In an ideal world, we would all have jobs that we enjoy,
are useful in themselves, and are satisfying to do. The good news is that, in
the UK at least, the majority of people do seem to have a good level of job
satisfaction with the epicentre of the country’s happiest workers appearing to
be in the North East. Here, 18% of the people interviewed reported that they
were “extremely satisfied” with their jobs, compared with just 10% of
Londoners.
But, what about the other 33% of workers, which a 2017 survey by The Qualtrics Pulse found were dissatisfied with
their jobs? This a considerable number of people who are obviously not leaping
out of bed in the morning eager to confront the working day ahead. So, what
could be the reasons for this, and what measures could be taken to improve
their working lives?
Causes of complaint
For some people, it can be hard to pinpoint how, exactly,
their job is failing to live up to their hopes and expectations. It may be a
niggling suspicion that their time could be more productively employed. For other
employees, it’s a desire to be their own boss and in charge of their own
destiny – but it’s the risk involved in actually taking the plunge that keeps
them working as unfulfilled employees.
Unfortunately for some people, it’s a question of finding
themselves working for a company which suddenly reveals itself to be callous or
uncaring in some way. This is particularly the case when an incident or event proves to be the catalyst for their
dissatisfaction. Luckily, this only generally occurs in the most extreme cases
and, in most instances, the sense of being in the wrong job is far more subtle
than this.
Working the dream
This is borne out by other research that was carried out in
2018, which discovered that 70% of people interviewed didn’t consider that they were working
in their ideal career. Those that were happiest tended to be working in areas in which
there was a definite benefit for society, such as in the teaching industry, or
caring professions such as nursing or looking after animals. Reasons for
dissatisfaction were also very revealing, and these included a lack of
opportunities for career progression, lower than expected pay, and a weak or
unhelpful corporate culture.
Another area that has always been very popular is the
leisure industry associated, naturally associated with cultivating
entertainment and customer enjoyment. But there are a number of reasons why
opportunities may be more limited in the sector. The first is that it’s fairly
seasonal – as a look at the nation’s favourite summer
jobs
will reveal. The majority are in the leisure sector and offer few opportunities
over the winter months.
Having said this, the changing face of many aspects of the
leisure sector is also presenting new opportunities. To take the casino
industry as an example, the
increasing popularity of online casinos such as Betway has created a whole raft of
new jobs that simply didn’t exist before. These range from design and technical
roles such as game development, technical analysis, and so on; to more
public-facing ones such as dealers in their “live” casino. Best of all, these
are year-round opportunities that also offer real flexibility and prospects for
career advancement. Furthermore, similar opportunities can be found in other
sectors in the entertainment industry, such as gaming. For example, the growth
in popularity of video gaming means that, similarly, the industry demands more
developers and, simultaneously, the role of the games streamer on sites like
Twitch is also becoming a viable career option, as the British eSports association explains.
Searching for satisfaction
So, what can we deduce about finding true job satisfaction?
An in-depth analysis of more than 60
studies
has come up with some surprising findings, as well as several more obvious
ones. In the case of the former, it is that simply having a passion for
something does not necessarily mean that indulging it will lead to job
satisfaction. It’s far better to do a job and develop a passion for the work
that you’re doing.
It’s also been found that there is no real correlation
between job satisfaction and high rates of pay. Generally, feeling that one’s
work is of real benefit is a far more enjoyable reward than a simple monetary
one. So, the trick for achieving a fulfilling working life is to go into it
with a combination of head and heart. Then, success and satisfaction should be
guaranteed.
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