Top 10 Meaningful Careers And 5 Simple Ways To Build A One

Do you desire a meaningful careers, but do not find your job very meaningful? Don’t lose hope. This article will list for you the top 10 meaningful jobs, and show you 5 ways for you to build a meaningful career.

Do Most People Have a Meaningful Career?

Do not feel alone if you do not have a meaningful career as most people do not. A 2012 survey conducted by Right Management found that 65 percent of the workers surveyed were either somewhat or totally unsatisfied with their jobs. In another survey by Anthropologist David Graeber, 30 to 40 percent of adults around the world have reported wondering why their jobs even existed. Another complaint from workers who have productive jobs is that they wish they were better paid. See Stacker’s 50 most meaningful jobs in America and Discover Praxis’s Meaningful Career for more information. 

What are the Top Ten Meaningful Careers?

PayScale’s The Most Meaningful Jobs provides a list of most meaningful careers. Workers were asked, “Does your job make the world a better place?” Below is a list of top jobs where workers on this list were most likely to say YES (list is in descending order where 98% to 91% found their career meaningful).

• Clergy – Median Pay: $46,600
• English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary – Median Pay: $43,600
• Directors, Religious Activities and Education – Median Pay: $37,600
• Surgeons – Median Pay: $304,000
• Education Administrators, Elementary & Secondary School – Median Pay: $76,700
• Radiation Therapists – Median Pay: $70,200
• Chiropractors – Median Pay: $60,100
• Psychiatrists -Median Pay: $197,000
• Anesthesiologists – Median Pay: $273,000
• Rehabilitation Counselors – Median Pay: $39,100
• Occupational Therapists – Median Pay: $64,400
• Kindergarten Teachers – Median Pay: $39,000
• Epidemiologists – Median Pay: $69,000

What Exactly is a Meaningful Career?

It really depends on you. Each of us is different and each of us have a different idea on what is meaningful. The challenge is getting a job that is meaningful and getting paid for it. Praxis has some great ideas on what makes a job meaningful. It is a career that:

• Helps Others.
• Follows Your Passion
• Uses Your Talents
• Challenges and Engages You
• Aligns With Your Values
• Gives You a Sense of Belonging
• Gives You Freedom and Ownership
• Has a Lasting Impact
• Enables You To Achieve Recognition and Respect

5 Ways For You To Build a Meaningful Career.

Meaningful careers do not usually just fall in your lap. Below are some steps to building a meaningful career.

1. Experience. Be an intern or volunteer to gain experience and discover what matters to you.
2. Find Your “Ikigai”. This is of many processes and self-help ideas for you to find your passion, your “reason for being”. See posting our Finding Your Purpose.
3. Elimination Process. Here you narrow your scope. What do you hate doing? What are you not good at? What do other people value that you could provide? This will narrow your scope on building a meaningful career.
4. Experiment. Now that you have narrowed your focus, you need to run experiments to get the maximum amount of exposure and insight into your prospective career. Try to do this as cheaply as possible. You can try job shadowing, internship, bootcamp, or land an entry-level job. Sometimes you can do this with your current employer.
5. Stay Focus On Short-Term Goals. Now that you have an idea what would be your meaningful career, set short-term goals and priorities and make constant progress. If you are just starting out, do not worry so much about long-term goals. Sometimes the most meaningful career for you is right in front of you.

See Praxis’ Building a Meaningful Career: The Ultimate Guide for more on building your career.