Meaningful Employment: The Power of Knowing Why

The reason behind a goal is what keeps us moving toward it.

What makes someone keep going when the path gets difficult?

When success feels uncertain, it can be tempting to stop trying. A rejection can make us question ourselves. A setback can make a goal feel further away.

But sometimes, there is something stronger than disappointment.

It is knowing why the goal matters.

When a goal is connected to our values, experiences, and hopes for the future, it can give us a reason to keep moving, even when the road gets difficult.

For Brian, that reason was deeply personal.

He wanted to give back. He wanted to be part of people's lives. Most of all, he wanted his work to make a difference.

Finding Meaningful Employment

Before pursuing a career in peer support, Brian worked in both the construction and retail industries. Those experiences taught him the value of hard work and connecting with people, but he eventually realized he wanted his work to mean something more.

He wanted to help people.

Brian's own experience with addiction and recovery shaped the way he saw his future. He understood the importance of having people around you when life is difficult, and he wanted to use what he had learned to support others.

When asked why peer support work was important to him, Brian explained:

“Important for me because I want to be part of people's lives there and make a difference.” 

Watch Brian's Story >

That desire to make a difference became more than an idea. It became the direction he wanted his life to take.

As Brian also shared in the Interior Health Peer Newsletter:

“I really wanted to get into a field where I could give back to the community that gave so much to me during my sobriety and recovery journey.” 

Read the Peer Newsletter >

With encouragement from his team at ASK Wellness Society, Brian was introduced to Community Living BC (CLBC), which referred him to SMART Options for supported employment services. 

That connection opened the door to a different kind of employment conversation.

Not simply, What job can I get?

But, What kind of work fits the life I want to build?

It Started With a Conversation

After connecting with SMART Options, Brian began working with Kelsey Knox, an Employment Counsellor at SMART Options.

Kelsey did not begin with a list of job postings.

She began by getting to know Brian.

Together, they explored his strengths, interests, values, lived experience, and hopes for the future. They talked about the kind of work that could bring those pieces together while giving him an opportunity to make a difference.

Those conversations became the foundation of an individualized employment plan built around Brian's goals.

From there, the practical pieces began to come together.

Brian continued building his skills. He completed Peer Support training and participated in Seasons (WorkBC)'s Jobs in Demand program, earning certifications in First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, and Food Safe.

Each new skill strengthened his qualifications.

But something else was happening, too.

Brian was beginning to recognize that his own experiences had value. 

Knowing what you want does not make getting there easy.

Brian discovered that many positions in the social services sector required formal education or previous industry experience. His lived experience was meaningful, but it did not always match what employers were looking for on paper.

There were rejections.

There were disappointments.

And there were moments when Brian questioned whether he would reach the goal he had set for himself.

Still, he kept going.

He continued learning, building connections, and preparing for the next opportunity.

Perhaps what kept Brian going was not simply knowing what he was working toward, but knowing why it mattered to him.

He wanted to support others. He wanted to give back to a community that had supported him. He wanted to use his own experiences to make a difference in someone else's life.

Because the goal was deeply personal, the setbacks did not make him give up on it.

Kelsey continued to encourage him, celebrate his progress, and remind him of the strengths he was developing. But Brian was the one who kept choosing to move forward.

When the Opportunity Came

Brian with Kelsey, his SMART Options Employment Counsellor.

Eventually, Brian was invited to interview for a Peer Outreach Worker position with Interior Health's Mental Health & Substance Use Services.

By then, he had more than a résumé.

He had new skills, training, professional connections, preparation, and a growing belief in what he could offer.

Kelsey continued supporting him through the hiring process and his transition into the role.

Tania from Interior Health's Mental Health & Substance Use Services also played an important part. She recognized Brian's potential and advocated for his continued growth,

staying connected with Kelsey as

opportunities developed.

The opportunity was finally there.

But Brian still had to step through the door.

And he did.

Then Something Changed

When Kelsey first met Brian, he was quiet and reserved, particularly in unfamiliar situations.

Over time, she watched his confidence grow.

During workplace visits, she saw him become increasingly confident in his role. He arrived prepared, took initiative, supported his manager and colleagues, and approached his work with enthusiasm and compassion. His employer also recognized his dedication and positive attitude.

For Kelsey, the change she saw in Brian's confidence and self-belief was “night and day.”

Brian noticed the difference, too.

Reflecting on his experience, he said:

“Kelsey's encouragement helped me recognize my strengths and believe in what I could achieve.” 

-Brian, Interior Health Peer Newsletter, July 2026

That is an important distinction.

Kelsey did not create Brian's potential.

She helped him recognize it.

And as that confidence grew, so did his ability to see himself in the role he had worked so hard to reach.

When Work Gives Something Back &  Reflects Who You Are

When Brian was asked what his role gives him beyond a paycheque, his answer was immediate:

“It gives me joy, happiness and a bunch of other emotions there because I'm impacting other people's lives.” 

-Brian, SMART Options video interview, 2026

When asked how the work aligns with who he is as a person, Brian connected it directly to his past:

“I used to be an addict six and a half years ago and I've always wanted to give back and this is my way of giving back.” 

-Brian, SMART Options video interview, 2026

Those two answers capture what this opportunity means to him.

His past is not something he had to leave behind to build a future. Instead, he found a way to use what he had lived through to support someone else.

He wanted to give back.

Now he has a way to do it every day.

And perhaps that is what makes work meaningful-not simply earning a paycheque, but knowing that what you do reflects something you genuinely care about.

Maybe It Starts With a Different Question

People often begin a job search by asking:

What jobs are available?

But perhaps another question deserves to come first:

What matters to me?

For Brian, the answer became clear.

He wanted to be part of people's lives.

He wanted to make a difference.

He wanted to give back.

Those answers did not make the setbacks disappear. They gave him a reason to keep going through them. And maybe that is the power of knowing why.

Because when the goal is connected to something that genuinely matters, it becomes more than something we are trying to achieve.

It becomes something worth pursuing.

Brian found a career.

But more importantly, he found a way to do the thing he had wanted to do all along:

Give back.

References

Interior Health. (2026, July). Peer Newsletter (Vol. 3, 7th ed.). Peer Engagement and Inclusion.

Brian. (2026). SMART Options video interview [Published video interview]. SMART Options.