“I’ll Know I’m in the Right Career When…” — Redefining Success on Your Own Terms

We spend a significant chunk of our lives chasing the elusive “right job.” We update our CVs, scour job boards, attend interviews, and accept offers that we hope will finally bring us the fulfilment we crave. But how often do we pause and actually define what the “right career” looks and feels like?

So many of us move through our careers reacting to what’s expected—promotions, pay raises, job titles—without ever getting clear on what matters to us. We pursue external validation without checking in on our internal compass.

That’s something I explore a lot with my clients. And when I ask them to complete the sentence:

“I’ll know I’m in the right career when…”

…the answers are often simple, human, and deeply personal.

💡“When I stop dreading Monday mornings.”
💡“When I don’t feel like I have to pretend at work.”
💡“When I’m challenged and supported.”
💡“When I come home with energy to give my family.”

These responses aren’t about salaries or job titles. They’re about alignment. About being in a role and an environment that honours who you are and what you need.

Here’s the truth:
There is no one-size-fits-all version of career success. There’s only your version. And that might look very different from what you thought when you first entered the workforce.

So today, I want to invite you to reflect.

How would you finish this sentence?
“I’ll know I’m in the right career when…”

Write it down. Say it out loud. Share it in the comments if you’re feeling brave—you might just inspire someone else to rethink what their version of success looks like.

Because the moment you define it for yourself is the moment you start moving toward it with intention.