How to make your imperfect job more rewarding

I remember the moment the phrase ‘job crafting’ first flickered across my screen. It was 2013, and I was deep in the early stages of my PhD research. At the time, it felt like a classic academic discovery – a neat, clinical term used by scholars to describe how employees subtly redesign their roles.

The theory struck a personal chord. A wave of recognition washed over me. I realised I wasn’t just studying job crafting; I had been living it my entire life.

I have always been an avid crafter, who couldn’t leave a task as it was handed to me. I was always tinkering: adding a task that sparked my curiosity, building a bridge to a colleague that gave me energy, and constantly reframing my perspective to see the impact of my work beyond a simple checklist or as described by the role title.

I was being an architect, remodelling the house while I lived in it. Once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. The realisation was liberating; work doesn’t have to be something that happens to us, but something we can shape.

The ‘Perfect Fit’ myth

We are often told the key to happiness is finding the “perfect” job – a role that will fit like a bespoke suit. We’re encouraged to “find our calling” as if it’s a hidden treasure buried somewhere in the job market, waiting to be unearthed.

But for most of us, work is more like a ready-to-wear outfit. It’s close; we have a reasonable relationship with our boss, and the work isn’t at odds with our basic values. But it pinches at the shoulders or it’s too long in the sleeves. If we wait for the perfect fit, we’ll likely be waiting a long time.

Meaningfulness at work isn’t handed to us in a contract; it’s something we discover and create for ourselves. I’ve spent years researching this and facilitating job crafting workshops, and the data points to a consistent truth: even in roles that seem unfulfilling or rigid, we have more agency than we think.

Victor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist who founded a form of psychotherapy focused on finding meaning in life, wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning that when we can’t change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. His theories were based on his experiences in four concentration camps. In the modern office (or the home office), this translates to a mindset shift. We need to stop seeing ourselves as passive passengers but as proactive designers.

The ‘Micro-Move’

How do you turn a standard job into something that reflects your values and strengths? Break it down into three types of tinkering – as suggested by US academics and job crafting experts Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton (2001):

1. Task crafting: The What
This is about changing the boundaries of your job. It’s not about doing more work (we’re all busy enough) but doing different work. It’s about leaning into your strengths. If you’re a data person who loves storytelling, perhaps you volunteer to turn the quarterly report into a narrative presentation. You’re fulfilling the requirement, but you’re doing it in a way that fuels rather than drains you.

2. Relational crafting: The Who
We are social creatures. The quality of our work life is often the sum of the quality of our relationships. Crafting your relationships at work is about being intentional with your connections. It’s about seeking out the ‘energisers’ – those people who leave you feeling inspired – and perhaps creating boundaries with the ‘drainers’. It’s about moving from transactional emails and meetings to genuine human collaboration.

3. Cognitive crafting: The Why
This is perhaps the most powerful tool in the kit. It’s about changing how you think about your work. It’s the difference between a hospital cleaner saying, “I’m mopping a floor” to saying “I’m creating a safe, sterile environment where people can heal.” One is a chore; the other is a purpose.

The power of ‘tiny'

The biggest hurdle to job crafting is thinking that our roles are fixed. We often wait for a performance review to ask for change, or for a promotion to find fulfilment. Waiting for permission is a recipe for burnout or disappointment.

I’m an advocate of the micro actions approach suggested by Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. Fogg, an American social scientist and founder of the Stanford Behaviour Design Lab, has spent decades researching the mechanics of human behaviour, while Clear, an American writer, has become a leading voice on the systemic psychology behind decision-making and habit formation. They argue that if you want to find more meaning in your work, maybe don’t try to overhaul your entire career on a Monday morning. Instead, look for that ‘1% improvement’.

If you want to feel more connected, make a habit of it: “After I finish my Friday walk, I will send one message to a colleague who I know has been going through stress at work.” By anchoring a tiny new behaviour to an existing routine, you bypass the brain’s natural resistance to change. ‘Micro-moments’ add up. They create a sense of ownership.

Crafting within the constraints

People say to me: “That sounds nice, but my job is incredibly rigid. I have no autonomy.”

I hear you. I’ve heard about job crafting stories in high-pressure environments during my workshops and have researched it in different contexts. I’ve found that even in tightly constrained roles, the desire to craft remains. It’s often in the most constrained times that our need for agency is greatest.

During the pandemic, New Zealanders found new ways to connect, new ways to deliver value, and frame their purpose in a world that had turned upside down. We learned that autonomy isn’t just about what your boss lets you do; it’s about the small choices you make within the space you have.

A new way to work

We are living in an era when work is more than just “what we do”. It is tightly woven into our identity – who we are and who we wish to become. When our work feels like a mismatch, it affects our productivity, and also our wellbeing.

Job crafting is a move away from the fixed career path towards a fluid one. It’s an acknowledgment that you are a work in progress, and your job should be, too.

Is there a conversation you’ve been avoiding that could lead to a new collaboration? Is there a task you could approach with a different ‘why’?

Meaning isn’t something you find; it’s something you build. You have the tools, you have the agency, and you have the right to a career that feels like it belongs to you.

Success isn’t just about your own climb, but the meaning you create along the way – for yourself, and for everyone your work touches.