Right Career

Reconsidering a career or getting caught up in a job you hate? Here's how to pick or modify career paths and find your job with more fulfillment and sense.

Why is meaningful work important?

It undoubtedly plays a major role in our lives, because so much of our time is spent either at work, commuting to and from work, or thinking about work. It can take a significant toll on your physical and mental health if you feel bored or unsatisfied with how you spend large parts of the day. You may feel burnt out and irritated, nervous, depressed, or unable to enjoy time at home knowing that there is another day of work ahead.

Having to focus on activities you find mundane, tedious, or unsatisfactory for long periods can cause high stress levels. What's more, it's difficult to produce the commitment and excitement necessary to succeed in your job or career if you don't find your work meaningful and satisfying. You are much more likely to find success in an occupation you feel passionate about, as well as feeling fulfilled and satisfied.

So how do you gain satisfaction and meaning from your work?

Ultimately, you have two options when it comes to achieving happiness at work:

1. You can pick anything that you enjoy and are passionate about, or change professions.

Or

2. In a work that you do not enjoy, you will find meaning and joy.

If you're just leaving school, having minimal opportunities in your present position or facing unemployment, like many in this economy, it may be time to reconsider your chosen career.

You will discover the best career direction for you by learning how to study alternatives, realizing your strengths, and gaining new skills, as well as gathering the confidence to make a change. There are always ways to find more pleasure and fulfillment with how you make a living, even if you're stuck in a place you don't love, with no practical room for improvement.

When changing careers isn’t a realistic option

Career dreams are, for many of us, just that: dreams. The practical fact of paying the bills and getting food on the table and the kids through school means you have to spend 40 hours per week doing a job you don't want. Or maybe, just to get by in today's economy, you have to juggle numerous jobs, as well as school or family obligations. The idea of changing your career could seem as plausible as wanting to become an athlete or an astronaut.

Even, it can take a real toll on your health to get up every morning dreading the prospect of going to work, then looking at the clock all day wishing it to be time to go. And when you are not at work, it can leave you feeling agitated, irritable, disillusioned, helpless, and completely tired out. In reality, having a monotonous or unfulfilling job will leave you as vulnerable to stress and burnout as having one that keeps you off your feet, and it can be just as detrimental as being unemployed to your overall mental health.

• In your position, try to find some value. You should also reflect on how your position benefits others, for instance, or offers a much needed product or service, even in some boring occupations. Focus on aspects of the job you enjoy, even though at lunch it's just chatting with your colleagues. It will help you regain a sense of purpose and power by changing your attitude towards your work.

• In your life, find balance. Find value and happiness elsewhere if your job or profession is not what you want: in your family, hobbies, or interests after work, for example. Learn to be thankful that you have a career that pays the bills and concentrates on the aspects of your life that offer you pleasure. It can make a big difference in your workday to have a holiday or enjoyable weekend events to look forward to.

• Volunteer-at and outside of work at work. An employee who volunteers for a new project is respected by any supervisor. It will help avoid frustration and improve your resume by completing new tasks and acquiring new skills at work. Outside of work, volunteering will boost your self-confidence, stave off depression, and even give you useful work experience and connections in your area of interest.

• At work, make friends. Having close workplace relations can help decrease monotony and prevent burnout. It can help ease the tension of an unfulfilling job, boost your job performance, or simply get you through a tough day by getting friends to talk and laugh with during the day.

• In this article about planning a career shift, take the following steps. Even if it's a fantasy that you can't act on at present, getting a plan for the future someday (for example, when the economy picks up, the children have grown up, or when you've retired) can make you feel energized and optimistic, and better able to cope with current problems. It will make you feel motivated simply by sending out resumes and networking. Also, when there is no time pressure, making a career shift can seem much more attainable and you break down the process into smaller, manageable steps.

Discovering new possibilities

The first step is to think carefully about what really drives you, whether you're embarking on your first job out of school or looking to make a career change. Particularly in today's economy, you could find it difficult to get past thinking about "what pays the most" or "what is most secure."

But the reality is, in ensuring that they remain satisfied at work, most workers rate job satisfaction above pay. So, it's important to concentrate on your primary interests and passions unless you're in a position where you have to take the first available job to make ends meet. This will open doors to careers that you might not have taken into account. You can start fine tuning your quest for the correct profession once you have the base. You can be shocked at how you would blend into a new career with your passions.

Overcoming obstacles to career fulfillment

Considering a big shift in your life is always daunting, and there might be many reasons why you don't think changing careers is feasible. With tips on how to conquer them, here are some common obstacles:

• It's too much hassle for careers to change. Where will I ever start? Changing careers requires a significant expenditure of time. Mind, though, that it does not occur all at once. It's a lot more manageable than you think if you sit down and plot out a rough plan of attack, breaking down larger tasks into smaller ones. And it is worth it if the payoff is a happier, more fulfilling career.

• To change occupations, I'm too old. Where I am, I need to linger. You may feel like you have invested too much time and effort into your career to change midstream if you have worked for a number of years. Or you may be worried about the benefits of retirement and health. The longer you've played, though, the more likely you are to have talents that can transition to a new profession. You should start saving now for a career transition after retirement, even if you are close to earning a pension or other benefits.

• In order to consider a new profession, I do not have enough skills. You may be unaware of the talents you have or you may be driven to underestimate your marketability by low self-esteem. Either way, you've definitely got more talent than you thought. Consider skills that you have learned not only from your career, but also from hobbies, volunteering, or other experiences in life. And it is not an all-or-nothing proposition to acquire skills. For example, without leaving your current employment, you can volunteer once a week or take a night class to move forward.

• I'm fortunate in this economy to have a career. I don't want the boat to shake. It may feel like too much danger in today's climate to consider changing careers. However, if you're dissatisfied with your current job, you can only benefit from exploring other opportunities in the long run. For instance, you could find a career with a more secure, long-term outlook than your present career. And once you are sure in your new career direction, you do not have to leave your current employment.

What if I’ve already lost my job?

It can be incredibly difficult to be unemployed or underemployed. The pressure to fulfill mortgage payments, rent, and other financial obligations will increase. You may feel guilty of not working, or feel like, both at home and at work, the loss of your career has robbed you of your identity. This is particularly true if you have worked for a very long time in the same field.

Unemployment may also, however, have a positive side. It provides you with the ability to focus on your career path. Now is the time to study the choices to see what could be the best match for you if you've been considering a new area. You may end up in a far better position than if you had held your job initially.