How To Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric - Book review

How To Find Fulfilling Work

By: Roman Krznaric

Published: May 1, 2013
Format: Paperback, 160 pages
ISBN-10: 1447202287
ISBN-13: 978-1447202288
Publisher: Picador











"The desire for fulfilling work - a job that provides a deep sense of purpose, and reflects our values, passions and personality - is a modern inventtion", writes cultural thinker and founding faculty member of The School of Life, Roman Krznaric in his insightful and inspirational book How To Find Fulfilling Work. The author describes how society is entering a new age of fulfillment, where people are seeking meaningful and rewarding work, and shares stories of people who inspire greatness and offers practical ideas for achieving fulfillment in the modern world.

Roman Krznaric recognizes that many people toil in jobs that they dislike, and that sap their very humanity om a daily basis. The author presents a series of stories, both historical and contemporary, of people who took the leap of faith and sought out work that provided real personal fulfillment. Roman Krznaric points out that the end result is not as important as the epiphany of realization about the failure of their current jobs, and the struggle and journey toward finding enriching employment. The author examines the complexity of the conflicting problems of finding meaningful work, the current levels of job dissatisfaction, and a lack of certainty of how to go about finding that career that is rewarding and brings meaning to the person.



Roman Krznaric (photo left) understands the internal personal struggle of the desire to find fulfilling work, with the fear that such thinking may be not align with reality, but be purely utopian dream. The author provides the practical strategies and tools for finding a job that offers more career fulfillment. While the author makes clear that the absolutely perfect dream job may not exist, he offers the techniques and inspiration to seek out a career that provides meaning and satisfaction.

Roman Krznaric provides a comprehensive approach to discovering the type of work that provides personal fulfillment by drawing on multiple disciplines and ideas. The author guides the employment seeker toward discovery of the core elements of the satisfying career. He also presents the read map for making that crucial job change, and for making the appropriate decisions along the way. The author shares the following components to this holistic approach:

* The age of fulfillment
* A short history of career confusion
* Giving meaning to work
* Act first, reflect later
* The longing for freedom
* How to grow a vocation

For me, the power of the book is how Roman Krznaric combines a complete and overarching approach to uncovering the personal definition of a meaningful career, with the hands on skills and methods to transform that inner journey into tangible results in finding fulfilling work., The author goes far beyond the standard career change books as he draws upon a wide range of disciplines to explore what meaning represents to the individual job seeker. Through a series of humanistic discussion involving historical figures, literary and movie characters, and sociological considerations, a much deeper personal examination is possible.

Roman Krznaric presents an inner journey of self discovery that is more philosophy than psychology. The more humanities based approach offers a deeper search for true meaning than is available through psychology. With the consideration that finding personal job fulfillment is an art more than a science, the job changer is liberated to examine all aspects of their life and overall desires. The examples put forward by the author help to underline this pursuit of freedom and balance in life and work.

I highly recommend the wisdom filled and very practical results oriented book by Roman Krznaric, to anyone who is feeling spiritually empty, dissatisfied with their current job, and is seeking work that has meaning and offers real personal fulfillment. This book will guide you on that journey of self discovery to uncover the type of career that has meaning for you, and then offers the techniques for finding and landing that life changing career.