Many people spend years stuck in jobs that drain their energy, offer little fulfillment, or simply don’t reflect who they are. And even when they decide to make a change, they often get stuck again—this time in the job search itself.
The truth is, building a meaningful career requires two things:
- Clarity about what you truly want from your work.
- The ability to present yourself effectively to potential employers.
This guide covers both.
In Part 1, you’ll learn how to rethink your career path, identify your values and strengths, and build confidence to pursue work that energizes you.
In Part 2, we’ll cover the most common resume mistakes that could be holding you back—and how to fix them so you actually land interviews for roles you care about.
Part 1: How to Build a Career You Actually Enjoy
Many people find themselves in jobs that feel more draining than rewarding. The traditional idea of career success—climbing a corporate ladder—isn’t always the right fit, and it often leaves people wondering if there’s a better way to work.
The good news? There is.
Career expert Helen Tupper, author of The Squiggly Career, believes in creating work lives that are flexible, values-driven, and energizing. Below are seven insights drawn from her philosophy that can help you steer toward a more meaningful career.
1. Unplug from Autopilot
One of the biggest challenges in building a meaningful career is that we rarely stop to reflect on what we actually want. Many of us move from school to university to a job without ever pausing to ask if our work energizes us or aligns with our values. Breaking out of that autopilot mode is the first step toward finding fulfillment.
To break free from this cycle, individuals must pause and engage in self-reflection. Instead of jumping to the next job or promotion, take a step back and ask:
- What kind of work genuinely energizes me?
- Do I enjoy collaborating, teaching, creating, or problem-solving?
- Is autonomy, structure, or team culture important to me?
Answering these questions can reveal powerful insights and guide more intentional decisions. Reflecting before making another career move increases the likelihood of choosing a path that aligns with true interests and motivations.
2. Define Your Career Values
Understanding what matters most at work is essential for long-term satisfaction. One effective way to do this is by identifying your core values. Ask yourself:
- What qualities do I value in a team or work environment?
- What activities give me energy?
- What kind of workplace culture do I thrive in?
Once you’ve identified several values—like curiosity, honesty, autonomy, creativity, or growth—play them off against each other. Which values rank higher when placed side by side? This “value game” helps clarify priorities, making it easier to evaluate opportunities.
A handful of clearly defined values can act as a compass, guiding decisions and helping you recognize when a job is truly the right fit—or when it only looks good on the surface.
3. Avoid the Trap of Shiny Objects
Attractive salaries, prestigious job titles, company cars—these are all examples of what Helen Tupper calls “shiny objects.” They may make a role seem exciting at first glance, but they don’t necessarily translate to long-term fulfillment.
It’s easy to be lured by perks or status, but these often mask deeper dissatisfaction. Instead of focusing on surface-level rewards, focus on the daily reality of the role. Ask yourself:
- Will this job give me energy?
- Does it reflect my values?
- Am I proud of what I’m contributing?
Making decisions based on internal satisfaction rather than external recognition leads to more sustainable happiness at work—and a meaningful career that aligns with who you truly are.
4. Rethink Strengths and Weaknesses
Traditionally, strengths are seen as things you’re good at, and weaknesses are things you’re not. But Tupper suggests a better way to define them:
- Strengths are tasks that energize you—even if you’re not good at them yet.
- Weaknesses are tasks that drain your energy—even if you’re highly skilled.
This reframe can shift how individuals approach career development. For instance, someone might be excellent at data analysis but find it exhausting, while someone else may feel excited by public speaking, even if they’re still refining their skills.
The key takeaway? Lean into what energizes you. A meaningful career isn’t built on just being competent—it’s built on feeling fulfilled by the work you do.
5. Be Career-Curious, Not Career-Rigid
One of the most liberating ideas from The Squiggly Career is that growth doesn’t always mean moving up. It could mean moving across, diagonally, or even slightly backward if it aligns with your goals.
Rather than waiting for a crisis to trigger change, be proactive. Curiosity is a career skill. Instead of jumping into a new role blindly:
- Talk to people in roles you’re interested in.
- Shadow colleagues in other departments.
- Volunteer for projects outside your normal duties.
Sometimes, the best next step isn’t a promotion—it’s a pivot.
6. Ask for Help the Right Way
Networking doesn’t have to mean schmoozing at awkward events or promoting yourself constantly. In fact, genuine career support often starts with simple conversations.
When reaching out to a mentor or colleague, clarity and humility go a long way. Instead of asking, “Will you be my mentor?”, try this:
“I admire your experience in [specific area]. I’m currently working on [project or goal], and your insights could really help. Would you be open to a 30-minute chat to share your thoughts?”
People are more willing to help when the request is focused, respectful, and time-bound. And always follow up—showing appreciation and progress encourages future support.
7. Build Collective Confidence
Everyone struggles with self-doubt, regardless of experience or seniority. These inner doubts—called “confidence gremlins”—are normal, but they often go unspoken.
Whether it’s the fear of being too old, not smart enough, or not qualified, these thoughts can hold people back from seizing new opportunities. The antidote? Collective confidence.
Talking openly about insecurities, especially in group settings, helps normalize the experience. Knowing that others—even successful professionals—share the same fears is often the first step to overcoming them.
By building supportive networks and lifting each other up, individuals can move beyond self-doubt and confidently pursue roles that better align with their strengths and values.
