1. CAREER
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CAREER
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64
August – October 2016
65
Do you feel a sense of fulfilment from your job? What drives you? How do you
find your purpose in life? We ask experts and business leaders for their advice.
How to find a job yo u love
The two most
important days
in your life are
the day you
were born and
the day you
find out why
U n d e r s t a n d
your ‘why’– your
passions and what
drives you. Then
clarify what you
want, what your ideal role looks like
and the type of company you want
to work for. Define your personal
brandandtakemeasurestoamplify
it, look at how others do this and
adopt it in your own authentic way.
Take risks, say yes to the things
that scare you, you might surprise
yourself. Never underestimate the
powerofyournetwork,whenyou’ve
done something great, share it and
have an open mind-set. Do the
same for others, it’ll come back to
you tenfold.
Jennifer Candee, head of global
talent acquisition, SABMiller plc
Does your job
representtheperson
you are today and
contribute to the
person you want to
become? We can all be ‘founders’
of our work happiness but it starts
with identifying how you want work
to shape you as a person.
A coach once asked me to do an
audit of what I loved, what types
of work made me ecstatic, what
zapped my energy, where did I feel
inmyflow,whichcompaniesIhated/
loved working in and why. People
in career transitions should also do
this to highlight their patterns, the
pivots they could have made and
what held them back.
Samantha Clarke, happiness
consultant and faculty member
at The School of Life
Finding a job you love isn’t easy, but
finding a job you love is important.
Don’t be afraid to make drastic
changes to help you achieve that
goal. Having intended to be an
engineer, switching to insurance,
now running a tech start-up, I’ve
learntit’sOKtoadmitthatwhatyou
once enjoyed isn’t right anymore.
Surroundyourselfwithenthusiastic
and diverse people. Enthusiasm
bringsmoreenthusiasmanddiversity
helps generate different and better
ideas.Ienjoycreatingaculturewhere
employees are encouraged to try
new things and see the results of
their own actions rather than being
locked into a hierarchy.
Alastair
Douglas, CEO,
TotallyMoney.
com
Find what motivates you. It could be maximising your
earning potential, working abroad or working on diverse
projects. The experience you gain throughout your career
may reveal that you value things you wouldn’t have guessed you would.
Don’t feel compelled to stick to your original plan if you realise your
priorities have changed. It’s also crucial to consider the role you do
as important as the kind of company you work for. While working for
large ‘big name’ companies may have great appeal, many professionals
find the dynamic environment of an SME can suit them better where
they have a less defined role.
Sally Martin, director, Robert Walters
Focus on what you enjoy and don’t enjoy about what
you are doing now. A good test is what I call the ‘battery-
dynamo’ question. If on a Friday afternoon after work you
feel drained, the job has been taking energy out of you and
not putting any back – you have been running on a battery.
If on the other hand you feel you want to keep going, the job has
been giving you back the energy you expend – you have been running
on a dynamo. Look for dynamo jobs. You’ll not only enjoy them more,
you’ll be better at them too.
Stephen Bungay, director, Ashridge Strategic Management Centre
The two most important days in your life are the
day you were born and the day you find out why.
The latter is the day you discover your purpose
– your reason for existence. If you can uncover
this (this is not easy and usually requires skilful
guidance from someone who knows how to uncover purpose)
you can then find a job that has purpose and meaning for
you personally. If you know what sort of job aligns with your
purpose, then you will love what you do. Good luck.
AlanWatkins,neuroscientistandCEOofCompleteCoherence
On the days that you bounce out of bed into
the office or leave work late but with a real
sense of achievement – what did you do that
day to make you feel the way you do? Taking
time out to think about this can help build a
clearer picture of what makes you feel fulfilled
at work and can be useful when looking for a
new role you will love. Remember it might not
alwaysbewhatyouaregood
atthatmakesyoufeelgreat.
Clare Thornton, partner,
Frazer Jones
Don’t be afraid to tell a
potential employer how
much you really want the
job, nothing is as flattering
or positive in an interview. This doesn’t just
apply to junior levels – I once placed a CEO
who wrote to me saying it was his ‘dream
job’. Align the culture of any future employer
with your own values and personality.
There’s no point in picking a very traditional
and slow culture if you are a lively, informal
person who thrives on relationships. You’ll
feel like a fish out of water and that doesn’t
lead to top performance.
James Ryding, head of talent
acquisition, easyJet
You need to know
what you love,
what you are good
at, and broadly
speaking where
the opportunities are. This helps
define the potential space for a job
that you love. Then you need to find
aspecificopportunityinthatspace.
Exposure and confidence make
thedifferencehere.Youneedtoput
yourself in the way of opportunity
– broaden your experience, explore
new ideas, meet new people.
And then, when you find the
right thing, have the confidence
§and commitment to jump in with
both feet.
Claudia Harris, CEO, The
Careers & Enterprise Company
What do you love doing and what
job do you feel passionate about?
Frequently, people are unable to
answer these questions. First, look
to your personal strengths. By this
I mean what tasks do you excel at
AND enjoy AND that are energising
AND come naturally to you.
When people are aware of their
strengths,theycanbegintolookfor
jobs that will allow them to apply
their strengths more frequently,
whichwillresultinthembeingmore
productive, having greater love for
their job and being happier. This
is what I’ve done and
I’m flourishing!
Dan Collinson,
director, Positive
Psychology Learning
| Sarah Clark