Covid triggered a worldwide reset. Millions of people evaluated or revisited their sense of purpose—at work and in life. In some countries, 7 out of 10 employees did so.
It’s no wonder, then, that many are also cautious when choosing a career.

If we could know in advance whether we would enjoy a particular career, we’d likely live in a world where Gallup reports global work engagement rates of over 50%—not the less-than-30% that repeats year after year. We also wouldn’t be hearing so much about mismatches of various kinds, often on a large scale.

I don’t think anyone has a silver-bullet answer—not even the most capable psychologists who try to help by matching personality types with occupations.
And that’s simply because the world is complex, we are complex, and—most importantly—because before having the actual experience, it’s hard to know how things will unfold. Most professional don’t work in isolation. There is plenty of human interaction which also defines joy or disatisfaction.

Nonetheless, we can minimize the risk of mismatches by increasing our awareness of the following:

1. Field of study mismatch may lower job satisfaction.
   Some studies suggest that a mismatch between your field of study and your job contributes to lower work satisfaction. While these studies aren’t large enough to draw conclusions for the global population, getting it right from the start may reduce your chances of ending up in an unfulfilling job.
   
2. Lower-skill occupations tend to show lower satisfaction—on average.
   Let’s be clear: we’re talking about averages, not every single individual engaged in such occupation category. There are people who are just as happy working as a bricklayer as others are in high-profile consulting roles. In fact, a shared sense of purpose between employer and employee plays a big role (more on this below). One example: the North American insurer USAA was awarded hundreds of patents, some authored by a company security guard. The context? the company encouraged employees, from all corners, to come up with ideas.
   
3. High-skill careers usually lead to higher lifetime earnings—but not always.
   Various studies, including from McKinsey, show that people who begin in occupations with higher educational or credentialing requirements (like lawyers or dentists) tend to earn more over their lifetimes. That said, some people defy the odds. By accumulating a diverse set of experiences and skills, they manage to move up significantly.
   
4. First work experiences matter—a lot.
   As the saying goes, first impressions count. It also happens that early work experiences—especially those involving strong onboarding and mentorship—can have a lasting impact. One study found that such experiences account for up to 50% of how early jobs influence long-term earning potential. Importantly, this isn’t about company size but about company culture (“Human Capital at Work: The Value of Experience”, McKinsey, 2022).
   
5. Purpose-driven companies foster motivation.
   Evidence suggests that organizations that actively develop a sense of purpose—and align it with their employees’ purpose—create environments that boost motivation and engagement. In other words, you might pick the “right” major and the “right” occupation, but still end up at a company so misaligned with your values that it makes you question your entire career choice.
   
6. Three basic psychological needs drive satisfaction and performance.
   A widely supported theory holds that most people have three core psychological needs at work: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Meeting these needs leads to better performance and well-being.

In other posts, I’ve written about what I call the six pillars of career choice and about evaluating career choices in the age of AI. I emphasize early exposure to occupations and interaction with seasoned professionals. These allow you to assess important factors—like the degree of autonomy—in any given job.

There’s a piece of wise advice from the world of entrepreneurship: fail fast, small, and move on.
You can apply the same principle when deciding on a career. The only way to do that is by gaining early exposure—through volunteering, internships, or job shadowing.