Re-Evaluating Career Satisfaction: Considerations for Career Transitions and Job Changes
Making a big decision like whether to leave or transition your job or career can feel daunting.
You may be asking yourself a lot of tough questions, like these:
Are you doing what you’re supposed to be doing with your life?
Do you feel like you’re on the right path?
Do you feel fulfilled in your current job or career?
Is there something else that you want to do?
Can you see yourself doing this job or career for the rest of your life?
Are you happy with the direction your life is going in?
Is it Time for a Change?
If you’ve been feeling restless and discontented with your current situation, then it’s possible that it’s time for a change. But before making any decisions, it’s important to take some time for self-reflection and assess your options objectively.
There are many different factors that contribute to a person’s overall sense of satisfaction with their career. While some people may find fulfillment in working long hours and putting in overtime, others may find that a more balanced approach to work is more important for their overall wellbeing and mental health.
Five key factors that contributed to career satisfaction include:
- Achievement/recognition- receiving positive attention and acknowledgment for your efforts
- Job security- feeling secure in your position, knowing that you are valued and needed
- Salary and benefits- being paid fairly and feeling that your work has financial impact as well as a strong benefit package, including health insurance, retirement benefits and generous paid leave
- Work-life balance- being able to create a schedule that lives in harmony with your lifestyle preferences
- Relationships with colleagues- feeling a sense of connectedness and value in your contribution to a larger team or company
Other factors such as autonomy, that feeling of being in control of your own work and having a sense of ownership and responsibility, as well as purpose, that feeling that your work is meaningful and contributes to something larger than yourself, also inform decisions.
As we consider the uniqueness of this point in time, it is important to reflect on how the pandemic has had a tremendous effect on the world. It has impacted how we live, how we work, and how we socialize. For many people, one of the most immediate changes has been in their career. Whether you have lost your job or are considering making a change, the pandemic has forced all of us to take a closer look at our future employment prospects.
Some of us may have lost our jobs as a result of the pandemic. Others may have had their hours or pay reduced. The pandemic has also forced many people to retire earlier than they planned. Many job positions were able to adapt to a work from home lifestyle or embraced a hybrid schedule, while others continued in-person with changes in work processes. All of these changes have led to a great deal of career confusion and uncertainty for many people as new considerations for job satisfaction and priorities have evolved in the past three years.
As we consider these key factors for career satisfaction, it is also important to consider the weight of these elements when making decisions regarding career transitions. While some factors, like pay and benefits, are relatively easy to change, others, like the nature of the work itself or the cultural environment of the workplace, are not as easy to change based on one individual’s needs.
A high level of career satisfaction is important for several reasons. First, it can lead to a better quality of life. People who are satisfied with their jobs tend to report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction than those who are not. They are also less likely to experience negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
The first step in making any decision is to make a list of pros and cons. This will help you to see the situation more objectively. Once you have a good understanding of the pros and cons, you need to consider your options. What are your other options? What are the possible outcomes of each option? Every option has risks and rewards associated with it. You need to weigh these risks and rewards carefully before making a decision.
Schedule an Appointment
To schedule an appointment, click on the Book Now button. There you will see our availability for the next two months. You can select the day and time that works best for you.
We look forward to being of assistance and will do our very best to help.
To learn more About Us: About Us
Visit our Art Therapy website to learn more about how Art Therapy can help you or a loved one cope with a wide range of issues: https://www.arttherapynj.com/. Read our latest blog here: https://www.arttherapynj.com/blog