In our culture, our chosen career field can define us. When meeting new people, one of the first questions we tend to ask is what they do for a living. Even as children, adults love to quiz us about what we want to be when we grow up.
With all this questioning, choosing the right career path can feel like a lot of pressure. Knowing where to start when choosing a career or how to change careers can be overwhelming.
How do you decide which passion to follow? How should you prioritize financial goals and work-life balance in job fulfillment? Considering these factors can help you choose a career field where you feel satisfied and confident.
Career and fulfillment: how does your job impact your well-being?
A standard full-time job takes up a lot of time. That time should be spent doing something that brings enjoyment.
If you’re dissatisfied with your career, you could be spending much of your time unhappy. If you lack fulfillment, it may be time for a career change.
Career fulfillment has a profound impact on emotional well-being. Create a life you don’t feel a need to escape from. A fulfilling career can lead to happiness and a sense of purpose in your work. To enjoy life, try to spend it loving what you do.
Employee satisfaction
What does employee satisfaction look like currently? According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report, global workplace stress levels are at an all-time high.
The report states nearly 60% of employees feel disengaged at work, and over half are seeking another job opportunity. If you’re unhappy with your current career, you’re far from alone.
What brings career fulfillment? In a survey by Ciphr, 67% of respondents said work-life balance is the most important aspect of a job. This was followed by pay and benefits, then job security.
Choosing your career field: passion and potential
Your ideal career is likely a combination of your strengths and passions. At that intersection lies something you can offer the world. To choose your career field, begin by figuring out what you’re good at and where your passion lies.
Using passion as a guiding light
Find your passion and use it to fuel personal growth. As much as you may enjoy a job and its employee benefits, you may end up bored at work without passion.
A career you’re passionate about will likely incorporate your interests or personal values. Working at a nonprofit could be promising if you are passionate about helping people. Perhaps your passion is books, and you’d like a career in publishing. Or maybe you want to help others decorate their homes with a job focused on interior design.
Self-assessing
When self-assessing, look inward at your strengths and weaknesses. Examine your hard skills and soft skills and how these traits would fit a given career field.
Remember, too, that jobs for introverts and jobs for extroverts can be quite different. Knowing yourself and understanding your personality are important for finding your career path.
You’ll also want to think about your credentials. Do you have a high school education or a master’s degree? What fields are you qualified to enter? Self-assessment will help you align your career path with what you have to offer.
Self-reflecting
Self-reflection questions can help you discover your purpose and personal values. Think about what truly matters to you.
Do you care about job security and potential for career growth? Or are loving what you do and working with a good team your priorities?
Ask yourself some questions to reflect, such as:
- What is missing from my life currently?
- Does my job allow me to show authenticity at work?
- What do I want to share with the world?
- How can I make an impact?
- What am I proud of?
- Which events have shaped my life the most?
- How well do I handle pressure?
- Where do I see myself in 10 years?
- How do I want people to remember me?
- What motivates me?
Replacing self-doubt with confidence
Remember that many people struggle with feeling secure and competent. Overcoming self-doubt isn’t easy, but it's necessary when taking the risk of starting a new career.
Try using positive affirmations for imposter syndrome to address self-doubt. With time and practice, you can build confidence in yourself and your skills. Remind yourself that you’re worthy of adding to the list of your greatest accomplishments and can succeed with hard work.
Keeping an open mind
Each career has a learning pathway that takes time to unfold. It can help to remember that career pathing is meant to be a guide, not an exact map. Keep an open mind about your career. You can shift direction anytime.
A good way to try a new career is by taking an internship or entry-level salary position. Getting experience in a job can help you decide how you might feel about a career field.
Remember that as you navigate your path, everything may not go according to plan. You might find you aren’t as happy in a particular role as you thought. Or you may not progress as quickly as expected. Figure out what’s working and what isn’t, and be open to adjusting accordingly.
Aligning financial security with fulfillment
Financial wellness is necessary for living a comfortable life. Sometimes, that involves making difficult choices about potential career fields. When evaluating possible paths, consider how you want to balance career fulfillment with financial security.
Finding fulfillment across income levels
Making a pros and cons list for various jobs can help you make a decision. You may want to spend your working hours feeling like you’re doing what you’re meant to do. But you likely also want to make a decent living.
Starting a new career may mean learning how to budget for a lower salary. Define for yourself the acceptable balance between career fulfillment and income.
Would you take a job that makes you slightly less happy for more income? Or would you be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for going to work happy? Remember to assess your financial needs for creating happiness as well as your emotional ones.
5 common career fields
Though there are many individual jobs to choose from, most fit into five major fields: technology, healthcare, human services, business, and marketing.
