Four women look back on what they have learned about finding their way to career happiness:
At first, explore with purpose…
“Get as much experience doing different kinds of jobs until you find that thing that you think you can get passionate about doing and then pursue that. Don’t stay stuck. Just abut try not to do too many things in a period of time because I think it limits your choices to a certain degree.” – 40-something, executive, married, mom, Hermosa Beach, CA
Never stop asking yourself what is important…
“You have to figure out what’s important. If money is important to you, then you have to figure out how you’re going to make it — what you need, and what you have to do to make what you want. If being fulfilled and changing the world is important to you, how are you going do that? Do you go to the peace core? Do you go to medical school? I just think that the answers are different for everybody.” – 40-something, wife, mom, philanthropist, Chicago
Once you figure it out, work very hard…
“If you’re doing something that you want to do or on the path to doing that, you have to work harder than anybody else. You need to establish yourself where you are and make it your priority. It shouldn’t just be a summer job mentality. A career is a relationship. Consider that maybe it’s okay to work hard to get what you want.” – 40-something, mom, wife, executive, Chicago
And you should be able to support yourself doing it…
“You should do something you love and you should be able to earn a living by doing it. I tell my kids, ‘Do whatever you want …just be happy doing it. I don’t care what it is but support yourself. And you’d better get some experience. You’d better go to college. Get a job. Read a lot. Every problem that anybody ever had has been written about. There’s not one thing that someone can’t find a book on so read, read, read. And be open to whatever comes your way because you never know what’s going to happen. Don’t dig your heels in.” – 40-something, mom, wife, marketing, Detroit
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