When you are looking for a new career, it's possible that all the pieces will fall into place. After discovering what you want to do, you meet the people you need to meet, and you find the opening that's a perfect fit for you and your needs.

What's more likely to happen is that you'll run into a few disconnects in your search.

• You can't find a local company for your career focus

• You can't find an opening that's a good match

• The opening you find won't pay what you need

• The opening you find requires education or experience you don't have

• The opening you find doesn't utilize all of your skills and interests

• The opening you find means you'll have a difficult commute

Although you might think that these disconnects mean it will be impossible to reach your green dream, don't give up quite yet.  With some creative thinking and brainstorming, you may find a solution that resolves the dilemmas you are encountering.

You can use this creative process for dilemmas you are facing in:

• The research and networking phase [how to do informational interviews when you work full time]

• Ways to get green experience [how to get the experience companies require to get hired]

• Your work environment [how to commute in a way that works for you]

• Your career direction [how to focus your interests in a way that earns the income you want]

Four Steps to Find a Creative Solution to Your Dilemma

1)  Describe the disconnect you are facing.

Begin by making some notes about what's not working for you. Then create a concise description of your dilemma.

Example: To work in the green industry of my choice, my commute is likely to be a stress-filled, three hour round trip. I'll arrive home exhausted and I don't like the greenhouse gases my commute will create.

 
2)  Describe the essence of what you want.

Rather than focus on the specifics of your situation and what's not working, think about the essence of what you want. What is it you truly want in your career? How do you want to feel in your career? What impact do you want to have with your career? What's your greatest truth about your career? (If your issues are about your work environment, use your essence statement to describe the essence of the work environment you want to have.)

Example: I want to work in a green job that allows me to have a green commute.

3)  Brainstorm new possibilities.

Now keep your focus on the essence of what you want. (Let go of the specifics of your situation that aren't working.) Brainstorm ways you can bring your ideal essence to life in your life. Think expansively. Dream big. Imagine all your ideas are possible. Don't evaluate your ideas at this point, just get your ideas down on paper.

If you have a supportive friend, ask them to help you brainstorm. Don't let them evaluate your ideas either.

Example: Buy a hybrid, telecommute, work close to home, work at home, find a office hotelling situation, carpool with a neighbor, ask your company to set up a shuttle from your neighborhood, research green industries in my home town or online, identify existing local companies that could benefit by going green, explore starting my own green home-based business.

4)  Develop creative solutions.

Review your list of brainstormed ideas. What elements of your list give you hope? What aspects of your list give you a new way to look at your situation? Are there any ideas you can combine to create an even better solution? Add any additional ideas that come to you.

Remember, for this creative process to work, you must stay focused on the essence of what you want to create for yourself. If you keep getting sucked back into thinking about the specifics of what isn't working, you'll want to take a break or ask a supportive friend to help you see beyond your limited thinking.

You may want to identify a short-term solution that you can act on immediately and a longer term solution that you can implement over time.

Example: Short-term -- look at options that allow me to ride to work with others.  Longer term -- find a green job option close to home or create one.

In the next two newsletters, I'll share additional tactics to help you when your dilemma seems insurmountable.

In the meantime, experiment with this creative process. This same process can be used for any dilemma you experience. I recommend you begin with a dilemma that is not quite as life changing as your entire career. Think about a dilemma you are experiencing in your research or in building your network.

If you are a member: Use our simple worksheet to help you with this creative process:  Downloadable File

Copyright © 2008 Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc