Explore

iStart

Energy takers and energy givers

Energy takers and energy givers

What Gives You Energy / What You Enjoy

What You Can Endure Easily / Bear Pretty Easily ("Easier Shit")

What Drains Energy / Weaknesses / Unbearable ("Intolerable Shit")

Complex Systems and Learning Opportunities: Enjoy understanding and structuring complex things, especially with a clear purpose 1 .

Bureaucracy: Tolerable if it makes sense and is less than 1/3 of the workload 11 . Hated administrative tasks without understanding their purpose 12 .

Lack of Meaning/Belief in Work: Unbearable if the work lacks purpose or doesn't align with values 24 . Primary reason for disengaging 25 .

Creativity and High Autonomy: Enjoy creative tasks and working independently 2 .

Turning Implicit Knowledge Explicit: Excel at this when colleagues are approachable and willing to share 13 .

Lack of Transparency/Honesty: Intolerable environments involving lying, deception, or unclear explanations/rules 26 .

Variety and Change: Prefer project-based work or roles with changing tasks and growth opportunities 3 .

Talking to Strangers: Became bearable and confidence-boosting with practice, especially when you have energy 14 .

Implicit Communication/Lack of Clarity: Unclear expectations, lack of explicit information, or unsupportive colleagues cause stress and inadequacy 27 .

Organizing Processes: Enjoy designing systems, setting up rules, and structuring workflows 4 .

Physical Work: Manageable when paired with liked products/environments and when you have energy 15 .

Inability to Work Independently: Roles forcing reliance on unhelpful or uncooperative others erode confidence 28 .

Being Informative and Helpful: Excel at providing clear and accurate information 5 .

Resourcefulness: Can creatively reframe discomfort into productivity when you have energy and believe in the product/company 16 .

Pushy/Stressful Environments: High-pressure, competitive cultures with tight deadlines drain you 29 . Open office spaces can cause sensory overload 30 .

Curiosity: Driven by reading, researching, organizing complex ideas, and synthesizing knowledge 6 .

Financial Necessity: Can endure difficult conditions (physical strain, long hours, low pay) when financially necessary 17 .

Physical Discomfort/Exhaustion: Physically taxing roles (long hours, late nights, extreme conditions) cause dissatisfaction and health concerns long-term 31 .

Connecting People: Instinctively link people to ideas and opportunities 7 .

Hybrid or On-Site Work: Prefer these over fully remote 18 .

Rigid/Arbitrary Rules: Non-adaptive rules that don't make sense feel stifling 32 .

Community Building: Value organizing events and creating spaces for connection and fun 8 .

Working in International Teams: Enjoyable if there isn't too much dependency and you can work autonomously 19 .

No Work-Life Balance: Essential; lack of boundaries, night/evening shifts, or undefined schedules are intolerable 33 .

Exploration and Discovery: Enjoy roaming, noticing details, and finding joy in the ordinary 9 .

Deadline Management: Appreciate setting own deadlines but managing them is a challenge 20 .

Lack of Clear/Approachable Leadership: Aversion to rigid, closed hierarchies where feedback isn't possible 34 .

Practical Creativity: Like fulfilling own ideas, checking information, and making ideas tangible 10 .

Problem-Solving/Resilience: Good at resolving issues, but high stress affects you hard afterward 21 .

Unfair Compensation: Low pay is endurable short-term (1 year) but competitive pay reflecting skills is crucial long-term 35 . Stressful discussing money 36 .

Emotional Labor: Can be handled (politeness, controlling emotions, talking to strangers) but depends on energy levels 22 . Handling negative feedback or interpersonal conflict is taxing 23 .

Highly Routine/Bureaucratic Work: Mundane, unchanging tasks lead to frustration, especially if they feel inefficient or pointless 37 .

Criticism: Negative feedback, especially when subjective, unclear, or harsh, impacts pride and confidence 38 .

Lack of Autonomy/Involvement: Need freedom to initiate projects; being forced to push external goals or being excluded from decisions is frustrating 39 .

Bad Onboarding/Lack of Support: Lack of structured onboarding, guidance, or resources causes stress 40 .

Competition/Toxicity Among Colleagues: Emotionally draining and makes collaboration difficult 41 . Loss of supportive colleagues reduces engagement 42 .

Technical Frustrations/Poor Tools: Inefficient software, overworked computers, or flawed systems cause significant stress 43 .

High Expectations/Perfectionism: Own perfectionism combined with pushy demands leads to procrastination and exhaustion 44 .

