Since Alex graduated from university three years ago, she’s held no less than four jobs. Each time she starts a new one, she thinks: this has to be it. This is the one for me; this is where I belong.
But as the novelty wears off, the role becomes more challenging, and her enthusiasm for it flags, Alex uproots herself once more and searches for a new opportunity.
In fact, she’s developed a habit of leaving jobs right before her formal review. Because she has dodged so many of them, she’s now terrified to sit through one, and her resume is starting to look far too flakey.
Alex is chasing something, but she doesn’t know what it is. She doesn’t feel like she has grown at all since graduating. She’s stuck.
Can you relate?
Have you been chasing enjoyment in a job, but find it’s all too fleeting?
Pleasure is fleeting
When you have a hedonistic attitude towards work, you’re missing out on something far more significant: career enrichment. No job can be intensely pleasurable forever, but you can certainly find fulfillment.
That’s why I suggest to the people I coach that they should seek enrichment, rather than pleasure.
How to find the most fulfilling career
I recommend using a simple model that has proved beneficial time and again for those wanting to discover an enriching career.
I call it strengths + love + importance + money (SLIM). This simple formula allows you to pinpoint your most fulfilling career at the intersection of these four key elements.
Firstly, you need to identify what you’re good at. Your strengths can be found by analysing your accomplishments and skills in all areas of life.
Secondly, you should identify what you love to do or your interests. I call this where you get lost.
Thirdly, look to the things that are most important to you, in terms of your values, inner motivations and the people or work culture you naturally fit with.
Finally, your career of choice must be financially-viable for it to satisfy your base-level needs.
Pinpoint a career at the intersection of these four components, and you’re winning.
For in-depth guidance on implementing the SLIM model in your career, please reach out to me directly, or look out for my upcoming book release: So You’re Career Confused! WTF is Next?
Keyword: most fulfilling career
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Greg Weiss is Australia’s leading career coach. He is the author of “So You Got The Job! WTF Is Next?”. The book prescribes a proven, practical 7-step guideline for new employees so they succeed, rather than fail their probation periods and beyond. Find out more about the book at https://www.wtfisnext.wtf He is the Founder and Director of Onboff an online training and coaching platform that helps HR specialists, coaches and recruiters to deliver exceptional onboarding and offboarding experiences for employees. He also hosts The Keep: The Employee Experience podcast and runs CareerSupport365.
