The beauty of life culminates in the awareness that, for the most part, we are in control of the way we feel. The way in which we approach our occupation is the most important variable in the equation of life. Job satisfaction is defined as “an individual’s reaction to the job experience” (Berry, 1997). The two keywords are ?individual?s reaction?.
There are various components that are considered to be vital to job satisfaction and they are important because they influence the way we feel. These components include pay, promotion, benefits, supervisor, co-workers, work conditions, communication, safety, productivity, and the work itself. Each of these factors figures into an individual?s job satisfaction differently. For example, some workers find that pay incentives are positive while others see them only as ?golden handcuffs? preventing them from quitting despite job dissatisfaction. We might think that pay is considered to be the most important thing to employees, but this has not been found to be true. Pay is only a primary factor if yours is ?JUST A JOB?
Work is often approached from three perspectives. Usually all three perspectives are important for job satisfaction, but one is often the priority:
? It’s a job. If you approach work as a job, you focus primarily on the financial rewards. In fact, the nature of the work may hold little interest for you. What’s important is the money. If a job with more pay comes your way, you’ll likely move on.
? It’s a career. If you approach work as a career, you’re interested in advancement. You want to climb the career ladder as far as possible or be among the most highly regarded professionals in your field. You’re motivated by the status, prestige and power that come with the job.
? It’s a calling. If you approach your job as a calling, you focus on the work itself. You work less for the financial gain or career advancement than for the fulfillment the work brings.
We all dream about ?The Ideal Job? in which we are motivated, inspired, respected and well paid, but those dreams can be tainted by bickering co-workers, lack of opportunities for promotion and routine that becomes boring. Your attitude to all of the above will either make the future something to look forward to ? or something to be feared. Let your job become not only something to do, but something you love that bears hope of your future.
