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Originally Posted On: https://hansschumann.com/2024/12/how-to-find-a-job-you-love-in-2025/
How to Find a Job You Love in 2025
Finding a job you love isn’t just a lofty dream; it’s a fundamental part of living a happy and fulfilled life. As we move into 2025, many professionals like you will be looking for new careers that offer not just a paycheck, but also a sense of purpose and satisfaction. This article will guide you through the steps to discover a job that not only pays the bills but also fills your heart with joy.
Assessing Your Current Job
Before you jump ship, it’s crucial to evaluate your current job satisfaction. Ask yourself what you like and dislike about your job. Are there aspects that align with your values, or are you just clocking in for the money? Take note of early warning signs of dissatisfaction that can lead to burnout, such as mood swings, low energy or irritability. If you dread Monday mornings, this may be a sign that it’s time for a change. Do you really want to spend more years in a job that drains your energy and enjoyment?
I suggest that you discuss your job situation with friends, colleagues or a career coach before you rush into hasty decisions. Have open conversations to gain different perspectives and explore options for improving your current work situation. Sometimes, a change in responsibilities, a promotion or an exciting new project can reignite your passion for your career. If you find that your current position still has potential, explore how you can grow within the company. If, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion that there is nothing you can do to create more fulfilment in your current job, then it’s time to look for a new role or even a complete career overhaul.
Understanding What You Love
The first step in finding a job you love is to establish what you love doing. I usually refrain from talking about finding your “passion” or “purpose” as my career coaching clients often struggle to identify anything that fits their understanding of these terms. Trying to find your passion or purpose sets such a high bar that it can add unnecessary stress, complications and mental blocks to your career exploration. Instead, I help my clients find answers to the following questions, which are easier to answer:
- What activities do you enjoy, so that a work day full of them would be a great day?
- What would make you feel alive at work?
- What is meaningful to you?
- What activities make you lose track of time?
- What do you value most in your career, and in life generally?
If a job allows you to pursue tasks that tick a few or even all of your answers to the above questions, this would probably be a fulfilling career for you. It would also make it much more likely for you to succeed in this job because you will be emotionally engaged and intrinsically motivated to perform well.
To start your own exploration, I suggest that you keep a journal where you document moments of enjoyment and satisfaction in your daily life. Reflect on past experiences, both professional and personal, to identify patterns that reveal your core interests. This self-reflection can help you uncover hidden passions, values or interests that could translate into a rewarding career. I take my clients through a structured process to find answers to each of the above questions. My key processes are also described in my career coaching book: Falling in Love With Your Job – How to create more fulfilment and excitement in your career.
Understanding What You Are Good At
Once you know what you love doing, the next step is to establish your skills and strengths. When you know what you’re naturally good at, you can position yourself in roles where your talents shine, increasing your chances of success and job satisfaction. Strengths aren’t just about technical skills or qualifications—they also include your attitude, personality traits and interpersonal abilities. Here are some steps to uncover them:
1. Reflect on Past Achievements
Think about moments in your life when you felt particularly accomplished. What were you doing? What skills did you use? Were you solving a complex problem, managing a project or perhaps connecting with others in a meaningful way? These moments can reveal patterns in the skills you naturally excel at.
2. Ask for Feedback
Sometimes, we overlook our own strengths because they feel so natural to us. Reach out to trusted colleagues, friends or mentors and ask what they see as your key strengths. Their perspectives might highlight abilities you hadn’t considered. I suggest that you also revisit performance reviews from the past.
3. Take Strengths Assessments
Tools like the Enneagram, Clifton Strengths, the Wealth Dynamics Tests or other psychometric assessments can help you pinpoint your core soft skills. These insights provide a language to describe your abilities and help you articulate them to potential employers.
4. Notice What Feels Effortless
Pay attention to tasks or activities that come easily to you. These are often areas where your strengths lie. If you find yourself excelling without much struggle and time just flies because you are completely absorbed in an activity, it’s a good sign that you’re in flow. “Flow” is a term that describes an energetic state that we achieve when we leverage our natural talents. Ideally, your core responsibilities at work should be activities that allow you to be in flow. For example, I feel in flow when I have deep conversations with another person about their problems and challenges. That’s why I became a life coach, a profession that allows me to get paid for working in my flow.
5. Recognise What Others Rely on You For
Consider the roles you naturally assume in a group setting. Are you the one people turn to for creative ideas, logical solutions, structure or emotional support? These tendencies can be strong indicators of your unique strengths.
By understanding what you are good at, you can align your career with roles that not only leverage your skills but also make you feel competent and valued. When your job allows you to consistently use your strengths, you’ll experience greater confidence, productivity and overall job satisfaction.
Exploring New Career Options
Once you’ve assessed what you love doing and what you are good at, it’s time to translate your insights into specific ideas for new jobs or careers. A career coach can guide you through this process, helping you gather information and make informed decisions. I coach clients with my Dream Job Formula, which you can see in the image below.
Consider who might need a person with your unique mix of preferences, strengths and talents. Research different industries and roles that pique your interest and match the sweet spot shown in the Dream Job Formula diagram above. At this stage, I use AI to help my clients generate more ideas than they could on their own.
Once you have a short list of ideas, talk to people in the industries or professions you are considering to get a good idea of the reality of working in those jobs. Networking is a key tool at this stage of the process. Reach out to people in the field you’re interested in. Informational interviews can provide valuable insights and open doors to new possibilities.
Consider attending industry conferences, workshops and seminars to expand your knowledge and meet professionals who can offer guidance. Online platforms like LinkedIn are invaluable for connecting with industry experts and joining groups related to your interests. These interactions can provide a wealth of information and help you identify potential career paths that align with your passions.
All of the above should help you create a shortlist of inspiring new career options for you. Hopefully, one of them will excite you enough to give it a try.
Tips for a Successful Job Search in 2025
Once you have decided on a new job or career, you will need to position yourself on the market for the role you desire. This can be tricky. The further away your new job is from the experience shown in your CV, the more work will be required to persuade an employer to give you a shot.
The job market is constantly evolving, and so should your job search strategies. Leverage technology and social media to find opportunities and connect with potential employers. Stay informed about emerging trends and technologies in your field of interest. This knowledge will not only make you a more attractive candidate but also help you identify industries with growth potential. Utilise job search engines and company websites to stay updated on job openings, and don’t hesitate to reach out directly to companies that align with your values and career goals.
Tailor your CV for each application to highlight your strengths and prepare thoroughly for interviews. Here are a few articles in which I share practical tips for job hunting in 2025:
- How to write a CV
- How to write a Personal Statement
- How to prepare for an interview
- How to craft a cover letter
Conclusion
A career change can be daunting, but it can also create a new spring in your life that energises you and helps you grow. We spend so much time at work that we’d better make sure we love what we do.
By understanding what you enjoy, what you truly value and what you are good at you can find a career that excites and fulfils you. There are many ways in which you can make this transition safe; for example, by leaving your current career in a staged transition or setting up a new business alongside your current job. A career coach can help you create a strategy that works for you. If you embrace the journey with an open mind and a willingness to explore, you’ll be well on your way to finding a job that brings you joy and satisfaction.
