Tips to Help You Find Both

 Many women climbing the corporate ladder struggle with a nagging question: does the work I’m doing have any meaning and value to society? This question is becoming even more salient as millennials ascend the career ranks. In a 2011 Harris Interactive survey of people ages 21-31, more respondents cited meaningful work than high salary as the single most important factor for a successful career.

Most companies, however, measure success in dollars, and reward employees with promotions and raises — not sabbaticals to do volunteer work. Often, the search for meaning can lead women to question whether they are in the right field at all. They wonder if it is possible to build a career that is both financially rewarding and relevant.

The short answer is yes. Women looking for meaning don’t have to ditch their corporate careers just yet. Even the most results-driven businesswoman can create deeper meaning in her corporate career by taking the following five steps.

Start by assessing whether your company’s mission conflicts with your values.   
Someone who fundamentally opposes the work her company does may therefore feel sick to her stomach when she thinks about the impact it has on others. For example, if you are an environmentalist at heart and you work for a company that is responsible for significant environmental destruction, you will probably never find the meaning you are looking for in your job. But if you are not opposed to your company’s mission, the methods described below will help you find greater meaning in your work — no job change required.

Assist with your company’s philanthropic efforts. 
Most large companies have well-established philanthropic endeavors, and many are strapped for volunteers to help with their projects. Seeking out opportunities to help with your company’s charitable efforts will provide the chance to make a direct positive impact on society, and help you to see the more altruistic side of your company. If your firm isn’t involved in any charitable causes, speak to your boss about putting corporate support into a cause you cherish, and offer to lead the charge.

Acknowledge and celebrate the positive impact your work makes on the world.   
We live in an industrialized, consumer-driven world where for-profit companies make money by fulfilling a need, or else they go out of business. While you may not be doing charity work, chances are, what you and your company do makes others’ lives better. How is your work making a positive impact on the world around you? Take note, and then take pride in what you do. You don’t have to work at a soup kitchen to provide a valuable and meaningful service to the world.

Put your money toward causes that matter to you. 
While jobs that bring a big financial reward might not give many opportunities to directly work with causes that are near and dear to your heart, they do give you the financial flexibility to put some serious cash into causes you embrace.  When you get a promotion, instead of putting the extra income toward shoes, donate a portion of it to something you really think is important, preferably where you can see the direct impact your money is making  — for example, microloans. Once you see what you are able to do with your big paycheck, you might feel grateful for a job that lets you both make a positive impact and pay your mortgage. And focusing your involvement with a particular group could lead to greater involvement with the organization. You might even be able to take steps to become a board member.

If none of this works, consider a job change. 
At some point, you might feel so incompatible with your job that no amount of effort toward finding more meaning will allow you to feel comfortable with your work.

In that case, seeking a new job might be necessary to create the type of balance between income and purpose that you are looking for. But you don’t have to sell everything and move to an ashram to find a sense of uplift in your occupation. If you decide to look for another job, take into account the practical realities of your life and the job market. You might need to earn a certain income to support your family, and the jobs available to someone with your skill set might not be at nonprofits. This doesn’t mean you cannot do significant, helpful work.

So to sum up: 

• When evaluating job opportunities, ask yourself if the company’s fundamental goal —  whether it is getting the greatest return on clients’ investments or providing the very best printer paper on the market — is one that you can feel good about.
• Research whether the company donates to charitable causes and whether there are opportunities for employee involvement.
• Determine whether the position will give you time to pursue outside opportunities for volunteer work.

Using these filters, the job seeker who is looking for more than just employment can find a job that matters, both to her and the world.