Job Satisfaction?

Some years ago, I was working with a young man who had come to me for some help to plan his next career steps. He had decided to drop out of university, because he felt his studies were going nowhere. And he needed the money that paid work would give him.
One of the first questions I asked him was “What do you want to get from work?” He looked puzzled, and asked me what I meant. He said he’d only thought about the money he’d have if he got a job, and not about anything else the job might give him.
As we talked, he smiled to think of what he might be able to learn, what new attitudes and understandings work might give him. He smiled to think about a working life that was deeply satisfying. It was an entirely new concept for him. Scary stuff!
Our work often defines us. It’s one of the first questions we ask the people we meet: “And what do you do…?” We have a right to expect such an important part of our lives to be satisfying and fulfilling.
If you don’t wake up every morning thinking something good will come from work today; if you don’t come home in the evening feeling you have achieved something worthwhile – then maybe it’s time to take stock of how your career is working for you.
I’m a counsellor by trade, so my instinct is to ask you some questions to get you started.
What is your current job giving you?
What are you getting from work beyond a pay packet? What skills, knowledge, understandings or even what contacts are you accumulating that are useful to you, no matter where you are?
What have you got to offer?
Get some feedback on the skills, knowledge and qualities you have that are valued by those around you.
What’s important to you?
Decide which of all of these you value the most. Think about what you do that makes you feel good – things that feel easy – never a chore. Remember what you value most won’t necessarily be what others think is important: sometimes others value our ability to do stuff we’d avoid if we could!
Who have you told?
Put it out to the universe! Talk to people about those things you value most about your work. Talk about how to fill your working life with those things, and get rid of some of the dross. People nearly always have more and better ideas than you expect.
Do I have to change jobs?
Don’t forget to think about how you might be able to change and improve your current work situation – sometimes we underestimate what possibilities are available, right where we are. Or sometimes we don’t even ask. The grass might look greener on the other side of the fence, but maybe all our own backyard needs is a little more attention to make it grow.