Tips for Achieving Professional Fulfillment

It's easy freak out about the job market right now. But, there is a silver lining in all of this uncertainty. The smart move? Use this time to invest in yourself. I learned this the hard way, wasting too much time trying to make a move during the Great Recession and getting no results. At first, I panicked. Then I realized the job market was completely out of my control and decided to focus on something that wasn't: Expanding my skillset and getting a new certification. ⭐Within 10 months, I was promoted from recruiting to leading PR and external affairs. ⭐Within 4 years, I was recruited to a dream job Bottom line: This isn't the time to just sit back and relax. And panicking won't help. When the job market turns (and it will!) you want to be ready to go. Here's what to do now to set yourself up for success: 1️⃣ Create Your Own Opportunities ↳ Volunteer for high-visibility projects ↳ Solve problems nobody owns yet ↳ Document your wins meticulously 2️⃣ Build Strategic Relationships ↳ Network across departments and externally ↳ Find mentors who challenge your thinking ↳ Be the go-to person others count on for something specific 3️⃣ Learn In-Demand Skills ↳ Master data analysis and visualization ↳ Build AI savvy and experience ↳ Pick up tools to manage complex projects 4️⃣ Develop As A Thought Leader ↳ Share insights from your daily work ↳ Write internal newsletters or reports ↳ Present at team meetings consistently 5️⃣ Volunteer in Your Community ↳ Search for organizations aligned with your values ↳ Find out what help they need most ↳ Take on a leadership role to make connections or build skills 6️⃣ Teach Others ↳ Choose something you genuinely enjoy ↳ Take a deep dive into it so you can teach it to others ↳ Check out community centers, and local colleges for adjunct roles 7️⃣ Start a Side Gig ↳ What can you do that others can't or won't? ↳ Let friends, family and neighbors know what you're doing ↳ Ask people to refer you and share testimonials on social media 💡Career growth isn't just about changing jobs. It's about owning your own professional development. ♻️ Share to help others grow professionally. 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career insights. 📌 Need help with your growth strategy? DM me to chat.

Ever have that moment where you look up from your laptop and think, This is not what I signed up for. You’ve had your head down, working hard, just trying to make it through the days and weeks. Then you stop. Blink. And start saying thinking: How did I end up here? This isn’t what I thought it was going to be. Is this as good as it gets? Is this even what I want? I don’t have any other options. I’ve been there for sure. That line of thinking can make you feel powerless and trapped. Which often leads to not making any changes. To burnout, dread, anxiety, and overwhelm. You end up abdicating your autonomy to your job. There are so many ways you can start making small shifts that add up to a completely different day-to-day emotional experience. Change in the right direction. Some ideas: 1️⃣ Reconnect with your values and goals: Take some time to reflect on what's important to you and what you hope to achieve in your career. It may not be the same as it was when you started out. Once you’ve done that, what needs to change to get in alignment with those values and goals? Start making changes one by one. 2️⃣ Focus on what you can control: It's easy to feel overwhelmed or frustrated by the things that are outside of your control, such as organizational policies and politics, supervisors, colleagues, clients, trends in your industry, or the job market. Instead of focusing on these external factors, focus on the things that you can control, such as your own mindset, work habits, and actions. 3️⃣ Identify areas for growth: It’s possible that you aren’t being challenged enough or that your professional growth has stalled or that you are bored with what you are currently doing. Where can you add or take advantage of some opportunities for growth and development? 4️⃣ Build in time for rest: It’s hard to get unstuck when you are going full speed all. the. time. Start building in some intentional slow downs. Create the space you need to assess your life. 5️⃣ Build relationships and community: When we are overworking, we neglect our need for human connection. Where can you build in more meaningful connection? 6️⃣ Ask yourself this → If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your current job, what would it be? Then, answer this → How can I make that happen without a magic wand? 7️⃣ Get coached. I know what it is like to look up and feel lost about where you are and how you got there. Getting coached helped me make significant changes to the way my life looked and felt (and those tools are still helping me do that every single day). ❔How are you feeling about your job and your life right now?

𝗔 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 ☀ Ever felt like your professional successes don't quite fill the void within? It's a challenge many in leadership positions encounter: the quest for genuine fulfillment and purpose that goes beyond just achieving goals. Ignoring this sense of emptiness can lead to a disconnection from your work, affecting productivity and potentially prompting thoughts of leaving your organization. A daily reflection exercise on your purpose can be key in addressing this. Here’s a streamlined approach: 💥 Identify Moments of Identity: Recall six times in your career where you felt most fully yourself. What is most meaningful to you, and why? 💥 Find the Underlying Pattern: Examine these situations closely. What connects them? Capture the common thread that made these moments feel you were most fully being yourself. The clue is in what is meaningful and why. 💥 Craft Your Purpose Statement: Turn this pattern into a deep self-concept statement. It could be something as inspiring as "To be the best in every interaction" or "To bring out the best in my people." 💥 Winning matters, but without meaningfulness it results in emptiness. So winning matters, meaning matters, it’s Both/And, not either/or. Combine going for a Big Win and your Big Purpose. 💥 Mobilize Your Purpose: Make this statement a guiding principle in your everyday decisions and regularly review its relevance to your evolving leadership journey. Carefully not on track, off track and course correct. By incorporating this reflection into your daily routine, you can start to bridge the gap between external achievements (winning) and internal fulfillment (meaning). When done well, this alignment can reignite your passion for your work, enhance your productivity, and deepen your connection to your role and team.🌀 Share your thoughts in the COMMENTS below. 🔽 #LeadershipFulfillment #PurposeBeyondSuccess #ReflectAndRedefine #AuthenticLeadership #MissionDrivenLeaders

