4 Steps to Finding Purpose and Meaning at Work

Some of us know what career path we want to take from a young age. Others think we know, only to find ourselves in uncharted territory. Detours can appear at any time in our professional journey, causing us to reassess our goals. When that happens, we should embrace the unknown — or not completely known, said Dr. Jenn Hawkins, the Peace Corps’ Senior Adviser on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, during her NextGen virtual training summit keynote address, “Finding Purpose and Meaning: How Different Roles Can Guide Your Career.”

“It can be challenging to find your footing and to make it make sense,” especially at the outset of your career, Hawkins said. “It would be much easier if we just had a crystal ball and knew exactly where we were.”

That’s especially true in today’s delivery-centric environment of DoorDash and Amazon Prime. “We have become obsessed with notifications and tracking,” she said. “We want to see everything as it’s happening, we want to be assured that progress is being made, and we want to select, confirm and know the exact destination.”

Although there is no GPS for careers, there are four steps you can take for guidance.

First, understand that there is no right direction, Hawkins said. “Whatever direction you’re going in is the right direction,” she said, adding that she built her career by discovering different interests and building on them as she went.

Second, build your CPS, or career positioning system. It has three main components:

• Mentors. “Your career positioning system is the most beneficial when built on a foundation of strong mentors,” Hawkins said. “Mentors can bring opportunities to your attention [and] mentors can help you avoid some of the pitfalls they fell into.”
• Work ethic. “The layer that powers your CPS is your work ethic. That is your engine. That is your driving force because people are watching and observing and not in a creepy way, but with an eye towards futureproofing and sustainability-planning,” Hawkins said. “Work ethic is what brings you top of mind for hiring managers and those who can refer you for other roles.”
• An open mind. “Your career positioning system may take you on a bit of a journey, the scenic route, if you will, but each stop along the way will unlock another level of understanding, another level of knowledge so that you can take with you that information and apply it to addressing new challenges that are yet unforeseen,” Hawkins said. “Be open to the possibility of learning, of experiencing, of receiving an unexpected gift from taking on something that will stretch you [and] take you outside of your comfort zone.”

Third, build connective tissue by discovering patterns in your path — the projects you gravitate toward that help you develop and strengthen skills. That way, when a hiring manager sees experience that may seem all over the map on your resume, you can articulate how they connect and led you to the current point.

“Don’t shy away from experiences because you think it won’t fit into your neat little cookie-cutter view of where you think you want to be,” Hawkins said. “You want to embrace the exploratory part of the journey because 15, 20, 25 years in, you will be so appreciative. You will thank your younger self for being brave enough to step out there and give it a shot.”

Fourth, use discernment, the ability to smartly judge opportunities and experiences. “As you go on your journey, your ability to discern valuable experiences will get better and stronger. You’ll know the red flags when you see them. You’ll know what absolutely you don’t like and don’t find edifying,” Hawkins said. “As time goes on, you’ll be more discerning about the opportunities that are presented to you, and what is and isn’t for you.”

Even with these four tenets, the road is long and winding, and you will find that you need to take advantage of rest stops at times, she said: “You have to keep some gas in your tank for yourself, for your family, for your friends — those things that build you up and refill your tank.” In those moments, be honest with yourself about how you’re performing at work.

“We get energy-depleted when we’re doing something we don’t really want to do,” Hawkins said. “Embrace the journey, and that will lead you to purpose and meaning.”

For more information about the NextGen sessions and speakers, click here.

On-demand recordings are available here.

Photo by Yanuka Deneth on Unsplash