Impact

If values inform the why of what we do and give insight into the impact we’d hope our work has on the world,” impact is the more specific, concrete articulation of the impact we’d like to make in our work. In academic terms, think of “values” as the “theory” and the “impact” as the practical application of that theory.

You may review the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as one possible reference to think of the kinds of impact you’d like to have in your work.

Watch the video on the UN’s 17 SDGs. As you watch, consider if any of the SDGs resonate with you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XTBYMfZyrM

Several of the SDGs, such as “reduced inequalities,” “sustainable cities and communities,” or “good health and well-being” can be a helpful resource for identifying employers and types of work that are committed to have SDG-related impacts.

When reading over the SDGs, you may use the following prompts to reflect on them and connect them to your values and needs:

What SDGs (if any) relate to you, and why?
What problems related to those SDGs do you want to solve through your work?
How might some of the SDGs connect to the types of projects you are drawn to?
Do any employers or types of work come to mind when reviewing these SDGs?

Impacts require further articulation that demonstrates a commitment to that impact. Broadly connecting to values or SDGs will still leave things too general.

Wording like “helping people,” “creativity”, and even “commitment to sustainability” or “anti-racism” are useful places to start but will likely not articulate any specific commitments to impact in your work. Be specific and concrete when articulating the potential impacts you hope to have.

The different levels of impact

The term “impact” might carry a lot of weight and to some folks it might mean “change the world.” While you can aspire to change the world and focus on systemic issues, there are different impact levels that, especially early in your career, might feel more relevant. Below are the various levels of impact that can occur in your career:

Personal impact

A job has an impact on you and your life! A job’s personal impact can be “increasing mental well-being and confidence” or “achieving financial stability” or “feeling safe and authentic in the workplace.” For personal impacts related to the SDGs, check out GoodLife Goals’ Flash Cards.

Interpersonal/team-level impact

What kind of impacts would you like to bring to your current or prospective teammates and/or clients you work with or will work with in your career? This can look like “increasing collaboration and interdisciplinarity” or “fostering inclusive and safe environments for colleagues and supervisees.” On an interpersonal level beyond work, you can also think about impacts you would like to bring to your family and friends.

Community-level impact

Thinking more systemically, you may be concerned with the impacts you can bring to your local communities. Community-level impact can be “increasing access to affordable housing in the GTA” or “improving the quality of mental health services in the Kitchener-Waterloo region for immigrant communities.”

Systemic or societal level impact

Systemic- or societal-level impacts are like community-level impacts, only they are not tied to a specific community. Examples can include “increasing adoption of green energy solutions in the tech sector” or “improving ethical applications of AI within the health industry.”

By breaking down “impact” into these levels, you can more confidently identify different impacts that seem manageable and can set out other impacts that are long-term goals.

Note: It is completely fine and reasonable to focus on only one type of impact throughout your career; you do not have to strive for every level of impact listed above. It is also okay to change your impacts over time. The goal of naming an impact is to focus on what matters most to you; not how large it is.

Engagement with world of work

You can think of “engagement with world of work” as the types of projects or work you are drawn to, interested in and allow you to actualize the impacts you would like to have in your career. Values have been described as the why of what you do in your career and inform your impacts. Engagement with the world of work, then, reflects how we would like to make our intended impacts possible.

Engagement with the world of work can be rooted in your skills, your values and needs and/or in the impacts you’d like to make. It may also be influenced by trends and opportunities within the labour market and/or your chosen industry. Each of these categories can help inform how you choose to engage with the world of work:

Engaging your skills

Examples include “I enjoy work that connects with others through writing” or “Performing work in collaboration with others is when I feel most engaged.”

Connection to your values

Examples include: “I like researching sustainable transportation” or “I like reducing inequality in tech through education outreach and program initiatives.”

Grounded in your needs

Examples include “I like working independently” or “I like relaxed environments that have flexible deadlines”

Related to impacts

Examples include: “Working with clients allows me to actually see the impact I make on their lives” or “Work that allows me to work with communities increases the likelihood of achieving my impacts”

Related to labour market trends: Examples include: “X type of projects are in high demand in Y industry, so I’d like to pursue that type of work” or “X industry is requiring A and B skillsets and knowledge to perform Y, so I’d like to develop those skills sets to take on this type of work.”

If you’ve had limited exposure to a variety of work experiences, you may find the process of identifying your engagement with the world of work challenging. Besides paid work experiences, consider other relevant experiences you have, such as:

Hobbies
Extracurricular activities (e.g. music, dance, art, etc.)
Volunteering Sports/athletics

Your subject/area or assignment choices in school
Your choice to pursue a specific topic of research or area of study

All of these can provide you with insight regarding your interests and what type of work engages you. The key is to pay attention to what you enjoy doing – as well as what you don’t enjoy doing – in order to know the types of work and activities that give you energy in your career.

Next: Talents, skills, and reflection