4 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself *Before* Considering Your Next Job
Millennials are known as the generation that wants to actually find their passion in their work. We often get a bad rap for jumping from job to job in search of the “right fit” — a job that is fulfilling. But regardless of when you were born, isn’t fulfillment in your job a goal we should all strive to reach? The challenge is that this satisfaction isn’t one size fits all — it means something different to each of us. While figuring out exactly what type of job is going to fulfilling to you may seem stressful, the actual job doesn’t have to be!
Before diving into some fulfilling and low stress career paths that are out there, it’s important to first determine what this kind of job looks like to you. Ask yourself these questions first:
1. What am I good at?
When it comes to managing stress, you definitely don’t want to be struggling to meet the requirements of your job, so start by assessing your strengths and talents. What do you do really well?
2. Will I make enough money?
Be realistic with yourself – how much money do you need to support your lifestyle? Of course money doesn’t automatically equal happiness, but not having to worry about earning enough to cover rent and bills does impact your stress levels.
3. Does this work fit my lifestyle?
What’s the schedule? Location? Does it line up with your needs? If you are expected to travel a lot; is that something you find exciting or does it add to your stress? If your commute is going to raise your blood pressure, perhaps it’s not worth it. Consider how the schedule will impact your lifestyle!
4. Do I care about the work?
This one is so personal, but essential to finding work that is fulfilling to you. You can be great at what you do, and even get paid well, but if you don’t care about the work, or worse find yourself in a situation that goes against your core values, it is going to cause stress that will undermine any of the job’s positives.
If you can answer all of these questions, you are well on your way to finding work that you will find fulfilling and low stress. While everyone’s answers are going to be different, here some ideas of jobs that according to O*NET rate lower on their stress tolerance scale and are more likely to be fulfilling! Starting with the lowest stress ranking:
1. Archivists - If you have exceptional organizational skills and are a history buff, preserving valuable documents or assets may be a great fit.
2. Food Scientist – Study food for a living and ensure health standards are met!
3. Statistician – This job is perfect for data junkies who love solving problems through research and analysis.
4. Geographer – Have maps always been your thing? Make it into a career!
5. Economist – Another data-heavy career path for those who are fascinated by the financial markets and want to be involved in shaping policy.
6. Astronomer – Looking at the stars sounds like the ultimate low stress job (assuming the idea of infinite time and space doesn’t freak you out!)
7. Florist – Bring an eye for design and be a part of people’s everyday lives and celebrations!
8. Orthodontist – Yes, you spend a lot of time in people’s mouths, but you are ultimately creating smiles.
9. Art Director – Starving artist no more! Create and execute designs for media, branding, advertising, etc.
10. Web Developer – Coding is often flexible enough to be done on your own schedule and blends technical skills with creativity.
We all know we spend a lot of time at work, but considering we will spend over 90,000 hours at work over the course of our lifetimes, finding fulfilling work that doesn’t cause you stress is a must!
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Mary Beth Ferrante is the owner and founder of Live.Work.Lead., an organization dedicated to working with companies to retain top female talent by supporting women navigate their first critical year of becoming a new parent. Live.Work.Lead. works with new and expecting moms through 1:1 and through group programs. They also provide training to managers on the maternal wall and how to better support their employees planning for and returning from parental leave. Prior to founding Live.Work.Lead., Mary Beth was an SVP of Business Strategy for a Fortune 100 company. In addition, Live.Work.Lead. offers Virtual "Mommy and Me" Classes designed for Working Professionals.
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