If the core of finding meaningful work is self-inventory, then the core of career self-inventory is The Flower. Devised by eParachute co-founder Dick Bolles, The Flower represents the seven most important factors about a job - and therefore the seven most important factors about you in your work.

In the past, some might have said that, of all the seven “petals” of The Flower, the most important is an inventory of what you know - your Knowledges. Or perhaps of your Skills - those abilities that can transfer between various situations. Others might have chosen Geography, or Salary, or People Environment, or their Work Environment. But increasingly today, more and more people say that the most important of the seven “petals” of The Flower is Purpose.

Purpose can be many things. It could be what you feel is your Mission in life - whatever drives you to accomplish something in service to a higher goal. Or it could be your Philosophy of life, a set of values that you feel compelled to put into action. Whatever context resonates the most with you, your Purpose is a statement about meaning - and that serves as the foundation for your search for meaningful work.

Why is Purpose so important to talk about? eParachute is releasing a new course with its partner Udemy, and that course takes people through a series of exercises to complete The Flower. Job-hunters might see the course as an important set of steps to understand the most effective choice for their work. And career changers might view the course as a way to determine a new path in the world of work.

They’d both be right. But what becomes clear once you’ve done your self-inventory of all seven petals, is that together they can constitute what makes work meaningful for you - and that means that The Flower course is really about Purpose. With your Flower, you’ll have a complete picture of the various facets of work that provide meaning to you, as you’d define it today. (You might define things very differently tomorrow, and in fact that’s to be expected, as a living and growing person.)

Find that work, or something very close to it, and you’ll find a way to express your Purpose.

Sign up before June 30 to receive an “Early Bird” discount code for "The eParachute Introduction to Your Career and Job Search: Discover Your Purpose & Ideal Career w/ the Author of the #1 Career and Job-Hunting Book “What Color is Your Parachute?”on Udemy.com. http://eepurl.com/bqZckb