Give Me MORE Job Stress and Career Dissatisfaction in the New Year--Career Expert Explains Why Americans Will Be Unhappy As Ever in 2006

“A Better Job In the New Year” Resolution Will Be Made By Many Americans This Year, But Most Will Fail. Career Expert Says Determining Two Simple Yet Important Things Can Make Anyone’s Resolution More Achievable.

(PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- “Most people fail at the 'new job' resolution for the same reason they fail at losing weight - because they do it for the wrong reasons and in the wrong manner," says career expert, J.T. O'Donnell. She explains, "A person will attempt to find greater career satisfaction via a new job, but 9 times out of 10, they won't find the kind of happiness they desire." With a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive indicating more than 72% of the American workforce wants to find more satisfying work in the coming year, it’s no surprise that one of the biggest resolutions in 2006 will be to improve a person’s career, and O'Donnell says, few will achieve their goal.

O'Donnell believes at the root of all failing career resolutions is the fact that people unknowingly set their expectations incorrectly. "Americans expect too much and put too much emphasis on their careers,” comments O’Donnell. See her free, online presentation, "Career Success-The American Way?" explaining in detail why the majority of Americans are unhappy on-the-job at http://www.bluekilowatt.com.

O’Donnell says until an individual’s career expectations are properly set, it won't matter what job they take, they'll eventually be unhappy again. “Career development is one of those things that people leave to fester. Like a small cut that turns into a large infection, they don't do anything about their job dissatisfaction until the pain is so bad, they can't ignore it. Yet, just like 'preventative medicine' can help avoid illness, a little proactive career assessment and planning can make anyone succeed at the "Finding Career Satisfaction" resolution,” she states.

As for setting better expectations: O’Donnell offers two things to consider which can help Americans create stronger, smarter, more achievable career resolutions.

“First, make sure you are not mistakenly using your career as a way to improve another area of your life. People wrongly blame their careers for their dissatisfaction in life,” O’Donnell states. For example, O’Donnell says she often hears things like, "If I find a new job, I'll be able to workout more and take better care of myself." O’Donnell says, unfortunately, when these people get a new job, the lifestyle change they forecasted never occurs. O’Donnell also hears things like, "If I get a job that pays more, I'll no longer be stressed about money." Yet again, she says these people still end up worrying about finances. O’Donnell says Americans should ask themselves, "Why do I feel I need a new job?" If the answer is anything other than "it will make me feel more satisfied, passionate, and happy on-the-job," then she advises skipping the career resolution for now, and setting one for the area of their life that needs it more. O’Donnell says there are five common career mistakes Americans make, causing them to set career expectations incorrectly. She shares these in her book, “Find Your Career Path: A Revolutionary Guide To Career Satisfaction, available at http://www.bluekilowatt.com/pages/books-01.html and amazon.com.

O’Donnell says once the career resolution is correctly focused on finding more satisfaction on-the-job, you need to differentiate between the need for a change in "work" versus a change in "work environment." She shares, “Often, people decide to look for a new job because they believe the company culture, management style, co-workers, etc. aren't a right fit for them. I hear things like, "I want to work where I'm appreciated and respected." Yet, what many of these people fail to assess is whether or not the work itself is the real cause of their grief. It's the lack of personal satisfaction derived from the work that is causing them to mistakenly blame elements of their work environment.” O’Donnell says people making career resolutions need to consider honestly, "Does the work I do now energize me to do a good job?" In other words, are they internally motivated by the work because they enjoy it? O’Donnell says a great way to know this is to contemplate the following, "Do I like this kind of work enough that I would do it for less money?" O’Donnell explains, “This is the true test, because if you're willing to take a pay cut just to keep doing something, you know you've found a job that brings you personal rewards worth a great deal. If you wouldn't take a pay cut, and are actually thinking "are you kidding, they should pay me more to do this,” then it's time to start looking for a new CAREER, not a new job in the same career.” O’Donnell says this is why she spends so much time having people assess not only their skills and preferences, but also their passions, interests and unique gifts, “That way, they can finally start to see why they need to find a job that intrinsically motivates them if they ever want to find true, long-term career satisfaction.”

O’Donnell is the founder of BLUE KILOWATT, a career coaching company with the goal of providing valuable yet affordable career development resources. She is the author of “Find Your Career Path: A Revolutionary Guide to Career Satisfaction” and the creator of CAREERJUICE, the #1 Career Kit for College Grads. For more information, go to http://www.bluekilowatt.com or http://www.careerjuice.com today.

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