Our worthy cause

Service and sacrifice. These are two other big words we can think about when considering a job search.

I was asked by a person who I deeply admire what the final straw was for me leaving the pharmaceutical industry. My answer? I didn’t want to solve the problems that I was being hired to solve anymore.

With me, I no longer wanted to be in service to the organization. I no longer wanted to sacrifice in order to achieve my company’s overarching “mission statement.”

I find that many job seekers and career changers that I speak to share those same feelings.

And here’s the frustrating thing: it isn’t that we don’t believe in service or sacrifice. It’s the opposite: we believe in service and sacrifice so much that we can’t ignore it when we know that we aren’t experiencing it.

Being in service to something bigger than ourselves and sacrificing for our worthy cause is integral to finding fulfillment in our careers. It isn’t enough to just “be in service,” and it isn’t enough to sacrifice for just any cause, no matter how worthy it might seem to others.

Today, I’d happily talk to you about my resume writing and career coaching work. I’d also bring up every difficulty, every frustration, and every moment that makes me want to pull out all my hair.

But each morning, I wake up with tremendous gratitude. I start on my to-do list, chat with clients, plan out resumes, and tackle all of it in the fullness of spirit.

I believe with every fiber of my being that I am living a life of service, and I am glad (glad!) to sacrifice for the work I’m doing. You couldn’t take me away from my desk or my laptop for all the money in the world.

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