informational interviews | Laura Lawson Boatman.com

Once you have done a number of these informational interviews, you will have gathered invaluable information about what your potential careers are really like on a day-to-day basis. By going through this process, you may have saved yourself years of study and effort in a field that ultimately would not have satisfied you. Plus, these initial connections will become invaluable contacts for you in the future once you’ve chosen a career path.

It’s exciting, isn’t it? You’re getting much closer to being able to make an inspired and informed decision about your future career.

Look at What You’ve Learned and See How You Feel About It

The next step in the process is to review all the information that you have gathered and see what it means to you. Were there specific careers that really stood out for you and inspired you? Move those to the top the list. Was there a career that didn’t appeal to you at all once you were able to talk to someone who was doing it? You might want to talk to someone else who’s in that field for a second perspective. If, after this, that career still doesn’t appeal to you, then cross it off the list. Was there one particular career that really stood out as something that you might want to pursue? Put a star next to that one.

Listen to your heart as you go through this process. Considering all the information you gathered, look for careers that really inspire and excite you when you think about doing them. Again, don’t let your fears hold you back from hearing the guidance of your heart. If you’re having trouble with this, use EFT to let go of the limiting beliefs and feelings that might be blocking you from making a decision. Once you let go of the negative thoughts that come up, it will be much easier to trust that your heart is really guiding you to what will be most satisfying and fulfilling for you to do as a career.

What to Do If You’re Still Not Sure

If you’re still not sure which career would suit you best, there are a couple of possible things that you can do. First, I would recommend you do some tapping about it. Use EFT to let go of the feeling that you’re not sure what career path you should choose. Tap on whatever underlying issues and limiting beliefs arise as you do. Tap on any other issues that may be blocking you from making a choice. These might include issues such as: I’m not good enough to succeed at that, I’m scared to make a choice because it’s such an important decision, I don’t trust myself to make the right decision, etc. Often tapping on issues like these will really help give you clarity and I recommend you give it a try.

Listen to Your Inner Guidance

If you still feel unsure after all this, you may want to do some additional informational interviews. Also, ask for your inner guidance to help you to choose a career that will really fulfill you. Then pay attention to what comes up for you. Journal about it and take some time to ask yourself what you really want. Perhaps an answer will emerge that you hadn’t even considered.

This is an important decision so it’s worth it to take the time to get clear about what feels right to you in your heart. By taking the steps I’ve recommended in the past few posts, you’ll be well on your way to discovering a career that will truly inspire and fulfill you.

Blessings,

Laura

My self-help program has many resources to help you discover what you want and let go of the inner barriers to getting there. Learn more about it here: YourInspiringLife.com

Once you have created your list of possible careers as I described in my last post, it’s time to go talk to some people who are happily working in the careers you’d like to explore and discover more about what they are really like. If you don’t know how to connect with people in these careers, ask your friends and family if they know anyone who’s in these fields and enjoys it. Post questions on Facebook. Search your local phone book and the internet for people in the fields that interest you.

Once you find someone, ask if you can talk to them about their career on the phone for a while or via email. It’s important to make sure they like their work before you go too far into the process of connecting with them. If they do, ask them if you can interview them in more detail about their work.

What to Ask

Ask them questions like these: Do you like your work? What do you like about it? What are the best parts of it? What are the challenges? Are there any parts that you don’t like? What is a typical day like for you? What kind of education and skills do you need to succeed? What’s the key to your success and fulfillment in your career? What would you recommend to someone considering going into this field? And ask any other questions you might have as well.

The Next Step

If you like what you learned, ask if you can shadow them for a while and go in and watch them work for a few hours. Or, do some volunteer work with them and see what it’s like day to day. I know this is going to take some effort, but it is totally worth it. You need some real input to inspire you and help you get clear about what you want.

Don’t Let Your Fears Hold You Back from this Invaluable Step

I know this can sound scary or intimidating to do, but it will really help you get clear about what career you want to pursue. You need to know what the careers on your list are really like on a day to day basis. Do some EFT to let go of any anxiety about reaching out to people like this and go ahead and do it.

You Don’t Have To Impress Anyone

Remember, no one expects you to be an expert in the field when you’re doing these initial informational interviews. I know from experience that most people appreciate being asked to talk about what they do. It’s nice to be seen as an authority in their field and someone who is doing something that somebody else might want to do. For most people, it will make them feel good to help you. And if for some reason somebody doesn’t want to talk to you, I’d say it’s probably because that person is not inspired in their life and they are feeling dissatisfied and grumpy about it. You don’t want to talk to that person anyway. If that happens, you might suggest that they come and read this article and then find someone else to talk to.

These informational interviews will give you a ton of valuable information about what these careers might be like for you in the real world. In my next post, I’ll talk about what to do with all the information you’ve gathered.

Have a career that truly inspires and fulfills you. Your Inspiring Life

Laura Lawson Boatman.com

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Step Three: Making a Career Choice from What You Learned in Your Informational Interviews