Discover your worth to find a job you love

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Children often have ambitious answers: professional athletes, filmmakers, hip-hop artists, president. When you grow up, you realize how difficult it is to achieve these ambitious goals. But Dr. Beware of the World actually achieved his dream career when he became a hip-hop star.

Two years into a life of international travel, private jets and screaming fans, Chenjerai found himself lying about his Excel skills to get a mundane temp job. The industry he had staked his entire career on had eaten him up and spit him back out without even a qualified CV to show for it.

The end of a dream career can be hard on anyone's psyche and make them doubt their self-worth. This is especially true if, like Chenjerai, we tend to define our worth through fame and financial success.

Suddenly, Chenjerai found himself caught between two career extremes, trying to figure out who he was and where to go next. This is a struggle that many professionals can relate to: How do we redefine ourselves when our so-called Dream jobs seem to end in a dead end?

The connection between self-esteem and job satisfaction

It can be hard to be happy in your job if you have narrow ideas about what success looks like. It also doesn't help if you feel like you're not using your skills, talents, and passions properly.

For Chenjerai, the turning point in his career came when he heard his song over the loudspeakers while waiting for an interview for an administrative job. Until then, he had considered his music career a failure, but when he heard his song, he realized, "Maybe I have more to offer the world than Excel Tables ."

Even though his music career didn't turn out the way he imagined, he realized in that moment that he still had what it took to pursue a music career. But he didn't need a brand new career, just a new mindset and approach. Maybe fame wasn't the most important thing. "What I always liked about making music was that you don't have to be a big personality to make compelling songs that reach and touch other people," he says. After redefining his career expectations, Chenjerai took his love of music and redefined his "dream job" by running a non-profit music studio. He eventually earned a doctorate and became a professor of media studies.

When we don't find satisfaction in the work we're supposed to enjoy, it means we need to let go of our "expectations" and bring in creativity, curiosity and reflection," explains Alejandra Hernandez, founder and career coach of EmpowHer Change. "When we Stuck in 'expectation,' we become more and more frustrated instead of learning and moving forward."

Find your third door

It's easy to get caught up in an idea of ​​how things should turn out. But the times when you feel stuck or off track are when you need your imagination the most. Chenjerai broke out of the standard definition of musical success by finding what he calls "the third door."

"I was looking for a third door through which I could do what I wanted while giving other people the opportunity to make music," he says. For Chenjerai, that meant running a nonprofit studio for disadvantaged youth.

This is a good approach to job hunting. Instead of scouring job advertisements for specific skills you have or could acquire, write yourself a mission statement that you would like to serve. Then find a position that brings you as close to that goal as possible.

How you love your job

It takes time and a bit of searching, but to find work that satisfies you, you have to know yourself and be true to yourself. The story of Chenjerai teaches us that there are many jobs you can do, but how do you get the job you want, especially if you don't really know what that is or have lost sight of it?

The first thing you should do is do a reality check to find out how much you are worth. Take stock of your years of experience, your industry knowledge, and any other skills and knowledge you have. Taking the time to put this on paper can help offset feelings of imposter syndrome. It's hard to deny your worth when you see it clearly.

Chenjerai's path led him to his doctorate and a Career in science. And while he still looks back fondly on his time as a hip-hop royalty and administrative assistant, Chenjerai shows us that to find a job you love, you have to think outside the box a little.

"Sometimes you have to figure out who you're not so you can become who you are."