More Than Just Money: Why It’s Important to Find a Job That Matters to You

For many people a job is just a path to a stable source of income – preferably a higher one at that. That said, employee satisfaction and retention are intrinsically linked and even those who don’t think they value job satisfaction in the workplace often change their mind after a few years.

Today we’d like to talk about why job satisfaction is so important, what it means for you, and the steps you can take to ensure that your career is making you happy.

Improved Productivity

If nothing else, the most important thing to understand about the value of job satisfaction is that it will massively improve your productivity, making you far more desirable to employers. Job satisfaction and pay often go hand in hand and this is in no small part because the people who are satisfied by their job are usually better at it.

The best thing about job satisfaction in the workplace is that the blurred lines of a work/life balance often become far less important. While we certainly don’t recommend letting your job take over your home life, the struggle to blend between the two feels a lot less intrusive when the thought of work isn’t actively tiresome.

Furthermore, people who are satisfied by their work often find themselves problem solving during their down time, meaning that when they get back to their desk, they already know what they’re going to do.

Maintaining Good Mental Health

It might sound obvious but job enjoyment is a direct path to better mental health.

If you work a job you don’t enjoy – let alone one that you find actively draining – that can take a serious toll on you day in and day out.

It’s easy to become stressed over this and think you’re not working hard enough, or that you ought to be more dedicated to what you do. The truth however, is that you can’t control where your passion takes you and if you have no passion for your job, then it’s probably time for a career change.

Most of the time, people struggling with their mental health aren’t struggling because of one reason, but because of a collection of reasons. It’s often a combination of various factors both inside and outside of a person’s control.

In that mix, problems with your job can easily fly under the radar. All too often people don’t even realise they’re experiencing burnout until they hit a wall they can’t work around.

The healthiest thing you can do is remember to check in with yourself once in a while and take stock of what your career is doing for you. Remember that money isn’t enough and that, no matter how swamped you are, there’s almost always an alternative path if you can make the time to look for one.

A Life’s Work

When it comes to your career, it can be hard to think in terms of legacy. While some jobs encourage people to think about what they’ll be leaving behind, most jobs are bothered with the here and now.

Here at Career Navig8r we like to encourage people to think about their career as more than just a path to earning money. Whether you’re a lawyer, a designer, a doctor, or a researcher, the work you do can make a powerful and positive difference to the world around you.

For better or worse, most people spend the majority of their waking hours at work. Perhaps you’re okay with using those hours to support a family. Perhaps your goals are personal and it’s not about the time you spend working on something but the milestones you meet.

We’re certainly not telling you what you should prioritise in your life. All the same, when thinking about your career, you should remember that what you do with your life has the capacity to make a huge difference in the world. You might even get the chance to leave behind something that you’re truly proud to put your name to.

When all’s said and done, it’s easy to let focusing on your needs get in the way of your wants, but a happy and fulfilling life isn’t just about meeting your needs. At Career Navig8r, we’re always looking for ways to help people make the most of their careers so that they can live a fuller and more meaningful life in a way that matters to them.

No matter what you choose to do, we hope you find a job you can truly enjoy because everyone deserves to feel fulfilled.