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The Holy Grail: Building a career you love

2013-12-07 17:15:17

Is your job just work the sort that you go to simply because you need to earn

a pay cheque so you can pay your bills? Or does your job make you jump out of

bed each morning, thrilled to be on your way?

Building a career you love is the holy grail of professional life for many. It

s a topic several LinkedIn Influencers weighed in on this week.

From finding that fulfilling career, to the keys to happiness at work and even

the crazy perks that could make you love your job even more (and how to ask the

boss to give them), there are ways to make a job more than just a pay cheque.

Here s what several Influencers had to say about happiness at work.

Richard Branson, founder at Virgin Group

Branson counts himself lucky to wake each morning to a job he loves, but he

wrote in his post How to Find a Fulfilling Career, a lot of people are not

fortunate enough to have a job which they are passionate about.

Everyone wants a fulfilling career, he wrote, but one of the major stumbling

blocks for most people [to make it happen] is fear. You might have found

yourself in a well-paid and highly respected position; even if you re unhappy

in the role, leaving it behind can be a daunting task.

To get out of that mindset and open yourself up to creating a fulfilling

career the first step is to rethink risk, he suggested. When most people

think about taking a risk they associate it with negative connotations, when

really they should view it as a positive opportunity, Branson wrote. Believe

in yourself and back yourself to come out on top.

That might mean taking a class to make a change in direction possible, taking

up a lower-level position in a career track you want to be on, or perhaps

starting your own business, he wrote.

Think that sounds too pie-in-the-sky? Consider Danielle Stokes, who works for

Virgin Australia and has a remarkable story of career progression. Now a young

pilot Danielle used to be cabin crew for the airline and previous to that she

worked in a cafe to save money for pilot training, Branson wrote. The moral

of this story? Never give up on your dreams! A fulfilling career is waiting for

those brave enough to find it.

Ilya Pozin, chief executive officer at Open Me

Do you feel a twinge of anger when you read about the latest and greatest work

perks being offered today? Well, you re not alone, wrote Pozin in his post 22

Crazy Perks You Should Ask Your Boss For.

But before you get too far ahead of yourself, it s important to remember what

typically lies behind some of the most famous or infamous job perk

offerings, he wrote. That s right, such cushy perks usually come with very

high expectations from the companies that offer them. You get what you give.

Since you are likely giving your all to your company, it can t hurt to ask for

something, well, crazy. What should you go after?

We can all dream a little, offered Pozin. Among the 22 offbeat perks he

suggested:

A giant cargo-net hammock where you can go to finally get some work done. A

never-ending stockpile of free coffee. Pets roaming freely in the office. A

state-of-the-art health club in your building. A life coach or mentor to help

you overcome your personal and professional hurdles. A designated nap room.

Gary Swart, chief executive officer at oDesk

What, exactly, makes people happy with their jobs? It s not some sort of secret

recipe, wrote Swart in his post, Four keys to happiness in your job. Instead,

it comes down to four main things, he wrote. Impact Growth and Development

Financial Reward and Work-Life Balance.

The importance and weighting of each of these things varies for each

individual, and can change over a person s career, Swart wrote, making it

important to regularly assess where you are on on each one.

People today want to be in a position where they can make an impact. They want

to be in jobs where they get to tackle problems and have the freedom to solve

them, he wrote.

While measuring impact and financial reward might be easy, the other dimensions

might not be as simple to assess. For instance, he wrote, It is each person s

responsibility to take the reins of his or her career, but it is the company s

responsibility to provide people with the opportunities they need to grow,

Swart wrote.

To figure out if you have the right opportunities to develop, ask yourself a

few questions. Have you ever been sent into a challenging situation but you

gave it everything you had, navigated the white water, and found a solution.

How did you feel afterward? Hugely proud and accomplishment, right?, Swart

wrote. While easy wins are fun, true growth happens from pushing through the

tough stuff and coming out the other side with a win.