Technology
Tech jobs are perfect for people who have analytical and logical minds. If you love understanding how things operate, you might thrive in tech.
Job opportunities in information technology are abundant. Technology continues to advance and reliance upon it continues to increase, thus the world needs more tech-savvy employees than ever before. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 32% growth in cybersecurity and information security jobs from 2022 to 2032.
This makes cybersecurity, information security, and computer science great career pathways. Choosing to be a web developer or software developer will open you up to many opportunities, including those for remote jobs.
Healthcare
If you have a nurturing essence or are passionate about wellness, consider going into healthcare. The best careers in healthcare are expected to have solid futures. Even as technology use increases in this field, nurse practitioners and doctors will stay in demand.
Remember that healthcare doesn’t only mean working with people and committing to long school programs. Medical coding or becoming a nutrition coach are ideal for those not wanting to be directly involved with caregiving. Healthcare also includes working with animals as a vet or vet tech.
Human services
Career options for human services include social services like being a social worker or counselor. Personal care services, coaching, childcare workers, and rehabilitation workers also fall under this umbrella. Human services is a solid career path for those who care about helping others.
These jobs are incredibly rewarding and contribute to the greater good, but they can be emotionally taxing. Be aware of empathy and compassion fatigue in the human services career field.
Business
Are you good at money management and have strong organizational abilities? Do you excel at leadership and problem-solving and feel solid in your communication skills? If so, you might thrive in a business career.
Employees in business have a vast range of possible job options. Consider pursuing a sales manager position or becoming a research analyst for budgeting or sales performance. If you want a more people-oriented position, human resources is a good option. For a job search in business administration, a business degree can help but may not be necessary.
Marketing and public relations
Public relations and marketing involve understanding how people think. For example, a public relations specialist must predict what will make a person or company look good in the eyes of others. If this mix of psychology and creativity sounds interesting to you, look into careers in the marketing sector.
From advertising specialists to digital marketing, the field is quite broad. Public relations and media jobs rely on people with excellent problem-solving strategies and marketing skills.
Seeking career guidance and support
Not sure which direction to go? Career exploration sometimes calls for the help of a professional. Career coaching or working with a career advisor can help you explore your career interests.
If you went to a college or university, your school may also have career programs. Use them to find purpose after college and discover your career path.
If you want to start a new career path, an internship can be a great option. Internships provide experience to make a resume stand out. They also teach the necessary basics for entering a chosen field.
Finding fulfillment outside of work
Finding fulfillment at work is important, but it’s not everything. A healthy work-life balance involves having a meaningful life outside of your career.
Exploring hobbies to do after work will keep your life full. You could take up artistic activities like pottery, painting, or crocheting. Physical hobbies like roller skating, dancing, and hiking are also solid options. The important thing is to find something that brings you joy, whether reading a book or taking a karate class.
Fulfillment also comes from having interpersonal relationships outside of work, even if you already have good work relationships. Joining clubs or organizations can help you expand your circle and stay socially connected.
Exploring volunteer work
Not every career is built on passion, and that’s okay. You can always explore your passions without relying on them for a paycheck.
If you want to feel like you’re making a difference and your job isn’t satisfying that need, consider volunteer work. Whether you have a passion for animals or fighting gender inequality, there are volunteer opportunities for you. Volunteering is a great way to find meaning in life and connect with others.
Prioritize inner peace over ambition
Feeling secure in your career and life purpose is important for fulfillment. But accomplishing everything you’ve wanted in your career won’t necessarily bring true happiness. Remember that the big picture of your overall satisfaction matters most.
Ask yourself if you’re content with life or worried only about finding happiness in your job. Focusing solely on your career can lead to work addiction.
Your overall happiness is as important as career development. Even if your career doesn’t align with your life goals, you have other things to be grateful for. Prioritizing inner peace over ambition can help you keep the big picture in focus.
Embracing entrepreneurship
Your destiny may not be carved out in the form of a clear career path. Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset allows you to bring your unique ideas to life and create your own way.
Learn entrepreneurial skills to start a business or invest in one of your career interests. Work to develop a startup company or open your own shop. Through entrepreneurship, you can pave new career paths. The possibilities are endless.
Explore potential career fields with BetterUp coaches
Career planning can be stressful, but it’s much easier with guidance. BetterUp coaches can help you weigh all the options for choosing career fields that are right for you.
The self-awareness and clarity acquired through coaching sessions are valuable in your job search. Let us enhance your journey of self-discovery. Our powerful strength-finding tools and empowerment techniques can lead you to find your calling.
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