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Find your Career SweetSpot

This tool is inspired by an activity that appeared in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Workforce Architecture. Read the full article about Career SweetSpots.

Jobs and the world of work are constantly changing, and so are you! As you move through new experiences and life stages, what you need from your work shifts and changes too. This is called your Career SweetSpot. Understanding your Career SweetSpot allows you to address your current needs, use your talents effectively, touch on what you care about, and make an impact in the market.

This interactive tool is designed to help you identify your Career SweetSpot so you can better navigate and adapt to the changing world of work.

Completing this tool may take time. For the most meaningful results, please complete it in one sitting and turn off email or social media notifications before starting.

Build your lists and reflect on what matters to you

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Open a new document or grab a pen and piece of paper. Take a few minutes to think about what really matters to you. Consider yourself as a whole person, including both your professional and private life.

For each of the four questions below, create a separate list with at least 10 responses on each list. You may need to ask others to help you, especially when identifying unique skills or what you care about and value the most.

  1. What do you want and need from your work?
  2. What skills or talents do you have that others admire and wish they could emulate?
  3. What matters to you?
  4. What impact do you want your work to have (or what problem do you want to be part of solving)?

Find the patterns

Now that you have finished building your four lists, look for the patterns in and across them. What common themes, trends, or ideas seem to keep emerging? Here are examples of common themes you might see across your lists:

  • Fostering safety
  • Building something new
  • Engaging with diverse groups
  • Teaching and learning at the same time
  • Creating beauty in practical ways
  • Meeting lifestyle and practical needs

In the boxes below, list five themes that summarize what is on your lists. They define your “Career SweetSpot,” the core criteria that you need to have satisfied in your career.

We populated the first theme for you because, whatever you choose to do, it must meet your financial and lifestyle needs. If you struggle to come up with five more, look back at your lists and see what major themes appear on more than one list

 
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Select jobs or careers you might want to pursue

Let’s see how well three different jobs meet your SweetSpot criteria.

From the list below, select your current job, a job that you are considering, or a job that you haven’t considered before but want to see how it fits your SweetSpot.

If a job you want to consider is not listed, or you want to list a specific role at a company, select ADD MY OWN at the bottom of the list.

Select a job from the list below Select a job from the list below Select a job from the list below
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Test your Career SweetSpot

Let’s see how the first job or career you selected scores according to your SweetSpot criteria. On a scale from 1-10, rate how well Job 1 meets each of the six identified criteria you identified in Step 2.

A rating of 1 means the job would not address the criterion at all. A rating of 10 means the job would address the criterion in a very consistent and satisfying way.

Job 1: {{ works[0].name }}

Test your Career SweetSpot

Let’s see how the second job or career you selected scores according to your SweetSpot criteria. On a scale from 1-10, rate how well Job 2 meets each of the six identified criteria you identified in Step 2.

A rating of 1 means the job would not address the criterion at all. A rating of 10 means the job would address the criterion in a very consistent and satisfying way.

Job 2: {{ works[1].name }}

Test your Career SweetSpot

Let’s see how the third job or career you selected scores according to your SweetSpot criteria. On a scale from 1-10, rate how well Job 3 meets each of the six identified criteria you identified in Step 2.

A rating of 1 means the job would not address the criterion at all. A rating of 10 means the job would address the criterion in a very consistent and satisfying way.

Job 3: {{ works[2].name }}

Review your answers

Job 1: {{ works[0].name }}

Job 2: {{ works[1].name }}

Job 3: {{ works[2].name }}

If you would like to make any changes, use the BACK button. When you are happy, press SUBMIT.

{{ customerInfo[0].name }} {{ customerInfo[0].surname }}, here’s how your three jobs score against your SweetSpot criteria

Job 1: {{ works[0].name }}
Job 2: {{ works[1].name }}
Job 3: {{ works[2].name }}

What do you notice?

The best job for you might not necessarily be the one with the biggest footprint. These graphs help you assess the trade-offs between different jobs, roles, or careers. What stays consistent is your criteria.

Using your SweetSpot can help you set your own rules in a time of constantly changing jobs and labour markets. As you look at the graphs, consider these questions:

What would you want more information about or to test to make sure you’ve scored a job correctly? You can use information interviews or questions during job interviews to get the information you need.

Where a job has received a low score, is it possible for you to negotiate with an employer or ask for something that would increase its score? This can help you prepare for interviews, negotiations, and even career conversations with your current manager (if you scored your current job).

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