Is it the Money? – It may be impolite, but that’s why it's first. In some circles, it’s frowned upon to admit that money motivates us to do our jobs. This seems silly—of course we work to get paid. For many, especially heads of households, nothing motivates more than the need to bring in a certain dollar amount to support the family monthly.
Is it Camaraderie? – Do you like going to work every day and seeing your team? Would working independently the majority of the time make your job less meaningful or enjoyable? Then, the social aspect of your job might be important to you.
Is it Self Worth? – For some, self worth can be directly tied to how they identify professionally. It may be that they’ve always wanted to be a pediatrician and cannot imagine being anything else.
Is it the Work Environment? – Different sectors, and companies and organizations within those sectors, have different vibes. Working in a primary care facility is different from working in an ER.
What about the Tasks? – Some jobs, every day’s a new day with new tasks and projects
to complete. Others—you can expect the same tasks day in and day out. Whether you like change or revel in routine will inform how you feel. Additionally, you may really love the tasks you do each day, but they could be tied to a variety of jobs. Really enjoy managing projects? Project managers exist in a variety of sectors.
Is it the Mission? – For many, especially Veterans, a mission is central to their motivation to complete a task or do a job. Is it a particular
type of mission that motivates you? Do you want to help the less fortunate, but don’t care how you are helping?
Final Thoughts – For most of us, a combination of factors motivates us to work any job, so it’s unlikely that you’ll identify only one element of work that matters to you. But identifying and ranking what matters to you can help you to understand what you are looking for in your next employment opportunity.
Knowing what you want, don’t want, and need from a job is a good place to start when you are preparing to transition to a new location or out of the military. So, please consider, “What motivates you?”
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If you are interested please send your resume to Bianca Nafpliotis, Career Corps Volunteer Program Coordinator at bianca@corporateamericasupportsyou.org.
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