MOST women have been pushed into their jobs by well-wishers; drifted into them; or followed the beaten track laid by their elders or peers. a fortunate few have had the chance to heed their drummer and follow her beat. And naturally, they are happier and more successful than their sisters. Still, with this guide, finding a job after your heart is oh-so doable.

Assess Yourself
A two point programme that works like a dream is to judge on two parameters: Inherent talent and acquired skills. For instance, it's useless opting for a career in fashion designing if you don't have an eye for colour. However, once you're fairly sure about what you can do, go about finding out whether you need to acquire some specific skill for it. But skills are often transferable - those acquired in one job are often very helpful in others too. For example, a teacher already has the grounding to be a successful counsellor. A summer job at a fast food joint can be a good exercise for a future PR person.

Where Interests Rest
Very few of us give much weightage to the compatibility of the profession we choose with our basic interests in life. After all, we are likely to spend a major part of our life doing the work we choose. Sadhana Srivastava, a lit grad from Delhi University, says: "I'd like to opt for journalism, but my parents feel I should go in for a stable job like banking." So, even though her heart is not in it, Sadhana is mugging up for the forthcoming Bank Probationary Officers' exams. Being a brilliant student, she's likely to succeed and secure a position in the banking world, but how long will she be happy? Overlooking your interests is almost a surefire way of making sure you'll be miserable all your working life.

Vote For Values
Principles, morals, ethics - what in the world do these high-flown terms have to do with your job? Apparently, quite a lot! The way you feel about certain issues and your intrinsic beliefs define your working style. If you are uncomfortable with your employer's values, you're unlikely to be happy in your work environment, a fact that Rekha Saha*, a 27-year-old journalist, has become well aware of. Even though it shook up her friends and family, Rekha left her well-paying, stable job with a reputed organisation to freelance as a commissioning editor.

The reason: She couldn't stand the canyonic gap between what this group preached and practised and what she believed in any longer. Today, Rekha is a much happier person even though she has to put in more working hours for less pay.

True, a clash of ideologies may not necessarily make work life impossible but it has the potential in the long run to trigger off a host of problems.

Work The Office Environ
Try to find out as much as you can about the place you intend to join. Talk to people employed there. Your professional well being can depend on that. Sheena Mittal*, a 28-year-old software engineer, says she is happy that she took up a job in Pune instead of a better paying one in Delhi. "I spoke to a few friends who talked about the lack of professionalism in Delhi," she reveals. "I couldn't digest a laid-back work culture or lack of professionalism, so I decided to go with the Pune job instead of being miserable in Delhi."

Trust your gut instinct before you make any decisions about the job you take up. In the long run, it is important that you and your career plans are totally in sync with each other. Put your best foot forward and reap the rewards. Happy hunting then!

At A Glance
You can choose the job you love.
Assess and know your strengths and weaknesses.
Bone up on the company you're approaching for a job.
Make sure the job you're applying for interests you.
Ask your conscience if you're okay with the company's known policy on different issues.
Go with your gut instinct on whether you should accept a job or not.

Sell Yourself Like A Pro!
Watch the neighbourhood shopkeeper to get all the tips! He's not aggressive; he merely leads you with non-invasive persuasion and makes you buy what he wants to sell! And sells only what he has!
• Be courteous but not servile.
• Prepare well. Get clued in about the organisation and mentally list why you are best fitted for the job.
• Never ever be negative about your previous employers or life in general.

Ace Your 'Perfect Job' Hunt
Other than scouting through the classifieds, there are many ways to hunt for that ideal job.
Internet: With more job-related sites coming up, it is a good idea to use the Web as a job hunt tool. Put your resume on sites like naukri.com, timesjob.com and monsterindia.com.

Network: Next to the Net is networking. In other words, be your own PR manager and be visible to the people who matter. Keep in touch with people employed in your area of expertise. Not only will you be the first to hear about openings, chances are that you might even be recommended.

Freelance: There's more to 'temporary or freelance jobs' than just learning the ropes. Short-term jobs can help build better relationships with prospective employers as well as build your reputation. They also add meat to your resume. Such assignments also help you to assess your strengths and weaknesses, so that you know exactly where you stand and what more you need to know.

Placement Agencies: For a fee, placement services do the initial separating-wheat-from-chaff stuff and can really take the sting out of job hunts.

* Names have been changed to protect identity