I recently shared a post on LinkedIn that put forward 3 premises:
Your personal life & career are not two separate things
You are a whole person
You don’t stop being a whole person when you are job searching
While these ideas might appear simple or even obvious, they merit stating because our modern socialization has caused us to lose sight of them. For better or worse, many professionals define their identity through their careers. Though I recognize that someone well placed in a career, doing what they love can derive a lot of satisfaction, I must push back from my holistic perspective to state that you are more than just your career. Life circumstances can change, market conditions, industry trends, your level of interest/passion, etc. -- when that happens, where does it leave the individual whose whole identity is inextricably linked to their career? Unfortunately, the answer for many is, lost.
One of the few guarantees in life and in work is that things will change. So, in the face of inevitable changes, you must be able to navigate life and career with something that stays relatively stable over time -- your values.
Values (plural noun): a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life
Your values are critical drivers of behavior and happiness in your life that are essentially context-agnostic. Think about any situation in which your values didn’t matter, were challenged, or you were even forced to act in a way that ran counter -- how did that make you feel? Now, imagine that situation, whether mild or extreme, occurred frequently because the environment that produced it was your workplace -- how would that make you feel?
Because you are a whole person and your career isn’t a separate entity, you don’t value integrity in your personal life and then magically discard it at work.
In a conversation I had on LinkedIn with my colleague, Lezlie Garr, she said that “a lot of career changers are transitioning because they’re not seeing any good in what they do on a daily basis.” This was an astute observation that underscores the importance of professionals being in a workplace that matches and/or supports their values. When the work environment and your values are either misaligned or in conflict, the resulting discord will lead to short-term dissatisfaction and ultimately, your departure. Ideally, this could be avoided by conducting a job search that actively places your key values in the driver’s seat.
Why Your Values Should Lead Your Job Search
The simple answer to, “why,” is your long-term happiness. The reason that I “listen for values” when supporting my clients is that they offer important windows into what will make them happy at the end of their job search.
Ultimately, it boils down to this: when you are in a work environment that matches and/or allows you to freely express your values, it is a strong predictor for your happiness, longevity and potential success. As a coach, that is my goal for my clients -- it’s not about finding a job it’s about finding the right job.
How to Let Values Lead Your Job Search
Do a values inventory of previous workplaces
In order to know where you are going, it’s important to know where you came from. Think back across your various workplaces and note down what you liked/disliked about the work cultures and values you experienced. Highlight any themes or patterns that caused you to last longer or leave sooner (read, what caused satisfaction or dissatisfaction). This is your starting point.
Identify your key ‘work-related values’
Not all work-related values are created equal. For example, moral fulfillment might be uncompromisable for you, but recognition from superiors is nice but not necessary. I often provide my clients with an exercise to help them sort through this. The goal is to narrow your list down to a top 5 (max 10) of the values you deem most critical for your happiness.
Ask questions to screen for your values
By identifying your key values, you can then craft specific questions to help you screen for them in an employer. For example, if ‘recognition from superiors’ is important to you, you might ask, “how are employees celebrated here?” It’s a simple question, but the answer can reveal a lot about a company’s values in how it treats employees. Based on the responses to your values screening questions, you can decide if a given company might be the right fit for you.
Target companies that match your values
I recently wrote about the importance of chasing the company in your job search. The main idea was that your destination matters (in the same way it would for your vacation). If you target companies that are most likely to match and/or support your values, it will focus your search efforts on employers that are of reciprocal value to you. Having “high-value targets” in your search will provide you with the level of motivation you need to conduct a successful job search because you are trying to gain entry to places you believe will make you happy as a professional.
Just imagine, if you found yourself satisfied at work, what could your life look like outside? Would it give you the emotional capacity, physical energy, and possibly the time to dedicate toward making your personal life as satisfying as it could be as well? I can’t answer that for you, but you can start your job search by asking yourself this question...
“Does this align with my values?”
If you would like help crafting a values-based job search strategy, I’d love to support you!
Book Now for a free consultation.
NIIATO@AVENIRCAREERS.COM | CALL/TEXT 917-740-3048