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What Your Scores Mean

These scores are calculated as a percentage of the possible points you could have scored for each attribute. This can help you understand how strong your leanings are towards a specific trait. As you might guess, a higher score means you identify with an attribute more. This isn't a right-or-wrong type of score- just an extra indicator of your preferences!

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What is the Domain Breakdown?

This is a snapshot of what form of compensation matters most to you and the balance between them. The report is intentionally broad and should be used only as a guide as assess your fit with an opportunity. The three domains (Approach, Environment, and Outcomes) are presented as a diagram proportionally divided to correlate with your responses. We find it helps to see the forest before we focus on the trees.

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Your Results

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Your results have been compiled below! With WorkFit DX, you will see your High-low Report, which includes breakdowns of your top 3 and bottom 3 key indicators, as well as your Mid Report, which shows which attributes fall in the center of your workplace preferences.

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Feeling overwhelmed by your results or just not sure where to start?
Check out our guide on How to Read Your Results.

Domain Breakdown

What's this?

The strength of our Domain scores indicates what domain and category of attribution we value most. While not as specific as the individual results that follow, these results help us better understand our priorities and enable more productive conversations with our employers. Consider focusing negotiations and team-building discussions around the Domains that are strongest, even if you need to give a little on the side of the circle that is smallest. (For more tips on developing Domain-based strategies, contact a Career Placement Specialist.)

Satisfaction in our careers depends on how we do a job, not just the nature of the work performed. Two people can fill a role equally effectively but approach their work entirely differently. Their success and happiness depend largely on their ability to work in the most effective way for them.
The average person will spend over 90,000 hours of their life at work. More waking hours will be spent at work than engaged in any other single task. It is important that you work in an environment where you are empowered to be your best self.
Employment at its root is a contract between employers and employees. Our employers receive the time and results of our efforts, and we are compensated. Compensation is why we work. There are several varieties of compensation. Assessing the merits of each of these outcomes leads to more strategic career choices.

High Report

The following results represent the Attributes that contribute most to your fit with employment opportunities. With the insights shared below, you should be able to develop a strategy that will effectively support career selection, contract negotiation, employee evaluation, and self-discovery.

#1

Autonomy Highest Attribute

Autonomy is an APPROACH

Satisfaction in our careers depends on how we do a job, not just the nature of the work performed.

Two people can fill a role effectively but approach their work very differently. Their success and happiness depend largely on their ability to work in the most effective way for them.

Strategic Insights

With autonomy high in your results, you value being trusted and appreciate having room to figure out your own way of doing things. The intrinsically motivated respond most positively to autonomy, and when given that autonomy they become more motivated.

Autonomy is the level of discretion you have over your work and how you do it and is deeply intertwined with ownership and trust. The higher the skill level needed for a job, the more autonomy you have. Being an expert at something has many perks, and one of them is higher levels of autonomy. Studies show that workers who have higher levels of autonomy in their job tend to have better job performance, satisfaction, organizational commitment, lower work-related stress, less fatigue, and more intrinsic motivation.

You can approach attaining high levels of autonomy from three different angles. Autonomy is largely decided by what position you’re in within the company, what type of work you do, and who your manager is. Some positions lend themselves to more autonomy, but a micromanaging manager can interfere with your independence.

One secret to finding jobs with high autonomy is to become a manager. Managers, however, are not always known for being particularly good at what they do, which is no wonder, because most of them have never had formal training in management (it’s been proven)! Professional management training is a great way to get a high-autonomy job in virtually any field you’re interested in. Consider an MBA or MPA, for example. People who complete these kinds of programs have very high starting salaries, learn skills that can be applied almost anywhere, and usually find jobs with very high levels of autonomy.

You will have success if you look for jobs where your performance is outcome-based and your work processes don’t rely on high levels of coordination. It’s also worth noting that autonomy doesn’t necessarily mean working alone (though it can). High functioning and close-knit teams can still have high levels of individual, and team, autonomy. You’re looking for a role where your tasks are relatively self-contained, and levels of trust are high.