Final Thoughts
Finding a meaningful career doesn’t always require quitting your job or making a giant leap. With a little curiosity, reflection, and courage, it’s entirely possible to steer your existing career in a new, more fulfilling direction.
By defining your values, focusing on energizing strengths, avoiding shiny object distractions, and building collective confidence, you can create a career that actually works for you—not just on paper, but in everyday life.
Part 2: 10 Resume Mistakes That Could Cost You the Interview
A resume can be the difference between getting a callback or being overlooked—and yet, many job seekers unknowingly sabotage their chances with easily avoidable mistakes. In this post, we break down the top 10 resume mistakes that recruiters see over and over again—and how to fix them.
Whether you’re a new graduate, a mid-career professional, or making a pivot, these tips will help you craft a resume that stands out for the right reasons and supports your journey toward a meaningful career.
1. Wasting Valuable Space
Every inch of a resume counts—especially if you’re working with a one-page format. One of the most common layout mistakes is using poor spacing, such as unnecessary indents or formats that push content too far to the right. This reduces the amount of information you can include and makes the resume harder to scan.
Fix it: Use full-width layouts, align bullet points neatly under job titles, and keep the formatting tight but readable. Treat your resume like prime real estate—don’t leave half of it vacant.
2. Inconsistent Formatting
Formatting inconsistencies signal a lack of attention to detail. Examples include changing fonts, misaligned text, or using bold in one section but not in another. These small issues can make a resume look unpolished.
Fix it: Choose a clear structure and stick to it throughout. If your job titles are bold and in all caps in one section, they should appear the same in every section. When updating your resume with new roles, be sure to match previous formatting exactly.
3. Typos and Spelling Errors
Spelling mistakes are a red flag for recruiters—and many slip through the cracks because tools like Grammarly or spell check won’t catch words that are technically correct but contextually wrong (like “costumer service” instead of “customer service”).
Fix it: Proofread out loud, line by line, starting from the bottom left of the page. This helps your brain catch errors you’d otherwise gloss over. If spelling isn’t your strong suit, ask someone else to review it.
4. Prioritizing Design Over Content
Creative layouts and colorful fonts can be tempting, especially in visually oriented fields—but too often, candidates focus more on how their resume looks rather than what it says.
Fix it: Keep it clean and professional. Bold content always outweighs design. Focus on clearly stating your skills, responsibilities, and achievements using bullet points. If your resume is beautiful but lacks substance, it won’t get you very far.
5. Burying the Most Relevant Information
Recruiters often skim resumes in seconds. If the most relevant experience is buried under unrelated jobs or at the bottom of the page under “student orgs,” it may never get noticed.
Fix it: Move your most job-relevant experience and skills to the top—even if they’re unpaid, volunteer-based, or from extracurriculars. If you’re applying for a creative or technical role and your key skills (like Adobe Suite, Premiere Pro, or DSLR usage) aren’t listed until the bottom, shift them up to the top third of the page.
6. Tiny, Hard-to-Find Names
Your name is one of the most important parts of your resume—it’s how hiring managers remember you. Yet, many people make their name too small or bury it in the center of the page.
Fix it: Make your name the largest text on the page. It should stand out immediately and be easy to locate.
7. Over- or Under-Explaining Job Experience
Some resumes include overly detailed descriptions of tasks that don’t demonstrate transferable skills, like “passed out crayons” for a kindergarten classroom assistant. Others include barely any detail at all—just the job title and company name.
Fix it: Find a balance. Use bullet points to showcase key contributions and responsibilities. Be honest about what you did. Don’t inflate your role, but don’t downplay it either. Always tailor your descriptions to align with the role you’re applying for.
8. Including Irrelevant Experience
If you’re applying for a finance role, detailing your babysitting gigs or pet sitting business—while impressive in hustle—won’t strengthen your case. Irrelevant experience clutters your resume and distracts from what matters.
Fix it: Keep your experience focused. Use the space to highlight roles, internships, projects, or coursework that demonstrate relevant skills or potential for the job you’re targeting.
9. Incorrect School or Degree Details
Believe it or not, candidates often miswrite their own degrees or school names. Using the wrong terminology (like “Bachelors of Arts” instead of “Bachelor of Arts”) or misspelling the school name can harm your credibility.
Fix it: Double-check degree titles and institution names. Standard format is: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of XYZ—no “s” on “Bachelor,” and be sure it’s consistent with how the institution officially lists it.
10. Listing References or Their Contact Info
You don’t need to write “References available upon request,” nor should you include contact information for references directly on your resume. It takes up valuable space and is unnecessary in early stages.
Fix it: Keep references on a separate document, ready to send if requested. Use the resume space to sell yourself—not others.
Conclusion: Bring Clarity and Strategy Together
Creating a more fulfilling career doesn’t always require big, bold leaps. Sometimes, it’s about small, smart shifts: reflecting more deeply, asking the right questions, and fine-tuning how you present yourself to the world.
By pairing the internal work of clarifying your values, goals, and strengths with the external strategy of polishing your resume and job search materials, you’re giving yourself the best possible shot at finding a role that excites and sustains you.
A meaningful career is not just about what you do—it’s about how you feel doing it. Start with clarity. Follow with action. And don’t let the small stuff hold you back from what could be a truly satisfying next chapter.
Ready to take the next step?
If you’re serious about finding the right career path and making sure your resume actually gets you there, explore our tools and resources. They’re designed to help you stand out, avoid common mistakes, and take action with clarity.
