Advancing Your Career in a Meaningful Way

Re-energize your career momentum by tapping into your purpose

I was recently chatting with a developer who wanted some signal or gesture from the company that would recognize him for his hard work, dedication and leadership.

I asked him: “What makes you feel appreciated most? For some people, it’s receiving increased compensation, for others it’s a title change, for others it’s being invited into certain meetings and having a higher level of influence. Do you know what it is for you?”

This stumped him for a minute. He knew it wasn’t compensation, and he suspected it was respect and influence.

Often we are told by society that “success” looks a certain way. But we rarely ask ourselves “What makes ME feel appreciated and fulfilled in my work?”

It’s important to know the answer to this question because if we are seeking increased compensation - but what REALLY makes us feel appreciated is increased influence, no matter how much we make, it will never be enough. We will continue to feel unappreciated and not fully understand why.

Knowing what makes us feel fulfilled at work will allow us to adjust our mindset, advocate for the kinds of recognition that we truly crave and go to work each day feeling full of purpose and connection.

Fully remote, Challenging projects, Engaging culture

Value over Hard Work

For those of us looking to advance our careers in a meaningful way, it’s important to evaluate the difference between hard work and tangible value. The two not only FEEL different, they make a very different impact in our teams and projects.

Oftentimes I look back at my day and feel that it wasn’t “productive” and I can’t figure out why - I was BUSY all day long. But here is the truth, there is a difference between being busy and creating real value.

What our teams and clients want and need from us is not number of hours we sat at a computer, but tangible value that moves us toward our goals.

Some days, I didn’t actually slave away for 10+ hours, but I strategically placed my efforts on the most valuable tasks and delivered real results for my team. Those are the days where I feel most satisfied in my work.

A good practice is to ask yourself at the beginning of the day: “What task would add the most value to the current project I’m working on?” and at the end of the day evaluate “Did I add real value, what did that look like?”

It feels like electricity in my bones when I can send off something I’ve been working on that is going to tangibly impact the world in a meaningful way.

Growth Mindset

The last piece to the work satisfaction puzzle is whether we are stagnant or growing.

In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success author Carol Dweck, Ph.D. explains the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset sees our potential as static. I came into the world with certain talents and gifts and that’s all I have. If I’m not able to do something today - I must not have the skills for that and I should move on to something else.

A growth mindset, on the other hand, believes that our capacity is elastic. Meaning it can grow, change and adapt as we innovate and introduce new challenges. If I don’t have the skill to do something today, I will simply press in, work hard and develop the skills I need over time.

A fixed mindset needs the circumstances to change in order to feel good about the situation.

A growth mindset changes their mindset and approach in order to feel good about the situation.

When we have a growth mindset, we can adapt to a much larger set of circumstances and challenges. When we have a fixed mindset, we are limited to a smaller set of circumstances within which to thrive.

Those who engage with a growth mindset are LOOKING for ways to learn, grow and improve and when they do this - work becomes more exciting and rewarding.

Crisis averted

What happened to the developer I was coaching through his career growth? In the end, he took some time to reflect and realized how many things were going right for him. He was challenged at work, he has freedom working remotely and spending time with family. What was missing was a more concrete expression of influence and respect.

And while that influence and respect would come from his peers, getting a title boost from the company also made a difference

Paying attention to your life and career path is important. As humans we are constantly growing and evolving over time and it’s helpful to evaluate regularly if we are advancing in a way that still feels meaningful and engaging. We should always be asking the deep questions about why we do what we do.

Allow these three considerations to lead you into a greater understanding of what communicates appreciation to YOU, focus on creating value rather than simply staying busy, and lean into that growth mindset.

They say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life…I say if you dig deep to find your purpose and grounding, your work can be apart of your legacy - something you feel proud of and fulfilled by.