Top 5 tips for finding a job you love

Finding a job you love matters for any full-time employee working 40+ hours a week. Whether you work in an office with colleagues or remote from home with your dog at your side, the job you have and its company culture can’t help but play a huge role in your quality of life.

While a job is ultimately a way to earn money, it can also be much more than that. Your work should be fulfilling and challenging. It can be something that you love doing and excites you. After all, by the end of your life, you will have spent nearly 90,000 hours at work. This makes it incredibly important to find a job that is a really good fit for you.

As you look to make a career move or change organizations, use the following top five tips for finding a job you will love.

1. Look at What’s Made You Happy So Far

Too often, people fall into a career path without considering whether or not it is what they truly want to do. Whether you have been working in your current role for years, or you are just beginning your search for the right career path, it’s important to understand what will keep you engaged and interested.

A great place to start is by using a personal assessment tool. These assessments can help you learn more about your strengths, weaknesses, and the roles in an organization that are a good fit for you. If you constantly struggle with specific aspects of your job, it could be an overall misalignment between your personality and your role.

You can also get a good idea of what jobs will be right for you by creating a list of things that have made you happy in the past. For example, what themes stick out when you look back over all your past responsibilities? Did you love doing organizational tasks? Do you like working with people, or did you enjoy working on projects alone?

Creating a list of what you have enjoyed in the past is an easily achievable step to seeing the bigger picture and making career decisions based on it.

Plus, this can help you decide whether you should make a lateral or upward move in your career. Or if it would be best to consider further investing in your education. 

2. Do Your Research 

It’s easy to be wooed by a flashy job description or be sold on the perceived perks of a new role. Before you jump headlong into a new job, do your research about the company and the claims they’re making.

Start with searching for reviews of the business online. For most established companies, you can find reviews from previous employees and customers. These will provide a rounded look at how well the business treats people.

If you already have connections at the organization, ask current or previous employees you know about their personal experience with the company. While everyone will experience a situation differently, if you see that most customers and employees loved the company, or hated it, you can gain a fairly good understanding of what to expect.

3. Bring Questions to the Table

Before you go to an interview, prepare your own set of questions. This is your time to gain insights into the organization and try to glean information about your potential manager.

Questions you might ask include:

• What is the work/life balance like here?
• What are your expectations for this role?
• What does a successful (Insert job title) look like to you?
• How do you help your employees grow?
• How would you describe the culture here?
• Why is this position open?

Asking questions during the interview process will give you more information about the company and role, with the added bonus of making you look well-prepared.

4. Pay Attention to the Benefits and Culture

Your job should provide you with more than just a paycheck. As you compare different positions, pay attention to what benefits are offered and what the company culture looks like.

For benefits, you want to ensure that your basic needs will be covered. What is their health insurance policy? Do they offer 401k matching? Will they contribute to an HSA? How many days of vacation and paid sick time do they provide? Do they offer flexible scheduling? Would you be allowed to work from home?

Beyond just the numbers, consider the company’s culture and feel. In many cases, the type of culture you encounter at work will play a large role in whether you are happy there. Look for a culture that is a good match for your personality type and career ambitions.

For example, if you value autonomy and career advancement opportunities, look for an organization where you can take on projects, work independently, and that has a demonstrated history of internal growth. Conversely, if you are passionate about building relationships with your coworkers, seek out an organization that promotes company-wide events for networking and team-building.

5. Pick a Place That Aligns with Your Values

Finally, nothing will lead to burnout quite as quickly as working somewhere where your values are misaligned. Before you apply to a new job role, take the time to vet whether the organization has the same values as you do.

For example, if you value a diverse workplace focused on sustainability and innovation, find a business that shares these same values. If you work somewhere that doesn’t share your values, you will constantly feel that you are not being true to yourself. Being happy at work isn’t just about enjoying the job you are doing, but it is also about being able to bring your whole self to work every day. When your values align with your employer’s values, you’ll find yourself motivated to do your best. This will also make it easier to meet like-minded individuals on your job, leading to fulfilling relationships and team camaraderie.

In most cases, businesses will advertise their core values online. You can also ask about values during initial interviews. Take note as well whether you see those values at play in the organization’s work. If the company claims they value sustainability, what actions are they taking to prove their commitment to this value? Take the time to research before you accept a job to ensure that you’ll be in alignment with the work you are being asked to do when you arrive.

While there is perhaps no such thing as a perfect job, we should at least strive to love what we do. Whether you are currently unhappy in your role, or are thinking of expanding your horizons to bring a new challenge into your life, look for a job you will love doing. And remember, it is never too late to make a change.