5 Career Tips for Finding Work Worth Doing

Posted on Mar 10, 2020 Topic : Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Tom Heetderks

Are you in college, just starting in the workforce, or simply trying to figure out what to do with your life? Just not sure where to turn? For starters, here are five career tips that I would suggest to anyone entering the workforce or confused about their place in this world.

Why tips? There are several hundred different occupations and literally billions of different jobs. Right now, you may have a very clear sense of what to do. On the other hand, even if you’re working, you may not have a clue. And if you don’t, you have plenty of company!

1.Trying to please others is a losing battle. You can’t please everyone—so don’t even try. Although you may naturally try to please others with your smaller decisions (“Should I buy this?” “Does this look good on me?”), you can have an absolute mess on your hands if you seek to please others with your bigger decisions like your college major or next job. Don’t let concerns about what others may think steer you down a different path. Though this appears an overly simple idea, it’s this rock-strewn spot where the majority of stumbles occur.

2. Take advantage of time. I know there’s pressure to solve this right away. But for many, it’s very likely that you won’t be what you’re planning to be. So slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the journey, knowing that you don’t have to figure out your next 40 years right now. And here’s why: Clarity in becoming what you were intended to be is most often a by-product of time and doing. Are you still feeling stuck? Lose the analysis paralysis and—drum roll please—welcome what comes next. Get a job, internship, or apprenticeship. And when you're there, though there’s no elegance in the hustle, be sure to hustle like you mean it. It’ll do wonders for your discernment!

3. Gain experience on the way to wherever you're going. Just can't figure it out? Have you heard the saying, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans”? Your daily experience is one of your best teachers. And when the “it’s not exactly what I’m looking for” job comes along, get ready to express your interest and apply. Then prepare to learn a few new skills, experience an honest day’s labor, and pay a few bills while you’re at it. As my mom says, “It’s a good idea to get a job since jobs earn money, which is kinda’ helpful when trying to pay the rent and buy some food.”

4. Stop chasing the myth of the perfect job. You don’t have to take any job, internship, or apprenticeship, but don’t wait for the perfect one either. Here are two just made-up but remarkably foolproof tips for searching for the perfect job: 1) Don’t; 2) Ditto. Along the way, you’ve probably had someone say to you, “Find a job you love to do, and you’ll never work a day of your life.” Though often repeated, it’s more than wrong—it’s completely unrealistic. If you have a job without hassles, plain and simple you don’t have a job. There is no perfect job!

5.And don't get discouraged when you don't find the "one right job." Also, while we’re at it, let me clear up another misconception: There’s no single right job out there for you either. Please don’t start a search for the one-and-only right job as if there’s only one per person. This doomed “surely this is the one!” thinking suggests that if someone is in the wrong job—or gets the one and only job that’s right for you—every other worker on our planet is impacted. You’ve been designed for a number of occupations with various pathways to follow—and several of them would be good things to do.

I would love to hear from you! I hope to encourage anyone who’s wondering about or struggling with work. I do my best to answer common work questions and connect the dots between our God, the worthiness of what you do, and who you are meant to be.

Please feel free to connect with me at WorkWorthDoingTH@gmail.com or on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/tomheetderks