Finding Your Optimal Job Fit 👀

Someone much older and wiser once told me I should try to find my career lane, my "sweet spot," by the time I turned 35. I smiled, nodded, and thought, "Yeah, but you don't really get me." 

You see, at 26, I was convinced I'd already found my calling or the thing I'd give my life to. Fast-forward a few years, three job changes, and one semi-dramatic purpose crisis later… and he wasn't just wise; he had the kind of perspective I didn't yet have.

Turns out, God still had some shaping to do in me. And honestly? I'm glad he was right and I was wrong.

Now, at 32, I hold my life and career a little more loosely, but that doesn't mean I've stopped pursuing clarity. I'm still actively seeking a deeper understanding of who God made me to be and how my work fits into that design.

In the early years of your career, we'll call it your 1.0 season; it's easy to think that the main goal is to land the job, build a resume, and climb the ladder. But beneath all that, there's a more foundational question worth asking in your 20s.

Who am I, really? Or what are the unique fingerprints of God in my life?

Without taking the time to discover these truths, you'll have a hard time finding what I refer to as Optimal Job Fit, that powerful overlap between:

• The critical requirements of a role, and

• The unique fingerprints of God on your life.

Here is a helpful visual 👇

It's not just about finding a job that pays well or checks the right boxes. It's about aligning your work with your wiring or how you've been uniquely created to contribute.

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).

You weren't made randomly, but you were designed with purpose. Your career journey is part of uncovering the work God prepared in advance for you to do.

When your role and your design don't align, you're likely to drift into one of two ditches (see visual above for more clarity):

1️⃣ Burnout happens when the critical requirements of the job consistently ask you to operate outside of your superpowers, giftings, callings, passions, or desires. You're pushing through, but it's draining, and it's only a matter of time before it catches up with you.

2️⃣ Boredom, on the other hand, is within reach when your God-given superpowers, giftings, callings, passions, and strengths have no expression in the critical requirements of your job. Not only will you begin to feel stuck, but you'll always be looking for the new shiny opportunity that doesn't exist because you've never discovered who you are.

“The horsepower of the person must be right-sized with the horsepower of the job."

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV).

Jesus didn't offer a life of burnout or boredom. He came to give you a full, meaningful one. That includes your work.

Let's zoom out for a minute and look at how this plays out across the broader arc of your career:

1.0 Season – This is all about discovery. You're learning who you are—your strengths, passions, and patterns. You're not expected to have it all figured out, but you must pay attention. This season is probably what your 20s are all about. Sorry if that's discouraging... "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3, NIV). You may not know the whole picture yet, but God honors your desire to work with intention and surrender your path to Him.

2.0 Season – Now that you know more about who you are, you seek more overlap between your design and the roles you pursue. You may still clarify what works best to match your wiring, but you're getting closer.

3.0 Season – By this stage, you've got a solid understanding of who you are and what roles you're called to pursue. There's a growing sense of confidence and clarity in your career direction. More often than not, this season of your career will find itself in your 30s. Be patient, its on its way.

4.0 Season – You're not just in your sweet spot; you're using your gifts to impact others. Work becomes more than output; it becomes influence.

5.0 Season and Beyond – This is where legacy kicks in. You're intentionally helping others discover who they are, mentoring them as they pursue the calling in their lives. You're multiplying your impact far beyond yourself.

You may be asking, “so, where do I even start?” — start here:

• Seek outside perspective – Invite input from a mentor, coach, or someone seasoned in their career. Sometimes, others can clearly see what we struggle to name ourselves.

• Pay attention – Notice when you feel energized or drained, seen or sidelined.

• Experiment wisely – Try new things. Explore different types of work and environments.

• Reflect often – Don't just work in your job. Take time to understand how that job shapes (or misaligns with) who you are.

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." — Hebrews 10:24

We were never meant to do this journey alone. Whether you're in your 1.0 season or thinking about legacy, we all need the community to help us discover and walk out our calling.

By the way, I'd love to sit down with anyone here who's wrestling with this. Whether you're starting, looking to make a career or job change, or simply re-evaluating your current situation, I'd be honored to help you process it.

Reach out anytime: 479-387-1456

Because the more you learn about who you are, the better decisions you'll make about what roles to pursue and which ones to walk away from.

And that's how you build a career with depth, purpose, and legacy.

The Yo Pro is in your corner as you navigate your unique season in the workplace while you navigate the workplace.

See you next Tuesday.