Wanted: Purpose in Job

"Working hard for something we don`t believe in, is called stress. Working hard for something we love, is called passion." Simon Sinek

We have tackled purpose before and because it is so damn important, we are taking a deeper look this week into finding purpose at work and how to find a job which aligns to your purpose. Purpose is like a fingerprint - everyone has their own. It can mean very different things for different people which means you need to think long and hard about what it is that motivates you - before you jump to the next company or job. And remember purpose is not static and can change as you navigate your career. I (Canuck Kate) remember being much more focused on myself and how I was succeeding in relation to my goals and ambitions in my earlier years which was kind of my purpose whereas now I am much more motivated by the impact my work has on improving other people`s lives and making people feel valued. Purpose evolves like our life over time.

And thanks to a former member of Canuck Kate’s team for this great question -and please do ask us other things on your mind.

Dear Kates,

I am a Millennial and have been working for about five years and am really struggling to find purpose both in my current and previous jobs. I am now starting up my job search again but don’t want to make the same mistake again. How do I find a workplace with the right culture that matches mine?

Thanks

Seeking Purpose from Jevnaker

Dear Seeking Purpose.

 The concept of “finding purpose at work” has become increasingly “en vogue” during the last 10 years – with work influencers like Simon Sinek (quoted above whom Canuck Kate workships) stating outright that it`s a right and not a privilege. Purpose has always been around but it seems to be driving many more younger workers to move more fairly often and also not settle for second best. Settling is no longer on the menu folks!

Before sending off an application or sitting across the screen for an interview, the first thing you need to do is to think about what is motivating you to do this and what have you learnt (both positive and negative) from where you are now. A friend once told me – think about where you want to be in five years` time and then think about which next role will help you to get there. Other sage advice includes pondering your why! Why do you get up in the morning, which role or company gave you the greatest happiness or what is it about the role that motivated you most – is it the process of ideation, the execution or the relationships you build around you? This kind of thinking will help you get through the noise and figure out what brings out the best of you. Honestly anyone can do these exercises of whether you are job searching or not and we would suggest you involve friends and family in order to get a more impartial and realistic perspective.

 It is important to remember that purpose means different things to different people. For some, it can mean contributing to a better world, for others it could be about job and economic security, whereas some just want to become experts in their fields. None of these bear more weight or value than others – but to identify your true purpose you need to have a long look within yourself to find out what drives you.

One easy way to start this reflective process is to list out activities and experiences in work and personal life which gave you a lot of energy – and see what they have in common. Often these can start to give you an indication about what you consider energizing and motivating. And there is no one solution to this – the more aspects you find, the wider the job search can be. A good tip – which job or company did you enjoy the most and why? The answer may surprise you.

 Once you have an idea of what your purpose might be, the next question is how to find the job that connects to it. There of course there are the obvious purpose players – for example if you want to be part of solving climate change, then looking at companies and organisations involved in clean energy, recycling, green policy etc are all good places to start! But it also doesn’t have to be so obvious – what working within sustainability within consumer goods or a chemical company, that could be a fantastic challenge where you really can make change! You may also want to focus on a specific element of your purpose in the next job – perhaps it’s about creating a better customer experience. Why not find a company in a completely different industry that is known for its customer excellence so you can learn from their successes and also be in a company that truly values the customer?

 Two Tips From Us:

• Reality check: It isn’t always easy to connect your ideal job with your ideal purpose and find it out in the market. Sometimes we have to be adaptable and flex to fit with the market and what`s possible.
•  Think Inside Out: We all try to deliver on what we promise but we know that there can be a difference between what a company says – and what they actually do. This is expectation management 101 and many people can tell you examples of when they thought something would be one way in the interview but then on their first day, it didn’t live up to the dream.

How to avoid this frustrating situation where everyone loses out? Do your homework beforehand. Spend time upfront researching which companies you are interested in working for and try to understand what the widest definition of their purpose is means for you. Research information that doesn’t sit on their homepage – go to Glassdoor to hear from employees, read how their employees engage on Linkedin, follow the CEO, get a google news alert, connect with employees and follow them on other channels. Be a detective and find out as much as you can and then utilize that information during the interview. This will enable you to dig much deeper into the culture of the company, but it also makes you look like a pretty well informed and engaged job applicant!

Come prepared with questions about the things that matter to you –ask if you can speak to some of the people who will be your peers in the company as they might have a more honest and open perspective to share with you and ask the interviewees why they work there?

 Finding the right job is not a quick fix and in all honesty, there is no perfect job (if you disagree please tell us) as there will always be things that frustrate us but the key is being engaged, motivated and proud of where you work and what you do. If you have those three things – you pretty much have the whole package.

 And some final job search tips from an industry expert (Canuck Kate):

1. Update your Linkedin profile with your “Why” (your headline) and also reflect it in your summary section. Tell people what matters to you and how it connects to the work you do.
2. Consider thought leadership to channel your purpose to express your distinct point of view which will not only help to brand you within your specific interest area but also get you on the radar of your potential dream job or build your network
3. Try not to leave a job when you are at the lowest point because we tend to make poor decisions when we just want to get away from a frustrating job. The best time to leave a job is when you have truly reached the ceiling of growth and development in your role and there is nowhere for you to go. Trust us - the grass is not greener on the other side and these situations can be emotional and sway our better judgement so we instead end up somewhere that isn`t there but also isn’t much better. Take your time finding your next role especially if you have had a bad experience so you don’t make the same mistake again.
4. If you can`t pinpoint your purpose, don`t fret my pet. It`s taken years to really figure out what kind of job would allow me to channel my creativity, global mindset, and competitive spirit into the right role, company and culture. For many years, my favourite all time job that I had had was as a lifeguard at my summer pool in Montreal (even when I had already started working in the corporate world so don`t tell anyone ok?) Why? Because of the people I worked with, the fun we had together, and the fact that I got to combine my favourite activity in the world with it – swimming! So find the clues hidden in our experiences (banal or not) that will help you identify your purpose and connect it to the right role.