Do you need a career “Do Over”?

“Finding work you love doing is the Fountain of Youth.” –Pearl S. Buck

Last year I wrote a post called “4 things to do when you hate your job” (which you can read by clicking here and it stirred up some great conversations. Those interactions showed me that there are MANY people out there who are frustrated with their work. This is tragic, since most of us spend the majority of our waking hours on the job.

As a follow up to the “hate your job” post, some people have asked me to write on how to reinvent their careers, but frankly, I’m completely unqualified to do it. I wouldn’t know where to start. Thankfully, my buddy Jon Acuff has written the book on the subject and it may just be the best career book ever written. Seriously. (And no, he’s not paying me to say that.)

Jon has lived through several epic career “Do Over’s” and now he’s at the top of his game. He’s one of the best communicators on the planet, he’s incredibly insightful and he’s also hilarious. I mean, I’m “funny” in a “my mom thinks I’m funny” kind of way, but Jon is funny in a “Jim Gaffigan gets joke ideas from him” kind of way.

There’s no way I can sum up all the career gold, wit and wisdom in this book in a short blog post, but just to give you a sneak preview, here are the 4 key areas you’ll need to leverage in any career transition:

1. Relationships.

Your relationships will ultimately set the course for your career. Instead of looking for the “right opportunities,” you may need to spend more time investing in the right relationships. Try not to burn bridges. Look for opportunities to serve, encourage and equip the people around you. Think of ways your past and/or present contacts could help you through a career transition. Your relationships are your most important asset.

2. Skills.

Jon wisely points out that a relationship might get you an opportunity, but you’re going to need skill to keep the opportunity. The more you learn, the more you’ll earn. Keep honing your skills. Be a lifelong learner. Never let your skills get rusty.

3. Character.

You might have a great network of contacts and all the skills in the world, but if you don’t have integrity, it will all come crashing down eventually. Character isn’t something you “learn” like skills; it’s a daily discipline you choose. It means being the same person in both public and private. It means knowing that any “success” you achieve at the expense of your values isn’t really success.

4. Hustle.

You might be completely unhappy with your career situation, but if you’re not willing to WORK to make it better, then nothing will change. There are some parts of the world where hard work won’t get you ahead, but if you live in America, you can achieve as much as you want to if you’re willing to hustle. Get up earlier. Develop more discipline. Make it your mission to be the hardest worker you know, and doors of opportunity will start flying open for you!

For more career-building tips and tools, get an advance copy of Jon’s new book, “Do Over” before it is even released by clicking here.

You can also follow @jonacuff on twitter by clicking here.

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