The Career Struggle is Real

“We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”

– Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Did you know that roughly half of Americans are dissatisfied with their job? If you’re keeping score at home, that’s approximately 75 million people that wake up thinking “this $&#% again?” There are various factors that go into it: not enough money, lack of growth, not enjoying the work, etc. That said, despite half of the workforce being unhappy with the way they spend nearly 25% of their adult life (a low estimate if you are forced to work extra hours or bring your work home with you), only 3% of people change jobs each year.

What gives?

It’s difficult to make a change. When you do change, what is it that you’re changing? Most of the time it’s the environment – the people, the location, your boss. Often you’re doing the same thing, just a slightly different way. Are you doing the right thing? How do you even know? 

The image above is the Japanese concept of Ikigai – which roughly translates into “a reason for being.” Most people think of their job as the intersection of what they are good at and what they can be paid for (“Profession”). Some people are lucky enough to be able to do what they’re good at and what they love (“Passion”). “Mission” and “Vocation” bring the idea of what the world needs into the equation. Figuring out what the word “needs” is a little tough to pin down, and probably involves a hefty dose of personal opinion. Does the world need more click-bait? Debatable – but I’m sure there are some people that produce it that believe they’re providing a necessary service. But I digress…

If you’re able to be paid for doing something that you love, that you’re good at, and that the world needs, then you’ve found something that will get you out of bed each morning with a smile on your face. 

But most people are lucky if they’re even overlapping two of the above items. Why is it so difficult?

If you were fortunate enough to have gone to college, you may have come across a career counselor there. Maybe you even used that person to figure out your major or what you wanted to do. Too few high schools offer anything similar – and if you’re already in the work force, you have to spend a lot of money for the same type of service. Sure there are some online resources, but where the heck do you start?

We’re aiming to change all that. The barriers to learning new skills, or going through entire career transitions have never been lower! There are thousands upon thousands of courses online that can teach you nearly anything you can think up. There are ways of connecting with people in fields you want to be in that weren’t available until recently. The best part – companies like Google and Apple are starting to accept alternative learning solutions, so you don’t necessarily have to go back to school to get a new degree. 

The first step in the process is figuring out careers and skills that are a good fit for who you are, and for where you want to end up. The cliche “it’s a journey not a destination” applies here. Going back to the quote at the beginning of this post, you need to become aware of who you are and what drives you, only then can you seek meaningful change and find your own personal ikigai.

We’re here to help.

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