What's Your Hierarchy of Career Needs?

-by Steve Bohler, Oxford Program Founder

It was more than 30 years ago that the psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed his now well-known "Hierarchy of Needs", but it is just as valid today as it was then.

Maslow represented this hierarchy as a pyramid and at the very top, the highest need of all, was "self-actualization". The term may sound a little academic, even stuffy, but it's the best explanation we have about why some people are dissatisfied with their careers and others feel their worklives are very fulfilling.

Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need to be and do that which the person was born to do. "Musicians must make music, artists must paint, poets must write, if they are to be ultimately at peace with themselves," he explained. "What humans can be, they must be. They must be true to their own nature."

It is this need for self-actualization, I believe, that is at the root of so much of the great dissatisfaction in the "working world". In general, human beings do a pretty good job taking care of the needs on the bottom of Maslow's pyramid--the need for food and shelter, for example-our record of achieving self-actualization is spotty at best. One reason: the way our society is structured, few of us even know we have a need for self-actualization.

Those of us who achieve self-actualization reach a very special state-what Maslow called "peak performance." "Not only are these our happiest and most thrilling moments, but they are also moments of greatest maturity, individuation, fulfillment-in a word, our healthiest moments," wrote Maslow.

If you are earnest about finding your "natural vocation" and achieving self-actualization, here's what you've got to do:

Understand and accept that your restlessness results from an innate need left unsatisfied, not from any weakness!

Commit yourself to reaching the summit of Maslow's pyramid and becoming self-actualized.
Find out WHO you are. By this, I mean learn what your nature is and how it can be expressed in a career.
Determine which career is the best match for your essential nature, which offers the best chance to become a peak performer and achieve self-actualization.
So how do we begin?

Steps 1, 2 and 4 can be achieved on your own, or with the help of a career coach. For those that have trouble committing themselves to the often difficult (yet almost always beneficial) process of change, or those that need the research assistance of a pro, I highly recommend finding a good coach/counselor.

Although the answers to Step 3 are within you, I have found that the right personal assessments can be invaluable at summarizing and showing you what your nature is. And since the number of career and personal tests and their interpretations out there can be confusing, I will do my best to clear the waters for you.

Who are you?

I believe that there is a career-related hierarchy similar to Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs". Over the next few weeks I will elaborate on each level, but here is an overview:

The Foundation

Like a house, in order to build your future career, you need the right foundation. One that will stand the test of time. The bedrock of what you need in a career results in matching your innate aptitudes and personality traits to the career. These traits are the behavioral requirements of a fulfilling work life. Spatial people long to work with 3-dimensional reality. Extroverted people need to interact with other people. If your work makes it impossible for you to express these essential aspects of yourself, self-actualization will be just about impossible.

The House

Above the bedrock foundation lies the realm of your career's "structure". Here are your basic interests and values. People who are engaged in work that involves something they care deeply about are more likely to be energetic about their work and proud of what they do.

What subject matter moves you? What would you write a book about if you were given the knowledge you needed? And if having your work be acknowledged is an important value to you, it may play a big part in keeping you happy in a job.

The Paint

The finishing touch to a career that is a work of art is aligning your career with your work intellectual and emotional preferences and goals.

What organizational style do you find most compatible? What setting? Profit vs. non-profit? What are your lifetime goals? Retiring early? Becoming a homeowner? Becoming prominent in your field? Being promoted to a high prestige job? If you know where you want to go, you'll have a much easier time getting there.

Are these needs the same for every person? With the exception of the foundation level, the most important elements of the house often vary by individual. One person may feel want a career that offers a reliably harmonious environment. Another may want a job that matches his or her interests.

If you do enough self-assessment and introspection, you'll find that your own particular needs will reveal themselves. They're there, inside you, screaming out and waiting to be realized. And if you want meaning and satisfaction in your work, this is how to find it.

About the Author: Steve Bohler is the founder and head coach of the Oxford Program career programs.