It's Time To Face Reality About Finding A Meaningful Job

It's no secret that the more engaged an employee is at work, the more productive and happy that person is.

What is new is that people are leaving jobs - "good" jobs that pay well and are more or less stable - for jobs they find more engaging and meaningful.

People want to feel something positive about the work they do and the company they work for, not just collect a paycheck.

Maybe you can relate.

But with more than half of people actively searching for a new job, it would seem that leaving a job for something more meaningful would be rote. Simple.

It's not.

Finding Work You Love Still Feels Like A Dream

As a career coach working with midlife professionals and executives who want more meaningful work, I've had plenty of discussions with people struggling with the tension between what they want, and what they believe is reality.

While they want to do work that they feel matches their strengths, passions and interests, do something that at the end of the day means something, and do it all for a company they can feel proud to work for, they feel it's too much to ask.

How can they expect to find a job like that, especially making the money they're making now, with the work/life balance perks they've earned, or with the easy commute they've got?

It feels like they're asking too much, and so they fool themselves into thinking that finding work they love is as pie-in-the-sky as they believe.

The Reality Of Work You Love

If you stay on top of career trends, you'll realize that smart companies know that top talent is demanding work they love. Talent is leaving companies they don't want to work for, and leaving when the work doesn't fit who they are and what they want to do.

Jobs-for-life are dead, and people who quit their jobs in search of better ones make more money than people who stay put, because no one wants people filling jobs, but the right people filling jobs.

Employees and employers alike are realizing that it is only through employee engagement that true business growth and innovation happens, and that engagement happens when people have jobs they are passionate about.

If you're an employee feeling stagnant in a job, know that you too have the freedom to look for a job that is a better match for you. You will be happier and more successful because of it.

Here's the bottom line: The reality of finding work you love is that it's a reality.

Jessica Sweet is a career coach and licensed therapist who helps 40 and 50-something professional, executive and C-level career people find or design work they want to be doing and make a rock solid plan for doing it. Her work has been featured in publications like CNBC, Business Insider, and Forbes, and she’s a member of Forbes Coaches Council. Jessica's services include 1:1 career coaching and self-study guides. You can find out more about her at www.wishingwellcoach.com