Career Satisfaction

I spent years focusing on what I thought was upward career movement gaining increased responsibilities and compensation. Isn’t that the point of being employed? 

Setting three to five nonnegotiables is critical to staying on an engaging career path while helping to set limits, focus your job search, and identify goals that support your life. Without understanding our limits, or nonnegotiables, we create career dissatisfaction. The career focus becomes the job salary, job title, or other focus that won’t sustain our happiness for very long.  

Start 

Get a beverage of choice, a pen, and a notepad. Block 15-30 minutes to focus. This activity is best when done alone and not influenced by other people. Consider your career listing all career aspects that you want. For example, three weeks of vacation might be important. List as many career preferences as possible.

Enjoy your tasty drink and the complexity of your thoughts.

What’s Important?

 How can a beverage of choice help with your career? Reflecting on your career helps to understand that hard work alone won’t get you to your desired endpoint if you don’t know the destination. 

So many people start a career and continue working without stopping to think about their career. 

Setting a career plan starts by understanding what is essential to you. Identify a few areas that will not be compromised, such as not driving more than thirty miles for a job or not moving to another location.

Take time to consider what you will or will not do for work. Consider and identify your nonnegotiables. Nonnegotiables are different than wants, passion, finding purpose, or an assessment.  

Then shrink down your list identifying three to five nonnegotiables that are aligned. While reviewing your list of nonnegotiables, watch for conflicting career needs. For example, wanting to work for an organization that does not allow remote work and is not in your area, and you are unwilling to move.  

Job Goals

Unlocking career needs is an exercise that is not done just one time and then never done again. Any time there is a significant change, reflect on career needs and what is important to you.

Nonnegotiables help identify which jobs to apply to, which job offers to accept, and what goals to fulfill to create job satisfaction.

A career is a daily dedication of time and energy. By understanding your nonnegotiables, considering career goals, and understanding areas of interest, you can create and experience career success. 

When nonnegotiables are ignored, they can create a negative life ripple impacting not only our career but also our life satisfaction.