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The
Right Job
Shannon
Terry
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[Tips for choosing a job that matches
your natural mind/body type.]
Vata. Pitta. Kapha. Are you naturally enthusiastic but prone to tire
easily? Quite intellectual and tend to get angry when stressed? Steady,
affectionate, and slow to get moving in the morning?
Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book Perfect Health – The Complete
Mind/Body Guide, tells a story of a college student who decided to
get a job waiting tables. This student was outgoing, quick and responsive
and, at first, seemed perfect for a fast-paced, busy restaurant. Over
time, however, this student found that the crowded, non-stop, noisy
environment made him profoundly unhappy and he developed a mysterious
physical pain. Dr. Chopra suggested that finding a position with more
peace and quiet that valued and utilized his creativity would be a
better match for his mind/body type – his “dosha,”
in Ayurvedic medicine.
Knowing your dosha – Vata, Pitta, or Kapha, – is essential
to finding and maintaining balance and health, according to Dr. Chopra.
Once you know your natural tendencies, your innate likes and dislikes,
you can structure your lifestyle – what you eat, how you exercise,
strategies for managing stress, even your job choice – to be
in harmony with who you are at a basic core and cellular level. For
example, Vata and Kapha prefer warm foods, so too many raw, cold veggies
can put them out of balance. Having a respect for and awareness of
your nature is key to having a healthy relationship with yourself,
and thus managing your life optimally.
Similarly, in a recent edition of my job seekers’ newsletter,
I suggested we each be really clear on what we want in and from our
jobs. Whether you are searching for new employment or reevaluating
your current position, get in touch with your inner desires, and determine
if they are aligned with your inner nature. Ask yourself the following
questions to clarify what type of work, environment and people you
want in your job.
The Tasks:
What types of tasks do you enjoy or not enjoy doing? Writing? Problem
solving? Customer service/contact? Teaching? Selling? Planning?
Do you thrive on responsibility and inspiring others, being a leader?
Or do you prefer to be a support person?
Do you like the stability of doing routine and repetitive tasks? Or
do you need constant variety? How well do you adapt to change?
Where does your motivation come from? Can you self-motivate? Does
competition motivate you? Do you need strict deadlines and a boss
breathing down your back?
How detail-oriented are you? Are you a big-picture person? Are you
better with ideas or facts and data?
The Environment:
Do you need clear procedures? How do you feel in a very structured
environment? A disorganized or chaotic environment? Do you want discretion
in decision making?
What should the physical environment of your work be like? Small office?
Large warehouse? Home-based? Sleek and professional?
What’s your “uniform” for work? Business casual?
Suits, ties, pantyhose? T-shirts & jeans?
What is the benefits package like?
What are the work hours (actual vs. stated; OT or weekends)? Is flexibility
important to you? To the company?
Where is it located? How far do you commute and how? What is nearby?
Is it in an office park? Is the grocery store nearby? Is it close
to your children’s school? What are your weekly gas and parking
costs? Is public transportation available?
The People:
How much contact do you have with customers? Daily? Monthly? In person
or over the phone? Are your customers and clients the general public
or professionals in your field or a related field?
Who are your co-workers? How many are there? What are they like (what
do you want them to be like)?
Do you like being closely supervised? Do you prefer to be given lots
of leeway to do things your own way/style? Do you like a looser relationship,
more of a consulting stance, with your boss?
Do you prefer to work independently? In a supportive team environment?
Start with these questions, although the most important underlying
general questions are these: (1) How do you want to spend your working
hours; (2) what are your long term vs. short term professional goals;
and (3) are the effects a job has on your lifestyle acceptable to
you?
Notice which of the answers feel most important to you. Which answers,
naturally and without much thought, go to the top of the list? A job
with a particular company, or any place near to home or school? What
is an absolute necessity in your working life? A set schedule? Freedom
of creative expression? Which of your preferences would be nice, but
not necessary? A smaller, more personal office seems ideal, but for
the right benefits package, might a larger corporate environment be
okay, too? Which, in other words, are negotiable desires for your
work, and which are not?
When I was job searching in the past, anything with a commute of 30
minutes or longer was a no-go; I didn’t even apply, because
I knew I couldn’t tolerate that much time in the car, and the
associated traffic stresses. It’s just not in my constitution.
