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What career would make you happy?

Published on: 12 Apr 2023

Find your IKIGAI

What’s that, I hear you say? Well, IKIGAI (pronounced as ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept, meaning ‘your reason for being’. ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Many believe it is the reason for their happiness and longevity.

The Westernised version of IKIGAI says you’ve found your dream career when your career includes these four qualities:

  • What you love

  • What you’re good at

  • What you can be paid for

  • What the world needs

Understanding your IKIGAI will help you establish your purpose.

Match your values

Have you ever been in a job and thought, “I cannot work here forever.” One of the reasons you might have had this thought is because your values didn’t align with the organisation. It’s hard to muster motivation if you’re doing something you don’t believe in.

Imagine a vegan working for a meat manufacturer. It would be hard to sustain enthusiasm for an organisation that went against your values.

One way to check if your values do align is to do your research. When you search and apply for jobs on Evenbreak you will be able to visit employer profiles to find out more about their values and culture.

Know your strengths

As well as feeling unmotivated if you’re values don’t match, another way you’re likely to feel adrift is if you’re not playing to your strengths. Many disabled candidates underplay their abilities because they either want to ease their way back into work or because they perceive it as the only way to get into work with a disability.

Taking a job that you’re over-qualified for might have short-term benefits but long-term you will feel stifled, irritable and back on the Evenbreak Job Board searching for your next role.

Think about tasks that energise you and that make you lose track of time because you’re in the zone. That’s your strengths at work.

Where are you going?

And finally, let’s consider your life goal and the different stages of your career.

If you have recently left education, then your priority might be to gain experience. For seasoned professionals, you might be returning to work after a career gap or looking to progress into senior roles. Others might be going through a career change and some will be going solo with self-employment.

If you are applying for your first job or changing careers, then look out for graduate and trainee roles.

For those looking to progress, don’t be afraid to go for that promotion. Do some self-development and avoid imposter syndrome.

If you’re considering self-employment then seek guidance with a coach or mentor - you can request FREE Career coaching sessions with Evenbreak Coaches here.

Do you need more prompts to help you uncover what career would make you happy? Explore the Evenbreak Career Hive.

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