Crafting Your Ideal Career: Steps to Personal Fulfillment
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The Pursuit of Professional Satisfaction
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." — Steve Jobs
Renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, "Life isn't about finding yourself; life is about creating yourself." This notion is particularly relevant in our quest for professional satisfaction. In today's world, typical career paths often feel congested or misaligned with our core values. Hence, the idea of constructing your dream job rather than merely searching for it becomes not only attractive but essential.
The definition of work is continually shifting; it's crucial to understand that the roles we adopt in our careers are largely shaped by societal expectations and norms. This understanding reveals a harsh truth: many people struggle to find their rightful place in the job market not due to a lack of ambition or skills, but because conventional roles fail to capture their unique talents and perspectives.
I can relate to this feeling, as I've often faced the pressures of conforming to societal constructs of work, which sometimes erode my sense of identity and self-worth. Many of us grapple with these issues, feeling tied to traditional job frameworks that may not reflect our individual identities and aspirations. As job hunting has evolved into a digital landscape dominated by platforms like LinkedIn, the disconnect between personal potential and available opportunities is increasingly evident, exposing systemic flaws rather than personal failings.
By sharing my experiences, I hope to highlight why conventional job searches can feel like forcing a square peg into a round hole. This dissonance can lead to disillusionment and a deep sense of dissatisfaction. I frequently find myself feeling out of place in the workplace, where I might find temporary relief in a stimulating project, only to yearn for a more expansive environment to truly thrive. It leaves me questioning: Is this truly my path?
These are conversations many shy away from, fearing they may be seen as unconventional or unrealistic. However, by recognizing that current job roles are merely constructs created by our environment, we can begin to break free from the limitations of traditional career paths. This awareness allows us to forge new routes, cultivating a job market that genuinely embraces the diversity of our skills and creativity.
The Illusion of the Perfect Job
For generations, people have been advised to choose a career from a predetermined selection, work hard, and ascend the proverbial ladder. Yet, the digital age has exposed the shortcomings of this mindset, revealing a world rich with possibilities yet stifled by outdated conventions. The reality is that your ideal job may not yet exist. While this realization can be daunting, it also presents an exciting challenge: if your dream role is absent, do you have the courage to create it? This is where many of us feel challenged.
You are not alone in this struggle. I have previously discussed this topic in relation to my upbringing in the Caribbean, where individuals often juggle multiple jobs, showcasing a variety of creative skills. It's common to see a teacher also managing a market stall or a nurse taking on roles as a seamstress or baker. This reflects a time when necessity required a self-sufficient and sustainable way of living, where creativity was expressed through various forms of work.
In contrast, many Western cultures have moved towards deep specialization and a singular job culture. Unfortunately, when these roles become automated, they can strip away parts of our identities that we may never reclaim. What can we do about this? Many will argue that after a 9-to-5 job, there is nothing left to give — and therein lies both the problem and the challenge that we must address.
My Journey: Carving My Own Path
Let's be honest: fitting in has never been my strong suit. At nine years old, following my parents' divorce, I moved in with an aunt in the Dutch Caribbean, where I faced the challenge of adjusting to a new culture and language. The teasing from classmates forced me to develop resilience. When I returned to my home island, I was again met with the challenge of feeling out of place due to my "foreign" accent. I had hoped the work environment would offer a change, but that was not the case.
Throughout my career, I often felt like a misfit, resisting outdated processes and questioning the status quo. I was frequently the one asking, "Why are we doing this?" However, I learned, often the hard way, that relentless questioning can be exhausting for both myself and those around me.
A pivotal moment arrived in 2010 when I realized that rather than trying to reform an unyielding system, it was time for me to forge my own path. My background as a member of the diaspora connects me deeply to both political and agricultural roots. This duality brought me back to my family's farm in the Caribbean while I worked at Research in Motion in Canada, managing a team of about 27 designers and design researchers.
My visits home became transformative experiences, particularly when I noticed an alarming number of discarded phones littering the landscape of our farm. One especially poignant moment was seeing a broken phone polluting the river where I had once played as a child. This sight served as a wake-up call.
When I returned to work, I was determined to lead change within my design team, advocating for more sustainable practices. However, my attempts were met with resistance, and I was derisively labeled the "granola designer," a term meant to marginalize my efforts and depict me as out of touch with the fast-paced tech world.
This dismissal was difficult to accept, but life had another twist — I became pregnant. The impending arrival of my child prompted me to take a step back and reflect. Maternity leave provided a valuable opportunity for introspection, allowing me to reassess my career, values, and the impact I wanted to make.
I realized that my role was not to fit into an existing mold or force change within a system that wasn't ready. Instead, my journey was about creating a space where my beliefs, skills, and the need for change could converge into something meaningful.
This marked the beginning of my endeavor to build a career that aligned with my ideals while addressing the urgent need for sustainability in technology and beyond. I share not only my story but also the lessons I learned and the steps I took toward establishing a career that was uniquely mine — one that had not previously existed but was sorely needed. It's a testament to the notion that the most fulfilling path may not be the one laid out for us but the one we create ourselves.
