Resolve to transform your job instead of finding a new one in 2016. Part 1 of 3

Every year we strive to make changes that make our life better.  Maybe you resolve to lose weight.  Save money.  Go back to school.  Each of these are very rewarding, but often require much work to achieve.  The same is true for finding a new job.

A new job is an excellent goal if you are unemployed or fresh out of school.  But is it the right decision if you currently have a job?

In the next few weeks, I'm going to provide you with a fresh perspective on your job and how you can change jobs without actually finding a new job.

To start, let's look at your current job.  We all heard about that dream job.  Maybe we don't exactly know what that job 'is', but we know it's the promise land and we want it.  People who have this job know the secret to finding it.  That secret I'm going to share with you.

The secret about the dream job is... it doesn't exist.  There is no job interview you go on that will land you your dream job.  The truth is, those who can honestly say they have their dream job didn't get it by chance or happen into it.  They have a dream job because they CREATED IT.  That's right, they took their existing position, whether it be a cashier, a graphic designer or a CEO at a Fortune 500 company and made it into their dream job.

How did they do it and how can you do it too?  You can by changing your circumstances.  Each job, no matter what line of work, comes with a description.  But if you notice, rarely do you actually do the tasks outlined in it.  Often times, you find yourself doing stuff not even part of your job description.  I myself attend speaking events, help organize and motivate our employees to speak at events and am active in any committee that will have me.  None of these are part of my job description.  I'm a programmer.  I could simply sit on a computer all day and punch keys and I'd be perfectly aligned with my job description.  I'm able to do this because my job allows me to be flexible in my position.  I'm able to raise my hand and say I'd like to try something.  With this flexibility, I'm able to mold my position, even if slightly, into what I want to do that's meaningful to me.  The more I succeed, the more freedom I'm given to try things that are important to me.  If you make small changes to your job long enough, over time you'll find that all you do is stuff you love and care about.  You will have the perfect job... your dream job. 

What can you do today that you're passionate about in your job?  Start with something small.  Make those small changes over time, and before you know it, you will be boasting to people about your dream job.

Next week, in part 2 of this series, I'll be talking about tackling issues that bother you at your job.

Going to pull an all-nighter at work? Think twice!

The deadline is fast approaching.  Your next big release is riddled with bugs.  The users who are testing your features just sent you two dozen emails about issues they found.  It's now 9pm at night.  You put on a pot of coffee and prepare for a long night of bug fixes.

Let's pause for a moment.  What is it exactly that you're about to do.  You're obviously tired.  You've probably already put in a full-days work.  Is this really the best use of your time???  I can promise you it won't be the most productive use of your time.

Pulling an all-nighter to fix some bugs is not a good idea.  By doing so, you'll not only be exhausted for the next several days, you won't help solve the problems one bit.  In fact, you could end up introducing new problems.  Why is burning the midnight oil a bad idea?  It separates you from the team.

Look back to a time where one of your teammates worked all night on a problem or project.  Most likely, they fired off emails at all hours of the night updating the team on their progress.  "Successfully pushed latest build to test environment.  No issues.  Attempting a restore to...."  Great.  Fantastic.  So, why are they telling us this and why is it bad.  There can be many reasons why people do this.  More often than not, it's to simply inform the team of progress.  But could it be also to let them know how dedicated you are?  Or that your staying up all night until this is resolved?  Maybe a little bit of insecurity can attribute to this.  This can, however, put you into a sticky spot if something goes wrong that requires others to assist.  Assuming you've fired off multiple emails, the recipients have most likely stopped checking their email/phones and attribute any notifications by you as status updates.  So you now lose the ability to reach out to others if need be.  A lesser form of 'The little boy who cried wolf'.

Now, fast forward to the next day.  Assuming you fixed or resolved anything { remember, you just pulled an all-nighter after a full day of work to begin with, so that probably wasn't your most productive time }, it's 8am and you're tired.  You may even be a little pissed.  The day still goes on.  There's still meetings, people are still working on their tasks for today.  But it's not a normal work day for you.  Chances are, you'll leave early... or not come in at all.  Your team now has to carry on for the day without you.  If anything comes up that requires your attention, you've now likely made yourself unavailable { you have to sleep } at a time when all team members and clients are actively engaged in the project.

So the next time a crisis comes up, don't pull an all-nighter.  Formulate a plan and communicate it to the team.  You're much more valuable to the team when you're there and well-rested.