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The original was posted on /r/lifeprotips by /u/TemporaryDevice7895 on 2025-07-24 15:37:53+00:00.

When I was job hunting, I kept obsessing over what I wanted to do but never thought about how I actually like to work. Totally different thing. I realized way too late that I was just chasing job titles and industries that sounded cool without actually understanding how my brain works. I kept ending up in roles that looked great but left me completely wiped out.

Pro tip that I wish someone had told me: figure out how you actually function first…like do you need tons of structure or does that make you feel trapped? Are you energized by brainstorming with people or does that drain you? How do you make your best decisions? Use that as your guide when you’re looking at jobs. The actual work matters but the “how” is what’s gonna determine if you’re thriving or just surviving.

Even just writing down times when you felt totally in your element at work vs times when everything felt wrong can be super helpful. Sometimes the patterns are more obvious than you think.