I’ve been thinking about what makes a job good. And who gets to decide if it’s really good or not. (Hint: The decider probably should be you.)
Many, many moons ago I found this poem in a little joke book. It made me laugh at the time, and, for whatever reason, stuck in my head and has stayed there ever since:
Don’t worry if your job is small
Or your rewards are few
Remember that the mighty oak
Was once a nut like you!
Well … I was only 9 when I found the poem. And I didn’t have to worry about paying for stuff like rent or food. But there was a kernel of wisdom that always stayed with me.
It reminded me that what is true for us now is not always true. And that life can provide for a future we can’t even imagine today. Not bad stuff. So as I sat down tonight to work on a post about what makes a job good, for some reason those comforting words popped into my head. And they brought a smile.
I began thinking about the phrases “small jobs” and “few rewards”. What exactly do they mean? Isn’t the way a job feels really in the eyes of the beholder? And just what does make a job good for you?
With a good job does size matter?
First I gotta get this off my chest. This whole idea of small jobs really galls me. It’s so judgmental. Not only doesn’t it give enough weight to the differences in people’s values, but it also forgets about the mighty oak. And how small things can grow if we tend to them.
I remember an indelible moment in my own career when I was working as a consultant on a hot-shot task force that helped create a new organization (which also included part of the old one). The work itself was something I believed in deeply.
But when I saw the direction the new leaders were going in and the way they treated the “old guard” (who still had plenty of valuable information to share and much to contribute), I decided to politely move on. And so I accepted a job offer that a friend luckily had just sent my way.
Small job, big rewards
So instead of being on the ground floor of this major well-intentioned organization, I took a “small” job helping a non-profit start a transitional residence for homeless women. I was excited by the chance to be so much closer to the daily activities. And to the people we were trying to help — something I felt cut off from in the bigger organization’s ivory tower.
At my farewell party, the CEO asked me why I was leaving his team for what he called “small potatoes.” I tried to explain, but had no good answer for him … mainly because he couldn’t understand. Of course, bigger can sometimes be better. But not always. And not for everyone.
How is a job like a potato?
Potatoes of any size are hard to judge until you prepare and bite into them. The same goes for jobs. It’s tough to know for sure whether a job is right for you or will make you happy. Sometimes the dazzling package being dangled before you is far from dazzling on a day-to-day basis.
And sometimes, while the work itself may be something you enjoy, the people drive you crazy. Or upper management micro-manages everything to death. Maybe you aren’t being recognized for all your hard work. Or you get way too much of that hard work. Or … well, the list of possibilities goes on and on.
Then again, I happen to know that a few people reading this article at this very minute actually like their jobs. Yes … it’s true. This is not an urban legend. And they are not on exhibit in some P.T. Barnum-like freak show. They like their jobs.
But the funny thing is … others in the same situation, perhaps some in the very same offices as those seemingly mythical job-likers, are miserable. It’s not just the job itself.
So what does make a job good?
Is it the job? Is it the person? Or is it just luck? Do people who like their jobs in general (we all have clunkers now and then) simply focus on different things than those who don’t? Or are there some special tricks known only to job-likers?
Of course, we all know answers are rarely black or white. Like a good potato salad … ahem … it’s usually a combination of factors in some form or another. But maybe, just maybe, with an understanding of the right ingredients and techniques, there might just be an art to helping make a job good for oneself.
Lots of people have answers that work for them.
But only YOU know if a job is good for you.
The rest is noise. 🙂
———
Best path to finding good jobs
Well, maybe this summary formula isn’t the entire answer. But it’s a good place to start. Hope it helps you find a job you feel good about … and feel good about yourself in the process.
Get to know yourself.
Explore things you love.
Dare to take wrong turns.
And learn from it all.
———
Questions to ask yourself:
Do you like your job? If so, why? If not, why. Be specific. What qualities make a job good in your eyes?
⇒ 12 Key Qualities You Should Look For In a Job
⇒ Career Coach Yourself? Two Exercises To Get You Started
More posts to help
Real Problem (Maybe) If Your Job Feels Wrong
Workplace Solutions: The Whole vs The Parts
How To Change Your Job Without Quitting
How Changing Your Attitude Can Change Your Job!
Why Do I Always Pick the Wrong Job?
What To Do If Your Job Makes You Miserable
Career Success? All I Do Is Work!
Why Are You So Afraid To Ask for a Raise?
Approval Seeking: Who Are You Really Trying To Impress?
What If You Never Find Your Dream Job?
