In a rapidly shifting work landscape reshaped by technology and politics, one might think that finding purpose in our job has taken a backseat. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Deloitte’s latest global survey of Gen Zs and millennials shows that 90 percent of this demographic, which will account for 74 percent of the workforce by 2030, consider a sense of purpose to be important to their job satisfaction and well-being.

But how do we find purpose in our work and stay connected to our sense of purpose? And how do we make sense of our career choices if our purpose changes? 

These were the main themes of a discussion we had with Axel Reinaud (MBA’97J), CEO and founder of carbon-capture firm NetZero, as part of the events around this year’s Global INSEAD Day. Together, we explored how to find one’s purpose at work, based on Winnie’s research on this topic, Antoine’s experience in career coaching, as well as Reinaud’s journey from global consulting to climate entrepreneurship. 

Passion, competence and service

As my (Winnie’s) research shows, there’s no shortcut to finding meaning; we need to spend time reflecting on our work and ourselves if we want to move towards more purposeful careers. We can start by asking ourselves three simple but far-reaching questions: 

1. What gives you joy?
2. What are you good at?
3. How do you want to serve humanity? 

These questions will help you to identify the essential elements in purposeful work: passion, competence and service. If you can find a way to combine these three elements, you are on the path towards a purposeful career.

The five pillars of meaningful work

Going deeper, here’s a framework to help you identify your personal pillars of meaning: 

1. Livelihood: achieving financial goals, supporting yourself and your family, improving your lifestyle
2. Community: connecting with others, building and strengthening social bonds
3. Recognition: receiving affirmation and validation from others
4. Stimulation: developing yourself, learning new skills, growing personally and professionally
5. Impact: serving, making a positive difference, contributing to a worthy cause 

Of course, different pillars will matter more to different people. But structuring your thinking around these five pillars can help clarify decisions that might otherwise appear overwhelming. 

And don’t rush the process. Some people have a clear goal, a sense of where and how they will find a purpose-driven career early in life. For others, purpose can develop slowly or, as Reinaud found, emerge unbidden after a successful and happy career elsewhere. 

The emergence of purpose

Reinaud explained how the Covid lockdown gave him the time and space to reflect on his priorities and skills and take the plunge as an entrepreneur. As the name implies, his firm NetZero is a company with a clear purpose: to contribute to the global imperative to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

In just over five years since its conception in February 2020, it has grown to be a leading firm in carbon removal using biochar, a charcoal-like material produced from waste plant matter. NetZero currently has 160 employees and five facilities – one in Cameroon and four in Brazil (with a fifth on the way). 

NetZero has achieved something remarkable within a short time, becoming a company that is both good for the environment and people, and is ecologically and economically sustainable. How did Reinaud get here? 

Build a toolbox of skills

Looking back, it's hard not to feel that Reinaud's spent his life preparing for NetZero. But he insists that this was not the case. Reinaud studied engineering in Paris, then worked for the publisher Hachette. After obtaining an MBA at INSEAD in 1997, he worked for Boston Consulting Group for 23 years, first as a consultant and later in leadership positions. 

All of the elements that make up NetZero are there – a background in engineering, an MBA, and extensive commercial experience. But Reinaud never felt that his career was building to something specific. His purpose, he says, emerged over time, but, crucially, it was established on the building blocks of experience and a toolbox of skills developed over his 30-year career. 

For NetZero to come into being, Reinaud needed a catalyst. That arrived in the form of Covid-19 lockdowns, which gave him time for reflection and conversation with his family. Reinaud's father Guy was an early “evangelist” for biochar, so Reinaud has always been aware of its potential. Discussions with Reinaud’s son, Olivier, turned the germ of an idea into a business plan for NetZero. So in a way, it is a three-generation family business. 

Roll up your sleeves

What advice does Reinaud have for would-be entrepreneurs and anyone looking to develop a career driven by purpose? Be proactive, “roll up your sleeves” and take responsibility for yourself, he urges. He has three pieces of advice: 

1. Know what you are looking for, whether that's a sector or specific firm
2. When you have a target, do your research: talk to employees, clients and suppliers
3. When you have a job, create the space that you want: shape an organisation around your ideals.

In the same vein, Reinaud advises people to “look for diversity and learn new things”. 

“Build a toolbox of skills, knowledge and networks,” he says – even when you don’t have a particular end goal in mind. In a job market where portfolio careers are increasingly common, this is a reassuring insight. 

“If you have a sense of purpose,” Reinaud says, “you will find a way to make use of the tools you have acquired.”

This dovetails with insights from my (Winnie’s) research on job crafting. That is, “craft” the job that you want where you work. Take an entrepreneurial mindset to an established company. Take the initiative to change what you don't like and be proactive in changing it. In other words, make the work meaningful for yourself, rather than expecting others to make it meaningful for you.

We find inspiration in the words of the American writer Studs Terkel, who wrote: “Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a life rather than a Monday through Friday dying.”