We all stop and ponder from time to time if the career in which we find ourselves is the right one. This assumes, of course, that one operates from the premise that there is such a thing as the one appropriate career. During these times of disquieting reflection, it may be helpful to reframe the question at hand as to whether our career is contributing to a life of meaning and emotional sustenance. What follows is a consideration taken from philosophy that is along this line of career self-evaluation. 

When examining the history of western philosophy, one does not have to read far before coming upon the concept of teleology. Teleology refers to identifying the purpose underpinning a phenomenon as opposed to seeing effects arise simply because of some mechanistic cause. Teleological designs intentionally try to reach a pre-determined goal. 

We are generally not patient to wait for a chance to produce desirable outcomes, so we maneuver events to reach the results we want. Our careers are hugely important in the amount of time and energy they take, so looking at them through a teleological lens is helpful. 

In ancient times Greek philosophers spoke of the existence of a divinely inspired natural teleology as they attempted to describe the world as they found it. Organic substances were deemed to have inherent purposes, such as Aristoteles’s example of an acorn being intrinsically driven by a sublime force to become an oak tree. Today, science has introduced controversy into thinking of teleology as having a godlike origin. Nevertheless, the notion of purpose as serving a key role in human nature and agency persists in philosophy. 

We can take this stubbornness of teleology to endure in human deliberation to conclude that there is something essentially positive about acting with purpose. Striving to attain a moral objective that brings happiness and satisfaction to oneself is easily and rightfully justified, right? Therefore, directing oneself to choose a career with a clear intention, acting on achieving career proficiency with zeal, and deriving the benefits of career success with joy is a pursuit worth following. 

What I am promoting is simply applying career to living a life of well-being. Or to borrow another phrase from ancient Greek philosophy, a life of eudaimonia, by which is meant to flourish — what the Greeks saw as the ultimate goal of life. Working at a career that is inherently purposeful leaves us feeling more virtuous as a result of our endeavors and that we have identified a higher aspiration worth working for. 

A teleological career is much more than a means of financial remuneration. It means reaching one’s potential. Like Aristoteles’s acorn, we can unfurl ourselves and find self-expression that is deep within our capacity. Feeling whole and thinking that this chosen profession is what we are meant to do energizes and strengthens us. 

Teleology is also involved in the area of business ethics. Acting purposefully is most complete when it involves not just benefiting oneself, but also impacting others in a positive way. Consider the ethics of your career. Are you attempting to provide value for as many as possible, including customers, colleagues, the community, the environment, and all other stakeholders? Such an expansive purpose is more grounded in goodness for a greater number and for yourself. 

Working with purpose sets up a motivational cycle that is internal, self-generated, and nearly effortless. When working toward a higher purpose we find it much less burdensome to gather the strength needed to function. Having desire to operate purposefully comes on more naturally and feeds on itself such that our expended energy is recovered and amplified by our emotional investment to purpose. 

It is natural to wonder if we are doing the proper thing with our work. We should periodically question it and resolve if it is worth it. Applying a teleological approach to assessing our careers can help us to determine career quality.