Given that many of us spend a substantial amount of our waking hours at work, career well-being affects our happiness. Well-being goes far beyond the absence of disease or mental illness; family and finances also have an effect on well-being.
To derive a sense of satisfaction, pride and accomplishment from the professional work we do, it’s important we choose a career path that speaks to our skills and aligns with our values. In order to achieve true well-being, we need self-awareness. We must be intentional about discovering who we are, what jobs ignite our passions, and which dull them. This comes from defining visions and goals – independent of external influence – in order to understand which career suits us best.
Are you creative or analytically inclined? Are you a morning lark or a night owl? Are you a stickler for process or more given to blue-sky thinking? If your personality is aligned with your profession, you will find it easy to answer the crucial question, “Do I like what I do each day?”
Of course, this question is over simplified. It is possible to like what you do but experience burnout – consider a nurse or a doctor. It’s possible to not like what you do but see it as a stepping stone to a destination. And so you’re at peace with the short-term pain because of the long-term gain. It is also possible to really like elements of your job and dislike other aspects of it.
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The key part is to consider whether on the whole, you like your job. If you do, your work will inspire and challenge you to do more, and do it better. You will find it motivating and interesting, taking initiative and solving problems.
Sometimes, however, we find ourselves in jobs that do not speak to our core values. When this happens, we have to find ways to stay motivated and find a sense of well-being even while we strive for our goals.
The first step is to turn belief systems from those which limit into positive, empowering thoughts. Limitations such as age, funding or opportunities can often prevent you from considering a career switch. It is important to remain resolute and continue working towards your goals.
The second is to research your goals and understand the steps required to achieve them. Take for instance an individual passionate about becoming a medical doctor but is unable to afford the time or fees required to become one. Such a person may want to consider other professions in the medical field that can be as fulfilling with just a fraction of the commitment. Or think about professional certifications they can start a career with instead of a university degree.
Take Philip Emeagwali, an accomplished US-based Nigerian computer scientist. He won the coveted Gordon Bell Prize in 1989, amongst other awards. What is less known about him is that Emeagwali already had his schooling suspended by the age of 13 as a result of the Nigerian Civil War, and went on to be a child soldier. Still driven by a desire to succeed, Emeagwali continued working on himself when the war ended, completing high-school equivalence through self-study.
The school fees for an education in Nigeria were out of his reach, but tenacity saw him in good stead. He ended up travelling to the US to study through a scholarship after he finished a correspondence course at the University of London. He has since studied in many prestigious universities, and is a widely respected member of the Computer Science community.
Similarly, most of us will know Chimamanda Adichie as a renowned author. What is less known about her is that she studied medicine and pharmacy at the University of Nigeria for a year and a half, carrying out a childhood hope of becoming a doctor while harbouring the desire to write. During her stint at the university, she edited The Compass, a magazine run by the university’s Catholic medical students, for which she received acclaim, causing her to concentrate more on her writing. At the age of 19, Adichie left Nigeria for the United States to study communications and political science at Drexel University in Philadelphia, a move that birthed the writer we know today.
It is possible to start small; think about starting at the lower rung of the ladder in a field that motivates you and then work your way up. In the quest for career well-being, all options must be fully investigated. You will have to increase your knowledge and skills to accomplish your goals. Find a mentor, get engaged in apprenticeships, find out as much as you can about your desired profession, and inch continuously forward towards your goal.
If a complete switch is not possible, the other alternative for attaining career well-being is to find fulfilment where you are. Often, a change in attitude can reveal some interesting parts of your current job. For many, the disappointment of finding themselves in a role that is not completely satisfactory blinds them to the parts they do enjoy and are good at. Concentrate on the parts that give you joy and optimise it for your own pleasure and strategic benefit. At most, this could lead to a promotion that involves more of what you enjoy; with the worst case scenario being that you will find little pockets of joy throughout your day.
A crucial strategy for growth in any job is visibility. Research shows that employees who are visible remain top of mind for team leads and employers when they are considering employees for new roles or responsibilities. Find a work-based activity that you can participate in, lead, or even establish. Today, companies are creating more and more programmes that demonstrate their culture of inclusiveness and community spirit. There are programmes on diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility events for vulnerable members of the community, and societal interests.
Join a group that interests you and showcases your skills to your colleagues. Working on external projects offers you the opportunity to demonstrate leadership, design, facilitation, organisational or creative skills that other team members were previously unaware of. These projects bring people from various tiers of the organisation together, help your colleagues to see you in a different light and start to consider you for roles you are more suited to.
A final option for career wellness is maintaining work-life balance. Work makes up a significant part of our adult lives, but it is not the only important element. We must learn to turn work off and make time for hobbies and social activities. Find the balance, keep the joy.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” You may not like where you are today, but you are not where you started, and this is a starting block for moving in the right direction – towards balance, well-being and pride in your work.
Onamusi is Director, VN Sync, a full-service digital media, strategy development, and facilitation agency where she focuses on communications, marketing and leadership
