Great expectations

So tell me what you want, what you really, really want? If a handsome stranger were to corner you at a party and ask what it is you want from your job, would your answer match your status quo? Make 2004 the year you come closer to making your dream job...

Our elders have asked us the nauseating, yet crucial, question a hundred times: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" However, it's often only when you have finally grown up that you get to discover what it is that you really want from the job that has taken over your identity.

It is similar to asking yourself what you want from a relationship - quite a crucial question in fact, and one that would be worth the time spent before we just jump into the arms of a promising-looking/feeling/sounding person. Yet what do we normally do?

Go with the flow, lose ourselves in the excitement of the chase, and become blind to the pitfalls of ignoring our heart's desires. Such is our need to be accepted (read 'employed'), that we go all out to please and to fit in with the company, afraid to accept that the job should be satisfying our needs too, and not just the other way round.

A change of focus

Asking yourself what you want from work is a different focus from the usual question of what kind of job you want. It is not what you are doing, so much as what you are giving and getting in return. It is the feeling of satisfaction that you derive, a feeling that is not specific to any job. It is more than simply what you do... it is the value you derive from your job and your interaction with colleagues and clients. It can be what you have contributed, achieved, or simply how you have carried out your duties.

Nor are we talking about goal-setting as such. 'Wants' may be intangible when they are concepts such as security, challenge, prestige and power. Your wants are those which give you dignity. A cleaner may enjoy having immediate, visual results of his/her labour, and an immediate cash payment too. A gardener may enjoy the preparation and planning that enables beauty to flower in the future.

Blessed are those who have a clear vision of what they want from a job. "I want a uniform, a title, Lm100 a week, respect and clear instructions to follow." For the majority, we wake up to the reality of work life after a few years on the job, and soon learn what it is we do not want. Your needs and desires change over time and you simply do not want the same things you wanted as a young adult.

In an ideal world

Knowing what you want means giving yourself permission to be yourself. Most people do not dare to talk about what they really want as compared to what they have been told they should want. Sometimes you would gladly sacrifice the little wants for your big desire. Dream a little. What would you do if you had no obstacles?

Let us be clear about one thing: 'wants' are not necessarily 'needs', although they can overlap. 'Needs' are the very non-negotiable basics that should be identified and dealt with first. Most workers need to earn wages that will enable them to pay for basic necessities and additional luxuries, such as:

¤ the purchase of a home, or travel
¤ save for and enjoy old age security benefits
¤ have medical and other insurance coverage
¤ acquire friends at work
¤ win recognition
¤ be acknowledged and rewarded for special efforts and contributions
¤ be able to advance in life and career-wise;
¤ have opportunities for self-development
¤ improve skills, knowledge, and know-how
¤ demonstrate and use special gifts and abilities
¤ realise their ideal(s).

Use this list to check whether your needs are being met at your present place of work.

'Wants' are the motivating factors that (good) advertising executives know so much about. A person's inner drives push and propel him/her towards an employer, a particular job, a career. How is it that you want to feel at work, after a day's work, as well as looking back at your life? This is similar to the exercise of writing your own obituary - how do you want to be remembered?

Adult workers tend to care beyond the salary. They consider their work as a major factor that shapes their lives and the lives of those dear to them. Once they feel confident that the employer and their place of work is what they wished for and expected, they are ready to contribute above and beyond the call of duty.

George Bernard Shaw said: "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."

Success your way

What is it that sums up success for you? You may be a teacher, but what you specifically want from work is the hours, salary, time off and respect that come with the role. If you are a writer, self-expression may be your primary focus, or else being controversial.

Looking at what you want is much more specific, and in no way less daunting a task, than perhaps the choice of career for a 15-year-old. Having a clear idea of what it is that you want from a job - both the ideal situation and the non-negotiable factors - will increase your chances of fulfilment.

No-one needs to be reminded that we spend more time at work than we do at home, so that satisfying your desires in this sector will lead to overall happiness.

Why are you not getting what you want? It is only when you have identified and then realised your dreams and potential, reaching the heights of your gifts and talents, that you are morally, emotionally, and even physically ready to satisfy the needs of the employer and the customers.

Identifying your wants will also help identify careers that may seem to be dissimilar, yet which offer you the same rewards. It will also open up new avenues that you might never have thought about.

What aspects of a job make you smile? A middle-aged teacher realised that it was the giving of information that he enjoyed in his work, so that when he felt like a change, he could move on to becoming a tourist guide.

He learned early in his career that when working in an information bureau simply handing out leaflets had given him a strange satisfaction. "To me, giving information is like helping people find their treasure. I've also considered becoming a librarian and compiling directories. Now I can pinpoint my choices, and carry my experience through to different jobs," he said.

Reality check

So what if you need a helping hand to pinpoint what it is that you want from a job? Maybe you would like a change, but are having difficulty in assessing your desires. We have spoken previously about childhood conditioning not allowing us to even say 'I want', never mind using your desires to plan your life!

What is it that would really make you happy? Make lists. Discover what motivates you, then go for the biggest want on your list. During the next five years, what would give you the most satisfaction? After you have chosen your wants, quantify them. How will you know that you have achieved them? Make it a goal with specific results so that you will know when you have achieved it.

Keep it to your chest

If you go to an interview and say you want a low-stress job in beautiful surroundings, be your own boss, where you are respected by your colleagues and given the chance to be creative, you might be seen as a bit extreme. The employer wants to know that you are reliable, hardworking, trustworthy and that they can get their money's worth.

Adult workers have expectations from their employer too - they expect a knowledgeable, experienced, expert employer; clear and fair policies, procedures, and employment practices; business integrity; clear job descriptions; two-way communications; effective management and supervision; positive discipline; good company repute; good customer relations; company survival; opportunities for personal growth; company growth and a share in the company's success.

You cannot sail into the office Monday morning and demand changes from all and sundry. Keep your list of wants to yourself, while doing what you can to achieve them. Be objective, yet courageous. You never know what you can get from management if your request is reasonable. Do what you can in terms of long and short-term control.

We must acknowledge ourselves as human beings with individual needs, drives, characteristics, personalities, and acknowledge our own contribution to the business success. Here's a positive note from Helen Keller to set you in motion: "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."

CSB Recruitment Agency has been supporting the local business community with its services since 1987. For further information you can write to CSB at Vincenti Buildings, 14/19 Strait Street, Valletta VLT 08, or call 2122-5800 or 2124-6543, fax: 2123-0520, e-mail: jobs@vacancycentre.com, or visit www.VacancyCentre.com.