Today’s job market calls for people who have a clear vision of their future. But how do you develop a clear sense of who you are and what you want in your career? At Dynamisch Bureau, we intentionally dedicate time and attention during the outplacemen process to help you create a clear and personal vision, or goal. We work with a variety of exercises, such as: “butterflying” (exploring freely), mapping out your ideal workday, describing what energizes you, and defining your direction and goals. This article, Outplacement and Knowing What You Want, outlines some of these exercises to give you an idea of what to

Butterflying

One exercise within the outplacement process to help you discover what you want is called “butterflying.” This means noting down elements of work that appeal to you. Do this everywhere: when you visit workplaces, in your free time, while you’re outside, or from something you see in a newspaper or on TV. The idea is to search for work situations that attract you. What exactly draws you in? Is it the atmosphere, being outdoors, teamwork, working independently, using your hands, having a fixed workplace, or something else? Write it all down in a notebook. This way, you gather various “elements” that resonate with you. Once you find you’re no longer coming across new elements, the exercise is complete.

Your ideal working day

Find a quiet place and let your imagination run free. What does your ideal workday look like? Start by visualizing it. After doing this a few times in your mind, begin writing it down. It’s completely normal for critical thoughts to pop up during this exercise, things like: “What’s the point of fantasizing?” or “That will never work out for me.” Remember: these are just thoughts. Don’t let them throw you off. Focus on your ideal workday. Start from the moment you wake up and walk through the day step by step: Where are you going? What are your colleagues like? What does your workspace look like? What’s your role? How do you wrap up the workday? What do you do afterwards? Continue until the moment you go to bed.

Enthusiasm assignment

Describe the topics that genuinely excite you when it comes to work. Is it a specific issue you care about, a current social or environmental challenge, a particular type of task, or a professional field that fascinates you?

Search direction

Gather everything you’ve collected so far and start grouping it in a way that reveals one or more possible directions for your job search. For example: a specific industry, a certain way of working, a large or small organization, the location, the atmosphere, or the working conditions. You might end up with several directions, and that’s perfectly fine. You can decide later which one to prioritize.

Goal statement

The previous steps lead to the creation of a personal goal statement. This statement outlines the next step you want to take in your career, your motivation for it, and why you are the right person for that kind of work. In it, you describe your personal “offering” to the job market. Be realistic and specific. Also include the exciting parts , what do you expect and hope to encounter? And where do you see room to grow, through education or experience? Take your time crafting this text. In the end, it should be a clear and compelling piece that you can confidently leave with people you hope will support you. Keep refining it until you’re truly satisfied. A great way to test if the statement really reflects who you are is to read it out loud and practice presenting it to people in your network.

A job that suits you

Having a clear vision of your ideal job helps you get closer to work that truly suits you. At Dynamisch Bureau, we guide you through that process. Taking the time and giving attention to your job search is a journey — one in which our coaches actively support and encourage you. We frequently use the book Netwerken werkt, written by Rob van Eeden and Els Nijssen, as part of all our outplacement programs.

If you’re interested in an outplacement program , take a look at our outplacement page for more information.