5 Ways to Find Purpose & Meaning in Your Career

Now more than ever, people are looking for greater career fulfillment.? “Midlife marketers” experiencing the ‘Great Gloom’ may hold themselves back from growth opportunities and silence their opinions when they don’t have purpose and meaning in their work.

According to the Forbes article, What We Want From Work Is Changing — For The Better , “People are taking a harder look at what they truly want out of work. This means going beyond the standard stuff such as interesting work, nice colleagues, good pay, and working for a company that isn't overtly evil. Now, people are also looking at what energizes them, what they find motivating, and their impact on the wider world.”

Lindsay Kohler continues, “What this means is that people are more focused on why they're choosing to do certain things or why they are focused on certain careers. There's more intent. To some extent, there may even be a feeling that "life is too short to deal with things that no longer serve us."”

When I haven’t felt passionate about the work I was doing, I would just “put my head down” and remain silent in meetings.? I didn’t reach out for advancement opportunities because I couldn’t envision myself becoming my boss someday and felt emotionally disconnected from my work.

Life is too short not to love your career!

Finding the purpose and meaning in your career is the key to overall fulfillment and happiness.? We spend more time working than doing anything else and life is too short not to love your career!? After connecting with my values, strengths, and passions, I have found my “calling” paying it forward to help marketers who want to thrive in a career they love. Here are five ways to infuse purpose and meaning into your own career.

1. Reflect on Your Journey: Take a moment to reflect on your career path. What accomplishments are you most proud of? What challenges have shaped you? By acknowledging your achievements and learning experiences, you can identify patterns that will guide you towards areas that align with your values and passions.
2. Identify Core Values: Define your core values. What principles drive your decisions and actions? Understanding your values serves as a compass, guiding you towards opportunities that resonate with your personal beliefs. It also helps you align your work with a sense of purpose beyond mere professional success.
3. Embrace Continuous Learning: The marketing landscape is dynamic, and staying relevant requires a commitment to continuous learning. Consider acquiring new skills, exploring emerging trends, and embracing challenges. This not only keeps you competitive but also adds a layer of excitement to your daily tasks, fostering a deeper sense of purpose.
4. Mentorship and Collaboration: Share your wealth of experience with the younger generation and seek mentorship in return. Establishing meaningful connections with colleagues fosters a collaborative environment, making your work more enjoyable and purposeful. Mentorship creates a legacy as you contribute to the growth of others in the field.
5. Seek Meaningful Projects: Direct your expertise towards projects that align with your values and passions. Engaging in work that makes a positive impact on society or aligns with a cause you believe in can amplify the sense of purpose derived from your career.

Finding purpose and meaning in your marketing career involves introspection, learning, and a commitment to aligning your work with your values, strengths and passions. Embrace the journey, celebrate your accomplishments, and continue evolving to create a fulfilling and purpose-driven professional life!

Marni's Top 10 Favorite Marketing Jobs

Please check my LinkedIn profile activity daily for all of the job listings I share on an ongoing basis.

Amgen, Marketing Senior Manager, Media - Inflammation

Auntie Anne's, Vice President, Marketing

Fluxx, Vice President, Marketing

GEICO, Marketing Director, Brand and Creative

Goodway Group, Senior Director, Client Experience - Retail Media

Intuitive, Executive Creative Director

Kellanova, Senior Marketing Manager

Major League Soccer, Director, Digital Marketing

The J.M. Smucker Co., Manager, Brand Commercialization

Zillow, Senior Director, Product for Agent AI

About this Newsletter

As mentioned in Forbes , “A midlife crisis is defined as a period of emotional turmoil in middle age, around 40 to 60 years old, characterized by a strong desire for change.”? However, marketers begin their midlife crisis much earlier.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the average age of a US marketing/advertising manager is 39.0, compared to 46.7 for all managerial roles.

While the marketing industry has responded to issues of gender, race, and sexual harassment, there continues to be no movement against ageism.? This issue has been swept under the rug, but it is very real.

When I was laid off from my job in advertising in my 30s, it was a dark and scary time.? I had no idea what was next for me and needed to figure out a way to reinvent myself.? I remember all of the people in my network who went out of their way to help me and those who let my emails go into “cyberspace”.? That experience made me realize how important it is to “pay it forward” to help other “midlife marketers” figure out what’s next in their career journey.? Life is too short to stay in a job that doesn’t align with your core values and connect to something greater than yourself.

This bi-weekly newsletter for “midlife marketers” (from new managers to senior leaders) has easy-to-read tips and actionable advice on ways to design your own career path, take your career to the next level and how to master the art of networking.? This newsletter will leverage my insights to help you navigate your career journey. Each issue will also include a curated list of job opportunities shared from my network of 6,400+ marketers.

• Find your ideal career: Discover ways to find your dream career that aligns with your values, strengths and passions.? Learn how to manage career transitions and leverage your transferable skills to design the life you want.
• The art of networking: Learn how to build and maintain authentic relationships over time to find hidden job opportunities.
• Hot career topics: including designing a portfolio career, setting boundaries, dealing with ageism, imposter syndrome, self-care during transition, and more!
• Curated list of my favorite marketing job opportunities

Marni is passionate about paying it forward to help marketers who want to thrive in a career they love. Marni is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a Certified Career and Executive Coach from New York University (NYU), and a Certified Group Coach from Group Coaching HQ (ICF Certified Program) with 25+ years of corporate marketing leadership experience. Marni has an extensive background creating community, networking, training individuals and groups, developing individuals in a variety of high-performance roles, and facilitating discussions to help clients uncover their own insights, action plans and accountability. Marni is a super connector and will help you become one too.