Most job-hunters know that it's a good idea to have a record of their work experience and education, but did you know that a record of your "life experiences" can be a valuable career tool? 

By life experiences we mean every significant experience that doesn't fit into the categories of work experience or formal education. 

For example, if you did missionary work, joined an expedition, or ran away with the circus - but didn't do it "officially" - that qualifies as a life experience. Your own life experiences might be related to:

• Family
• Hobbies
• Recreation
• Travel 
• Self-study
• Social activities

• Child care
• Closet organizing
• Cooking
• Decorating
• Elder care
• Event organizing (e.g. a family reunion)
• Hiring contractors
• Hosting guests
• Household finances
• Housekeeping
• Pet care
• Planning parties
• Selling your home
• Shopping
• Vacation planning

Using a note paper and pen or a computer, start recording your life experiences. Instead of listing everything you have done, you can focus on the activities you found most impactful, either in a positive or negative way. Questions you can ask include:

• How do you feel when you do this activity? (anxious, bored, frustrated, joyful, peaceful, proud, etc.)

• Which activities do you care about doing well?

• Which activities are "want to" and which are "have to"?

• Which activities do you find most rewarding?

• Which activities do you wish you didn't have to do?

• Which activities are you most passionate about?

• Which activities do you enjoy so much you would pay to do them?

• If money were no object, which activities would you prefer to pay someone to do for you?

For example, you may discover that the experiences you loved most have involved working with people, or let you express your creativity, or challenged your intellect. Likewise, you will probably find patterns in the activities you have found to be most frustrating.

By taking stock of your past experiences, you can lay the foundation for your future dream job. 

Click here to find the career of your dreams.

Take inventory of your job skills and experience.

Tag and Catherine Goulet are founders of FabJob.com, a publisher of career guides offering step-by-step advice for breaking into a variety of dream careers. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into the career of your dreams. 

Sisters Tag and Catherine Goulet are the Dream Career Experts. In 1999 they founded FabJob.com, the leading publisher of guides on how to break into a dream career, which has been visited by 50 million people. They have been featured in media from ABC to Oprah.com and Woman's Day to the Wall Street Journal online, and their career advice appears on the career pages at AOL, CNN, and MSN. They are authors of Dream Careers and other career books. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into your dream career.
 

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