Interview Questions

  • How is success measured in this role?
  • Who else do people in this role need to work with to be successful?
  • Who else in the company can do this role? (Often roles that cannot be done by others have higher levels of autonomy—whether that’s being the company data-wizard, tax accountant, or courier. If nobody else can/will do it, it’s harder to micromanage you.)

Job Search Tips

  • One of your greatest assets here is current employees; they are often far more willing to share how things actually happen than those in charge of the hiring. You can ask the hiring manager if you can talk to a current employee, or, if you’re a little braver, just reach out to them yourself. Tell them you're considering taking a job at their company and that you’d like to ask them a few questions about working there.
  • Jobs with high levels of autonomy often come with higher levels of reward (intrinsic or extrinsic), some can also come with higher levels of risk (for instance, pure commission sales). You now know that you care about autonomy, so think about applying that to your job search. Do an honest self-evaluation to determine how much you want social interaction with co-workers, and/or some level of oversight to keep you on task. That can help you narrow down the types of high-autonomy jobs you’re looking for.
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#2

Excitement

Strategic Insights

With excitement high in your results, you're looking for something that provides you a literal physical/psychological reaction, at least from time to time. Excitement and work are not often spoken of together because most jobs, even great ones that people really enjoy, aren't usually exciting. Luckily, there are plenty that are. Nobody wants a monotonous job, but you would probably prefer something beyond just “not monotonous.”

Excitement is mental, but it has effects on the whole body. It is motivating, thrilling, and can enliven your senses. Excitement is also associated with perceived danger, and there are many jobs with a risk of physical danger (firefighter, etc.). These important jobs require people who thrive in dangerous situations. Physical danger, however, is not the only form of perceived danger. Social danger can also be exhilarating. Virtually any type of performance in front of a crowd is exciting, from arts to athletics, to public speaking, sales, or even teaching.

Excitement at work often overlaps with unpredictability. A hallmark of exciting work is solving unexpected problems on the fly. Sometimes these will place you into situations that you weren’t prepared for, and to be honest, are not even fully qualified to handle. But you may be the best or only one available to do it. Done right, this can lead to a lot of growth and personal development. People who can make things happen AND make good decisions on the fly in high-stress situations are diamonds in the rough.

Forging a new path is also exciting. When you can go to bed at night knowing that something new was created today because of the work that you did, that's exciting. While some of the jobs listed above may provide obvious thrills, unpredictability and urgency go hand in hand with excitement and can be found in many positions. Others will often pass up on such jobs because they are unpredictable. It's their loss and your high.

Interview Questions

  • What parts of this job do you think will be the most exciting?
  • Every job has some boring parts. What do you feel are the most tedious parts of this job?
  • Why do you feel most of your employees enjoy working here?

Job Search Tips

  • Sometimes excitement is a form of payment all by itself, so the most exciting jobs often don't pay as much as more monotonous jobs. Don't let that deter you! If your financial needs will be met, considering the excitement as part of your pay.
  • What's exciting is different for everyone, so you may have a unique opportunity if you are excited by something that others are not. Find dog grooming to be very exciting? Great! Use that!
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#3

Flexibility

Strategic Insights

With flexibility high in your results, you want to be able to blend your work life with the needs and desires you have for the rest of your life. Well, you're in luck! Research shows that those who value flexibility and free time tend to be the happiest and most satisfied with their lives. Why? Because they avoid the (un)happiness traps of spending too much time focusing on things that don't actually make them happy and might even make them miserable.

Consider looking for a job that is outcome-oriented, perhaps project-based, and where strict, in-person time is not highly prized. More and more employers are making it possible for people to be more flexible with their work. Flexibility can be found in hourly jobs, salaried positions, and production-based work. Management is the single most important factor in determining the flexibility of the company's operations—more significant even than the industry or company.

Covid-19 has led to some dramatic changes regarding flexibility and work. A 2021 Harvard study found that of those who switched to working remotely, only 12% wanted to go back to work every day in the office, the rest wanted to either stay fully remote or return to a hybrid situation with some days remote and some in-office every week. Why? The main reason: flexibility. It turns out that feeling like you are constantly under the watchful eyes of your employers and co-workers can dramatically curtail how much flexibility you feel your job has. Remote work has not impacted productivity. Rather, it has allowed people to prioritize other, often more important things, in their lives.

