucky just to find any employment, but without some kind of vision for your professional future, your job search could become randomized and prove frustrating and possibly fruitless.

By targeting yourself, you will be better equipped to construct a strategy for finding the jobs that fit your goal. You can apply for hundreds of jobs at random, but unless there is a good match on both sides, yours and the employer’s, you are probably wasting your time. Better instead, target only jobs that either lead to or fit your vision.

What does a jobseeker’s vision statement look like? Here’s mine as an example:

My Vision:
I will work for a national association or a for-profit company in a marketing or communications leadership role. The organization will have a mission that complements my values and serves the public good. I will spend my days strategizing, collaborating and communicating. There will be much variety in what I do, and I will work with diverse individuals. I will be the go-to person for all external messaging and be the brand guru.

Here are some questions that you can answer to help you think about and build your own vision statement. They were compiled by Susan Silverman on her blog searching for a job in washington, dc when she was between jobs:

• What am I good at?
• What do I hate doing?
• If I could have any job in the world, what would it be?
• If I could work anywhere, where would I work?
• What are some key competencies that I can use to describe myself?
• When was I happiest personally and professionally?