Love Your Work, Love Your Company, Love Your Life!
By — — Posted in Career Change
So I’m home on Friday night, finally getting this blog post written, a week later than I like to.
Some might say “Ugh, you’re working at 8:15pm on a Friday night?? What kind of life is THAT??”
To which I would say – “A life I love! A life I chose! A life that matches my values of freedom and flexibility!” I’m working tonight because for 24 out of 30 days in last month, I was living in and exploring two states, neither of which is where my house and normal life reside. I was seeing friends and family I rarely see, and seeing breathtaking sites I rarely get to enjoy, l in the middle of any given Tuesday afternoon!
It’s all about what choices we make and what we value. Clients of mine lately have been interested in companies that similarly live their values – companies that give back through social programs, employee volunteering, and even those that put their values right into their business entity structure choice as a B corp.
What do YOU value about work? What is the life YOU love? Are you living these things?
Love Your Work
Any idea of what this short list of activities has in common?
— Police visits in the middle of the night
— Reading Dr. Seuss books out loud, with full animation and enthusiasm
— Checking heads for lice
— Knowing which colors and clothing styles were for which gang
Any guesses? No? Unless you’ve known me for a long time, you probably wouldn’t know that these were all job duties, any given Tuesday afternoon (or Friday night!) of one of my favorite jobs!
You probably WOULDN’T love a job that involved checking heads for lice (okay, I didn’t love that PART of the job!) so this list won’t help you in any sort of ‘check list’ sort of way … SO … two suggestions:
1) Start with this blog post: A Job You LOVE which will have some ideas to get you kick started and
2) Consider the “Career Clarity Guide” I offer to dive deeper into YOUR work ideals and values (that also aligns with your skills and work you LOVE to do!)
Love Your Company
Given a choice, I bet the majority of people (and I’d put money on ALL my MY readers agreeing with this) would rather be a part of a company that gives back in some way, that does good in the world through their products and/or services, philanthropy, partnerships with non-profits, paid employee volunteer days and projects, social, environmental and other values written into their benefits, policies and even their corporate structures — wouldn’t you?
Ever heard of a “B Corp”? If not, you’ll be glad you have now, I bet. It’s a business entity type (C Corp of LLC are other examples) – however – with important differentiators: from this website, “B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency….B Corps are better companies – better for workers, better for communities and better for the environment. Become part of the B the Change Team of people using business as a force for good.” There’s a list of B Corps and a job board on the site as well! Check them out!
A client turned me on to this Fast Company article, where it’s author says, ” ...companies are entering a third phase in their relationship with society.
–The first was about philanthropy, where business donates money to causes.
–The second was about “corporate social responsibility,” or minimizing their social or environmental harm.
–The third is about solutions: actual products and services with a social purpose.” (Think Tom’s, or FEED)
Personally, I think all of these ways to give and have that “triple bottom line (People, Planet and Profit) are inspiring, and the direction all organizations need to go – what do you think?
This list of 8 TEDTalks on how big business can be a force for good might interest you. I haven’t watched them yet, only bookmarked. Send me a quick note about whichever you watch/love, okay?
Love All You Love
This TEDTalk, Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling, reminded me of the millennials version of Barbara Sher’s notion of Scanners or the recent resurgence of being like a ‘renaissance (wo)man’, reminiscent of a time when the greats of the time, such as Leonardo DaVinci, had – and pursued – multiple, seemingly disparate interests and talents.
It is also reminiscent in some respects to the Career Clarity Guide – which is for you if you just aren’t clear (yet) on which career path to take next.… maybe, just maybe, because you are interested in so many things (?) ….
If you know you need a CAREER CHANGE but maybe aren’t 100% clear on exactly what type of job you want next, then the Career Clarity Guide is for you!
It’s a 70+ page pdf with 4 “Road Maps” to guide you with more ideas, resources, and “excavation” exercises like the questions above to inspire your career exploration!
Map 1: Pack & Purge: explore and evaluate your past positions, and what stays/goes now
Map 2: Choose Your Transfer Tickets: how to use existing skills in a new way (or in a new job)
DOWNLOAD this free section of the Career Clarity Guide here!
Map 3: Write Your Own Itinerary: get clear on your ideal job journey “trip”
Map 4: Chart Your Quest: plan your new job search journey via your resume, cover letter, and interview answers”
and … look for your Souvenirs/Extras as you go!
>>Your resume needs to be targeted to sell you for where you’re going NOW, so this should help bring clarity to your job search goals! <<
DOWNLOAD this free section of the Career Clarity Guide here!
