Yesterday I mentioned the myth of work-balance. Since many of us spend eight to ten hours a day at our jobs, the reality is that work and life are not mutually exclusive — work is a big part of life and our jobs need to be fulfilling for us to feel good.
There are a lot of articles out there that profess to help you find your dream job. That’s another myth — there are no perfect situations or companies, especially for working parents. You will have to make compromises. A more realistic goal would be to find a job that more closely aligns with your passions, because if you find your work meaningful, the small frustrations of working in a corporate (or non-corporate) environment will be less important. Here are eight tips to find a more fulfilling job:
1. Follow your passions. Make a short list of things you love doing. Writing? Drawing? Scrapbooking? Cooking? Then make a second, longer list of industries that relate to those passions. Start looking aggressively for jobs in that sector. If you need more education to pursue the job you want, see if you can get an entry-level position, or one in another department, with the right company. Once you have the right skills in place, a history with a related company will give you an advantage over those who come out of school with a degree, but no practical experience.
2. Gain skills. Whether it’s going back to school for an advanced degree, or just taking an extra class, it’s likely that a new industry will require you to gain some additional skills. Determine what you need and find the right learning options. This might mean a few months to a few years of difficult choices, especially if you still need to work during this period. (Side note: I actually think working and going back to school together is a great — but crazy-making — combination. Employers want to see practical experience as much as they want good education, so you will get farther faster if you can show related work history coupled with the right degrees.)
3. Assume the money will follow. Research shows that money doesn’t buy happiness, but happy people are more likely to have money. That suggests that you are more likely to achieve success doing something you love. So don’t worry about the money just yet — assume that it will follow your passions too.
4. Find the right company for you. I recently wrote about Google’s benefits and corporate culture here and here. After plowing through many blog posts pro and con the Google way of life, I came to the conclusion that it’s not right for everybody — but very, very right for some people. Find a company that’s in line with your personal and professional perspective. This is also where the greatest compromise can be necessary. Figure out what benefits you can forgo, and what is absolutely necessary for you to be happy.
5. Keep the commute in mind. A couple of years ago Nick Paumgarten wrote this interesting piece for The New Yorker on how commuting erodes happiness. This has certainly been true for me. My commute increased by 25-30 minutes a few years ago, and it does make things more difficult, cutting into the time I spend with my family. Commuting in cars particularly seems to breed isolation and sadness. Find a job that’s not too far away, and do things you enjoy while on the road — podcasting is one of my favorites.
6. Expect a lateral move. Chances are that if you are changing industries you will have to start closer to the bottom than you would like. Making a lateral move, or even going to an entry-level role in a new environment may seem scary at first. Don’t worry — if you are ambitious and build the right skills, it is likely that you can move up the ranks quickly either at your company, or by moving to a competitor.
7. Do due diligence. If only I had listened to some of the people who warned me about one company or another over the years. Call around, touch base with friends of friends, and find out the real skinny on jobs and companies in your new industry. Even if you find work that you are passionate about, a bad boss can sink the happiness ship.
8. Be true to yourself. It may sound trite, but here’s a good example of what I’m talking about. The other day Papa Bee saw a friend from college who was kind of a goofball in school, with an offbeat aesthetic. Papa Bee was surprised to learn that his old classmate has a successful television show based on his unusual sense of humor. Despite what his peers thought, by staying true to who he was, the college friend has found both happiness and professional success. For me this suggests that being yourself can really pay off.
Related links:
- eHow talks about how to find a fulfilling job.
- Marketing Nirvana offers five tips to let your dream job find you through traditional and online networking.
- Simple tips for networking into your dream job from Sloane Berrent.
- A recent Pew research study on happiness, including its different correlations with money.
Thanks for linking to my interview with Sloane. I still use what I learned from that program.
#3 especially hit home for me. I believe this is the main reason why people are afraid to take a chance on a new job–because it might pay less. I followed this advice (from Suze Orman’s book Young, Fabulous, & Broke) and took a job that paid about $6-7K less per year than what I was making previously. But you know what? I found that I loved it! And a year later, I got a nice raise, and now two years later, I’m back to where I was before, with the added benefits of working for a great company with people I enjoy being around. Great advice here in this post. I hope others will heed it and find a job they love!
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