This is a fast-moving situation, but things will not go back to the way they were before because most workers who have tasted flexibility don’t want to give it up. Increasingly, the companies offering the most flexibility will be able to get the best talent. This is good for you. With a little legwork and flexibility on your part, you will have more choices to arrange work the way you want across the different stages of your life.

Interview Questions

  • Is there a set time that I am supposed to arrive and leave every day?
  • Are there any employees who have taken non-traditional approaches to this position?
  • What is the company's sick day/vacation policy?

Job Search Tips

  • Don't be sneaky about this. If you're hiding what you really care about now, there are two things you need to realize. First, you're going to keep hiding these things once you're hired, which will not lead to more flexibility. Second, if you're applying for a job where you FEEL you need to hide these things, it’s probably a sign that the company won’t give you the flexibility you're looking for.
  • Most jobs that are actually flexible are upfront about it during the interview process because it's attractive. So, speak openly about your priorities. To excel in flexible jobs, you need to earn trust. The better your work is, especially when it's done while utilizing flexible working arrangements, the more trust you will earn, the less your manager will worry about what you're doing, and the more freedom you will have.
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Low Report

These Attributes are the least relevant to your finding a professional fit. While not as important for you to recognize as the positively correlated Attributes, we have found that, because no job is perfect, it is helpful to know what you might be able to give in exchange for what you need from an employer.

#13

Clarity

Strategic Insights

Having clarity in your bottom three means that you are ok with relatively high levels of uncertainty. High tolerance for uncertainty, and even a little chaos, can allow you to thrive where others falter. Still, beware of managers that have unnecessarily vague expectations.

High tolerance for uncertainty is inherently entrepreneurial and makes you well suited for being on the cutting edge of new initiatives. You are a good fit for spearheading the creation of new projects within companies or even creating new companies. Consider looking for jobs in startups. There are job boards exclusively for positions in startups. These jobs often come with high levels of uncertainty, creativity, team comradery, and even a little company ownership, which can sometimes pay off in big ways. You never know, and that’s kind of the point. People who score very high on clarity have a hard time in creative fields, and often burn out. Because you don’t (right now) you can potentially thrive in fields such as the arts and entertainment where outcomes tend to be subjective and success is very hard to define upfront but easier to recognize after the fact.

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#14

Collaboration

Strategic Insights

Having collaboration at the bottom of your results means you enjoy jobs that many others might find too isolating. This might be because you just happen to like it that way, or perhaps because you feel that your social needs are being met outside of your job through your bowling team, chess club, seven kids, partner, or the hobby farm you come home to every day. Great! Organizations need people who can thrive in jobs where they are self-directed and largely independent. Working successfully with minimal oversight can often lead to opportunities for promotion.

Although you enjoy captaining your own boat, that doesn’t mean that you (or any human) will thrive in isolation. So, even if you can succeed as a lone wolf, make sure you find ways to connect with others in meaningful ways. Having lunch with friends or coworkers, getting a coffee, drinks, or some food outside of work, invite a coworker to join you or your family for a hike on the weekend, or even participating in a thriving meme-sharing culture on Slack can help you build worthwhile professional relationships.

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#15

Location Lowest Attribute

Strategic Insights

With location in your bottom results, you can confidently pursue the best opportunities regardless of their location. You are highly adaptable and can adjust to life in the big city, small town, near family, or far from it. This does not mean that you don't have preferences, just that those preferences don't strongly determine your level of satisfaction at work.

Agility can be a very powerful advantage when job hunting but if overindulged can prevent you from developing the deep roots that are often essential for advancement. Stay flexible on location but keep an eye out for aspects of your location that really resonate with you and try to maintain and maximize those going forward. (Note: Location preference is a domain that often changes over the course of a career. It may be in your top three at one stage of your career and in the bottom at another. Don't assume because it’s at the bottom now, which suggests that you can be happy working anywhere, that you will always be geographically versatile).

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Mid Report

These key-indicators, while not as relevant to your personal strategy, should be studied and understood because over the course of your career it is likely that one or more of these results will increase in importance to you. There also might be an insight or question that will be of value to you.

