How to Figure out Your Career Purpose
Are you envious when you hear people talk about their purpose? Do you think to yourself, how do they know their career purpose when I do not even know what I want to make for dinner this evening? While some people may know their purpose early, the vast majority of people do not. You may be mid-career and still do not have a clear picture of your career purpose. That’s okay. It is not too late to figure it out.
When it comes to one’s career, having a career with purpose and being able to articulate it to employers is powerful. As a recruiter, if someone was specific about what they wanted to do with passion in their voice, it immediately got my attention. I could tell when people knew their career purpose and why my open position was the right fit for their interests and skills. There was a clarity and confidence that was not there with other candidates. Even if they were not the most qualified for the position, I, as well as my hiring managers, often walked away from interviews knowing this person was the best fit for the job. I can say, over the years, I was rarely proved wrong.
So how can you find your purpose? If you say you don’t have one - I don’t believe you. Everyone has one. Some find it more difficult than others to discover it, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have one. It will take a bit of work, but I promise it will be worth it. It will provide career direction and help you with all your job search marketing materials. When you are doing work that you feel matches your purpose, you will be happier at work. You also will be happier in life.
Finding Your Purpose
So how do you find your career purpose? Here are some steps to take that will help you. Find a quiet place to think. This may be during a long walk or run, sitting on your back porch with a glass of wine or beer, or even taking a hot bath or shower. The important thing is to be relaxed and in a place where you will not be disturbed.
Step 1: Think About Good Memories
When have you been the happiest? When have you said to yourself nothing gets better than this?
When did you feel that everything was “clicking” for you?
Examples could be from work but don’t have to be. It could also be from school, volunteering, your relationships with others, or even working on hobbies.
Step 2: Evaluation of Memories
For each memory you have from step one, ask yourself:
What was happening at that time? What was the situation? What was my environment?
What were you doing (or not doing)?
What were the specific emotions you recall feeling?
Step 3: Comparison of Memories
Are there any commonalities in these memories? As an example, was it with similar types of people (such as children or artists)? Were these similar types of situations?
Do you see any common themes to these memories such as teaching, organizing, etc? Write them down.
Visualize Your Ideal Job
Now that you have an idea of the type of situations and activities that made you the happiest think about the perfect job or jobs that would incorporate these situations or activities. This does not have to be a real job - your ideal job can be anything.
As an example, one of your memories might be of taking your nephew out fishing for the first time. You remember the feeling of opening up a new world to your nephew and showing him different types of fish, different fishing lures, and how to read the currents. A perfect job might be working as a guide at an aquarium where you would be teaching children about different aquatic ecosystems.
Don’t limit yourself by saying you could never do that job because (fill in the blank). Open your mind to what would excite you and make you happy to do every day.
What Skills Do You Use With Your Ideal Job?
Thinking through your ideal job or jobs, they should all be multi-faceted. You should be using several different skills in these jobs. Go through an inventory of the skills used with each of these jobs. There should be some overlap. Write down all the skills that come to you. How many times do you have the same skill on your list? Are these all skills that you like to do or not? Mark the skills that you like to do.
In the example, the skills one might use as an aquarium guide may be the following:
Motivational
Patient
Intuitive
Sense of Humor
Self-Motivated
Willing to Learn New Things
Problem Solver
Storyteller
Creative
Flexible
Good Communication Skills
Physical Stamina
If you are having difficulty determining your strong skills, you can also use a tool called StrengthFinder, which offers 34 different themes to discover one’s natural talents.
https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253715/34-cliftonstrengths-themes.aspx
What Impact Do You Want To Have At Work?
Think through your memories and your ideal jobs, and ponder your impact on others. Most people find it important to have some type of positive impact associated with all the time they put into their work. What do you want to be known for among your bosses or peers? What do you stand for?
In the example above, the impact could be to inspire others or to be a teacher. It could also be known as a builder of community or someone with a sense of curiosity. How do you want to impact the world?
This Exercise Is Worth The Time
No one said this would be easy, and I would not advise trying to go through this exercise in just 30 minutes. You may have to dig deep to remove the expectations that others have placed on you and discover the true you. If you went through these steps, you should have an idea of your calling or purpose - what you want to do and the skills that will make you successful. This does not need to be a grandiose purpose, like solving world peace or curing cancer. Your purpose can be providing excellent customer service in a restaurant through your love of food and your team-building skills or building homes through your mechanical acumen and attention to detail.
If you were hiring for an aquarium guide, and you had five candidates for the job, but one could tell you with conviction and clarity why she wants this job and what skills and knowledge she brings to the role, which one would you likely pick?
Recently, I went through this exercise to figure out my career purpose. I had been in Human Resources for years, and while I enjoyed my work and was good at it, it was nagging at me that I wasn’t sure that it was my purpose. After some deep reflection and going through the steps highlighted here, I realized that my career purpose is to help people navigate the recruitment process to find work they love to do. People that hear me talk about career coaching or read my advice on the subject have told me that they can feel my passion.
Whatever your career purpose might be, when you know it and can speak to it with enthusiasm and clarity, you can sell your abilities more effectively to an employer. If you do not know your career purpose, find your quiet place, and start thinking about those pleasant memories.
If you found this blog post helpful, share it with anyone who is trying to figure out their career purpose.
You can also find additional information on this topic in my blog post Knowing Your Why.