Re-imagine work by rediscovering yourself

When I first started working at an optical laboratory in 1996, the owner told me, “You love what you do? You’ll never work a day in your life, Kim.”

I was kinda like, that’s not the first time he’s said that to someone. But it did stick with me.

This month at Saronge we are talking about your job search and it got me thinking about the more personal side of looking for a job - the kind of things we explore and define on the coaching side of our business.

Because looking for a job is not just about where your skills match up with what a company needs and the economics equation you solve from that - it’s much more.

Finding a new job can be an exercise in finding yourself first - so that your work has deeper meaning to you - bringing you energy and fulfillment on another level.

For women, our work lives and personal lives are often blurred and because we bring our personal integrity to everything we do, we consider our work beyond its transactional nature. And we cannot deny that what happens at work is going to influence our home lives.

Several years after I was given that first piece of advice, I participated in a development program at my company. I had been feeling really discouraged and stuck in my current role and often thought: what is this all for?

One of my actions at the close of the program was to no longer focus on the outcomes of what I was doing, and only focus on the activities that brought me joy - developing others, connecting with clients, and creating positive and optimistic experiences for both. I went from being a relentless driver to being a goal-oriented, decisive and strategic…NURTURER.

As a result, I was happier and less stressed, killed my numbers far beyond what I thought possible, and was promoted within months. It taught me something.

I found that when I showed up authentically, exercised my strengths and expressed my values - I was happier, more decisive and more successfuL.

I became inspirational to those around me. My earnestness to do good, connect and exercise my creativity gave others the permission to do the same and it upped the game for all of us. My network grew. My influence expanded.

Conversely, when things were happening that went directly against the values I held, I said “no” and I held my ground. I didn’t look the other way. I spoke truth to power without worrying about the outcome, because for me, the only outcome I cared about was that people were treated honestly, and with dignity and respect - including myself.

Understanding your guiding values, your non-negotiables and your strengths ahead of your job search can help you stay grounded, identify what you’re really looking for and ask the right questions as you move through the process.

You deserve to work at a place that gets you.

The key to finding a place that gets you might just be rediscovering yourself.

Want to start your journey of rediscovery? We’re here to help. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.