Five Keys to Job Satisfaction

Do not you let the morning waiting for another day at work, or do not press the snooze button at least three times and secretly look forward to scanning the lack of ads for a new job? If the snooze button is getting a work out, you are not alone. A recent Gallup poll showed that 50 percent of Americans work are dissatisfied with their jobs. Hmmm, that's starting to look like a family divorce statistic.

When I started working right out of college for eight bucks an hour as a customer service representative I have America Online had one thing in mind: finding a job to pay the bills. I never thought I'd stay for ten years, moving up and around the company with five positions of increasing responsibility and pay. This was in 1990 when AOL went from a blip on the map internet for a giant online. It 's been an exciting ride to be sure, but it came with a price. The price was frequent layoffs (I survived six!), The constant change (which is the boss of me now?), And the pressure to perform (these deadlines are normal?).

Yet, year after year, I chose to work! Why? Because with the experience I realized that there were five keys to my job satisfaction. Like a marriage, some of these were things they were dependent on my behavior and some have been directly affected by someone else. Every time I started to wonder whether this relationship was working for me, I see my job satisfaction checklist. It can also be used to determine if your current job is worth it or if it's time for a change.

Job Satisfaction Checklist

1.) I believe in the company's mission and vision. A friend who was recently looking for a new job he said he wanted to work for a company whose mission included returning to the local community. Ask yourself: Do you like what society is about and stands for? Are you proud to be associated with it, or I'll avoid mentioning his name?

2.) I like my role and feel that I'm making a valuable contribution. I always found that enjoying my current role is important, but I also wanted to understand how my role to enter into a broader framework. Both added together meant a lot more. Ask yourself: I do not like my day to day tasks and activities? I do not know what I do fits into the broader framework of the department or company?

3.) I have the opportunity to do more. If others recognize that you are making a valuable contribution in current role, it is amazing how much easier it is to get more opportunities. Ask yourself: is the company growing? New jobs are opening up or being set up in areas that interest me? The company is supportive of promoting people inside?

4.) I like the people I work with, including my boss! There's a reason why they do workshops on "Dealing with Difficult People". It 'a great outlet to interact with people who are constantly critical, negative or disrespectful. Ask yourself: are the people who interact with on a daily basis friendly and easy to work with? I feel good with my boss?

5.) I'm being paid enough. If you're working hard to find that someone doing a similar role is paid more than that, well, here's the rub! Ask yourself: So what is considered fair pay for my skills? (If you are not sure, check http://www.salary.com) I considered the value of my entire compensation package, including salary, bonus and benefits?

Using this quick checklist and ask these questions, you can begin to understand how happy - or unhappy - you are with your current job. If you found yourself coming soon, as I did in my last position at AOL, only you can determine if it is worth trying to work things out. No matter what you decide, the important thing is to understand why you are not satisfied with your current job so you can take this into account when looking for a new one. Alternatively, you can do what I did and use this reflection to start a new career!

Mary Foley ......