It is a fact that the average person will spend approximately 30% of their life working. This is an enormous amount of your time dedicated to a career and as a result, your job should be something that provides a degree of satisfaction. Most people will have had the experience of waking up on a Monday morning and dreading going to work. This can happen occasionally to the best of us but if you find that this is a regular thought, it may be the case that you are not in your ideal career. Your job should ideally be something that offers fulfilment and a sense of purpose that drives you through your working week. In this article, there is a discussion of the main ways in which you can ensure that your career gives you satisfaction and fulfilment.
Understand What Drives You
A key point in knowing what career will give you satisfaction is to understand your drives and desires. For example, if you enjoy helping people and are a sociable person with a caring nature, you may find that the healthcare industry provides you with your ideal vocation. There is an enormous range of patient-facing roles in this sector that give you the potential to help people in their time of need and play an instrumental role in their care when they are recovering from injury or illness. Conversely, if you are an introverted person who has a passion for IT and enjoys a job where you can have influence away from more social roles, you may find that there are a variety of suitable roles in sectors where you can analyse data, set up computer networks, or write reports that drive improvements. In short, your personality and values will drive a lot of decisions over the type of work that you will find enjoyable.
Get Qualifications
It is a fact that having high-level qualifications in your chosen sphere of work goes hand in hand with improved salaries and career opportunities. Many high-paying jobs require advanced qualifications such as university degrees or master’s qualifications. Being highly qualified is a key way to advance your career and it can allow you to specialize in a field that resonates with your value system. For example, if you are enthusiastic about healthcare and decide that you want to train as a nurse to play a frontline role in a hospital, you will need a degree in nursing. If you already have a degree but in an unrelated field, you could consider undertaking a second degree bachelor’s nursing degree. This would offer an accelerated route into nursing with the course taking approximately fifteen months to complete. Most professions that pay well tend to require enhanced levels of education. Academic life may not be for everyone and, indeed, money is not everything, however, a high level of qualifications will open doors to a successful career in a field you can tailor to your skills and values.
Set Regular Goals in Work
It can be easy to get into a habit of doing your daily tasks at work to a high standard, but it can be harder to regularly plan in career goals and keep in mind how you want to advance. It is well worth taking the time to understand where you are in your career at present and where you want to be in the near future. If you undertake the same role with the same duties for several years, you may find that you are no longer being stretched intellectually. In this situation, work can become quite monotonous. As a result, it makes sense to plan your opportunities for progression or changing roles to keep your working world fresh and interesting. Aim to look for promotion opportunities every few years so you can celebrate the success and feeling of achievement that comes with advancing in your career. In short, new working opportunities can refresh your career.
Consider Being Your Own Boss
It is an interesting statistic that one in five people hate their boss and think they would do a better job of managing work. Having a poor relationship with your boss can have a massively detrimental effect on how much you enjoy your working world. If this sounds familiar and you like the idea of being your own boss, then it may be a fantastic opportunity to start your own business. If you have high levels of business acumen and are prepared to work exceptionally hard, then you may find that running your own business makes for a highly fulfilling career. Overseeing the direction of your business and knowing that you are instrumental in the success of your venture can be an extremely rewarding feeling and successful businesses can make their owners significant incomes that can outstrip those offered by many employers.
In Conclusion
Career fulfilment can be achieved by knowing what you want from your working world, ensuring that you have suitable qualifications to get your ideal role, and setting regular career goals to drive advancement. It is also worth considering running your own business if this sounds appealing, to create a career that offers fulfilment.