What is job crafting, and how do I apply it?

Job crafting is reshaping your own job rather than waiting for a manager to do it for you. The term comes from the researchers Wrzesniewski and Dutton, who set out three forms: changing the tasks (more of one thing, less of another), changing the relationships (who you work with), and changing how you look at the work itself.

In practice it starts with three honest questions. Which part of my work would I do more of, if I were allowed. Which part would I hand over tomorrow. What do I still want to learn in this field. The answers give you something to act on: taking over a task nobody else wants, passing on a job that comes round every month, or getting properly good at a skill that would make your current role more interesting.

Job crafting works best alongside a clear view of what you are already good at and what you actually enjoy, not only what looks useful on a CV. Without that view it is easy to pick a change that reads well on paper and quietly falls over within a month.