In addition to finding a path where you can perform well, it’s also important that you enjoy and feel fulfilled by your job. Choosing a profession that makes a big difference and that you are good at is no guarantee that you will feel good, and if you don’t do that, it will be difficult to endure in the long run.
Decades of research into what makes people feel satisfied with their lives and careers indicates that the following factors are important for true satisfaction:
1. Engaging tasks
What will really matter if you thrive is what you do in your day-to-day work – hour by hour, day by day. Engaging work is something that captures your full attention and gives you a sense of flow. The research has identified four factors that contribute to flow:
Freedom to decide how to perform your work
Clear tasks with clearly defined start and end points
Variety in the type of tasks
Feedback so you know if it’s going well
2. You help others
If you work as a revenue analyst, fashion designer or TV producer, your tasks all have characteristics that can create a state of flow. At the same time, 90 percent of those who work in these professions believe that the roles do not feel meaningful. In contrast to this are firefighters, nurses and brain surgeons, which are perceived as meaningful by almost everyone who performs them. The main difference is that the latter jobs help others.
This is highlighted by data showing that Swedes have perceived work as increasingly less meaningful over the years, despite increasing flexibility and career options.
3. You are good at what you do
Being good at your work makes you feel accomplished, which is an important factor in life satisfaction according to positive psychology. It also gives you room to negotiate on the other factors. If people value your competence, you have a better chance of asking for meaningful projects, engaging tasks and a fair salary. This does not mean that you need to work at something you are already good at, but rather that you should choose a job that you have the potential to be good at.
4. Supportive colleagues
Good relationships are a central part of having a fulfilling life. It is therefore important to be able to make friends with at least a couple of people at work. If you dislike your boss and your colleagues, you will not thrive. You don’t have to be friends with everyone – research shows that perhaps the most important factor is that you can get help when you run into problems. So look for a job where it’s easy to collaborate, get help and make friends with at least a few people.
5. Absence of major negative factors
To be satisfied with your career choice, you also need to avoid things that can make work unpleasant. These factors are usually linked to job dissatisfaction:
Long commute time
Long or inconvenient working hours
A salary you think is unfair
Insecure employment, for example that it is unclear how long you will be allowed to stay
Although these sound obvious, many people overlook them. Unfortunately, the negative consequences of long commute times can be enough to outweigh many other positive factors.
6. The work fits with the rest of your life
The last factor is a reminder to think through how your career fits into the rest of your life. A job that meets all of the above criteria but requires you to travel 250 days a year may have a negative impact on your well-being because you are away from your family a lot. If you have hobbies that are important to you, it may be a bad idea to choose a workplace that requires you to work evenings. It is difficult to find a “perfect” job that meets all the criteria. Therefore, think about what you are willing to compromise with, and how much.
Read more
What makes for a dream job? – article by 80,000 Hours
My experience with imposter syndrome — and how to (partly) overcome it – article by 80,000 Hours