Career Satisfaction and What To Look For In a Job

In general, people work to earn a living. Be it to pay bills or living expenses, money is what people expect in return for time and skills rendered.

This means that more complex jobs would result in higher salaries. However, some studies have shown that workers with high pay may not be entirely happy with their careers. 

A research done by Glassdoor has found that other factors affect employee career satisfaction. Among these are company culture, growth opportunities, senior leadership, work-life balance, compensation, benefits, and business outlook. 

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

– Steve Jobs

On average, people spend one third of their lives at work. That amounts to about 90,000 hours in their lifetime. In his Stanford Commencement Address in 2005, the late Steve Jobs urged graduates to find what they love in order to be ‘truly satisfied’. 

However, career satisfaction isn’t as simple as finding a job that you love and working your way up. People at different stages of their lives tend to have different priorities. 

For instance, a fast-paced environment may work well for a young, single employee aiming for a promotion. However, a parent with a young family may prefer a more stable and less disruptive work environment. Hence, a career that you are satisfied with right now may not be what you want 5 years down the road. 

As the world is experiencing the Great Resignation following the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are working hard to keep employees happy in order to retain them. Because job satisfaction varies with each staff, companies are encouraged to look at different areas to improve employee job satisfaction.

How to Determine If A Job is Good For You

When deciding if a job is suitable for you, first assess your current needs and values. Knowing your self and what is important to you will help you determine if a role in a company will give you high career satisfaction.

Discover what type of work arrangements suits your desired lifestyle and understand the demands of your chosen industry. Of course, you need to be practical about what you want and whether or not these arrangements are applicable for the job market you are aiming for.

Indeed listed 13 Things To Look Out For In A Job.

• Company History
• Company Values
• Job Location
• Working Hours
• Salary and Benefits
• Job responsibilities
• Technology
• Opportunities for Growth
• Recognition and Appraisal
• Work-Life Balance
• Work Environment
• Colleagues

Interview sessions are great opportunities for you to find out about the company, the work environment and whether or not the job fits into your goals. 

To help you dive deeper into discovering what you value most at work, do this simple exercise by The Good Project. Understanding your personal values can help you make better career decisions that lead to better career outcomes.