Work Should Make Your Life Better… Is it Time for a Change?

How did the new year start for you? Did you return to work with a spring in your step, feeling rested and ready to kick some serious goals? Or did the sheer thought of going back make you want to crawl into bed and never get out?

While it’s a bit of a cliché, the start of a new year can be a great time to reflect on your current job or career direction. Especially after the stress of recent years, doing more of the meaningful and less of the mundane appears to be a strong focus for many people right now.

But how exactly do you find a job or career that’s ‘meaningful’ to you? The answer is different for everyone, and usually depends a lot on what’s happening in your life outside of work.

Over the years, I have spoken to and advised hundreds of people like yourself about the next step in their career. Here are 5 simple questions you can ask to uncover what meaningful actually means to you…

1. Think back over your career. What type of work or activities did you enjoy most?

While happiness is fleeting, there is no doubt a common theme between activities you really enjoy and those you can’t stand.

Even if you hate your current role, chances are you’ve had a lot of good moments over the months or years. Think back to the times when you felt successful, accomplished, or like you had really made a difference. What were you doing and who with? What was the outcome?

It will help to write down your answers so you can look at them holistically when you finish.

2. What are your top 3 priorities right now?

What you want out of your job changes throughout your life. A 20-year old just entering the workforce is likely to want very different things to a new parent in their 30s with an established career.

Your priorities could include:

• Workplace culture
• Type or variety of work
• More or less responsibility
• Learning and development opportunities
• Progression
• Flexibility
• Money
• Location

Knowing your priorities will help you determine what your ‘bumpers’ are. If you imagine a 10-pin bowling lane, your career can go any which way you throw the ball. But you will have restrictions based on what’s happening in your life – such as a need to earn more money, have work from home flexibility, or log off at 5pm. These restrictions define how far the bumpers come in and what types of roles will suit you.

Once you know your priorities, it’s a good idea to pressure test them. Ask: would I take a role that gave me all of my first priority and none of second or third? Or a role where I could tick off my second and third priorities but not my first?

3. What is the common thread in the work you’ve done over the years?

There are some people who flit from job to job, without any rhyme or reason. However, I’ve found that those who are high performers will always have a common thread tying their career together.

The thread may be very obvious – such as accounting, finance, or education – or it may be more subtle. For example, the common thread in my career is a love for service-based industries. I began in the fitness industry before moving into private education. When I found myself at a cross roads, recruitment fit the bill. I enjoy making a positive impact in people’s lives, and this has always been a key driver for me.

4. Where are you in 3 years if you get everything you want?

In a report by the Foundation for Young Australians, data suggests that today’s young people will end up having a “portfolio career” with potentially 17 different jobs across 5 careers in their lifetime.

Currently, the most common age for a career change is said to be 39 years old; coinciding with a feeling that their career has stagnated and they’re ready for a change.

I work with a number of EL2s who feel their career progression has stalled and want to move to a Band 1. It’s important for me to help them work out if they really do want a role at that level – and all the responsibility it entails – or if they are simply in need of a change.

It’s worth keeping in mind that a complete career pivot usually comes at a price. I initially took a 50% pay cut when I moved from education to recruitment, but I knew it would be worth it in the long run. To make a career change you need to be humble, financially prepped, and often willing to take a big step backwards before you can move forwards.

5. If you could write your ideal job description, what would it say?

We all want a job description that would see us sipping cocktails or coronas on the beach every day. Yet I’m sure it wouldn’t be long before we were bored, sunburned, hungover and ready for a new adventure.

With this in mind, have a go writing your ideal job description including:

• Where you work
• Who you work for
• What type of work you’re doing
• What the perks are

This can help to open your mind to possibilities you secretly desire but hadn’t entertained before.

Meaning matters

While my career coaching discussions with candidates go much deeper than the above, this sample set of questions will absolutely set you on the right track.

Finding meaning in your career is really important, and worth all the time and effort it takes.

As a final suggestion, no matter where you are in your career – never stop learning. Learning and earning go hand in hand, and mastering new skills can provide a lot of meaning in itself.

Be it a new role, a new career, or new skills that open up new opportunities, see if 2023 can become your most meaningful year yet.