Having a job with meaning is essential. It’s what will motivate you to get up on a cold, rainy January morning and encourage you to navigate that difficult boss. Here, our London recruitment agency looks at what “career purpose” is and how you can find your own.
What is career purpose?
Career purpose doesn’t necessarily mean doing something that is overtly meaningful in terms of the greater good. It’s easy to see that those in healthcare or education, for example, have inherent purpose in their working life.
Does that mean that those of us working in other sectors, such as office support roles, don’t have purpose? Absolutely not.
Career purpose is more intrinsic than that. Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook fame, said: “Purpose is that sense that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, that we are needed, that we have something better ahead to work for. Purpose is what creates true happiness… But it’s not enough to have purpose yourself. You have to create a sense of purpose for others.”
And that’s where we need to define our own career purpose. It may be that for those in PA jobs in London, theirs comes from making the life of their executive easier. For someone in payroll, it may be ensuring that everyone gets paid on time every time.
So how do you find your career purpose?
What are you attracted to?
Some people’s career purpose jumped out at them when they were 16 years old and considering their future. For many in office support jobs, this simply never happened.
Instead, try asking yourself: what kinds of roles and employers are you attracted to? Make a list of 10 companies or job titles that you find attractive. Don’t overthink it.
Then ask yourself: what do these 10 employers or roles have in common? Find their connection and you’ll probably begin to pin down your purpose.
What is your intrinsic motivation?
Next, consider what makes you tick. Does a nice big pay check work for you, or is it more important that you make a difference to other people every day? When you are fired up, motivated, and involved in something that doesn’t feel like work, what are you doing? This exercise, too, will help you uncover more about your purpose.
When you are doing something and you’re completely in the flow, so much so that you forget about everything else around you, what is motivating you? Think of several different situations, ideally within a work setting, when you’ve been in this flow state. Again, ask yourself what the common elements are. Is it that you’re brainstorming, organising, writing, or speaking? Uncover these factors and you’ll narrow down your purpose.
Ask those who know you
Armed with all of the information gathered so far, it’s now time to speak to those you admire and trust. What do they say? What do they think are your strengths, specifically within a professional setting? If you were to ask colleagues how you add value, what would they say?
Use your career purpose to guide your job search
If you’re unhappy in your work, it is likely that the role doesn’t align with your career purpose. If you’ve followed the above advice, you can use the information to begin to refine the right career path for you.
Still need help to learn about different careers? Try working in temporary jobs in London to discover what you really love.
Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
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