Designing your life: How to reconcile personal aspirations with your professional life

You might as well, there's no magical Sorting Hat that's doing to do it for you. No one else is going to be able to sense your abilities, define your desires or uncover your character, nevermind figure out what your dream job is. Does such a thing even exist? According to Dell and the Institute for the Future, 85% of the jobs that we will be doing in 2030 (1) have yet to be invented, with artificial intelligence and robotics promising to turn the world of work as we know it on its head. Not to mention the end of careers that see people tied to the same old chair or assembly station, or even to a single company. Once again, the time for great change has arrived. France's government-run employment agency Pôle Emploi predicts that young workers will change job 13 to 15 times in their lifetime (2). So it's highly unlikely that your first job will be your last. 

The job search 

Amidst such uncertainty, it is easy to feel discouraged before you even start looking. Unless we accept that the nature of the job search has changed, we will be even more reluctant to sacrifice our personal lives for our professional careers. Why not reconcile the two? This is the goal set out by proponents of life design, like Mark Savickas (3), one of its leading theorists. They suggest that we should no longer pursue a vocation that we're not sure we're cut out for – not everyone simply gets inspired by a train wreck in a film (4)to then become the next Steven Spielberg – or an idealistic dream job, but that we should first think about how we want to build our life as a whole.  

It's a model that comes with a healthy dose of optimism and good vibes, and is designed to allow each individual, in the words of Auguste Dumouilla, a researcher in career counselling psychology at JobTeaser, "to gain an understanding of their own personal character traits and develop these in a way that helps them to choose their studies and professional activities throughout all stages of life". The main benefit of this approach is that you take back control over where you're heading. Just like a psychologist, the counsellor is there to ask questions and encourage self-reflection. But you, and only you, can be the life designer, the one who chooses which path to take. How, exactly, remains to be seen. 

The job should be the finish line, not the starting point 

Although there seem to be just as many methods as there are theorists, there are common threads that run throughout all of them and some essential steps. These can be summed up as questions you need to ask yourself: Who am I? What do I want? What am I doing? How am I doing it? Harder than it seems? Of course it is. But don't panic! We have some tips for you. 

Rather than starting with the end goal in mind (a specific position, a particular vocation, a dream job) and then thinking about how you can get there, start by stopping and thinking about who you really are. Identify your talents, your strengths, your qualities. "Know thyself", as our friend Socrates would say (think back to your philosophy classes). Just because this requires self-reflection doesn't mean that you can't ask others for help. Quite the opposite. Ask your parents, friends, teachers, fellow students or even colleagues how they see you. You're sure to discover gifts you never even knew you had, as well as some limitations. 

Then, to end this journey of self-exploration, take stock of your past experiences. And this means ALL your experiences, not just those relating to your work. Do you find it more fulfilling being involved in a club, playing a sport, or being with your family? Don't be shy about it. The world of work will just need to get used to having competition. Unless you've realised that, in actual fact, you have some new allies. Do you spend your Sundays channelling your inner Beckham? Your sense of teamwork will be a blessing to your future company. Future Booker Prize winner and member of a writing group? Your creativity will be highly valued. Big brother to triplets? No one will doubt your resilience or your leadership. Straying from a clear-cut path on your CV should no longer be treated as a guilty pleasure, but an asset that should be shown off. A wealth of knowledge or expertise that proves how adaptable you are. 

Be a chameleon 

The more you become a chameleon, someone who is equally at ease in front of a chessboard, on stage or in a shared garden, the more your ability to adapt in all kinds of circumstances will shine. This is an essential quality in a world where people's jobs and the tasks they involve are constantly changing. 

You will come to fully appreciate the ultimate benefit of this journey of self-exploration later on, at your first job interview. It's so much easier to tell your story, present the path you've taken in life and demonstrate how it all ties together when you have already stopped and given it careful thought... by calmly recalling each and every moment. 

The utopia you deserve 

But before you run off to meet with a recruiter, let's not rush the process. Step two of life design: write down your deepest aspirations, your desires (including those you keep most secret) and your priorities. Nothing is off limits, especially your most idealistic ones. Believe in your dreams, to quote Martin Luther King. In ALL your dreams, most importantly. The idea here is to explore all the possibilities, all the different types of life that appeal to you. Try to envision yourself in all these scenarios – you can do this usinghttps://se-realiser.com/les-mind-maps/ mind-mapping (5) or visualisation techniques – then evaluate them in depth. This is the best way to avoid having any regrets in the future. 

A meaningful plan 

Now that you know yourself inside out, it's time to set out a plan for your career. Step three. But why only now? The challenge is to align yourself with your ethical beliefs, needs and desires. Or, to put it simply, to find a meaningful job. 

What a liberating process 

All you need to do now is make sure you have the means to make your ambitions a reality. How do you go from design to execution? You will need to "dare, dare, and dare again". Ask those who already have the job you want, do an internship, push yourself. Make mistakes. Regroup, readjust. Because when it comes to life design, never forget that your desires change and your expectations evolve. Your 18-year-old self will not have the same high expectations, nor the same illusions twenty years down the line. This journey of self-exploration is an unfinished symphony, a work in progress that continues throughout your life. 

This can be a very liberating thought for the secondary school pupil struggling with their university applications, the student who feels they've chosen the wrong subject or the employee who's depressed. You have the right to make mistakes. There is always time to question yourself, change your path and retrain in something else.