Sunday Pick: Finding Purpose: Why you should stop chasing your “dream job” (w/ Emily the Recruiter) | Fixable

**Elise Hu** (0:04)
Happy Sunday, y'all, Elise Hu here, and today we are bringing you a Sunday Pick where we share an episode of another podcast from TED handpicked by us for you.
Do you think that your dream job really exists? Emily Durham, who you may know as Emily the Recruiter from social media, thinks that it doesn't. Emily shares practical, refreshingly honest career advice and coaches people through the biggest professional decisions of their lives. In this episode of the TED podcast Fixable, Emily joins co-host Anne Morris to make the case for the awake job that actively fits into your purpose, lifestyle and financial needs. Emily reflects on how her own purpose has evolved over time and answers questions from listeners about how to gracefully quit a job, find a path forward when you feel stuck, and communicate your values to a potential employer.
Whatever you're dealing with at work, Fixable is there to help, offering actionable insights to create meaningful change in your life and workplace. Listen to Fixable wherever you get your podcasts. And if you've got a problem you want fixed, call their hotline at 234-FIXABLE, that's 234-349-2253 to leave Anne and Frances a voicemail with your workplace problem. Learn more about all of TED's podcasts at podcasts.ted.com. Now on to the episode right after a quick break.

**Emily Durham** (1:34)
I think we all need to start operating, rather, with the audacity of someone who is unaware that the answer could be no. Like, my biggest piece of advice is there is someone grossly underqualified, arguably bad at their job, getting a raise every single year. And you want to know why? Because they're dumb enough to ask.

**Anne Morris** (1:54)
This is Fixable, a show where we take the problems at work that feel unfixable and prove that they're not.
I'm Anne Morris, and we are back with another installment of our Purpose at Work series. Today, we're getting down to the brass tacks of how to find purposeful work and how to build a meaningful career that's connected to your purpose. Our guest today is someone who spent years in the trenches of hiring. You may know her as Emily the Recruiter on social media, where she shares practical, refreshingly honest career advice with millions of followers. Emily Durham has decoded the recruiting process from every possible angle. She's worked inside companies on the recruiting side. She's helped the job seekers knock in on the door to figure out the process. She's coached people through the biggest professional decisions of their lives. She's also the author of the fantastic new book, Clock In, No BS Advice for Getting Ahead in Your Career Without Losing Your Mind. I love her voice and her work, and I'm thrilled to welcome Emily to the show today.
Emily Durham, welcome to Fixable.

**Emily Durham** (3:12)
Thank you for having me, I'm so excited.

**Anne Morris** (3:14)
Very mutual. Congrats on your terrific new book.
I loved it. So this month on the show, we are tackling this question of purpose and how to find meaning at work. You've written that find your passion is terrible career advice. So what is wrong with passion, Emily?

**Emily Durham** (3:34)
Ah, well, here's the thing. If you are one of the lucky few who find passion and all of your other needs met with work, oh my God, I love that for you. Like, that's the ideal state. But I think telling people that we have to be passionate about work is basically telling people the most interesting thing about you is what you do Monday to Friday. And I think that's really crummy. I think the way that we talk about work and fulfillment has not really adjusted with the way the world has changed around us. And one of the things I talk a lot about in my book is this Jersey Shore style metaphor or acronym, rather, called VPL in lieu of GTL.
And VPL really stands for your validation, your purpose, and your lifestyle. And I really think those are the three core needs that we need to meet with work. Because if you've got a job that meets your lifestyle, maybe the pay is fantastic, but you feel like there's no purpose and your boss doesn't validate you, treats you really crummy, you're going to hate that job sooner than later. So in lieu of chasing passion, I think we should create a life that hits our VPL, a life that we are passionate about. At certain stages, work fits into that and sometimes it doesn't, and that's okay.

**Anne Morris** (4:41)
So I love your VPL framework and purpose is there in the stack. You're just saying, if I'm hearing you correctly, these other two things also matter. Why are these distinctions important for people to really think about?