How to Find Job Satisfaction

Job Satisfaction

So you’ve started another job. It seems as if you were at this very point no more than a year ago. The new hire paperwork is complete and you’ve managed to successfully answer the all-important question of “what can you do for this organization?” So what’s the deal? What can you do differently this time to not end up in the same predicament year after year?

Job satisfaction is important to not only boosting work performance, but also because it increases our quality of life. Many people spend so much time at work to the point of it becoming dissatisfying, which eventually spreads into personal lives and ultimately leads to considering a job change. But have you ever given thought to the possibility of the overall dissatisfaction possibly starting with you? The uncertainty. The disgruntled feelings. The hardships you experience at work. Can it possibly be that the lack of job satisfaction in your career actually begins with your inner self?

Job Satisfaction Comes from Within

Remember when your new boss was interviewing you? Remember when you were asked “What are you looking for?” What’s your 5-year plan Mr. or Mrs. Job Seeker?

You sat back and possibly cringed. The butterflies started as the thoughts raced through your head. And the answer came. “Well, let’s see, I’m looking for …”

Now that was quick. You said the first thing that popped into your head and it happened to be the thing your new boss wanted to hear. Was it the fact you wanted great benefits? Did you say you need stability within the company? Were you money driven with your answer? Or better yet, did you tell your new boss that you’re looking for a company that will appreciate the creativity you offer and he or she couldn’t possibly find another that will make him or her millions of dollars through your work abilities?

While these responses may be typical or expected, they’re not necessarily the answers that will provide you the satisfaction you seek from your new position. The money, benefits and ability to impress your boss is where it usually starts, but to be truly happy with a new job requires happiness from within. It’s in your best interest to find something where the daily required tasks keep you motivated in the morning, motivated in the evening and motivated five or ten years from today. You see, employees experience honeymoon periods after a month or two in a new job when their satisfaction shoots up, but then it begins to tail off after six months or so. The honeymoon period at the start of a new job tends to be stronger when people were particularly dissatisfied with their previous job and it’s your “job” to not let this happen in order to avoid finding yourself in the same position a year from now.

Misrepresentation of Your Abilities

Do you ever feel like you’re misrepresenting yourself as an employee? If you do, how long do you get away with it? Things like “I can do that” or “I will do this” sound motivating when said, but how many employees actually follow through with implementation of what was initially discussed? How many actually “double sales from last year” or “reinvent the way a process is done” months after starting a new job? As a new employee, you once spent days or even weeks preparing for an interview that eventually landed you a new job. So why aren’t you putting forth the same type of effort into actually doing the “things” you said you could do for the organization you were interviewing? Think about this. We know it’s a tough pill to swallow, but here’s a full glass of reality to help you wash it down. Like everyone else, you’ve probably grown up watching a lot of movies where “career success” was the theme. Well, the thing about movies is that they offer you glimpse into a working world of “what could be,” which unfortunately tends to be the least accurate picture of the real world. Don’t act like you don’t know what we’re talking about. It seems as if there is a new movie released every year where the main character is down on his or her luck, unsatisfied with a job, needing a change, looking for opportunity and eventually finds it, causing us to want the same when watching! A few months later, after months of tumultuous and exhausting work, this same character finds his or her way into the chair of the CEO and making millions of dollars. Though this same “movie motivation” is great when starting a new position, your career life is not a character from a new release with a built-in elevator taking you to the top floor in record time. However, it is up to you to make the most of your career by shaping yourself into the kind of employee that you would want working for you as the boss, something clearly not being done if you just started yet another job after giving up on your previous one after only a short period of time.

Find A Way to Be Satisfied

So what do you do now? You’re past the honeymoon phase and the feeling of dissatisfaction has set in once again. It’s easy to start sending resumes again, but let us suggest a few do’s and don’ts before you click the send button in your email.

– Job satisfaction needs time. Don’t switch only because you think you don’t like it.
– Do switch if you aren’t learning anything.
– If you end up changing jobs yet again, never burn a bridge.
– Look at other parts of the company to see if there is room to expand your abilities.
– Never leave a job without having secured another, for obvious reasons.
– Think about what you “really have” with this job. Don’t give up because of minor issues.

About ScheduleBase

ScheduleBase is online software to schedule employees from Atlas Business Solutions, the leader in providing employee scheduling software. In little to no time, businesses can schedule employees online and communicate work schedules by email, text message and mobile device. Put your scheduling online and save time and money, while offering your employees easier access to their schedules and an effective communication tool for you and them.  If you’re a small business owner or manager and need a little help with your job satisfaction, try scheduling your employees with ScheduleBase.