EPTI've been mulling on this for a long time, as I possess some 'skills' that could be found useful but in a way that I don't know how to apply. Or maybe the problem is that I don't know how to explore what I think I can use as a potential job opportunity.
I can be very motivational. I'm a practical thinker and I have a low tolerance for excuses. I really like to help people and I love it when to see someone succeed after actually applying themselves.
Case in point:+ Show Spoiler +
My little brother was struggling to find work. He was facing a number of hurtles; one being the economy, but the real one being his motivation. He just wasn't taking it seriously enough.
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For those of us with jobs, or who don't have problems finding work, this can be a bit of a mystery. How come you can't find work when others can? Are you lacking experience? A certain skillset? If those aren't the cause, then it's probably because most people these days think that e-mailing a couple of resumes on craigslist or whatever job bank website is enough. Most of the time, it's not.
Despite my attempts to help him, there was nobody holding him truly accountable for his job search. Because I've been through courses on the subject when I was struggling to find work, I decided to apply what I had learned but in a capacity that would help him.
I started to call him twice a day. Once in the morning to find out his plans, and once in the evening to find out how he had followed through. At first it was pretty rough for him- I was abrasive, not taking any excuses for a lack of effort. When you don't have a job, it's your 9-5 to find one, and he wasn't taking this seriously.
After a while he stopped answering my calls because they were borderline harassment. This didn't stop me from doing it, and it served as a constant reminder of what should be the priority.
Less than 2 weeks into my 'program', my little brother finally called me back to tell me that he had found a job that pays reasonably and can progress to full-time. I was so proud of him!
Then he told me that I can stop calling now.
Now I've done similar things for other people. I sort of have a knack for being a buzz in your ear if I really want too. It's helped me earn some pretty cool opportunities for myself over the years, and I saw that when I applied that in another way, I was able to help someone else!
Well my brain is always thinking about ways to make more money, and I started thinking about becoming something of a 'Life Coach' or 'Personal Trainer [outside of the gym!]'. I figured that if I can help my lazy brother get a job through persistent encouragement, I could probably help other people accomplish other goals with a similar tactic.
So now I'm at a point where I have an idea and I want to pursue it further. What I'm offering isn't something I see widely available, if at all. I don't want to be a public motivational speaker, although I do think it's well within the realm of my capabilities. I want to be 1 on 1 with people, helping to set and accomplish goals on realistic time-lines, with me as the party holding them accountable. It's amazing how much more motivated a person will be when someone is making them track their progress.
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Again, for some people this may seem mind-boggling, but there are a large number of people out there with goals ranging from getting a job, to keeping up a gym membership, pursuing a hobby etc that could really benefit from this kind of accountability to someone. It's easy to make excuses for yourself, but not nearly as easy to someone else.
I guess if you've read this far, you are wondering how this applies to Job Creation. I figure the 'moral of the story' would be that if you possess a skill and believe it's profitable, try to find an avenue to apply that skill. Think of a niche and how you can use your skills to make some money out of it.
I'm going to try and keep this updated with any progress I make towards this goal. It's sort of a back-burner thing for now, but I have time to explore the possibilities right now so I might as well.
Have you ever created a job for yourself? Do you have advice for someone in my position? Do you think this blog is just a waste of space? Post some comments and let me know
