How do we find our Ikigai?

Dear Design fam,

I’m curious. Curious about how all of you are finding your ikigai? Is it truly this hard or easy to find it? I don’t know if I’m looking for geniune answers on how to find your dream job with the right company or looking for people who are in the same boat as me. 

How do you find an agency with a good work environment, wonderful people and impactful work all while ensuring it all aligns with your goals, talents, skills and ambitions? (Let’s not forget compensation and location - How do I always find jobs in the city I’m not living in?) 

5 years ago, I was mighty optimistic. Always looking out for the next best thing and keeping my mind open about whatever I was doing. “The right thing is coming for me” I would say. I guess a small part of me still believes that. But it gets a little smaller every few months. 

I won’t say I have regrets - I absolutely LOVED every job I’ve had so far. Learnt endlessly and always came out a champion, meeting incredible colleagues and friends, worked with some mind-blowing clients and most importantly pushing myself to always learn something new. My 5 year career in 4 companies has helped me grow into someone I didn’t think I had the potential of becoming. 

But now at a standstill, I’m thinking to myself, when am I going to hit the jackpot? When am I going to get that “Damn, I love my job” feeling. I don’t want to romanticize it & I most definitely don’t want to fantasize it. But I know, that there is something out there that fits me like a puzzle piece. And I’m going to hold out and keep pushing for it.

So in the interest of allowing myself to keep on growing, I would love your advice, can you recommend how I can upskill, improve my resume and create an entirely new portfolio to bring my dreams closer to my reality. 

I’m aiming for a career in UX/Ui Design & Research or Product Design / Management and I’m pushing myself until I’m there. And your help would make all the difference. Recommendations, suggestions, links to good portfolios, or incredible people looking to Mentor will all help. So thank you for taking the time to read this and most importantly thank you for supporting me in this small but meaningful adventure.