A New Way of Thinking About Career Satisfaction Ditch the Passion Obsession

A New Way of Thinking About Career Satisfaction Ditch the Passion Obsession A New Way of Thinking About Career Satisfaction Ditch the Passion Obsession 1People often hear the advice that choosing a career in line with one’s passion is the best way to ensure career satisfaction. This mode of thought has indeed helped many job seekers land rewarding positions, from parlaying a lifelong obsession with fashion into becoming a designer to realizing all those happy hours spent experimenting in your kitchen could be taken to the next level as a professional chef. But not everyone who thoughtfully ponders passions arrives at answers to career dilemmas. Even after trying techniques such as examining childhood interests, thinking about current hobbies, and evaluating what others praise them for, many people do not have an “aha” moment- and they feel frustrated. Instead of stressing about finding one’s passion, might a better idea be shifting that energy elsewhere, at least for now? Here’s a look at promoting career contentment using alternate strategies:   Focus on the company rather than the position. As this Forbes article notes, pinpointing the type of business for which you’d like to work may be easier than defining the work you’d like to do. Maybe you’re invigorated by the hustle of startups or would be proud to contribute at a nonprofit with a cause close to your heart. Employment at such a place can be rewarding in and of itself, but you’ll also get a firsthand glimpse of the various roles within the organization. One of those might turn out to be your dream job. Pay attention to the people element. Those around us oftentimes play a vital role in our happiness. Spend some time thinking about interactions you’d find pleasant, inspiring, or meaningful. “I find the first area to explore in careers is to ask what types of people you want 360 degrees around you. Not just bosses, peers, subordinates, but also the people you serve such as customers and clients and even the people you rely on such as vendors or outside professionals,” says Duncan Mathison, co-author of Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough. “The people issue can make or break career happiness. Do you like them? Do you admire them? Do you care about them, or their problems or issues?” Don’t discount baby steps. Rather than assume a be-all-end-all job exists, try taking action towards improvement rather than perfection. “Think in terms of shaping your career through a process of less and more. Seek career steps that have less of what you dont like and more of what you do like. Sometimes this can be done within your current job, department, or organization. Other times it requires a bigger move,” Mathison says. Keep exploring. Why do so many children want to be teachers and policemen? Part of the reason is because those occupations are highly visible in their world. It’s difficult to envision yourself in a job you don’t even know exists. Apply this reasoning to your own quest for career satisfaction. Browse job postings just to see what’s out there. Take classes to gain exposure to new ideas and advance your skills. Ask people you meet what they do and how they got into their field. Become a curious, life-long learner for its own sake- and along the way, you might bump into answers about what you truly want to do. Find a job that fits your lifestyle   Browse Open Flexible Jobs