We hear people complain about their jobs all the time. The majority of people I know of are not really satisfied with the jobs they are currently. Finding the career path which makes you feel satisfied and successful is not a cakewalk. Identifying and chasing the right career path is an important skill that everyone needs to have, but sadly, it is not taught in any school. This makes it even more challenging.
Knowing, that we spend one-third of our adult life until old age, at work. Satisfaction with the job, I feel is not too much to ask for. Yet more than 70% of the working people say they don’t feel satisfied with their career choices. This statistic is more or less the same for all regions. Hence, this problem is nothing less than an epidemic.
Reasons you’re not satisfied with your job
1. Your efforts are not recognized
People who feel that their efforts are not recognized, usually complain of getting bored at work. Another reason why people feel bored is that they are tired of doing the same thing for too long. Both of these things are a huge morale killer. Imagine yourself submitting that big project in which you have put a lot of effort, but your supervisor does not give you any feedback on it. It just kills the entire buzz around the project and you start to feel a little ignored in terms of work.
2. You are loaded with too many responsibilities
It could be you if you’re one of those people who are first to come and last to leave the office, every day. If a “ding” on your smartphone creates a pavlovian response in you. A lot of times we fail to say “NO” to added responsibilities and get buried into the workload.
3. Culture of the organization
A lot of times we confuse the culture of the organization with what we feel about our colleagues or bosses. Most of the time it is the culture of the organization and not the people. You may feel ganged up on/ left out or spend most time arguing with people around.
4. You feel unchallenged
People who do not find their jobs challenging and are bored at work, often find themselves trapped in the job. If you dread Mondays and days feel incredibly long, then this may be the reason for you not liking your job. You often feel tired, not because of too much work, but because you are not able to get out of this runt.
5. You are paid less for the work
Has it ever happened to you that you saw your paycheck and instead of smiling you grumbled? If the answer is yes then probably you feel stifled or unfulfilled with your job. Most of the time when people are not allowed to explore in their jobs and are made to do the same mundane tasks, again and again, their happiness doesn’t go beyond the paychecks.
The Solution
Following are the things you can do and increase your job satisfaction:
- Actively seek feedback: Ensure that you stay in a dialogue with your boss and communicate whatever you think is required from them. Make them aware if you are up for taking up more responsibility or want to hear back about your performance.
- Pursue your dreams: A lot of times life takes us to the place we have never thought of but that should not mean we lose control over it. If you have a keen interest in debating, then join a debate club outside the office or maybe train kids on the first principles of debating in the nearby community school.
- Look for more opportunities that can help you earn as well contribute more: Be proactive at your job and make sure that you are heard. Make your boss aware that you are looking forward to stepping up the ladder of your career. This will help you be identified for upcoming positions in your organization. Never let your paycheck be the only thing to look forward to, you are bound to feel fulfilled.
- Find inspiration: When you feel inextricably trapped in your job, find inspiration, or recall why you started the job in the first place. This will not just motivate you but also help you break that ceiling.
- Move on to something better: If you are not satisfied with your job and the reason for that is something that you have absolutely no control over (could be the culture of your organization). Then, looking out or moving to something better is the only practical option.