There are no rows in this table

⁠

• How can your resources help you find what your passionate about? (e.g. can you find a job that promotes/includes your energy givers/rule out energy takers?)

How Energy Givers Might Appear in Vacancies (Signs of Potentially Enjoyable Roles):

Learning & Complexity: Look for phrases like "tackle complex challenges," "continuous learning environment," "master intricate systems," "research and synthesize information," or roles involving understanding new products/sectors.

Creativity & Autonomy: Keywords such as "develop creative solutions," "high degree of autonomy," "design and implement," "work independently," "shape your role," or "opportunity for innovation" suggest alignment. Roles like Knowledge/Process Architect, Designer, or roles in R&D often fit.

Variety & Growth: Phrases like "project-based work," "dynamic environment," "opportunities for growth," "expand responsibilities," "diverse tasks," or "develop new skills" are positive indicators.

Structure & Organization: Look for "organize workflows," "design systems," "process improvement," "establish procedures," "knowledge management," or "structure complex information".

Meaning & Impact: Descriptions emphasizing the organization's mission, "tangible results," "positive social impact," "contribute to X cause," or roles aligned with your stated interests (food security, health, sustainability, etc.) are key. NGOs, non-profits, and mission-driven companies often highlight this.

Collaboration & Support: Look for "collaborative team," "supportive environment," "open communication," "mentorship opportunities," or "knowledge sharing culture".

How Energy Takers Might Appear in Vacancies (Warning Signs of Potentially Unenjoyable Roles):

Lack of Meaning/Transparency: Vague descriptions of impact, roles focused solely on profit without clear value (like selling products you don't believe in ), or language suggesting ethically questionable practices (e.g., aggressive sales tactics you deem dishonest ) are red flags.

Rigidity & Lack of Autonomy: Phrases like "strictly follow procedures," "highly structured," "minimal deviation expected," "top-down directives," or roles involving repetitive, mundane tasks with little variation (especially administrative tasks without clear purpose ) signal potential issues.

High Pressure/Poor WLB (Work-life balance): While "fast-paced" can be okay, watch out if it's paired with "high pressure," "demanding," "tight deadlines" without mentioning support, or expectations of availability outside normal hours. Open-plan office descriptions might signal sensory overload issues.

Implicit Knowledge/Lack of Support: Roles requiring you to "hit the ground running" without mentioning onboarding or support, or vague descriptions of team dynamics might indicate a lack of clear guidance or reliance on implicit knowledge.

Toxic Environment Indicators: Overly competitive language, high turnover rates (if discoverable), or reviews mentioning poor management or uncooperative colleagues are warnings.

Criticism/Lack of Psychological Safety: Difficult to spot directly, but glassdoor reviews or interview questions focusing heavily on handling harsh criticism without mentioning constructive feedback loops might be a concern.

Potentially Enjoyable Roles/Sectors:

Roles: Knowledge Manager, Process Designer, Project/Program Manager (especially in impact fields like food security, public health, sustainability), Community Builder/Manager, Partnership Coordinator, Research Analyst, Content Creator/Strategist, R&D Coordinator (?).

Marketing? Communication? SMM?

Sectors/Org Types: Mission-driven organizations (NGOs, non-profits, social enterprises), research institutions, think tanks, potentially public sector roles related to your interest areas, mid-stage startups (offering structure but still flexible), organizations with strong collaborative cultures and clear communication.

Potentially Unenjoyable Roles/Sectors:

Roles: Highly repetitive administrative roles with no clear purpose, high-pressure commission-only sales roles lacking ethical alignment or belief in the product, certain high-volume call center roles requiring significant unsupported emotional labor, positions requiring deception.

Sectors/Org Types: Companies with known toxic or overly competitive "churn and burn" cultures, organizations with unclear missions or ethical practices, highly bureaucratic institutions with rigid rules and no autonomy, very early-stage startups lacking any structure or support (unless you specifically seek that chaos).

• Do you know someone who works in a job you are interested in?

Not yet

What do you like to do for fun? What I can not not do?

Meet up with friends

Listen to music

Laugh at memes

Read books, Write

Curiosity feeding, researching

Fulfillment comes from enabling others to feel at ease and connected

Roam cities, notice small details, take photos, and revel in the sense of “wow” and discovery. Exploration and visual discovery are grounding and recharging for you.

Hiking, exploring nature

Sex

Is that smth you want to do as a job?

Hell yeah))

Nope

Hell yeah))

no, I’d like to write books mb :))

yeahh

yeah

yeaah

noope

How many days a week do you want to work?

