Now, it is time to get very serious. When it comes to careers, most people are like a fishing bobber floating in a lake. They bounce from the shore to the dock to the boat and are carried adrift by whatever current drags them along, seemingly without purpose. Why did you take your last job? How did you secure it? Was it more happenstance than planned? Look at your career so far. Would you say that you actually calculated and planned each move? Most job seekers answer no, so you’re not alone.

     We go to work each day and do our jobs and try to get the most from that experience. Also, most sane people like to be happy. If you fall into that category, then you are normal and healthy. But that’s a fairly utopian view of the “real” world of work. Daily pressures, pay cuts, mergers and acquisitions, bad bosses, market shifts and thousands of other reasons taint our work environment experiences.

     Don’t worry. They taint every work environment, not just yours. You will never find the “perfect” job, because it doesn’t exist. I repeat, there is no perfect job. There are, however, nearly “ideal” environments. They are ideal because they meet your definition of ideal. What you must now do is define your “ideal.”

     What's Missing In Your Job, EXERCISE 2.5, begins that process. Look over each of the items and assign them a number, according to instructions on the exercise page. Then, rank them in order of your personal priority.

     Where you choose to live is also an important consideration. List the geographical locations in which you wish to reside and then describe the reasons for wanting to live there. Ask your search partner to complete the geographical selection exercise as well. You may want to live in Chicago, but maybe he/she wants New Orleans.

     These are basic issues underlying the definitions for “ideal.” Spend a day or two discussing your answers together and then rank the geographical locations by mutual agreement.

     Characteristics of My Ideal Job, EXERCISE 2.6, brings focus to answering the questions surrounding “ideal” job characteristics. It also brings into play the “soft” issues of feelings about recognition and self-worth on the job. Don’t discount these. Most of my clients tell me they used to do this and were miserable for years.

     This is a slightly harder exercise because you must rank your preferences. Take your time and think about why you rank each item the way you do. In each exercise in this book, the why is almost equal in importance to the what (perhaps, more).

     Salary and Package Preferences, EXERCISE 2.7, asks you to define the difference between what you “must have,” “would like to have,” are “neutral” about and what you “don’t need.” These cover a multitude of options in considering a compensation package for yourself and your family.

     For those of you who are married or have a significant other, make two copies of the page because your partner (if you have one) will need to fill out the answers and complete the ranking exercises on the second copy.

     Once again, take a day or two and discuss and compare your answers and make sure you are in agreement on the rankings. This list will become a reference during your new offer negotiations.

     Well, now what do you know? You’ve completed a series of exercises. You should know the following: What you like and don’t like about your workplace and fellow workers. An idea of what you think the ideal job is. Where in the country you want to work. A good description of what your short- and long-range career goals are. When you think about it, this is a lot of information.

     From Exercise 2.7 you began to define the ideal company. As you later identify and research target companies, it will be valuable to have these criteria available during your considerations.

     Write down your preferences for where you want to live and why. Prioritize these. Do your homework on salary levels in these areas. Again, this is useful data in developing your search criteria and company selection. Your spouse or search partner should do this exercise independently and you should compare notes. You should now have the ability to state, “Who You Are. ”