Discovering the Path to Your IKIGAI: A Software Engineer’s Journey to Career Fulfillment

“Your IKIGAI isn’t something you find once and keep forever. It’s something you discover, refine, and navigate toward.”

Atip Muangsuwan
CEO Coach and Coach Supervisor

It was a Tuesday afternoon when Ben walked into our coaching session carrying the weight of an unspoken question.

Not the kind of question you ask over coffee with friends. Not the kind you type into a search engine at 2 a.m. The kind that sits in your chest like a stone—heavy, persistent, and demanding to be acknowledged.

Ben was a software engineer at a global tech company. Two years out of his bachelor’s degree, he had done everything “right.” He had earned the degree. He had landed the prestigious job. He had the technical skills—and he knew it, rating himself an 8 out of 10. On paper, he was exactly where a young professional should be.

But here’s the thing about paper: it doesn’t tell you how someone feels at 9 a.m. on a Monday.

“I don’t like coding,” Ben told me. “I don’t like programming. I don’t like the routine tasks.”

He said it plainly, without drama. But I could hear what he wasn’t saying: I took this job because it gave me security. I stayed because I didn’t know where else to go. And now I’m wondering if I’ve made a terrible mistake.

Ben’s situation wasn’t unique—but it was urgent. He had no one to discuss his career with. He felt his potential wasn’t being maximized. And beneath all of that, he had a deeper longing: I want to enjoy everything I do.

That’s a powerful thing for a 20-something software engineer to admit.

The Coaching Session

This coaching session was part of a pro-bono coaching project—volunteer work I contribute to society from time to time. But pro-bono doesn’t mean less important. In fact, some of the most meaningful breakthroughs happen when people show up with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Ben’s session goal was clear: “I want to gain insights about how to make use of my strengths in navigating my career path.”

His measure of success was equally clear: Insights. Strategies.

Not a new job offer by the end of the hour. Not a magic solution. Just clarity. Just direction. Just enough light to take the next step.

I could work with that.

The IKIGAI Framework

I introduced Ben to a concept that has guided countless professionals through moments of career uncertainty: IKIGAI.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason to live.” It’s a combination of the words “iki” (to live) and “gai” (reason). The concept encourages people to find what’s important to them and live a life full of joy and purpose.

Now, there’s an important distinction to make here. There’s what I call “Original or Pure Ikigai” —the deep philosophical concept rooted in Japanese culture, associated with happiness, well-being, and even longevity. And then there’s what we call “Applied or Developed Ikigai” —the framework that helps people navigate their careers.

For Ben’s purposes, we focused on the applied version. The four primary elements:

1. What you love.
2. What you are good at.
3. What the world needs.
4. What you can get paid for.

I asked Ben to reflect on each element. And that’s when the conversation got interesting.

What Ben Discovered About Himself

When we started exploring what Ben loves, his face lit up.

“I love talking with people,” he said. “I love being in charge. I love selling my ideas. I love leading people. I love debating, convincing, motivating, and influencing people.”

This wasn’t the voice of a man describing his hobbies. This was the voice of someone describing his element—the place where he comes alive.

And the contrast couldn’t have been starker.

Here was a man who spends most of his days writing code, working on routine programming tasks, and sitting in silence with his computer. Meanwhile, his natural gifts—his superpowers—were all about human connection, persuasion, and leadership.

“I’m creative, hard-working, dedicated, and result-oriented,” Ben added.

I believed him. I could see it in the way he spoke, the energy in his voice, the conviction in his words. This wasn’t a man lacking potential. This was a man whose potential was being misdirected.

But there was more to the story.

Ben also shared his pains:

• He wasn’t aligned with his team.
• He felt the environment was toxic.
• He had gone through two managers in just one year—a clear sign of organizational turbulence.

“I don’t like what I’ve been doing,” Ben admitted. “I took this job because it gives me job security.”

There it was. The honest confession that so many professionals are afraid to make.

The Path Forward

Ben had done the hard work of self-discovery. Now it was time to translate that awareness into action.

I shared several strategies with him:

First, talk to the right people. Ben needed to have conversations with his organization’s HR Talent Head or HR Manager—and with his manager’s manager. He already shared his career aspirations with his manager, but nothing changed. Not to complain. To inform. To share his career aspirations, his passions, and his strengths just as openly as he had shared them with me.

Second, look for internal opportunities. Many organizations have internal job postings that employees overlook. Ben needed to pay attention to roles that might align with his IKIGAI—positions like sales engineer, key account manager, project manager, or marketing roles.

Third, find side projects if a full transition isn’t immediately possible. If Ben couldn’t change his role or team right away, he could look for projects related to sales, marketing, customer care, or after-sales service—anything that would let him use his strengths and passion.

Fourth, recognize the timing. Ben’s organization was in a period of rapid change. Two managers in one year meant instability—but it also meant opportunity. When organizations are in flux, new roles open up. New needs emerge. New possibilities arise. That’s why connecting with HR was so critical.

Ben’s Key Insights

By the end of our session, Ben had crystallized six powerful insights:

1. He had explored and identified his strengths, passions, and IKIGAI. What he loved was clear. What he was good at was clear. The gap between his current role and his natural gifts was now visible.
2. He needed to talk to his manager’s manager about his career aspiration, passion, and strengths. Not to ask for permission. To inform and explore.
3. Even if his manager’s manager declined, Ben wouldn’t be discouraged or disappointed. This was crucial. Ben was preparing himself for any outcome—which meant he couldn’t be defeated by rejection.
4. He needed to connect with the HR Manager and/or HR Talent Head to seek help and guidance. These were the people who could see the bigger organizational picture and point him toward opportunities he might not know existed.
5. He was confident of who he was and what he was capable of. This wasn’t arrogance. This was self-awareness. This was knowing his worth.
6. He was aware that he didn’t like his current role—and that was okay. Awareness isn’t failure. Awareness is the first step toward change.

The Homework

Ben left our session with four concrete action steps:

1. Talk to his manager’s manager.
2. Talk to the HR Manager and/or HR Talent Head.
3. Pay attention to internal job postings for roles that might fit his IKIGAI.
4. Share the progress and results with coach Atip in the following coaching session.

Simple steps. But simple doesn’t mean easy.

Reflections on the Session

What struck me most about Ben’s journey wasn’t his intelligence—though he was clearly bright. It wasn’t his technical skills—though he rated them highly. What struck me was his courage.

Courage to admit he didn’t love what he was doing.
Courage to acknowledge that job security isn’t the same as fulfillment.
Courage to explore a different path when the safe one felt suffocating.

Ben’s story reminds me of something I’ve learned through years of coaching: Your IKIGAI isn’t something you find once and keep forever. It’s something you discover, refine, and navigate toward—sometimes through uncertainty, sometimes through discomfort, but always through honesty.

As I reflect on the session, I’m reminded of the words I often share with my clients: If you know that someone has breathed even a bit easier just because you’ve lived, that’s called self-fulfillment. That’s called self-transcendence. That’s called IKIGAI.

Ben hadn’t found his IKIGAI yet. But he had found the path to it. And sometimes, that’s the most important discovery of all.

Are you ready to discover your own IKIGAI or the path to it?

If you are, let’s connect to find out.

About Atip Muangsuwan: Atip is an executive leadership coach who specializes in helping high-achieving leaders overcome internal barriers to unlock their full potential and drive organizational success. Through a blend of strategic frameworks and profound personal insights, he empowers leaders in transforming their mindsets, emotional states, and behaviors for lasting impact.