Charleston JobSpot

Happiness. We all want to have it. It seems like it's pretty rare to find people who like their job, let alone who find happiness. A lot of times we're quick to ask questions about salary and whether or not it fits our budget but how many times do we consider how a job will effect us emotionally?



There was a great post on the College of Charleston Career Center blog, here's a quote about consdering only salary:

Now many of you always ask “How much money will I make?” Money is important (fact of life) but when selecting a career it should not be the final decision making factor. For example, say you are a outside sales associate making around $80,000+ a year but while you are making the “big” bucks have you thought about your life style? More than likely you work 60+ hours a week, you have the nice house, car and boat but when do you get to enjoy it. And while at the job you constantly deal with customer complaints and a competitive office space where you really don’t enjoy the people you work with. Does that sound like your dream job? (Note: some people will love that setting but it is not for everyone)

It really comes down to knowing what you're good at, knowing yourself and your weaknesses. There are so many things to consider when deciding whether or not to accept a job.

"Different people have different needs, and different things that motivate them," says Roni Reiter-Palmon, PhD, director of the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.

"For some people, the whole notion of having a secure job is more important than pay; for others, having prestige is more important. For a third group, they don't really care what job they have, as long as they're making a lot of money. You have those people who would take a low-paying job just to be satisfied; and then you have
people who don't want responsibility."

(Read more Keys to Job Happiness on Medicine.net)



If you're not sure, do some self-evaluation or a skills test to determine your work style or where your passions are. Then you can work to match those to a different industry.



Things to consider:



The Company. What industry is the company in? How large is the company? What do it's current employees say about their workplace? What kind of relationship, if any, will you have with other departments? What kind of products does the company produce? Are they a company that you'd be proud of? How are they protrayed to the public?



Your future coworkers or managers. The people we work with are people we interact with on a daily basis. Sometimes more daily than our families. So when you're interviewing, keep that in mind. Can you see yourself working with these people? I remember when I interviewed here, and while being introduced to everyone in the office, immediately I felt comfortable. Now sometimes the interview doesn't allow for you to meet everyone you'll be working with. But you still will get to talk with a manager or someone in human resources. Do they do any fun activities together? (Ex: work parties, birthday celebrations, hanging out outside of work, etc.)



Commute. How far is your commute going to be? Is rush hour traffic or sitting in traffic something that is stressful to you? How do you feel about making the drive two times a day? Is there a easily accessible bus route or way for alternative transportation if you decide not to drive? Will there be any travel involved? How does the amount of travel fit within your situation and current schedule?



Your work environment. Where will you be working? Who and what is around your work area? Would you like to work in a cubicle, office, outdoors or another work station?



Salary and Benefits. Is the salary the job is offering enough? How important is money to you? How stressed over financial issues? What kind of insurance and retirement plans does the company offer? Are there any other benefits that haven't been mentioned (Ex: corporate discounts on mobile plans, rental cars, merchandise, etc.)?



Type of Work. Will overtime be required? What is the work load like? Are there a lot of deadlines or urgent projects that come up on a regular basis? How much supervision will you be required to do or how much will you be supervised? Who is it that you'll report to and how often? How is your work expected to be implemented?







These might be good questions to ask during an interview. No job will be absolutely perfect in every aspect. You might find that there are a few things that you don't like. Some of the things might be negotiable, others aren't. Evaluate what aspects are going to be deal-breakers and what you can compromise on. It's important to ask yourself about these things before accepting a job so that you're finding something that won't make you miserable for 40+ hours a week. Don't be afraid to ask questions and do some research. For some a job is a means to do the things that make them happy and not nececessarily where they draw their satisfaction.



- Rosie Reilman, Photo by jimstonjournal