Working in recruitment, I speak to opportunity seekers every day, people who want more than what they currently have.

These individuals are not necessarily unhappy in their roles, rather they are open to improvement, open to something that will improve their quality of life. The key thing I have learnt, is that everyone is motivated by different things.

When I first started working in recruitment, it used to surprised me how money or financial gains were usually far down on the list of people’s main motivations, but surveys and studies dating back to the early 1980’s demonstrate that people want more from work than just money.

More than ever, people are working for more than just a good salary. They are working for fulfilment. What do I mean by fulfilment? True joy and true fulfilment is the feeling that our work is contributing to something bigger than ourselves. We all want to feel valued, we all want to feel like we are making a difference.

Not quite there yet? Here’s a few tips that will help.

Create a plan

What are your skills? What are your aspirations and values? And what are your market realities – aka, what will people pay for your offering? Define all three and write them down, this will help give you get a clearer picture. Take time to invest in your skills – if you want to grow and strengthen your career, don’t wait for your company to invest in you, go invest in yourself, take initiative and learn something new. The key is to never stop learning.

Use your network

Ultimately, every job boils down to interacting with people. People control resources, opportunities and information. Your network is far more powerful than you realise, tap into it and meet people through people you already know.

Pursue opportunity

Court serendipity, go to an event you usually wouldn’t go to. The more you do this – the more you will invite random opportunities into your life. Your dream job isn’t going to land on your lap – you need to go and find it.
Take risk – We as humans, are programmed to overestimate risk. We need to stop viewing risk as such a bad thing and embrace it more. Chances are, if you are considering taking a new job that consists of little to no risk, it’s probably not going to have the impact you desire.

In conclusion, our career is not a destination, it’s a journey. The most important thing to remember is to ask for help and advice – and accept help when offered. Take a step back, figure out if you are reaching your full potential, if you are, great, keep doing what you’re doing, and if you are not, well, you know what to do!