You’ve heard it before. Love works unexpectedly. You can’t just go out and find love. It happens over time, at the moments you least expect love to happen, it happens. But what about when it comes to your job? Do the same rules apply? When it comes to finding a job that you love, is it really wise to sit back and wait for a job that you love to magically appear? Cupid will be the first to tell you – and we’ll second – that when it comes to finding love, especially a job that you love, sitting back and waiting will only make you wait – and you know you don’t have time for that. The real keys to finding a job that you love, one that can truly have you feeling lovestruck at times, require you to TAKE ACTION!
How? Start today with these Four Keys:
KEY #1 – UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES YOU. Understanding what motivates you is important because once you know, it is easier to understand how these drivers fit with the roles or the companies you are looking at. Not to mention, how they fit with the job you have today! Still, while it’s true that everyone is motivated by different things at the workplace, few take the time to truly understand what their motivators are. This will suffice for the short term, but can eventually lead to boredom, frustration, and finding yourself distracted at work asking, the #1 most-Googled career question of 2018 in the US, “how to quit a job.” So, how do you begin to understand what motivates you in your job? It’s simple, really. All you have to do is ask – yourself that is. And take time to sit and consider your answers.
To begin, here are a few motivators to consider:
Personal relationships. Look for a job that allows you to engage with people directly. Because you value relationships, knowing that others value their relationship with you too, can make the difference between, #lovemyjob and hate it. So, don’t be afraid to take extra time throughout the interview process to observe how your potential new team interacts with each other. Do they value their relationships with each other? Are they respectful? Engaging? Open and emotionally flexible? Walk the office halls and listen for conversation tone, and overall “vibe of good intention”.
Goals and challenges. Be sure to stay on the lookout for where this exists in a potential new role and be quick to make note of them in your current position. Find a job you love by evaluating the complexities in the role – problems to solve, team structure, even the marketplace itself may suffice. Do they leave you feeling fired up and wanting more? This may be the one for you!
Leadership. Feel energized when making key decisions and directing overall team activity in your job? You may find it easier to love your job when it is focused on leadership responsibilities. Still, if you find yourself in a subordinate role, encouraging your manager to provide you a sense of autonomy and ownership over your projects may be all it takes to keep that loving feeling alive.
Sense of Mission. This can be one of the trickiest to identify. So be sure to do some digging during your introspection! You might start by asking yourself how important it is for you to feel like you are helping others or making the world a better place by doing your job. Did you answer, yes, to either of these? A sense of mission is at the top of your love-your-job meter. Happily, this is something you can find in your job easily. All you have to do is look. To take your sense of mission to the next level, initiating a special project or community outreach effort company-wide, is a great way to start.
Creativity. Do you love varied responsibilities that require a wide range of skill and aptitude? These are signs that you are motivated by freedom to be creative. You may recognize that you are bored with day-to-day repetitive processes but shine as bright as a thousand lights during strategy and brainstorming sessions. Consider roles that provide variety and freedom of exploration. Current role leaving you feeling less than inspired? Seek ways to bring more creativity into your workflow. If not day-to-day, perhaps with a special initiative or project, manager approved.
KEY #2 – ASSESS YOUR SKILLS. Once you’ve identified what drives you to go to work every day, it is time to evaluate your skills. This is a combination of technical and non-technical skills. Technical being made up of the technologies and technical tools you bring experience in, such as coding languages, databases, and industry-specific software – and non-technical being everything else from interpersonal skills, to project management, analysis, reporting, presenting, writing, calculations, and the like. For love-at-first-sight, it is critical to know that your skills align with a job’s key requirements BEFORE you apply for the job – and to be continually evaluating how your skills align with your current role. Adding and improving your skills along the way is a great way to keep the love for your job alive.
KEY #3 – START YOUR SEARCH! You’ve done your soul searching and know your skills. No it’s time to look for that first date. Easier said than done, we know. Here are some pointers to help you get started:
Use job boards to search for roles that match your key skills, prior work experience, and – yep, most important – your key motivation.
Speak with recruiters working for the companies and on the roles you find interesting. Share your motivation. Communicate your top skills and your prior work experience. Most recruiters will appreciate your hard work and transparency and use the information to help point you to the teams, roles, and hiring managers that make the best sense for you.
Research throughout the hiring process. Check LinkedIn to see if there are company employees you already know and ask them for insight to help you determine if it truly is the one for you. Review the company’s and hiring manager’s social media profiles to gather more impressions. This is a great way to help answer questions about company culture, organizational structure and your likelihood of success or opportunities for advancement too!
Key #4 – PUT IT ALL TOGETHER! We’ve all been there. You bring your date home, or out with your BFFs for the first time and… ugh… it’s all too easy to get caught between what other people think is best for you and what you really KNOW is best for you, based on your motivations, and what it is you want to accomplish in a job that you love. In the end, of course, it’s your choice what career you want to pursue and what job you decide to take. By keeping these Four Keys in mind, the better are your chances that you’ll find a job you love – and the better your chances of creating a career that continually leaves you feeling lovestruck!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Check out our careers page to see if you can find your perfect job. If you would like more information about how our Quardev Recruiting team can assist you in your career search, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email works best. contact@quardev.com.
