Finding Purpose and Joy in WorkFinding Purpose and Joy in Work In today’s competitive job market, it’s crucial to find a fulfilling job that aligns with your values and aspirations. However, the path to finding such a job can be challenging, and it’s easy to become discouraged. Professor Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, a renowned organizational behavior expert, offers valuable insights into finding purpose and joy in your career. Continuous Reflection Firstly, it’s essential to engage in continuous self-reflection. Take time to consider your interests, skills, and values. What aspects of work are most meaningful to you? What kind of work environment do you thrive in? By understanding your own preferences, you can narrow down your job search and identify roles that align with your goals. An Interesting Paradox Recent surveys have revealed an intriguing paradox: job satisfaction is high, while work engagement is low. This suggests that many employees are content with their jobs but feel less engaged. Tosti-Kharas believes this may be due to the pandemic, which forced people to reprioritize their lives and set boundaries around their work. Have Patience It’s important to remember that finding a fulfilling job can take time. Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t yet discovered your passion. Many people stumble into their careers by accident or through a process of trial and error. Embrace the journey and use each opportunity to learn more about yourself and your interests. Find the Positives Not every job has a higher purpose or calling, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fulfilling. Identify the positive aspects of your job, such as relationships with coworkers, travel opportunities, flexible schedules, or a comfortable salary. These factors can contribute to your overall well-being and make your work experience more enjoyable. More than a Fulfilling Job Remember that work is only one part of your life. Consider the bigger picture: are you living a fulfilling life overall? Some people find their passion outside of work, such as in hobbies, volunteering, or spending time with loved ones. The key is to find activities that bring you joy and meaning, regardless of where they occur. In conclusion, finding a fulfilling job requires self-awareness, patience, and a willingness to explore. By engaging in continuous reflection, being open to opportunities, and recognizing the positives in your work, you can create a career that aligns with your values and enriches your life.
During his famous Stanford University graduation speech, a speech that has been viewed millions of times on YouTube, the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs told graduates to find work they love.
“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you love doing,” he said, “and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
That’s a nice thought, but things in life are often not that simple.
Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, a professor of organizational behavior at Babson, focuses her research on career development and the meaning people derive from their jobs. She has been interested in the nature of work since reading Richard Scarry’s enduring children’s book, What do people do all day?
Now Tosti-Kharas has co-authored her own book about work, Is your work worth it? and it attempts to answer that question in all its nuances and complexity. “The book does not pretend to offer easy answers,” says the Camilla Latino Spinelli Endowed Term Chair. “What we want in our lives is very complicated and changing.”
Everyone wants to work in a fulfilling job, but what “fulfilling” means is different for everyone. In an interview with Babson Thought & Action, Tosti-Kharas shares her thoughts on how people can find purpose and joy in their careers and what that can mean for a fulfilling life.
Continuous reflection
Professor Jennifer Tosti-Kharas’ research focuses on career development and the meaning people derive from their jobs.
Let’s start with an obvious statement: you can’t find a satisfying job if you don’t first think about what you want from your work.
During the turmoil of the pandemic, many people seemed to take inventory of their lives. Something similar happened after the attacks of September 11, 2001. “They made people naturally say, ‘What am I doing with my life?’ We saw people quit their jobs and not have another job lined up,” Tosti-Kharas says. “Crises bring home that time is limited and I need to examine my choices more closely.”
Such an evaluation of one’s life and career, however, should not be a rare occurrence that comes from historical events. It should be ongoing. “What if we could get people to think about this without there being a crisis?” says Tosti-Kharas. “Shouldn’t we be more conscious about the work we do and choose to stay in it?”
An interesting paradox
When you think about what a fulfilling job might look like, you might assume it’s a role that engages and inspires employees. Recent survey data, however, casts doubt on that assumption. Tosti-Kharas says job satisfaction is at an all-time high, while work engagement is at an all-time low.
These results are something to puzzle over. Becoming more engaged in a job requires more energy, time, and time away from family, and perhaps people have decided not to do that. Could the pandemic have caused them to reprioritize their lives and set boundaries around their jobs? And if so, what does optimal engagement look like?
“It’s a really interesting pattern of survey results,” Tosti-Kharas says. “We don’t really know what it means. What does it mean to be more satisfied with less engagement?”
Some jobs—clergy, therapists, doctors—can add a lot of meaning to a person’s life, but they can also be over-involved. People in these jobs may feel like they can never say no to people who need help. “Over-involvement can affect a life,” Tosti-Kharas says. “If work is a calling, there can be a downside.”
Have patience
Tosti-Kharas sometimes hears from students who wonder if they are not finding a passion or purpose for their career. She tells them not to worry.
Yes, there are people who have known for a long time that they want to be a teacher or a nurse, for example. Others, on the other hand, take a more winding path to discover what they want to do with their lives. “There are people who fall into it by accident,” she says. “They let their career unfold and realize, ‘I love this.’”
So, don’t pressure yourself to have it all figured out. Instead, take a job and learn what you like and don’t like about it. “The best thing you can do is trial and error,” says Tosti-Kharas. “Start doing something. Take action. Get work experience.”
Find the positives
Not every job can have a higher purpose or calling, and that’s okay. “We’re definitely not saying that everyone should have a calling,” Tosti-Kharas says. “We try to get people to ask, ‘Why am I working? What am I trying to get out of my work? Is what I’m getting out of my work contributing positively to my life?’”
The positives you get from a job can take many forms. Maybe those positives involve spending time with friendly coworkers, or traveling, or a flexible schedule, or rewarding responsibilities, or, yes, a nice paycheck.
“We try to get people to ask, ‘Why do I work? What am I trying to get out of my work? Is what I get out of my work contributing positively to my life?’”
Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Professor of Organizational Behavior and the Camilla Latino Spinelli Endowed Term Chair
Whether a job is meaningful ultimately depends on one person: you.
Think about cleaners in a hospital. They may see their work as a drudgery, or they may see it as contributing to the institution’s mission of caring for patients. What matters is their perspective. “It’s very individual,” Tosti-Kharas says. “It’s very subjective.”
More than a fulfilling job
Remember that work can be a big part of life, but it is only one part. Instead of asking if you have a fulfilling job, maybe you should ask another, much bigger question: Am I living a fulfilling life?
Some people are defined by their job, but others find their passion elsewhere. For example, some consider fly fishing their calling and choose to spend their salary and free time supporting it.
“People make those choices. A calling doesn’t have to exist only at work,” Tosti-Kharas says. “What matters in the end is a meaningful life.”
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