Career advice we need to stop giving people: "𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻." Bad advice. You can love something and still burn out. (𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘭.) "𝗗𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘁." Also bad advice. Mastery without meaning is just a paycheck. (𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬.) Neither guarantees fulfillment. So why are we still telling people this? Real fulfillment comes from the intersection of three things: ✔ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 – Not just what excites you, but what keeps you engaged long-term. ✔ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 – The skills you’ve refined, the talents that come naturally. ✔ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 – The work that fuels you instead of draining you. Passion alone won’t sustain you. Skill alone won’t fulfill you. But when you combine joy, mastery, and energy— that’s when work stops feeling like a trade-off and starts feeling like what you were meant to do. What other "career advice" do we need to leave behind this year?

I used to think career success was a ladder – until life taught me it’s more like a winding path. Embracing detours has been one of the most valuable lessons in my career journey. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝟭𝟬 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿: ➡️ Be Open to Unexpected Opportunities Growth often comes from roles you didn’t plan for. ↳ Say yes to projects outside your comfort zone – they may lead to your next big move. ➡️ View Setbacks as Stepping Stones A career “pause” or shift isn’t failure; it’s redirection. ↳ Reflect on what a setback taught you and how it prepares you for what’s next. ➡️ Build Skills, Not Just Titles Skills you pick up in one role can unlock opportunities in another. ↳ Focus on mastering transferable skills that keep you versatile. ➡️ Network Beyond Your Industry Career paths often connect through unexpected people. ↳ Invest in relationships outside your current role – it’s often who you know that opens doors. ➡️ Prioritize Personal Growth Over Promotions True career fulfillment comes from alignment, not titles. ↳ Ask yourself, “Is this role helping me become who I want to be?” ➡️ Accept the "Side Step" as Forward Movement A lateral move can be strategic if it brings you closer to your goals. ↳ Seek roles that build critical experience, even if they aren’t an immediate step up. ➡️ Stay Curious About New Fields Sometimes your passion doesn’t align with your degree or background. ↳ Explore areas of interest, even if they don’t “fit” your current role. Curiosity can lead to big shifts. ➡️ Create Value Where You Are Meaningful impact can open doors faster than climbing ladders. ↳ Focus on making a difference in your current role, even if it’s not your end goal. ➡️ Pace Yourself – There’s No Deadline Success is a marathon, not a sprint. ↳ Trust your timeline and avoid comparing your progress to others. Career paths are deeply personal. ➡️ Remember – Growth Can Be Nonlinear Each role and experience adds layers to your unique path. ↳ Embrace every twist and turn; they’re all part of your story. The straight-line career is a myth. Embrace the detours – sometimes, they’re where you find your greatest success. Quote: Gary Tan -- ♻️ Find this helpful? Repost to remind others that career paths are unique. ➕ Follow me Nico for tips on designing an intentional and fulfilling career path.

The biggest professional advantage you can have? Prioritizing your mental health. It’s the foundation for: • Landing your dream job • Achieving financial goals • Living a happy, fulfilling life When your mental health is at its best, everything improves: ⬆️ Productivity ⬆️ Relationships ⬆️ Motivation ⬆️ Happiness ⬆️ Leadership skills ⬆️ Job satisfaction But when you sacrifice it, you risk your future. I learned this the hard way. To maintain a 4.0 GPA in college, I neglected my mental health. The result? Depression, homelessness, and unemployment for eight years. Once I prioritized my mental health, my life transformed. ✅ Built multiple businesses ✅ Became an international athlete ✅ Coached countless professionals ✅ Networked globally Now, I’ve made a commitment: Never sacrifice my mental health again. If this resonates with you, here are 5 steps to start prioritizing your mental health: 1️⃣ Master the basics. Focus on sleep, nutrition, exercise, and community. 2️⃣ Protect your energy. Surround yourself with positive people. 3️⃣ Connect your job to your purpose. Professional fulfillment fuels personal happiness. 4️⃣ Schedule active recovery. Work 90–120 minutes, then take 20 minutes to recharge. 5️⃣ Hire a coach. A good coach aligns with your goals and helps you avoid burnout. You only get one brain, but you can always find a new job or earn more money. Feeling stuck? I’m here to help.