Tips for finding meaningful work

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Our work life will take up most of our adult lives, so it seems sensible that we find some level of fulfillment in our jobs. However, expecting work to be meaningful and fulfilling is a relatively new concept, and one that is symbolic of how privileged many people’s lives are today. Finding fulfilling work is not an easy task, and indeed is one that requires a lot of thought and consideration for most people.

In this gallery, discover how to find work that is meaningful, fulfilling, and achievable. Click on!

A new concept

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Finding work that not only pays the bills but that we also find meaning and purpose in is a relatively new concept.

Work before

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

For example, work during the Industrial Revolution was a means to an end, a way of making ends meet.

Choice paralysis

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

However different things are today, it is important to keep in mind that being confused about career choice is perfectly normal. There are virtually endless options for some people looking to choose a career path. This is known in psychology as choice paralysis.

It is achievable, but not common

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Although confusion is natural, and fear also plays a huge factor in finding meaningful work (as it can be a risky business), it doesn’t mean that it cannot be overcome.

Everyone has strengths

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Everyone has something that they are relatively good at. But our talents may not be as evident as they are for other people. We may be good with dealing with children or at gardening, as opposed to being a wizard with numbers.

Adopting a pragmatic approach

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

For a lot of people, your innate strengths won’t be obvious. The likelihood of us receiving some kind of divine calling regarding what we should do with our lives is unrealistic, so we should adopt a pragmatic approach to discover what may be fulfilling as a job for us.

Meaning might not be obvious

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Most people find work meaningful when they are helping people, in one form or another. This may not be as obvious as working at a soup kitchen, so it would be wise to keep an open mind. For instance, the mechanic helps people by getting them back on the road and living their lives, and the farmer helps people by bringing fresh produce to market for them to purchase to keep themselves nourished.

We are not shown how

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

In general, throughout the world, schooling systems fail to prepare us for finding work that is fulfilling for us.

We may lose track of the mission

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

We also may feel like our job is not fulfilling an organization’s goal. For example, suppose you’re working for a company that resides in 27 different countries and is trying to produce a medicine for asthma patients. In that case, you may not feel like you’re part of that goal if you’re just emailing internal departments all day long.

It will take careful consideration

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

When people choose a new car, they usually take time to consider and finalize their decision. If that's the case, then no wonder something as serious as finding a job that is the right fit takes time.

Think expansively at first

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

The goal is to come up with a list of jobs that you will find fulfillment in doing.

Whittling down the list

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

To aid us in cutting down the list to a more considerable number (as opposed to 10 options, for example), another helpful exercise is to take note of our priorities about certain jobs.

Values outside of work are relevant

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Your values will play a significant factor in work that you find fulfilling. A job that warrants working very long hours may not be suitable for someone who values their time with their family, for example.

Find out what it's really like

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Shadowing people who are doing the job you may find fulfilling is an excellent way of gathering data.

Volunteering

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

For some kinds of jobs, it may be possible to volunteer to work in the industry, giving you hands-on experience and knowledge of what the job entails, allowing you to better understand it.

Setting goals

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

Once it becomes apparent what you will find fulfilling as a job, the next step is to set goals in getting into whatever line of work it is.

A long-term strategy

A new concept, Work before, Choice paralysis, It is achievable, but not common, Everyone has strengths, Adopting a pragmatic approach, Meaning might not be obvious, We are not shown how, We may lose track of the mission, It will take careful consideration, Think expansively at first, Whittling down the list, Values outside of work are relevant, Find out what it's really like, Volunteering, Setting goals, A long-term strategy

A long-term plan can span years ahead and may include going back to school, training, or attempting to start a business in your spare time.

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