Working for a purpose, missing a chunk of your brain, and career gaps
Working for a purpose
In a survey of 1,000 people in New Zealand, 67% of the workforce say they will only work for a company that makes a positive impact. Of those aged 34 or younger, this rose to 77%! Check out this article to learn more.
This thoughtful essay captures both what it means to be caught up in work with purpose and the sacrifices that go along with it. It explores how great cultures are built through going above and beyond, but also how wellbeing can be ignored in the process.
Both Toby and myself have gone through similar experiences working within intoxicating-yet-exhausting workplaces, so this resonated with us. The takeaway here is that while meaning and drive to contribute to a purpose is necessary in work, burnout from self-sacrificing has quite negative personal and organisational impacts.
Missing a chunk of your brain
Just when you think you are starting to know something about the brain…
This article shares the story of 'EG', a woman who is missing her left temporal lobe, a part of the brain thought to be involved in language processing.
“For EG, who is in her fifties and grew up in Connecticut, missing a large chunk of her brain has had surprisingly little effect on her life. She has a graduate degree, has enjoyed an impressive career, and speaks Russian - a second language - so well that she has dreamed in it.”
Career gaps
Finally, this organisation aims to end the stigma that comes from taking a career gap.
“People take time out of work for many reasons. Sometimes it’s a choice; for others it’s a necessity. Women, who are statistically more likely to take time out of work for caregiving, are disproportionately disadvantaged by career gaps.”
There is one simple recommendation from the organisation: by replacing dates attached to previous roles in a CV with 'number of years' instead, you don't disadvantage those with career gaps, which can be due to a multitude of reasons.