#4

Specialization

Strategic Insights

Specialization means that you value becoming very good at something. Virtually every superhero story (Avengers), crime procedural (Bones), or heist movie (Oceans 11) features a team of highly specialized individuals. These teams work because the group is made up of people who are incredibly good at their individual specialties. That is their calling card. It’s exciting, satisfying, and meaningful to be the resident ‘expert’ on something. The fact that specialization is in your top three means that this is something that will be particularly enjoyable to you.

Scholars often delineate between generalists and specialists. You want to be a specialist. To be a specialist, focus on hard skills that are easy to quantify. That doesn’t mean you have to be a coder (though that’s a great job), but you’ll want to find a position in which you can measure and show your progress.

Perhaps surprising to some, specialization often dovetails nicely with low-variety jobs. This does NOT mean boring jobs. It means jobs that you have a chance to become very good at because you are allowed the time and opportunity to become excellent. Professional video gamers have extremely low-variety jobs that are almost impossible to attain because so many other people would love to be paid to play the same thing over and over for so long that they get extraordinarily good at it. Most areas of specialization have far less competition than video-game streaming, so even a little expertise can make you the best in the room, the best in the company, or even beyond.

Becoming a specialist is very fulfilling because you can see that you are getting better at something. It’s also clear how important your work is because often you’re the only one around who can perform a particular task. This also comes with some social status. Expertise can be achieved in any job or at any education level. Master’s degrees and trade certifications are, by definition, paths to mastery in a specific area, and a great way to show your expertise.

Interview Questions

  • What hard skills are vital for this job?
  • Are there any company-sponsored trainings/certifications that are part of this job?
  • Does the company offer any education programs to help employees gain more skills?

Job Search Tips

  • When considering a specialization, ask yourself, ‘how many people could put this on their resume?’ If the answer is very few, you’re on the right track.
  • Imagine a current or future supervisor introducing you as “This is (your name). They’re our _______ expert!” Are you working on something that could fill that blank? Does this job provide you the opportunity to learn skills that would lead a future employer to say this about you?
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#5

Leadership

Strategic Insights

Valuing leadership does not mean that you need to be the boss (though it may indicate that you are well suited to taking a leadership role). Valuing leadership suggests that who is in charge matters to you, and there’s a good reason for that. Believing in the company's leadership and its vision will help you succeed and increase your satisfaction at work.

It is also useful to be aware that your manager and your company leadership are two distinct things. Surprisingly, evidence suggests that company leadership is generally more responsible for people quitting than their direct managers are. Even in situations with great managers but poor company leadership, only 38% of employees intend to stay with the company. However, in situations with poor managers but great company leaders, 60% intend to stay! In situations with great management AND leaders, a full 89% intend to stay. So, leadership matters a lot and people can, and do, overlook flaws in middle management when company leadership is great.

Studies show that in “good” companies managers make a big difference in whether or not people leave their jobs, but in “bad” companies, good or bad managers make little difference in a person’s decision to leave (they just leave). In the end, you don’t have a lot of say in who the company leaders are, but your manager will change fairly frequently. Ask current employees about their feelings about company leadership (not in front of other people). If they are effusive and practically glowing with positive feelings, this is probably a great place to work.

Also, keep an eye out for opportunities to take a management role. As someone who values good leadership, you likely have the instincts that would make you a good leader. Often when people who value leadership work in an environment where the management team is not effective or inspiring, they are able to fill the need for leadership and create value for the company and opportunities for themselves.

Interview Questions

  • Can you tell me about the CEO, VP, or Director)?
  • What do you find most inspiring about working here?
  • What opportunities are there for advancement?

Job Search Tips

  • Research the company founders and current leadership team. See if you can identify any similarities or red flags.
  • Apply for positions that have supervisory responsibilities. This will help you develop a leadership style or utilize your natural ability to lead.
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#6

Remuneration

Strategic Insights

How much money you make impacts practically every aspect of your life. It determines what you can buy, where you live, and when you can retire. With remuneration high on your list, you are aware of the power of money. Your lifestyle, and, to a degree, your self-worth are tied to how much you make. Accordingly, your job needs to be aligned with your life and financial goals. It may feel similarly important to you that your pay accurately reflects your contribution to your employer. If what you are paid and how you value yourself are out of balance, you will likely be dissatisfied at work. You might even come to resent your employer.

