Grieving the Mission and Reclaiming Purpose in Employment

Do what is best for you and know that thousands of us relate to and support you.

The past few months have been filled with chaos. Thousands of passionate foreign aid workers lost (and are still losing) their jobs without being a part of the decision process.

I am Lindsay Brown. I am sad that some of the richest men in the world decided to freeze foreign aid, destroy the sector, and leave implementing organizations in a financial tailspin.

While many of us sat on unpaid furlough or were reeling from an unexpected layoff, they called us radical, parasitic, unqualified, rebellious, and even worms.

For many, the hardest part was abandoning the mission and the many communities we supported worldwide. This grief and trauma is layered and multifaced.

• Anxiety about paying our bills or going broke

• Worry about those around the world without services

• Frustration with name-calling, falsehoods, and devaluing our work

• Missing our colleagues and our life’s purpose

Where does sadness belong on this priority list?

Defining Our Values

In the beginning of the furloughs and layoffs, I saw post after post and heard from many individuals that the only way for us to make it professionally was to abandon mission-driven work.

This advice is well-meaning.

The private sector is considered a beacon of stability in this current climate, but that’s not always true. Many of us have been told to remove all references to the impact of the work we did, to incorporate private sector buzzwords into our resumes, and to strive for an entirely new career.

This advice was particularly challenging to accept.

What do you mean, give up mission-driven work? For many of us, working towards a mission that we believe in and seeing real impact from our work is the only motivator for us to work hard at our jobs every day.

In response to this advice, many of us have defined our values and goals, doubling down on our desire to find roles with missions that are important to us. Although that seemed (and still seems) like an uphill battle.

Seeking the Mission

I wish I had the answers on how to find a mission-driven role.

In reality, there are simply fewer mission-driven roles available, but such positions still exist. Nonprofit organizations that do not take federal funding exist, and socially conscious private organizations exist, but the difficulty in landing a job should not be minimized at this time.

I just want to inform those who are still seeking mission-driven work that they are free to establish their boundaries and determine which values are most important to them.

If your purpose on this earth is to engage in mission-driven work, you have the freedom to pursue a role that aligns with that. There are many out there that are still seeking mission-driven work, and if you have the time and money to do so, it’s ok to keep seeking.

Being Realistic

Survival is the baseline for many of us right now, but to me, thriving with purpose is the goal.

For those who have shifted away from mission-driven work, there are still opportunities to contribute to making this world a more just and equitable place in our everyday lives. We all support your decision to leave this type of work if you want or need to.

Many people must prioritize their families, stability, and the numerous other life factors over their careers. No one is judging you for making the career shift, and the private sector needs more passionate and caring people like so many of you.

There is no right way to get through this trauma; do what is best for you, and know that thousands of us relate to and support you.