On the other hand, if you strive to grow in a corporate position,
you may accept a long commute, pay for necessary dry cleaning of expensive
suits, and wear pantyhose in Florida in August. If you are a high
energy, achievement- oriented person who can handle, and even thrive,
amidst stress and long hours in a healthy way, this may fulfill your
soul.
My mom, at 57 years old, is pretty in touch with her personality and
needs in the workplace. She wants to work with people in a meaningful
way; she needs a positive environment that values her contribution
(non-negotiable). She needs a light, airy, comfortably equipped workspace
(non-negotiable) with room for flowers. She wants to walk on her lunch
break, preferably in quiet, pretty setting (negotiable). She doesn’t
want to take her work home, literally, or mentally (non-negotiable),
and would prefer a short commute convenient to her non-work activities
(negotiable).
Last year she was job searching after being laid off from a 13-year
position as a corporate VP administrative assistant. She shared with
me what she learned about her work preferences and needs throughout
her experience. For example, during the interviews she would often
get the chance to view her potential workspace and meet her future
co-workers. If you go on an interview and are not offered one, make
it a point to tactfully ask for a quick tour and to meet future colleagues.
Oh, the things you will learn!
On one interview she was shown her workspace – a dingy corner
with no walls or windows, a beat-up desk, and a wooden chair. She
doubted the word “ergonomic” was in that company’s
spell check, let alone a workstation priority. Another time, my mom
became interested in a banking position because she really liked the
manager and the training program. So, even though it was very technical
and math-oriented, not her typical interests, she took the position.
Once she got into the job, however, she realized she truly disliked
learning the financial rules and regulations her work required. In
the end, although she regretted leaving this wonderful boss, she discovered
she really did need to work in a different field, with much different
duties.
Then came the small real estate office only 3 minutes from her home.
She had been unemployed longer than planned and was feeling the anxiety
that all job seekers start to feel – pressure to bring in a
paycheck again, as well as being just plain tired of the job searching
process itself. She was trying to talk herself into this job so close
to home, so casual she could wear sandals and capri pants, so laid
back and non-corporate… and then… she overheard bickering.
Loud disagreements. All-out verbal sparring from the office behind
her. As she sat uncomfortably trying to pretend she hadn’t noticed,
the current assistant said casually, “Oh, that’s just
the owner and his wife; she’s the accountant. They do that.
Sometimes they don’t talk to each other for days, except through
notes I leave for one from the other.” No, Mom didn’t
get up and walk out right then and there, but she didn’t send
her follow-up thank you note, either.
Each one of these experiences helped her clarify the things that are
most important to her in her work and her life. I’m proud to
say that, after careful self and financial assessment, she opted for
a job as an administrative assistant to a kind and encouraging high
school principal. She loves working with the kids who have discipline
issues, work she considers valuable. It’s in a residential neighborhood,
with a short commute, close to her gym. She accepts less pay, though,
in trade for school holiday time off, knowing her soul needs time
to travel, rest and enjoy her lakeside home. Does this job match her
“dosha” type? Neither of us knows. But it does capitalize
on activities that make her feel content, in a supportive environment,
and thus allows for her own individual brand of healthy balance.
I’m not an Ayurvedic practitioner who can determine if a line
of work fits your “dosha.” However, I believe your own
sense of well being, particularly regarding your work, will give you
all the information you need. “A job that satisfies (this) deeper
part of (their) nature… will be much more satisfying in the
long run,” says Dr. Chopra. Regardless of our dosha, a healthy
relationship with our selves, and working with our innate characteristics,
will lead us to our best choices in our jobs, as well as the rest
of our lives.
Shannon Terry is a job search coach and workshop facilitator. She
offers personalized resumé writing, interview coaching, and
workshops for jobseekers. (727) 321-4172.
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MARCH/APRIL
2005
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FEATURE ARTICLES
Editorial
by Barbara Casey
Holistic
Health Q & A
by Dr. Felicity Talbot
How holistic health care can increase the health
and quality of life of animals.
The
Heart of Breast Cancer
by Inger Mercedes Padilla
The relationship between the health of the heart
chakra and a woman’s breasts.
The Right
Job
by Shannon Terry
Tips for choosing a job that matches your natural
mind/body type.
Uncommon
Sense!
by David Findlay
Click
here for more articles on the theme Relaxation
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