When career choices feel overwhelming, vague, or full of trade-offs, your personal values can cut through the noise. In a job that’s constantly shaped by protocol and urgency, it’s easy to lose track of what you care about. This article helps first responders reconnect with what matters most and use that as a compass to make meaningful decisions.
🔍 Why Values Matter in Career Planning
Values don’t give you a map, but they give you a compass.
They guide how a decision feels, even when the outcome is unknown.
In the absence of certainty, alignment is your next best move.
🧭 The 3-Step Values Compass Framework
1. Reflect: When were you most energised in your career?
Think of moments that felt fulfilling, motivating, or deeply “you.”
Prompt: What did those moments have in common?
2. Identify: What value was present in that moment?
Some common examples include:
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Growth
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Stability
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Purpose
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Autonomy
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Connection
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Curiosity
Write down your top 3.
3. Apply: Hold your next career decision against these values.
Ask:
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Does this direction honour at least one of my core values?
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If not, what small tweak would bring it closer?
💥 When Values Conflict
Sometimes decisions don’t feel clear because your values are in tension with each other. That’s normal.
Examples:
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Wanting growth (new challenge), but also stability (predictable hours)
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Wanting connection (team-based work), but also autonomy (time off-road)
How to handle it:
Choose to prioritise, not eliminate.
You can revisit other values in future decisions. This isn’t your only move.
🛠️ Practical Tip: Start a “Values Tracker”
For one week, write down:
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One decision you made (big or small)
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Which value it reflected (or conflicted with)
This builds awareness and over time, patterns emerge that make future decisions easier.
🔚 Final Thought:
You don’t need to know your five-year plan.
You just need to know your values and start acting on them one choice at a time.
