When was the last time I had a really good day at work and could not wait to go back in the next day? Now you may find this was some years ago but really give some thought to this question.

Once you have come up with such a day, start to dissect it.

· What was so good about that day, what was it that gave you that ‘buzz’, that sense of achievement, that boost of confidence that comes from knowing you did a great job.

· Was it perhaps that others deferred to you for your opinion, considered you to be a ‘subject matter expert’?

· Was it that you made lots of decisions and worked autonomously?

· Did you work in a team that was motivated, results orientated and that always achieved?

· Perhaps you went back to basics and worked on the shop floor having since been promoted and removed from this type of work

Whatever the reasons were, you need to identify what it was that really made your day. Just because you are good at a particular task does not necessarily mean you enjoy doing it. Conversely, you may really enjoy doing a task but are not particularly fast or very good at it.

The things you enjoy doing and are really good at are your motivators, your strengths and it is these you should always focus on when seeking out employment opportunities.

Try something different

Next time you are looking at a job advert, try covering up the actual job title and actually read what it is the employer is looking for. Start highlighting where you can provide evidence that you meet that criterion. Start looking at employment opportunities with a different mindset; rather than convince yourself you cannot do something, start by saying “I’m going to see how much of this job I actually CAN do”.

You will be pleasantly surprised at how many other areas of employment open up to you this way, areas that you may never have considered before. See how much of your skills set maps straight across into other careers, then identify where the potential gaps are and if you are serious about pursuing this particular employment opportunity, then it is only at this point should you consider up-skilling or taking on an additional training course.

Summary

Many people try to gain qualification after qualification in the hope that if they throw it all at an opportunity, something may just stick. Try and adopt a more focussed approach by using all that I have outlined above and you will find that in many cases, the only thing standing between you and applying for a different type of employment is YOU and how you perceive yourself.