7 Reasons We Stay In Bad Jobs
6 Healthy Things You Can Do At Work (In a Few Minutes)
And if you do need to quit your job
⇒ How To Quit a Job (Without Hurting Yourself)
Thanks Karalyn and perri! I’m enjoying reading all the different ways people look at jobs. Values as well as things like autonomy, mastery and purpose seem to be key. And yes…a decent salary is always much appreciated.
I think for me there’s also a balancing act. If I work with people I really like and respect, maybe not accomplishing as much major stuff or feeling as purposeful in the greater sense is ok. But eventually, I do like to know I contributed well and got somewhere that actually matters. Although what “matters” also varies, since for me there is value just in making someone’s day easier.
A slam dunk for me might be playing a key role in solving a major societal problem or finding a way to deliver some essential service more easily (or in a more user-friendly way) while working with amazing, caring people who pitch in w/o ego and love to laugh. 😉
~ Ronnie Ann
I think Daniel Pink nails it in his TED talk on <a "the surprising science of motivation." Basically, people are are motivated by work that provides these three things: autonomy, mastery and purpose.
When I watched the video I was surprised that this was exactly what I wanted from a job (or career); yet, I hadn’t been able to articulate it as succinctly as Pink.
In my mind having these three things would make a job “good.” A decent salary would be nice too. 🙂
The major difference I have experienced between a job I didn’t like and a job I did, has been whether I could see it’s purpose and achieve a result at the end. Plus does what I am doing sit comfortable with the values I have. I feel blessed to have such a luxury, though as I realise it’s much more of an advanced economy thing, rather than just having to work to feed myself and my family.
Thanks Kate, Rick, Jenny, and Louise. Great comments. Appreciate your takes on this question. I love when people add exactly what I meant to say. 😉
And DC Jobs…that’s the story of my life too. So hard to see the entire canvas when you are just painting a small section at the moment. But if we stay true to ourselves and our values and trust that we are building something wonderful (our career story) real career magic can happen!
~ Ronnie Ann
I find that sometimes it is hard to judge the value of a job while I am actually working there. I have had jobs that I really dreaded which turned out in hindsight to give me the experience I needed to get to exiting opportunities.
This was not part of a conscience plan of mine, but more of an “accident”. Looking back, I would not want to work at those places again, but I am glad that I did.
Hi Ronnie,
This should be a powerful and important question for everyone right now – whether you have a job or are looking for one. Too many people (understandably are scaling their expectations downward).
I just came from doing a seminar on Trust and if this group of 40 + employees from dozens of industries are any sampling of what is happening in the workplace – wow – are we in trouble!
Here is some of what they said they want (and most reported they don’t have enough of):
Trust, honesty, transparency and respect (especially from senior leaders), recognition and gratitude for making concessions and working harder and clear and timely info and communication from their organzations.
I think if we add in that people want to feel they can “risk” truthfulness, share and collaborate with their colleagues and express their values and creativity, we’ve got the right mix for loving what we do.
I find that job seekers go through cycles. Sometimes they are looking for jobs and sometimes they are looking for careers. They look for jobs when they get burnt out and they look for careers when they reach the ceiling.
It’s not an easy question to answer, Ronnie. From personal experience, a good job has included any or all of the following:
* Good colleagues.
* Effective management and leadership that don’t meddle in your work but take an adequate interest in what you’re doing (in other words, let you do your job but want to be sure you’re focused on the right things).
* Defined processes that help guide you in your work without making it onerous.
* A clear path to self-defined career growth.
The right ingredients and technique and attitude are an important recipe for the right job. Your circle of influence – ingredients (outside your control), technique (within your influence), attitude (within your control).
1. If a particular company or job are a big mismatch for your values, passions and purpose, then it is pretty hard to make it the right job with simply an attitude or skills change.
Bottom line – you need to know yourself and if that job is at least somewhat aligned your vision, purpose, passion, values and strengths. It the ingredients aren’t aligned – this is outside your control – to completely change who you are or what the job is.
2. If there is a reasonable alignment between who you are and the job/company, then ask yourself – would new skills or an attitude spruce up to make you more happy in the job? Your attitude and skills are within your control – make the changes necessary if it will do the trick.
3. If you’ve looked at the ingredients and your attitude and done what you can within your control, but still not happy. Then perhaps your circle of influence (technique) might be the missing part of the recipe. Do you need to incorporate a different “PR” strategy to help others understand how you benefit the ccompany? Do you need to better toot your own horn so that others can see the gifts you bring to table? Perhaps you can influence your boss or co-workers so they better understand your unique strengths and can then give you more opportunities to collaborate and shine – ultimately creating your right job.