In my last BLOG, I shared some reports about the drastic decline in employee job satisfaction. In this BLOG post I will share some observations and strategies for increasing the prospect of job satisfaction, even in a doom economy.
In my experiences working with people both employed and unemployed, I’ve found that many people have not taken responsibility for their own career growth. When I worked for years in the corporate world, over two decades ago, we were told that the company was no longer responsible for our career growth but rather we were responsible for creating our own. Many employees had a difficult time adapting to this new way of thinking because they were used to earlier times when they created a career plan and followed it within one company.
Strategy: Own your career! Seek out the right opportunities for your interest and abilities both inside and outside the company. Have a career plan.
I’ve also seen people get complacent. They stopped taking continuing training and development and looking for opportunities to expand their skills and network of contacts. They didn’t have an up-to-date resume and couldn’t remember the last time they had a job interview. Often, with training budgets being cut, employees blamed the lack of funding for their discontinuance of learning and professional development.
Strategy: Keep learning & growing. If there’s a skill you want to develop, look for opportunities, to build and demonstrate that skill, even if it’s outside of the workplace. Having new skills in diverse areas may help distinguish you while increasing your job satisfaction. Enroll in classes. Meet new people. Challenge yourself!
Often, people dissatisfied at work are also unhappy at home. People allow their work grind to follow them home. It is possible to improve your life even if you can't improve your work.
Strategy: Instead of letting your work displeasures to invade your home, invest in your private life and create a happiness that can make work more palatable. Consciously create fond family memories, indulge in a hobby, 'date' your spouse or partner, take classes, or enrich your life in other ways! Make laughter a part of your every day life.
Lastly, people feel stuck at their dissatisfying job. They don’t believe they have an out so they don’t look for other opportunities. Unfortunately, whatever you believe becomes true for you based on your thoughts and actions. In this case, it would be the inaction of looking for other career prospects.
Strategy: Seek out alternative job opportunities while you are still gainfully employed. You are more likely to ask the right questions and not take something out of desperation or fear. Also, in the meantime, find ways to change your current job even if your actual job description or boss can’t change. Your perception and your attitude can change and that by itself can make a world of difference with your job satisfaction.
Want to be more satisfied at work? Then, create more happiness and satisfaction!
