Career Link’s Current Water Cooler Survey
Find Meaning in Your Work - 2012-02-01
How do you feel about your job?
According to research conducted in Australia and reported in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal, people who hate their jobs experience a sharper decline in their mental health than those who are unemployed. Apparently, as stressful as unemployment is, an unhappy work situation is even more harmful to one's well-being.
Fortunately, most people state on job-satisfaction surveys that they "like" their job. Only 10 per cent say they "hate" their job, and 10 to 20 percent say they "love" their job. However, the difference between liking and loving your job is dramatic in terms of quality of life.
Loving your job can boost your overall energy level, increase your productivity, make you happier both at work and outside of work, and give you the reputation of being fun to be around. One employee who loves his or her job can have a subtle influence on the entire workplace atmosphere.
How can you move from feeling okay about your job to feeling really great about it? The answer to that question will be different for every person, but here are some common trends noted by those who love their jobs:
1. I am sufficiently challenged so that I am not usually bored
2. I have opportunities to learn new skills and acquire knowledge
3. My assigned tasks allow for creativity and variety
4. I get to meet and deal with interesting people
5. I feel that I am contributing to the world in some way; for example, helping people, or animals, or the environment.
Those who love their jobs are likely to be people who find meaning in their work, whatever the specific job title might be.
If you currently like your job and want to love it, make a short list of ways that you could get greater meaning and enjoyment from your work. Think about how you might move forward on your ideas. Consider discussing them with your employer.
And for those who hate their jobs, consider visiting Career Link to explore your options.
Visitor Comments
Have something to say? Leave a comment.
Kate - 2012-02-16
Here's a government website with information on wages: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/lss/labour/wage/
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Search," the last word of the text.
Susan - 2012-02-07
Unfortunately I am finding that there are few jobs available in Powell River that I think I would "love" even if I did get one. Here it seems you take what you can get.
Errol - 2012-02-07
Wage makes a difference to me in how I feel about my job. I find it frustrating how many job postings now do not include a wage, instead saying "to be discussed" etc. I have even turned jobs down after the employer has told me what the wage would be - a waste of everyone's time. Why can't employers provide a range of wages based on experience.
Is there somewhere I can find out what are expected wages for certain positions?
Bart - 2012-02-01
My feelings toward my job change all the time. Some days I really enjoy it, other days I want to quit. I always feel I am underpaid for the work I provide.
Do you provide any guidance on how to approach one's employer to ask for a raise?
Thanks - Bart
PS - The Career Link website is awesome!