The question of how to choose (or reassess) a career path comes up frequently in therapy. We spend about one-third of our lives at work, so, understandably, this decision can feel monumental. Our careers have a significant impact on our happiness, well-being, and lifestyle. Whether you are a college student, a recent graduate just beginning your career, or an established professional looking to pivot or return to the workforce, you may be feeling excited, anxious, or uncertain about this process. With so many career tests, personality inventories, and online resources available, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start. To help ease the process, here is a simple formula for thinking about assessing your next career move:
Career fulfillment = Values + Personality + Perceived Adequate Income
While there is no perfect equation or answer, this formula can help guide thinking and decision-making about choosing the best career for yourself. Let’s break down the formula together!
Values: Defining What is Important
Values are beliefs that motivate us and guide our behaviors. They define what is most important to us in life across many contexts, such as family, education, and health. It is essential to understand your values when identifying a career path to ensure there is alignment between you and your work. Misalignment between career and values can lead to unhappiness, distress, or burnout. It is a significant reason why choosing a job is highly individualized. One person may highly value structure and stability, while another person may value autonomy and flexibility.
Values teach us what we want to prioritize in life. To better understand your core values, consider searching for lists of values and selecting the top 10 values that speak most to your authentic self. Then, rank those values in order from 1 to 10, with “1” being the most important item. Some examples of values on this list may include:
- Justice
- Achievement
- Creativity
- Altruism
- Growth
- Stability
- And more!
Knowing what is most important to you is a great first step and serves as the foundation for this process. Spend some time reflecting on past job and internship experiences, too. What career values did you appreciate in your past roles? Were there any that were missing?
Personality: My Attributes at Work
Your personality refers to overall styles of behaving, thinking, and feeling. It guides your approach to different areas of your life and provides information on how you process, react to, and adapt to changing circumstances. Considering your personality when identifying a career can help you see which fields you may like. For example, a highly introverted person may prefer a role that requires more independent work, while a more extroverted person would likely want to collaborate with others more frequently. Your personality type can help you rule out specific career paths and identify work environments where you are more likely to thrive.
Some individuals may use personality assessments, such as the Big Five Personality Test or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to gain insight and help identify what careers would be a good fit for them. These assessments can be a good starting place. You can also set aside some alone time to reflect on or journal about your personality type as it relates to your career. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- How would others in my life describe me? Choose individuals from different areas of your life, such as a family member, a friend, and a colleague.
- Do I prefer roles with structure or flexibility?
- Do I feel most energized by working alone or with others?
- What is my communication style?
- What type of work-related challenges or problems feel motivating for me to solve?
3) Perceived Adequate Income: Feeling Secure
Perceived adequate income is the salary that fits your personal criteria of what will support your lifestyle and reduce financial stress and anxiety. It is based on your financial needs and desires, rather than what others tell you to aspire to. It will vary based on your age and life stage, location, socioeconomic status, and other factors. While it is not recommended to choose a career based solely on salary, it is a good idea to understand the long-term earning potential in different fields. It may involve reviewing entry-level salary data for your field in your zip code and researching opportunities for growth within your chosen field. Perceived adequate income also ties in other financial questions, such as whether your dream role would require further training, education, or relocation.
Career Fulfillment: Putting It All Together
Overall, adding our values, personality, and desired income tells us how fulfilled we may feel in a given career path. Values serve as reminders of what is important to us; personality shows how we are wired to work; and perceived adequate income helps us understand our income needs. When all three areas align, we feel satisfied in our careers. If two components are present but one is missing, try making small changes in your career or personal life, such as seeking a promotion, changing organizations, or volunteering in your free time. This career fulfillment formula can be used in the early stages of career path brainstorming or along the way when comparing routes.
Many of us feel paralyzed by choices or by the desire to make the “perfect” choice. It is common to feel anxiety around your career path. While it is important to make an informed decision, remember that choosing a job is not permanent and that we will all grow and change throughout our lives and careers. It is especially common nowadays to have multiple careers in a lifetime. For example, individuals pursue post-baccalaureate programs to apply for medical school, leave stable jobs to pursue passion projects, and pivot careers due to family, location, or other life changes. If you need extra support, consider speaking with your college career services or hiring a career coach to help meet your goals.
