When you think of what you want your job to offer you, only one thing usually comes to mind, Money! Well, it’s definitely important to get paid when you do your job, that’s why we do it, right? Apparently, a job is more than just getting paid. I know! I was surprised too!
People look for all sorts of things in their job at different stages of their careers. For example, when asked, 7 out of 10 freshly graduated professionals said that they’re looking for the chance to learn more than anything in their job. While the more experienced professionals were leaning more towards more responsibilities, a higher paycheck and maybe stability in the job. What these people require their job and/or company to offer them is called a career value.
What is a career value?
Let’s do this correctly. A career value is not what you do on the job daily. It’s not your tasks. It’s more of what you get out of the job. These are the things that make you excited to go to work every morning if that’s the case. They could be the things that make you hate your job, even if you already like the tasks. Let’s take independence in the workplace as an example. Imagine working in a very a big company with an unlimited supply of managers who oversee your performance and/or ideas.
Also, imagine if you hate being micromanaged and followed at every step. Would you be OK with that? Absolutely not. No matter how fun the job and tasks really are, you’d never be fully happy with the company nor the working environment there.
Why is it important for you to understand?
Because when you get to know more about what’s really most important to you to find in a workplace, it’ll be easier for you to look for a job in the right working environment. Also, if you’re currently unhappy or dissatisfied with the job, you would have actual reasons for that.
So when you become aware of your career values, you’ll be able to pinpoint the things you’d like to change. So instead of getting angry at something that might seem completely harmless such as the fact that the building has too many windows, you’ll know that maybe you’re not happy with fact that the job doesn’t help the society, which you essentially, at your heart, want to do but the job is not helping you do that.
On top of that, being aware of your career values helps you avoid making the same mistake over and over again, and start getting a tad bit more selective when it comes to the workplace and/or company.
How can you get to know them?
It all boils down to your experience, if you’ve encountered many issues within the current workplace, write them down and figure out what the opposite of that bad thing. That would be what you would want your workplace to offer you. I’ll give you an example, I had a bad experience with a previous workplace, which I will no be naming so I wouldn’t get sued, here’s what I hated about that specific workplace,
- I didn’t have many chances to have any variety in my tasks, which is an extremely important thing for me.
- The management was not really appreciative of whatever progress or performance I’ve made. Not a cool move!
- The position hadn’t provided me with the chance to help people and/or society as much as I wanted to.
- Also, the working hours were rotational, and I have spent so many years living like that, and I had no life and I couldn’t do anything after the working hours.
- Let’s not forget that the job had me sitting on a desk all day long with minimum to none human interactions. I hated that.
- Had a formal dress code. Do I need to say more?
What have I learned from that bad experience? That I should and must look for the following in my next workplace,
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A variety of tasks, so that I’ll learn something new every day and would have the chance to get involved in something other than the job description.
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Recognition of my efforts and trials to make the workflow better is one of my main motivators. I figured that out when it was absent!
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Helping society could be labeled as a personal value or a career value at this point. As I always find the value of my job and what I do in how they help make people lives’ better in any shape or form.
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Work-life balance became an important aspect once I figured that I want to be able to go out with my friends after the working hours. Still an important thing!
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Collaboration and working with other people instead of working on my own on my assigned task is always what I would go for. I need people to discuss things with me to be able to function properly.
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Dress code is all freedom of choice!
Collaboration and working with other people instead of working on my own on my assigned task is always what I would go for. I need people to discuss things with me to be able to function properly.
Figuring all of this was a tiring task on my own, I had to go to some dark places to finally see the light. .. and by light I mean what I would want to make me feel comfortable and energized when I go to my workplace. You can definitely do this on your own too. Just as I did, think of what you hate and then make sure that you look for the opposite of that. That’s always a good place to start.
Understanding your career values will help you look at your job or career as something more than just a place to generate money and spend god-knows-how-many hours away from home. You might as well enjoy it.
Finally, it’s important to understand that while figuring out your values and looking for a workplace that provides you with them will make you happy, you should never forget the importance of finding a job that fits your personality, skills, and interests overall. If you need help along this journey, WUZZUF Coaches can help you understand all of the aspects of a right career fit.
Which career values that your job satisfy and which you aspire to find in your next move?
