Well, are you?
It’s a question that most people don’t tend to ask themselves. But, when you stop and think about it, you wonder…are you truly getting enough out of your job?
Of course, some of you may question what this means. How can you get “enough” out of a job? What does this entail? Well, we’re going to go through some of the key elements of a satisfactory job. This is a job that provides you with just about everything you should expect from a dream career. When you look at your current position and assess where you are in life, you should be wholly satisfied.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at what you should be thinking about:
Does the job pay well?
A simple place to start, and an easy question to answer. Look at your wage packet, then look at the average salary for your position where you live. Funnily enough, this might be the first time you’ve ever researched this. To your horror, you could discover you’re thoroughly underpaid. Your employers have been taking advantage of you for years, and they’re actually not paying you as well as they should.
If you feel as though you could and should be getting more money from your job, then you’re clearly not getting enough out of it.
Do you get many opportunities?
Are there opportunities to grow within the organization you’re working for? Do your employers provide you with access to things that help you grow? Is there training for all employees? By this, we’re talking about actual training here, not a medical training course they may offer to help you become First Aid qualified. As nice as that is, it won’t really help you grow within your career. Good jobs will provide additional training to learn new skills that let you access better jobs in the future.
Moreover, there should be room to be promoted within the organization. If you have been at the same company for years, and you don’t feel as though you’ve gained anything other than experience, the job clearly isn’t providing enough. You should work somewhere that trains you, harnesses your skills, and gives you more opportunities.
Do you get many benefits?
What benefits are provided by your employer? Your salary should be a small fraction of the full benefits package you’re given. Some of the typical things you may expect include:
- A pension
- Healthcare insurance
- Paid annual leave
- Paid sick days
- Paid time off on national holidays
You may also expect a whole host of additional perks – like a free gym membership, discounts on company products/services, a day off on your birthday, and so on. The larger your benefits package is, the better. It shows the company cares about you and gives you some extra things to make your life better, alongside a good salary.
In fact, some companies can make up for a slightly worse salary with great benefits. If you are paid just below the average, yet you have insane benefits with an awesome pension, loads of paid leave, and so on, then it could be worth it.
However, if you receive no benefits – or hardly any – then you aren’t getting enough out of your job, for sure.
Is the job fulfilling?
The technical definition of being fulfilled is that you feel happiness and satisfaction in what you do. You feel as though your abilities and talents are being fully utilized. Do you think your job gives you this feeling?
Granted, it can be hard to find joy in the work you do as it might not be easy. An easy job is not the same as a fulfilling job. You can go to work, put hardly any effort in, but leave without a sense of fulfillment. Sure, it’s easy money, but do you actually enjoy doing it? Look at your career and reflect on what you feel when you’re at work. You might be stressed, but is the stress worth it after? Can you look at your job and truly say that you feel fulfilled and satisfied with it?
If so, then that’s fantastic. But, if your current job isn’t fulfilling, then you aren’t getting enough out of it. It could have all the other traits above, but if you don’t actively enjoy your job or what you do, then you aren’t getting as much out of it as you should.
What happens if you discover you’re not getting enough out of your job? It’s simple, you begin your search for a better one. Look for jobs that pay well, have excellent benefits, provide room to grow, and make you feel fulfilled.
