“Being self-employed I’ve been job-crafting for the majority of my career without realising it and it has brought me so much joy and job satisfaction.”
As my career develops and becomes more sustainable (and having learned more about job crafting) I recognise its importance and have become more purposeful about it.
I wanted to share with you 5 ways that I have crafted my job.
5 ways I’ve crafted my job:
Task crafting
What is it? Task crafting is tangibly changing aspects of how we undertake our work including designing, adding or removing tasks.
How did I do it? I get a bit bored doing the same thing everyday and I enjoy variety in my daily tasks. Therefore, I have ensured that I have multiple roles as a Business Psychologist, AirBnB owner, Property Developer, and in completing my PhD.
Purpose crafting
What is it? Purpose crafting is reframing how we think about our work. in general including the value and significance it brings to us personally and others.
How did I do it? I have made sure that all my roles are fulfilling my purpose of; 'helping people feel good by understanding and meeting their needs', whether that's at work, at home or on holiday! I've done this by crafting meaningful opportunities and personalising my career by only selecting work that will fulfill 3 criteria:
Move me towards my life goals and ambitions;
Further my career and businesses;
Make me happy and keep me well
It requires a bit of organisation and a lot of flexibility but I love all the different things I get to do each week and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Relationship crafting
What is it? Relationship crafting is shaping how we relate and engage with others, including building and adapting our relationship with co-workers.
How did I do it? Being self-employed can become quite lonely. As a borderline introvert/extrovert, I need a bit of time to myself to concentrate but also to interact with people, so during the pandemic I decided to become an associate so I could work as part of a team for some of my week. I have been in associate roles which I thought would fulfil points one and two above, but it became apparent quite quickly that they didn't make me happy and in fact gave me a lot of unnecessary stress. In becoming an associate for Tailored Thinking I couldn't be happier and that is down to the people and our respectful relationships. Rob and the team live and breathe the Tailored Thinking values, so as a company, the outcomes for the team are amazing. I feel happy, empowered, motivated, respected and valued. My psychological contract with TT is strong - I feel valued therefore I want to do more for them...win win!
Skill Crafting
What is it? Skill crafting is developing, refining and focusing on new skills.
How did I do it? A few years ago I realised that I wanted to go back to Uni. I was a qualified Business and Life Coach with a background in psychology and mental health but I really wanted to fulfil my dream of becoming an Occupational and Business Psychologist and make the world of work a more people friendly place (having had my own policy driven negative experiences in the workplace prior to becoming self-employed). I took the plunge in 2019 and got a buzz for it, so I'm continuing my academic research journey by completing my PhD, studying hybrid working and creating solutions for the future of work.
Wellbeing Crafting
What is it? Wellbeing crafting is boosting our physical and mental health through the work we do.
How did i do it? I used to love working from home pre-pandemic. However, homeschooling really knocked that on the head. After the pandemic had settled a bit, I noticed that my stress levels were higher when working from home, and I also began to miss working amongst people as part of a team. I decided to hire a small office to get me out of the house and do more associate work where I can be part of a team. I'm still working flexibly, and from home sometimes, but having a separate space to work not only improves my routine, but it helps to focus my mind on work too.
Carly Richards is currently studying for her PHD around hybrid working and parenting, whilst working for Tailored Thinking one day a week. Carly is a Business Psychologist and specialises in people performance, wellbeing, hybrid working/working environment, and organisational change.
Fun fact: Carly is an extreme DIY enthusiast and never misses an episode of Neighbours.
