Before you do anything, it is important to stop and reflect on what you are looking for from a career.  Are you looking for something more in the job you currently hold? Are you looking for a change in environment within the same field? Or are you looking to uncover a totally new career? If you are seeking meaning from your work, you are no doubt seeking something that is missing—perhaps your soul needs to express something to the world. Intuitive career guidance will tell you when to stay and when to move on to new roles, positions, a experiences.

Planning a career can be likened to hunting for treasure. A metaphor that I often use when talking about job seekers is that of the “treasure hunter.” There are three:  the digger, the jumper, the intuitive.

The digger is the kind who picks a spot and digs and digs. Because they are so focused on the perceived value of the gold, they hardly take notice of how boring their work has become. They may not find gold or treasure, and often do not know when to stop digging. The jumper jumps around from spot to spot, panning on the surface, never venturing deeper to see what may be found below.  Sometimes they may find a nugget, but most of the time, they miss the jackpot. The intuitive hunter uses intuition to lead them to the riches. They use a variety of approaches, depending on what their inner guidance tells them. They may sometimes dig deeper, try another location, or even change directions by ditching their pan in favor of a mine. This person often hits the jackpot!

In terms of your own career development, consider whether you choose a job or position and dig in deep, hoping to one day find some meaning. Or do you jump from job to job, position to position, company to company hoping to finally feel fulfilled. How about planning your career in accordance with your inner guidance, the small voice that tells you when to stay, when to go, and when to try something completely different?

Most people who have trouble following their intuition lack clarity of thought and purpose. Clearly, you must know what you are looking for and why you are looking. In order to create meaning in your career, you must discern the difference  between a golden nugget of opportunity and something that is nothing more than “fool’s gold.” 

What is your inner voice telling you—does it say to stay where you are? Or seek out another environment, reinvent yourself and find the meaning? Or explore another vocation altogether? You can learn to tap into your intuition by asking yourself the following questions that will help you uncover your direction: 

What do I want to create or contribute to the world? 
What is the “it” that I must do? (Paint it, draw it, build it, share it, teach it, promote it, develop it, manage it, write it, say it, etc). 
What fills me with happiness at the thought of doing it? 
What is important to me?
What is my unique purpose in life and how can I go about achieving it?
What would I do even if no one paid me for it? 
What do I do that makes time go by effortlessly?
What kind of lifestyle do I desire? 
What are my natural talents, skills, and abilities?
What motivates and inspires me? 
What am I meant to do next?

Sometimes the last question is key. Creating our life’s work will not happen overnight. In the meantime, we have to figure out what to do next. We have to be “in the moment” and on the path that we are on. Sometimes more meaning can be found by staying put and reinvesting in your commitment to your present job. Sometimes more meaning can be found by changing environments and re-inspiring yourself about your career. And for those who feel they have missed their mark entirely, more meaning can be found by undergoing a complete career overhaul, and re-engineering yourself for a new career field. Only you know what the right move is. The question is, “What are you going to do about it?”

Each of these career transitions require courage. Courage is the ability to face difficulty or danger without letting fear stand in your way. Courage requires listening to yourself and believing there is a higher power that sees what is best for you, and then acting on what you know needs to be done. Get Smart! by becoming a courageous, intuitive treasure hunter. You can create meaning in your career
and discover the professional riches that were waiting for you all along!

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