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How To Find Career Purpose

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So, you want a job with more meaning. This is a common theme we're hearing right now, especially post-pandemic. The great resignation—you want a job with more meaning. But, how do you get one?


The truth is, school never taught us how to do this—to find a job with meaning—and most people don't have any techniques to figure that out.

But I do.

I've been doing this for 20 years, and I'm now going to teach you my signature technique, the tool that I have taught thousands of people to use to have one of the biggest aha moments of their life.

#1 Strategy To Find Career Purpose

@j.t.odonnell

##1 TIP ON HOW TO FIND A BETTER JOB ##jobsearch ##careeradvice ##careertok ##work ##joblife ##careers ##careertiktok

♬ Levitating - Dua Lipa

The best strategy to find career purpose starts with something called the interview bucket list. What you're going to do to build your interview bucket list is find 10 companies where you feel attracted to what they do, the products and services they provide, the customers, their value, their mission statement—whatever it is about them, you feel a positive emotional connection to that. And you need to be able to articulate that connection. You need to be able to say, "I'm putting this company on my list because this is how they make me feel. When I think about this company, I feel this positive energy."

Why do you need to create an interview bucket list to find career purpose? The answer lies with intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation Is Key

Man finds his career purpose and a job with meaning

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When you're born, you don't have intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is developed over the years as you have life experiences where you literally teach yourself what you like and don't like, what you're attracted to, and what you want to repel from.

And we're all different. Our intrinsic motivation is completely unique to us because no two people have had the same sets of experiences or interpreted them in the same way. So, that intrinsic motivation is the key to unlocking a career path that you would feel connected to, one with purpose, and it's going to be different for every person.

Now, you take these 10 companies, you look at why you're attracted to them, and I guarantee you're going to see patterns, maybe even several patterns. I've yet to find somebody who doesn't have patterns, and these patterns are going to be around your values, your beliefs, your hobbies, and your interests. Maybe you notice the companies you chose for your interview bucket list all involve working with kids, cooking, or a hobby of yours like fishing. Or maybe these companies are luxury brands, environmentally conscious, politically savvy, or zero waste.

There are a million directions this can go in, and there's no right or wrong answer. You are who you are. If you want to feel joy and connection to your work, if you want to finally find career purpose, you need to tap into your intrinsic motivation—and these patterns will reveal that.

What You Should Do Today

Happy employees working a job with meaning

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Once you've created your interview bucket list and found patterns that reveal your intrinsic motivation, you can (and should!) couple this strategy to find career purpose with taking the Career Decoder Quiz, a 20-question quiz that will unlock your professional strengths. You'll find out how you like to create value, which is what companies pay you for. You create value, whether you realize it or not. You do something that saves or makes companies.

So, after figuring what kinds of companies you should target in your job search based on your intrinsic motivation and the patterns you've identified, find companies in your local area, look at what types of positions they offer, and see if any would play to your professional strengths. For the first time in your life, you are going to have purpose with your work. It is an amazing technique, and I promise you it works.

If you're serious about finding career purpose and finally landing a job with meaning, sign up for a Work It Daily membership today!

When you sign up, you get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!

Here's a closer look at what we offer:

  • 15+ course library
  • Resume templates
  • Cover letter templates
  • LinkedIn profile optimization course
  • Attend live events for free
  • Access to our one-of-a-kind community
  • 1-on-1 private message career coaching
  • Unlimited resume, cover letter & LinkedIn reviews
  • 30 min. coaching call per month

Interested? Sign up for a 3-day FREE trial today!

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