Welcome

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Over the last few weeks, our journey Off the Ladder has focused inward, bucking societal expectations and seeking personalized and self-defined standards for career success. I don’t plan on contradicting that, but I do believe that you can’t have purpose in an isolated bubble.

This week we look, outwards. Not for validation, but for a different perspective of what’s important. It’s much easier to feel a sense of satisfaction at work, regardless of the job, if we feel connected and like we are working on something meaningful.

With a different lens and a fresh perspective of the “why”, the same exact career path can feel motivated by something bigger than the next promotion.

What’s inside:

• A worldly perspective

• Protect your values

• Finding what’s worth fighting for

• Tools to take on the world

• Start with a cause

Main Idea

There’s a point on every nontraditional path where the search for “what lights me up” starts to feel a little… empty. Not because the pursuit is wrong, but because fulfillment doesn’t live in isolation.

Once you’ve begun shaking off the external expectations, something else emerges: the question, “What am I doing this for?”

It’s tempting to keep the focus inward. To pursue only what feels good, what aligns with your passions, what lets you be your full self. That’s all worthwhile, and far better than the alternative. However, fulfillment deepens when it becomes shared.

Sometimes the most radical act of self-liberation is to give yourself to something bigger. A mission. A community. A cause that outlasts your résumé.

That soulless corporation feels a little less soulless when you can connect it to the problems it solves in the world, and not just the widgets it sells. Genuine, purpose-driven brands continue to resonate with customers and employees alike.

Sure, there is some level of Kool-Aid drinking going on when the corporate world talks about values and mission. If you are reading this, you are already pulling back the curtain on the outdated job ladder model, and you can see through these empty platitudes as well.

In a world begging for care, creativity, and courageous action, maybe the most fulfilling work is found not just by asking “What do I want to do?” but also “What does the world need from me right now?”

Ditch the Metrics

Burn the business scorecard – focus on what matters!

The Metric:
Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey (over 23,000 respondents across 44 countries) found that 50% of Gen Z and 43% of millennials have rejected a job assignment due to misalignment with their personal ethics or beliefs. Similarly, 44% of Gen Z and 40% of millennials have turned down an employer entirely for ethical reasons .

Reframe It:
If nearly half of younger workers are willing to reject opportunities that clash with their values, it’s not just a preference; it’s a boundary. Rejecting meaning for the sake of a paycheck is becoming less acceptable among the next generation of professionals.

Ditch It:
More purpose doesn’t just feel better; it creates loyalty. If your work makes you question who it supports or what it does, consider recalibrating. Your job satisfaction shouldn’t come at the expense of your values.

Reframe This

 A quick thought-flip to help shift how you see your work, your worth, or your path.

Old Belief: Evaluate career changes or promotions by what will make you feel “most successful”.

New Perspective: Work on things that actually feel worth struggling for.

Rung Breaks

A curated mix of tools, links, books, and ideas to help you step off the ladder and into your own path.

📚 Book: Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society - A fresh blueprint for using entrepreneurship and innovation to serve pressing societal needs.

🎧 Podcast: Speaking of Purpose by Benevity - Talks with corporate leaders on the intersection of community programs and philanthropy, another way to tie your values to a broader corporate career

🛠️ Tool: 80,000 hours (Career Research Org) - Working backwards from a problem you want to help solve, this non-profit provides career guidance, resources, and coaching to help you help the world

🎨 Inspiration: Graffiti from around the globe - Maybe the world needs a little more street art

Your Move

A reflection and challenge to help you break out of autopilot and make real change.

Reflection Prompt:

Challenge:

Until Next Time…

Your purpose and passion and career goals are all deeply personal. Don’t change that.

But if you are feeling stuck or feeling like something is still missing, maybe it’s time to look outwards. Not for approval, but for inspiration. The world needs all the helpers it can get!

See you off the ladder.

— Sean Sirianni
Founder, Off the Ladder

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