A major chunk of your life will be dedicated to your career. Your job also influences your personality. So, ideally, you should find a job that matches your personality and hones your skills.

What would you rather do – stress over the fact that you’re unemployed or stick to a job you have no sincere interest in? The latter is far more dangerous since an unfulfilling or monotonous job may stress you further and hinder your career growth. It is not uncommon for most people to take up a few ‘wrong’ jobs before finding the right one.

If you are dragging yourself to work every day or want to avoid the unnecessary step of taking up a job that does not challenge or interest you, follow these three steps to find the perfect job for you:

Evaluate your strengths

Figure out all your skills – the areas you excel in and the ones that set you apart from others. Think of your hobbies. Do you like to write or edit videos? If one of your interests is to sell products online, why not take up a correspondence course to learn about digital marketing or online selling? Use those entrepreneurial skills and you may discover that your dream job is to build your own brand.

The possibilities are endless, but you will be able to figure out where your strengths lie only after trying. If you’re not confident or aware of your skills, you can always ask a close friend or family member to help you list them down. Awareness of your strengths can lead to a high chance of finding the right job.

Company culture

Make a list of your dream companies. Check out all the possible career options suitable for you and build interest by exchanging emails with the recruiters. Read about their company policy, work environment, benefits and use that to your advantage. You are more likely to be productive and positive if the values of a company match yours.

If you worked in the past, assess your top qualities, it could be punctuality, managing your time, interpersonal skills etc. Try to find out how not to just contribute to your new job, but also excel in it.

You can seek opportunities to gain more skills. Through distance learning, you can easily take up a course and increase your skills. For instance, say you want to join the marketing department; your area of expertise can go beyond that field. You can also gain knowledge in designing or copywriting. No company has ever complained of having employees who learned too much.

Social media & networking

Never underestimate the power of networking. Social media and networking are interconnected. You may search for the right job for months, but a new connection on LinkedIn may enable you to tap into the hidden market. Staying well connected to your previous employees, updating your CV online, volunteering, attending a business seminar or taking an internship may unknowingly build connections and move you up the ladder of success.

Bringing all this information together will narrow down your options and give a clearer understanding of what you’re looking for. It should not always be about finding a job, but rather finding the right job that inspires a healthy work environment and guarantees a holistic personal development.