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How on earth can I find out what I'm good at?

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  • 27-07-2011 2:29pm
    #1
    Asry
    Registered Users Posts: 883 ✭✭✭


    I'm working in a support centre at the moment and I honestly cannot stand it. I've been here nearly a year, and for that entire time was in the sales dept. I can't stress enough how soul destroying that was. I've since moved to another dept, thank god, but I find now that many people I'm friends with (including my bf, who also works here) loathe it and are scarily close to just walking out.

    As I've been living with my boy for 3 years now, obviously his well-being is important for me, and I do want him to change jobs and be a bit happier.

    I consider myself lucky to have a job at all, any job, and was unemployed for a year after college, and I really don't want to go back there. But both my BA and MA (BA in EMCS and MA in Writing) are in areas that don't really help with life in the real world. I wish now that I had chosen subjects to study that would have led to solid career prospects, instead of doing what I wanted to do at the time without thinking of the future.

    I want to write books, and am currently editing the hell out of one, but that's not going to pay the bills.

    I've tried freelancing before but didn't make that much money. Albiet, I could have been looking in all the wrong places.

    Is there anywhere I can go to find out what else I could do? Because honestly, I have no idea. :confused:


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    #2
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    What about writing a job about what you do now? i.e. what it's like to work in a support centre.

    To actually find out what you want to do for sure is a life ending quest if you ask me.


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    #3
    Asry
    Registered Users Posts: 883 ✭✭✭Asry


    CatFromHue wrote: »
    To actually find out what you want to do for sure is a life ending quest if you ask me.

    Nads, I was hoping for more of an aptitude test :D :pac:


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    #4
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    Well no harm in doing one of them either.

    What about ringing the careers advisor from where you studied? Even though you may have left I'm sure they would make time for you.


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    #5
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,301 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Write out a list of tasks that you are good at.
    Tick the ones of these that you like.
    Put them in "inverted commas", and put them all into Google, and click search.

    This will give you results, which will include jobs that use these skills. Look at these jobs, and see if there are any you have similar experience in, and look into them?


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    #6
    Asry
    Registered Users Posts: 883 ✭✭✭Asry


    Hmmm. OK. I can't really ring NUIG because I'm in Dublin now and I just hate the airbus so much!

    I'm trying it hard to think of anything I'm good at, really. Perhaps I'll take my impending moany face off to the personal issues forum ;):)


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    #7
    finisklin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,524 ✭✭✭finisklin


    Hi Asry,

    don't despair, you have strengths and you need to explore what exactly these are. It sounds like writing is your forte and something that you enjoy doing. Have you considered copywriting and editing materials? There are many ways to make a career from this online such as elance.com. Your qualifications are fantastic and you obviously put a lot of effort into securing them, don't waste it!

    Please see some of these resources below which might help you a little better find out about yourself.

    http://www.shl.com/TryATest/TakeaTest/Pages/TakeaTest-English.aspx

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/personality

    http://www.workmaze.com/

    http://www.mindtools.com/

    The latter two sites are commercial so take what's freely available and use it. Alternatively go visit a career coach and for 200-300e you can get professional help. Alternatively go to amazon and search for a career help book.

    Take action, get a plan and make some goals for yourself. Otherwise, you will find yourself in the same position this time next year!

    best of luck

    Finisklin


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