Pay transparency can be crucial for those who value remuneration highly. A common source of conflict between individuals with high remuneration in their results and their employers is the differences in pay between employees, particularly if the employee's contribution is viewed as inconsistent with their compensation. These issues are exacerbated when that information is discovered rather than disclosed.

Valuing remuneration does not mean that you will tolerate a terrible job. One huge study of current employees found that across all income levels, pay is not the top predictor of workplace satisfaction. Instead, it is the culture and values of the organization, followed closely by the quality of senior leadership and career opportunities within the company. These are the hallmarks of good employers. This makes sense. Making a lot of money can help you achieve certain goals in your life, but it does not make a miserable job much less miserable, nor does it make up for relationship casualties that can come from an unbalanced life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with valuing remuneration. Money creates opportunities and can enable a very balanced, fulfilling life. Keeping that balance is up to you. So, within the scope of your financial goals, continue to diligently research the jobs that are available and pick the one that meets your financial needs, but that you will also enjoy as much as possible.

Interview Questions

  • What is the starting salary (if not posted)?
  • If I perform well, what can I expect to earn five years from now?
  • Are there opportunities to earn additional commissions or bonus pay?

Job Search Tips

  • With remuneration high on your list, you should consider employers who are transparent about pay. It would also be worthwhile to consider commission-based employment or opportunities with performance-based bonuses.
  • Apply for jobs where the pay scale can be determined. Some employers publish their salary information. For other positions, you may need to search for this information elsewhere. Often you will be able to find at least an approximate salary. Without salary insights, you will likely apply to jobs that aren't viable options for you, based on your financial requirements.
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#7

Variety

Strategic Insights

With variety in your top attributes, you should consider jobs that don’t necessarily look the same from one month to the next, or even from day to day. One option could be project-based jobs. You may also enjoy working on a team where everyone needs to wear multiple hats from time to time (for instance, most startups). Variety comes with unpredictability, which for some is a perk. You get to solve problems, and you’ll often be thrown into situations in which you are not yet an expert. This is a fast track to gaining competency and experience across many different areas.

Variety doesn’t necessarily mean a chaotic or unpredictable workplace (though it can in some fields if that’s what you want). Some jobs, such as K-12 teaching, coaching, and construction, have variety built into them because of the different topics, lessons, projects, and people you interact with every day.

To find a job that’s high on variety, look for positions that have structural reasons for why your work would vary. Does the position entail working for diverse clients on their various needs? From consulting to accounting to home remodeling, working with clients is one way that variety can be built in. Another often overlooked source of variety is working on a small team or in a small company. As part of a smaller firm, relatively few people must address the day-to-day tasks and problems. Everyone has to pitch in for the venture to succeed. This is a good way to avoid boredom.

Interview Questions

  • How many clients do we work with at any given time, and how different might the jobs be for various clients?
  • What will my day-to-day work look like? (Often, in positions with high variety this will be a hard question for them to answer, which is a good thing in this case)
  • How big is the team I will be working on and how do job assignments get handed out?

Job Search Tips

  • Look for the words “client” and “project” or “project-based” or “many/multiple/different hats.” These are not the only ways to find jobs with high variety, but they’re a great start.
  • Want variety? Go work for a startup. There are job boards that post positions specifically for startups and you will likely end up doing work across all sorts of areas in a fast-paced environment.
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#8

Training

Strategic Insights

With training at the bottom of your results, you are likely comfortable figuring it out as you go. Many companies, particularly startups, do not have formal training and mentorship programs. This lack of structure and process is frustrating for many people and can lead to turnover. But, for someone who can cope or maybe even thrive with a lack of direction, there is an opportunity to provide value and find success. Since you can compromise on training, you will have more options. If you’re happy with your job position, but don’t feel a great need for new training, there’s a good chance you are starting to turn more of your creative attention towards projects and relationships outside of your work. This is very healthy.

Opportunities for training become fewer and fewer as your responsibilities increase and when you work independently. A word of caution, don't run before you can walk. We all need training. Don't be too eager to reject the voice of experience. However, with training low on your list of professional needs, you could be ready to consider more of a senior role.

