How many people can say that they truly love their jobs? Not that many. According to a Deloitte study, only about 13% of workers are passionate about what they do and over two-thirds of U.S. workers is disengaged with work.
But feeling meh about your job isn’t inevitable. If you’re willing to put in the time to figure out what you’re meant to be doing, you can find a job you love. Here’s what you need to know.
Quickstart Guide To Finding A Job You Love
- Update your resume. Put your best foot forward with a polished resume! If you need resume help, resume writing services are an affordable way to get expert resume help.
- Discover Your Advantages. Discover your unique strengths with the Advantage Mapping Course! Sign up now to uncover your advantages and leverage them for career success.
- Search for jobs on ZipRecruiter. If you want to find a job you love, start your search on our favorite job posting site - ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free to use and you can apply for jobs with just one click!
Discover Your Dream Job Find jobs near you and apply with 1 click! New jobs posted daily.
Why Should You Find A Job You Love?
First things first: you don’t necessarily have to find a job that you love in order to build a life that you love. Many people choose jobs that provide them with the financial necessities and spend their off hours on passion projects.
That said, there are plenty of reasons why you might decide to focus your next job search on finding a role that does more than just pay the bills.
You Spend A Lot Of Time Working
The average person works 7.75 hours on days when they work, according to the American Time Use Survey. That’s almost a third of every workday. If you sleep for seven or eight hours a night, you’re spending half your waking hours at work each week. Why not spend that time on something you love?
You May Earn More Money
You work harder when you’re happy at work. Research from the University of Warwick in the U.K. shows that happy workers are about 12% more productive. When you get more done, it’s easier to crush your goals, leading to better performance reviews and a stronger negotiating position for raises and promotions.
You May Be Less Stressed
Job fit is an important factor in job stress, according to research published in “Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences.” Finding a job that’s a good fit for you may decrease your stress levels and increase your sense of belonging at your company.
7 Tips To Find A Job You Love
The right job for you will sit at the intersection of your skills, interests, and priorities. This means that you won’t find a job you love by comparing yourself to others, looking at media rankings of occupations or industries, or trying to fulfill your loved ones’ expectations of what you’ll do when you grow up. Instead:
Ignore Hot Jobs Lists
You’ve seen these stories in your news feeds: Top Jobs for New Grads, High-Paying Jobs for Science Majors, Best Jobs for Working Moms, etc. You can learn a lot from these lists if you’re looking for general information on salary and occupational outlook. But if you’re trying to find a job you love, getting bogged down in salary data could be a big mistake.
Start with your interests and skills. Occupational outlook comes into play when you’re narrowing the field–not before.
Understand Your Goal And Your Advantages
Do you want a job that fits your values, uses a specific skill that you’ve enjoyed cultivating or broadens your horizons in a particular way? It’s important to know that before you get started on your search.
Also, keep your other priorities in mind. If you love to travel, for example, you might look for a job that lets you go to new destinations–or that allows you enough vacation time to book your own adventures.
Understanding your goal starts with understanding your advantages. Learn how to find work that aligns with your unique advantages so you can be your best at work and at home with the Advantage Mapping Foundations Course.
Take A Career Assessment
Career tests can help you broaden your horizons, showing you jobs that you didn’t know existed and reminding you of talents you didn’t know you had. Many online tests are free or low-cost. See our list of career assessments to get started.
Talk To People Who Love Their Job
One of the best ways to find a job you love is to talk to people who love their jobs. You can start with the folks closest to you–your colleagues, friends, and peers. Then, branch out to their connections and so on. LinkedIn can be a valuable source for these contacts, but you can’t beat word of mouth.
When you set these informational interviews, pay attention when you develop a good rapport with the person you’re meeting with. That can be an indication that you’ve found your people and are on the right track.
Be Willing To Learn
You may need to upskill yourself to land a job that’s right for you, but this may feel easier once you’ve identified a good fit. It’s more exciting to learn about something that really speaks to you.
Hire A Counselor Or Coach
Still not sure where to start your search? Consider hiring a professional career coach or counselor. To get maximum value for your dollar, interview prospective coaches carefully. Look for a track record of success, including client testimonials, and listen to your gut when making your decision.
Commit To The Long Haul
Jobs change. Careers evolve. Industries rise and fall. To build a satisfying professional life over time, you’ll need to be willing to learn, change, and grow.
For more guidance, check out our guide on how to change your career.
Join The Break Community
Best Places To Find A Job You Love
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is rated the number one job search app on iOS and Android, and it's easy to see why. Once you upload your resume, you can search for jobs and quickly apply in minutes. The service’s AI matches candidates with open jobs and proactively pitches them to employers. Best of all, it’s always free for job seekers.
Read our review of ZipRecruiter to learn more.
Discover Your Dream Job Find jobs near you and apply with 1 click! New jobs posted daily.
FlexJobs
Does your dream job involve remote, freelance, or part-time work? FlexJobs is a good place to start your search. For a monthly fee, access vetted listings in job categories ranging from account management and accounting to writing and youth services.
Google For Jobs
If you can use Google, you can use Google for Jobs to find opportunities in your area. Just type your keywords into your browser and see listings in your area. For example, if you type “administrative assistant jobs in Austin,” you’ll see listings for those specifications. The service operates via partnerships with popular job sites like ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn, so you’ll have access to a wide variety of jobs.
Read our review of Google for Jobs to learn more.
The Bottom Line
Finding a job you love requires the willingness to look honestly at what fulfills you professionally and personally. Only then can you find the right fit for you.
Ready to find your dream job? ZipRecruiter’s AI-powered job search can help you find your place.