4/7!!

5/7

right now 2.5/7, like 20 hours

How much money do you think you’ll need a month?

net ~1100-1300 euro

18.75 euro/hourly

• How did you feel during the exercise?

energized after I’ve answered or came up with the idea of looking out in vacancies specific key words that might mean that this would take my energy

liked the having fun and whether i consider to earn with this

overall nice

• What did you learn from this exercise?

that I can learn how to take photos and sell them on stocks :DD

that I can earn with community building, facilitation, scrum/agile-mastering maybe

that maybe researching? and writing is for me, i don’t like read as much for no at least, but i can deal with that

• How can you erase/minimise the source of takers and maximise/increase source of givers?

Screen Vacancies: Actively look for red flags in job descriptions that signal energy takers (e.g., vague purpose, overly competitive language, mentions of long hours without support, focus on rigid adherence to rules without explanation).

Research Company Culture: Look for information (reviews, network contacts) about transparency, communication style, work-life balance, and leadership approach before applying or accepting offers. Avoid organizations known for toxicity or lack of support.

Prioritize Value Alignment: Consciously avoid roles or companies where the mission, product, or practices conflict with your core values (e.g., roles requiring dishonesty or selling something you don't believe in).

Ask Targeted Questions: Inquire specifically about autonomy levels, decision-making processes, communication expectations, how feedback is given, how the team handles conflict, typical work hours, and the reasoning behind key processes or rules.

Gauge Transparency: Assess how openly and clearly interviewers answer your questions about challenges, team dynamics, and leadership.

Define Work Hours: Be clear about needing defined work hours and normal weekends, protecting your personal time.

Communicate Needs: Proactively seek clarity when instructions or expectations are ambiguous. Express needs for support or resources respectfully.

Optimize Workspace: If possible, advocate for work arrangements (hybrid/on-site preferred) or workspace adjustments that minimize sensory overload.

Develop Coping Strategies: Continue using personal growth strategies (like therapy or coaching, as mentioned previously) to manage reactions to stress or criticism constructively.

Address Issues Promptly: When faced with fixable frustrations (like inefficient processes or unclear roles), use your organizational skills to propose solutions where appropriate.

Maximizing Energy Givers (The Enjoyable and Bearable)

Focus on Strengths: Seek positions that explicitly require learning complex systems, creativity, autonomy, process design, organizing information, and working on varied projects. Look for roles identified as good fits (e.g., Knowledge/Process Architect, Community Builder, Project Manager in impact fields).

Prioritize Purpose: Actively look for roles where the mission is clear, aligns with your values (e.g., food security, sustainability, health), and offers tangible impact.

Seek Supportive Teams: Look for evidence of collaborative environments, approachable colleagues, and open communication.

Embrace Learning: Continuously seek opportunities to learn new skills and deepen your knowledge, leveraging your natural curiosity.

Exercise Autonomy: When possible, take initiative, propose projects, structure your own work, and seek roles that offer this freedom.

Find Variety: Look for ways to introduce variety into your tasks or seek project-based work that offers natural shifts in focus.

Connect and Facilitate: Utilize your networking skills and enjoyment of connecting people/ideas within your role or through related activities.

Cultivate Givers Outside of Work:

Engage in Hobbies/Interests: Continue pursuing activities that bring you joy and tap into your curiosity and creativity (e.g., exploring, reading, music, community gatherings).

Volunteer/Give Back: Engage in volunteering or side projects aligned with your values and desire for impact.

⁠

1. Person A describes their situation 2.Person B repeats and makes sure that everything is understood. Then Person B lays the rope down. The rope represents Person A’s lifeline. 3.Either Person A or Person B writes different events in their life on a piece of paper. ⟶ 4.Put down one anchor with Person A’s name (in the now), one for their older self (at the end of the lifeline). 5.Person A walks the lifeline and steps on each anchor, stops and talks about what they have experienced (or will be) and felt and how they feel about it now (you can use the questions as a guideline). 6.Switch roles

Past

The Job you wanted to become as a child - journalist/writer

In which way can your experience help you with the decision you are now about to make?

What has led to what you are doing now?

What has helped you make decisions before?

Now

Step: Yourself right now (age, study field) - 32, agriculture and food economics

Do you already have an idea on what you want to do?

How (confident) do you feel about making a decision?

How does it feel to do what you are doing?

FUTURE:

Step: Your dreamjob

What is your dream job like now?

What do you need to make a decision?

Step: Your older self

What do you want to say about your life, when you are old?

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.