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#9

Sociability

Strategic Insights

Scoring low on sociability does not mean that you are naturally bad at networking, nor does it mean that you work best alone. It just means that you do not require as much social interaction to be fulfilled at work. With sociability low in your rankings you might not be greatly impacted by relationships with your co-workers. Office politics can have little or no impact on your life unless they make getting the job done more difficult. You can confidently seek employment that is remote, or independent.

Sociability is one of the rarest attributes to find at the bottom, most people need to interact with others to achieve any degree of personal satisfaction. You may need to go out of your way to interact with others and to help them feel welcomed and valued as members of the team. This is particularly true if you are in leadership. Your progress at work will also largely depend on your ability to interact with others. Networking can be critical to advancement.

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#10

Predictability

Strategic Insights

Having predictability toward the bottom of your test results means that structure and clarity are less necessary for you to succeed. You should consider a wide range of options, even those with no formal structure. People with low predictability demands thrive in startups or relatively new and fast-growing companies. In these situations, everyone comes into work every day prepared to help pitch in on just about anything. Done right, this can be very exciting.

Although predictability is low in your values, it does not mean that you can thrive in a situation with terrible communication and vague expectations. For instance, being an author comes with very low levels of predictability. There is no set work schedule, and it is very difficult to know if your book will be successful. Unpredictability is built into the job. Imagine you have an editor that gives you the feedback to “make this better.” This is unhelpful and can even be counterproductive. Even if your job is unpredictable, work with your managers to make sure you have a good sense of what they’re looking for.

While having predictability toward the bottom of results will allow you to trade formal expectations for qualities that are higher on your list, understand that you will still need to demonstrate how you bring value to your employer. Without clear expectations, it can be challenging to prove your value. Think about ways you might demonstrate how you are contributing.

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#11

Status

Strategic Insights

Having status-seeking relatively low in your motivations means that you can more easily find value and meaning in your work without being constantly recognized by others, (though it virtually always feels good to be admired). It can also mean that even in less meaningful/enjoyable job you are getting enough respect and esteem in your life outside of work that you don’t need as much affirmation from your job and co-workers.

Not needing as much external validation opens up good opportunities that others might not enjoy and has the side benefit of helping to keep you away from some of the potential pitfalls and temptations of self-aggrandizement. On the flip side, you might not do a good enough job of self-promotion and might even downplay your accomplishments. You might want to look a little deeper and see if the work you have done is better than you are giving it credit for. Because you don’t get as much satisfaction as others from external affirmation, it might not occur to you how important it is to recognize your own achievements.

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#12

Purpose

Strategic Insights

Having purpose at the bottom of your list doesn't mean that your life is without meaning, nor does it mean that you aren't passionate. It means that you don’t cound on your job to satisfy your passions or give your life purpose. Very often it means that you use the resources provided by your job to facilitate the things that do bring you purpose. Despite all the “follow your passion” rhetoric you were taught about your future career growing up, you are using your work to allow you to find purpose elsewhere and facilitate your other passions. This is very healthy, and more likely to lead to a happy and fulfilled life than trying to find your purpose from your job.

As you search for opportunities, consider that people often make compromises to work somewhere purposeful. The good news is that you don't need to do this. You can look for a job that maximizes your other career goals, even if it means you aren't working for an organization with a mission about which you have deeply held feelings. Flexibility and free time are great tradeoffs to bargain for, and studies show they can help you find more meaning in your life than others who seek purpose primarily from their work.

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The Job-Hunt Guidebook

A collection of the most important myths and truths found in the last 20 years of academic studies on interviews, resumes, and applications.

The Truth Behind Job Postings

The great mismatch between how hiring managers view job postings and how applicants view job postings, and how that’s derailing applicants.

The Three Things Employers are Looking For in Applications

in Applications and Interviews and the central questions the interviewer is asking themselves about you.

The Four Lies Employers are Worried About in Your Application

  • These affect how they view all applicants, even the 100% honest
  • How this changes the way you need to present yourself
  • Detailed and specific steps you can take to use this knowledge in your application, resume, and interviews to rise to the very top of the stack