From my comments on the original posting:
I have often advised people to really go after what you love. Weather it is choice of a major for school or simply finding a position you can turn into a career. It’s the difference between a “job” and a “career” that many people do not understand these days. With the economy as it is, that is totally understandable.
I’m not saying that you should not take a job if you need one just because it isn’t what you really want to do with your life, but rather keep your real goals in mind and never stop working towards them. When you find yourself doing what you love, and getting paid for it, you then can really enjoy yourself on and off the clock.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, let’s talk a little about love. That fulfilling, secure and familiar kind of love that you feel when you have a really great … job.
That’s right — though griping about work sometimes seems like a national pastime, (no relationship is ever perfect!) most employees agree that, when it comes to their jobs, they’re actually head-over-heels.
A recent survey conducted by staffing firm Randstad found that more than half of American workers describe their feelings toward their job with the L-word, and most have found that their relationship with work is a two-way street — 62 percent of respondents reported feeling that their employers love them back.
“It’s somewhat surprising that such a large percentage of workers say they love their job today despite layoffs, cutbacks and bigger workloads,” Eileen Habelow, Ph.D., senior vice president of organizational development for Randstad, said in a statement. “This could point to feelings of gratitude and appreciation for being employed when so many have been laid off. Also, many workers have been given new opportunities to perform at work and could be feeling a greater sense of achievement and value to their employers.”
Yet the gratitude employees feel for having a job isn’t the only thing that contributes to their warm and fuzzy feelings toward their work.
According to the survey, job affinity is most common for workers who:
- Enjoy the kind of work they do (66 percent)
- Like their co-workers (11 percent)
- Like their employers (10 percent)
- Are well-paid (9 percent)
Despite the fact that most workers said they were happy in their current employment situation, more than half of those surveyed felt their job was more “casual fling” than “let’s grow old together.” Fifty-two percent said they didn’t think their current job was going anywhere in terms of learning opportunities or promotions. Still, most workers will remain loyal to their employment relationships. Only 17 percent said they were currently looking for a new position with another company.
Unfortunately, not everyone surveyed felt the workplace love. Thirty-seven percent of workers said they hated their jobs, with 29 percent citing the type of work they did as they reason. Other factors that contributed to a low score on the love scale included workers’ dissatisfaction with salary (25 percent) or their employers (23 percent).
I have often advised people to really go after what you love. Weather it is choice of a major for school or simply finding a position you can turn into a career. It’s the difference between a “job” and a “career” that many people do not understand these days. With the economy as it is, that is totally understandable.
I’m not saying that you should not take a job if you need one just because it isn’t what you really want to do with your life, but rather keep your real goals in mind and never stop working towards them. When you find yourself doing what you love, and getting paid for it, you then can really enjoy yourself on and off the clock.
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