How can I identify my core values – beyond just the abstract terms like “integrity” or “honesty” that everyone seems to claim – and actually articulate them in a way that is personally meaningful and actionable? Specifically, I’m interested in practical exercises or methods I can use to uncover these values, and then, crucially, how can I connect these deeply held values to my career choices? I want to understand how my core values can help me evaluate current and future job opportunities, assess company culture, and even guide my career path selection. Are there specific questions I should ask myself or resources I can use to ensure my career aligns with what truly matters to me, leading to greater job satisfaction and overall fulfillment?
Answer
Identifying your core values involves introspection and reflection on your experiences, beliefs, and aspirations. These values act as guiding principles that inform your decisions and contribute to your overall sense of fulfillment. Understanding them is crucial for making career choices aligned with your authentic self.
Methods for Identifying Your Core Values:
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Brainstorming and Listing:
- Start by creating a list of words that resonate with you. Consider things you find important, admirable, or personally meaningful. Examples include integrity, creativity, service, security, learning, independence, compassion, justice, achievement, community, family, health, innovation, leadership, recognition, responsibility, and teamwork.
- Don’t censor yourself initially. Write down everything that comes to mind.
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Reflecting on Peak Experiences:
- Think about moments in your life when you felt most alive, engaged, and fulfilled. What were you doing? Who were you with? What made those experiences so significant?
- Identify the values that were present in those situations. For example, if you felt energized while volunteering at a homeless shelter, compassion, service, and community might be core values.
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Analyzing Your Discomfort:
- Consider situations where you felt uncomfortable, frustrated, or angry. What values were being violated or compromised in those moments?
- Identifying what you don’t value can be just as important as identifying what you do value. For instance, if you felt stifled working in a highly structured environment, freedom and autonomy might be important values.
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Using Values Lists and Assessments:
- Explore established lists of values (readily available online) or take values assessment tests. These can provide a framework and vocabulary for articulating your values.
- These assessments often present you with scenarios or questions that help you prioritize different values.
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Considering Influential People:
- Identify people you admire and respect. What qualities or values do they possess that you find appealing?
- Reflect on whether those qualities resonate with you personally and if they reflect values you also hold.
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Journaling and Self-Reflection:
- Regularly journal about your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Look for recurring themes or patterns that reveal your values.
- Ask yourself questions like: What truly matters to me? What do I want to be remembered for? What impact do I want to make on the world?
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The "Values in Action" (VIA) Survey of Character Strengths: This is a scientifically validated questionnaire that identifies your top character strengths, which are closely related to your core values.
- The "Life Values Inventory": Another psychometric tool that helps identify and rank your life values.
Refining Your Values:
- Prioritize: After generating a list, narrow it down to your top 3-5 core values. These are the ones that are most deeply held and consistently guide your actions.
- Define: Clarify what each value means to you personally. Avoid generic definitions. Be specific about how you interpret and apply each value.
- Test: Consider how your core values align with your past decisions and how they might influence future choices. Do they feel authentic and true to yourself?
How Core Values Relate to Career Choices:
Your core values act as a compass, guiding you towards career paths and work environments that align with your authentic self. When your work aligns with your values, you are more likely to experience:
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Increased Job Satisfaction: When your work reflects your values, you find more meaning and purpose in what you do, leading to greater job satisfaction.
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Enhanced Motivation and Engagement: Values-aligned work fuels intrinsic motivation and engagement, making you more productive and committed.
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Reduced Stress and Burnout: Working in an environment that contradicts your values can lead to stress and burnout. Alignment mitigates these risks.
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Improved Decision-Making: Core values provide a framework for making career decisions. When faced with choices, you can evaluate which option best aligns with your values.
- Stronger Sense of Identity and Purpose: Your career becomes an expression of your values, contributing to a stronger sense of identity and purpose.
Examples of Value Alignment in Career Choices:
- Value: Service
- Potential Career Paths: Nursing, social work, teaching, non-profit work, public service.
- Value: Creativity
- Potential Career Paths: Graphic design, writing, music, art, marketing, innovation roles.
- Value: Independence
- Potential Career Paths: Entrepreneurship, freelance work, consulting, research, roles with high autonomy.
- Value: Learning
- Potential Career Paths: Academia, research, training and development, roles that require continuous skill development.
- Value: Security
- Potential Career Paths: Government jobs, established corporations, roles with predictable income and benefits.
- Value: Achievement
- Potential Career Paths: Sales, management, entrepreneurship, roles with clear metrics and opportunities for advancement.
Practical Steps for Aligning Values with Career:
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Research Companies and Organizations: Investigate the values and cultures of potential employers. Look for companies that explicitly state and demonstrate values that resonate with you. Read company mission statements, annual reports, and employee reviews.
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Network and Informational Interviews: Connect with professionals in your field of interest and ask about their experiences and the values they prioritize in their work.
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Assess Your Current Role (If Applicable): If you are currently employed, evaluate how well your current role aligns with your core values. Identify areas where there is alignment and misalignment.
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Seek Feedback: Ask trusted friends, family members, or mentors for feedback on your values and how they manifest in your career choices.
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Be Willing to Make Adjustments: Aligning your career with your values may require making adjustments to your current path. This could involve changing roles, companies, or even industries.
- Negotiate Values Alignment: During the job interview process, ask questions that reveal how the company’s values align with your own. You can even negotiate for responsibilities or projects that allow you to express your values at work.
In conclusion, identifying your core values is an ongoing process of self-discovery. By understanding and prioritizing your values, you can make career choices that lead to greater fulfillment, purpose, and success.
Pray This Prayer
Loving Guide, Source of all wisdom,
I come to you seeking clarity and direction in my life, particularly as it relates to my career path. I feel lost at times, unsure of which way to turn, which opportunities to pursue.
How can I identify my core values? Grant me the discernment to look inward, to shed the layers of expectations and societal pressures, and to connect with the truest part of myself. Help me to see clearly the principles that guide my heart, the things that I hold most dear: perhaps integrity, creativity, service, knowledge, connection, or something else entirely unique to me. Show me the moments in my life where I felt most alive, most aligned, most fulfilled, and illuminate the values that were present in those experiences.
And how do they relate to my career choices? Help me to see how my core values can be translated into meaningful work. If I value service, guide me towards roles where I can help others. If I value creativity, open my eyes to opportunities where I can express my imagination and innovation. Protect me from being seduced by external pressures like wealth or prestige, and instead guide me towards a path that resonates with my soul’s purpose.
Help me to understand that my career is not just a job, but a way to live out my values in the world. Let my work be a reflection of who I truly am, a contribution that brings me joy and fulfillment while benefiting others.
Give me the courage to make choices that align with my authentic self, even if it means stepping outside of my comfort zone or taking a different path than expected.
Thank you for listening, for guiding, and for illuminating my path. I trust in your wisdom and your love. Amen.