How to Make a Career Joy List

How to Make a Career Joy ListHow to Make a Career Joy List15When youre job searching, the end goal seems fairly clear get hired for a job. Period. But ask yourself this do you just want any ol job, or one that fulfills you and truly makes you happy? Because if you think that being happy and satisfied in your job are mutually exclusive, think again. Whether its because of the new year, or simply because people want to find fulfillment, purpose, and yes, happiness in their jobs, they are looking for jobs that dont just pad their wallet, but make them content, too. One way to achieve this is to make a career joy list. If you need some help getting your joy on, below are some tips to get you started.Go over previous positions. Chances are, youve never held one job that met all of your needs (i.e., financial, emotional, flexibility, etc.). But probably one (or two) came pretty close. Youll know which jobs those are when you think back on them fondly, or wish you could replicate a similar type of work experience like that one again.So go over your previous jobs and make a list of all the various aspects of those jobs that made you happy. Maybe, after a string of micromanaging bosses, your previous boss respected you as an employee and gave you the necessary space to get your work done. Or perhaps the work you were doing aligned with your career goals. Write down all the bits and pieces of your positions that made you happy and keep these in mind while youre job searching.Figure out the flex. Sure, youve had your fair share of sekretariat jobs and 9-5 gigs. But then you had that one job that allowed you to work at home on Fridays, which felt like heaven. One of the best ways to score some joy in your job is to have control over it, not the other way around. Being able to balance your personal life with your professional life is by far a direct link to work-life balance.So, as you make your career joy list, be sure to add work flexibility to the list. What type of flex you choose is up to you you might want a 100 percent remote job, or a part-time position might work for you. You might even consider a job share, or, if you are slowly on-ramping back into the workforce, a freelance or contract job might just be the ticket towards getting accustomed to working again. Take the time to determine what type of flexible schedule you want, though. Knowing exactly what you want can help focus and expedite your job search.If youre searching for flexible work, we invite you to browse over 50 flexible job categories here.Look outside of work.Sometimes, the keys to a happy career have nothing to do with actual jobs youve held. Maybe at one point you were the president of the PTO- and absolutely loved it. Or maybe you volunteered at a nonprofit and helped with fundraising. Part of making your career joy list is knowing what you love to do- even if no one is paying you for it. Thing is, you dont have to keep your extracurriculars separate from your paying jobs. Include in your list the activities, projects, or hobbies that youve done (or continue to do) and include the specific aspects of them that you love. Then, look for jobs that incorporate at least some- if not all- of these things.Understand your collaborative needs. You know its important to say, should you be asked, during a job bewerberinterview that youre a team player. But you might find that you really, truly like working alone. Think back on various jobs youve held to ascertain what type of working environment you liked best. Were not talking about jobs or responsibilities here were speaking directly to your relationships with coworkers. Do you work better being part of a team, or do you prefer working alone? This can help you determine if you should apply for positions where youll be working with a large group of colleagues, or be a part of a smaller, more intimate group- or in some cases simply work alone.Know what you want out of a job.It can be hard to know exactly what i t is that you want to get out of a job when you are just clicking to send in your resume. But you should always have an end goal-oriented mentality when applying for any type of job. For example, do you need to be recognized with awards and medals for your hard work? Is the possibility of being promoted important to you? Do you want a job in which you plan to grow with the company for a longer length of time? Understanding which of these aspects gives you joy can help you as you go through the job interview process, since these are the questions you can ask a qualifikation employer to determine if the job would be a good overall fit for you.Making a career joy list is an excellent addition to your job search experience. It can help you to think outside the box about what you really want out of your job- and your life. So take the time to craft an honest career joy list and youll align yourself with positions that match what you truly want.Readers, have you created a career joy list? What are some of the top things on your list? Let us know in the comments below