It was during this time that I conceptualized the framework for my well-regarded book, "User Experience in the Age of Sustainability," which focuses on developing sustainable products. Although it hasn't made me wealthy, it has allowed me to build a lasting legacy.
While I continued to work within this space, I recognized that it was not my ultimate calling. I felt the spirit of a design activist but also had the responsibility of providing for my family. I could no longer be involved in creating "stuff," particularly electronics, which posed challenges for countries like mine that struggle with waste management.
Moreover, this issue is compounded globally, especially in places like the Congo, where materials for electronics, such as cobalt, are sourced under deplorable conditions. This realization prompted me to reconsider my participation in the tech industry and its implications for global sustainability and ethical labor practices.
As I toiled on my ancestral land, the stark contrasts between technological advancement and environmental stewardship became increasingly evident. This prompted a shift in my perspective, urging me to align my professional pursuits with my values of conservation and social responsibility.
This journey of reflection has led me to advocate for sustainable practices and ethical sourcing in technology, striving to create a more equitable approach to innovation that respects both the planet and its inhabitants. I find myself operating on the fringes of traditional work, a space I refer to as "boundary work."
Boundary Work: Redefining Career Development
Originally a term from social sciences, boundary work refers to how individuals or groups establish distinctions between themselves and others. In career development, boundary work involves defining the limits of existing job roles and industry standards to create individualized spaces. It’s about recognizing that the contours of your dream job extend beyond current boundaries and understanding that you have the power to redefine them.
Imagine a professional landscape where your identity is not constrained by existing job titles or industry norms but rather reflects your unique skills, passions, and values. This is the essence of boundary work: crafting a role that suits you, rather than forcing yourself into a predefined position. Now you might wonder, how do I embark on this journey? While I cannot provide specifics tailored to individual interests, here are some general steps to help you get started.
6 Steps to Crafting Your Dream Job
Creating your ideal job is an expedition that demands introspection, innovation, and initiative. Here are several guiding steps to help you begin this journey. This reflective process may not yield immediate results but will develop over time as you consider and plan according to your specific needs. While I did not follow a strict methodology, here’s how I approached it organically:
Self-reflection
Understand your core values, strengths, and passions. What activities energize you? What causes resonate with you? Where do you excel without feeling like you’re “working”?
For me, this clarity emerged when I witnessed the impact of my first-world job (manufacturing phones) on my so-called third-world home (generating unmanageable waste). This presented a unique opportunity tailored to my circumstances.
Market research
Identify gaps in the market that align with your interests and skills. Where do your unique capabilities meet a specific need?
In my case, I found a significant lack of literature on sustainability in design. While I discovered Janine Benyus's book on Biomimicry, I found nothing addressing the development of an end-to-end user experience with environmental respect at its core. So, I wrote it, and today it is the most cited textbook on the subject, with a new edition on the horizon.
Networking & mentorship
Connect with professionals who have forged their own paths. Seek advice, insights, and support from those who have navigated similar journeys.
I naturally attracted like-minded individuals and received invitations to speak at various events. This work is a form of activism, so expect challenges along the way. Remember to stay the course and uplift others through mentorship.
Skill development
Equip yourself with the necessary tools for your dream role, whether through formal education, self-directed learning, or practical experience.
As I embraced my identity as a Sustainability UX advocate, I explored broader, recognized research on sustainability. I acknowledged that while my personal experiences were valid, I needed to engage with others using the specialized language of the field.
Prototyping
Start small with projects or freelance work to test your ideas in the real world. This approach can yield valuable feedback and refine your vision.
My method of "prototyping" involved giving short talks and participating in panels. For you, it may take a different form. However, having a mechanism for learning, adjusting, and relaunching is an excellent way to test your ideas.
Persistence
Remember, creating something new is rarely straightforward. Embrace failure as part of the learning process and persist through challenges.
It’s easier said than done, but your ideas hold value, and you must persist in expressing them. After all, if you don't advocate for your own voice, who will?
The journey toward creating your dream job is deeply personal and often fraught with uncertainty. Yet, it is also a path filled with the potential for profound satisfaction and impact. By engaging in the work of redefining what a career can be, you position yourself as the architect of your own destiny. Ultimately, the most fulfilling job is one that you help design — a role that reflects your values, ignites your passions, and utilizes your distinctive talents. In the pursuit of professional satisfaction, sometimes the most rewarding job is not the one you find but the one you create.
The first video titled "Find True Happiness in Life with These 5 Proven Tips" emphasizes actionable strategies for cultivating happiness and fulfillment in your life.
The second video, "You Don't Find Happiness, You Create It" by Katarina Blom at TEDxGöteborg, explores the empowering concept that happiness is not something to be discovered but something to be actively created through our choices and actions.
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About me: Hello, my name is Kem-Laurin, and I am one half of the co-founding team of Human Tech Futures. We are dedicated to helping our clients confidently navigate the future! Innovation and transformation are at the heart of our mission, and we adopt a human-focused approach at every stage.
We understand that the future can be unpredictable and challenging, which is why we offer tailored engagement packages to meet the unique needs of both individuals and organizations. Whether you are an individual seeking to embrace change, a business aiming to stay ahead of the curve, or an organization eager to shape a better future, we are here to support you.