We have seen numerous self-help articles and books stressing upon the importance of choosing a job that one loves. The main purpose of pursuing a career field that one is passionate about all boils down to the point of a single objective, ‘job satisfaction’. When does one really achieve job satisfaction? The answer may look simple when we look at the peripheral aspects of the question, but the thought associated with it goes deeper than we think.
First of all let us understand what does ‘job satisfaction’ means.
Job satisfaction is a very vague term if we consider the variables that lead to it. In brief, we may say that when an employee or a worker feels that the job he is doing is meeting the expectations of his own, then we can say the person is satisfied with the job. But, job satisfaction is not a singular point of convergence; it usually is a process that continues parallel to the career life we undergo. There is no meeting point, though it virtually feels like it does.
But what is all this fuss about job satisfaction. It should be understood that though the causes are not that clear the effects are clear. Let us look at the some of the few consequences of job satisfaction and what importance it plays:
• There are significant research studies that show that people who are happy in their job are generally happy in their personal life. The positivity that they carry with them reflects in their social lives as well. There is a psychological term called ‘dispositional theory’ which gives an idea about why job satisfaction affects personal lives.
• There is a direct correlation between productivity and job satisfaction. Satisfied employees show higher levels of commitment to their work and have a distinct increase in the quality. This in turn helps in the success of the company and generates better revenue.
• Job satisfaction is one of the main reasons that employees trust in an organisation and gives long-
term commitment. If one is not satisfied with the job, there is a high probability that person will look to change his job. So, this plays an important part in organisations for retaining its valuable employees.
When does choosing a job one love lead to job satisfaction?
No two persons has the same criteria for reaching an agreement upon the causes of job satisfaction, but there is one common thing that makes all these variables fall in one place – doing what one loves.
• You do not have to deal with the unknown future
The best thing about doing what you love is that you already know a career path that you will tread upon. There are no dark alleys or treacherous bends that can come in between you and your goal, when you have a clear understanding of what you want to be.
• Become more creative and passionate about the work
When you chose a job you love, it provides you with the motivation to be creative and do something unique. You can work hard to reach your goals. You will feel more passionate and understand the job better when you love what you are doing.
Why does it not always relate to job satisfaction?
• Loving a job does not mean you are perfect in that position
I love cooking that does not mean I can choose to be a chef as a profession. Just because I love cooking does not mean that I am a great cook and can able to create dishes that are unique and will be appreciated. If I turn this passion into a profession, it will turn out to be disastrous and ultimately lead to huge job dissatisfaction.
So job satisfaction does not always mean following the passion and doing what you love. You must be perfect in that career field and must have a good knowledge about it to make it a profession. If you perform well, you will get appreciation and even a good pay for that, which are one of the main reasons for job satisfaction as shown by Justine Field’s Job Satisfaction Model.
• Passion or love is not always meaningful when it comes to profession
This is the truth, all passions or love of doing something is not meaningful to the society as a whole or even not ideal for a person. Suppose a person has a passion for selling illegal things; that would be a harmful profession to the society and even though it may lead to a whole lot of success to the person, it is not an ideal one to follow. The person will regret later in his life about it and this is going to take a toll in his career.
Thus, choosing a profession just for success also does not mean it will always lead to job satisfaction.
Bottom Line
Considering the above situations we can answer the question of “does choosing a job that you love always leads to job satisfaction?” is a clear one. First of all you should understand if the career you love is viable to you as a profession and is an ideal one, and then you should proceed. This will surely help you to move ahead in your professional life successfully and lead to job satisfaction.
Hasib
About the Author:
Hasib is a professional writer working with the Job Site –Naukri.com and often writes articles related to career and education. He is an avid reader and lives for two things – football and food. If he is not involved in any of those, you can find him contemplating existential issues. Follow him @Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn.
What is job satisfaction and why is it important?
There is a lot of discussion going around regarding the concept behind job satisfaction, from philosophical to empirical point of view. Researchers have studied different patterns that lead to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.First of all let us understand what does ‘job satisfaction’ means.
Job satisfaction is a very vague term if we consider the variables that lead to it. In brief, we may say that when an employee or a worker feels that the job he is doing is meeting the expectations of his own, then we can say the person is satisfied with the job. But, job satisfaction is not a singular point of convergence; it usually is a process that continues parallel to the career life we undergo. There is no meeting point, though it virtually feels like it does.
But what is all this fuss about job satisfaction. It should be understood that though the causes are not that clear the effects are clear. Let us look at the some of the few consequences of job satisfaction and what importance it plays:
• There are significant research studies that show that people who are happy in their job are generally happy in their personal life. The positivity that they carry with them reflects in their social lives as well. There is a psychological term called ‘dispositional theory’ which gives an idea about why job satisfaction affects personal lives.
• There is a direct correlation between productivity and job satisfaction. Satisfied employees show higher levels of commitment to their work and have a distinct increase in the quality. This in turn helps in the success of the company and generates better revenue.
• Job satisfaction is one of the main reasons that employees trust in an organisation and gives long-
term commitment. If one is not satisfied with the job, there is a high probability that person will look to change his job. So, this plays an important part in organisations for retaining its valuable employees.
When does choosing a job one love lead to job satisfaction?
No two persons has the same criteria for reaching an agreement upon the causes of job satisfaction, but there is one common thing that makes all these variables fall in one place – doing what one loves.
• You do not have to deal with the unknown future
The best thing about doing what you love is that you already know a career path that you will tread upon. There are no dark alleys or treacherous bends that can come in between you and your goal, when you have a clear understanding of what you want to be.
• Become more creative and passionate about the work
When you chose a job you love, it provides you with the motivation to be creative and do something unique. You can work hard to reach your goals. You will feel more passionate and understand the job better when you love what you are doing.
Why does it not always relate to job satisfaction?
• Loving a job does not mean you are perfect in that position
I love cooking that does not mean I can choose to be a chef as a profession. Just because I love cooking does not mean that I am a great cook and can able to create dishes that are unique and will be appreciated. If I turn this passion into a profession, it will turn out to be disastrous and ultimately lead to huge job dissatisfaction.
So job satisfaction does not always mean following the passion and doing what you love. You must be perfect in that career field and must have a good knowledge about it to make it a profession. If you perform well, you will get appreciation and even a good pay for that, which are one of the main reasons for job satisfaction as shown by Justine Field’s Job Satisfaction Model.
• Passion or love is not always meaningful when it comes to profession
This is the truth, all passions or love of doing something is not meaningful to the society as a whole or even not ideal for a person. Suppose a person has a passion for selling illegal things; that would be a harmful profession to the society and even though it may lead to a whole lot of success to the person, it is not an ideal one to follow. The person will regret later in his life about it and this is going to take a toll in his career.
Thus, choosing a profession just for success also does not mean it will always lead to job satisfaction.
Bottom Line
Considering the above situations we can answer the question of “does choosing a job that you love always leads to job satisfaction?” is a clear one. First of all you should understand if the career you love is viable to you as a profession and is an ideal one, and then you should proceed. This will surely help you to move ahead in your professional life successfully and lead to job satisfaction.
HasibAbout the Author:
Hasib is a professional writer working with the Job Site –Naukri.com and often writes articles related to career and education. He is an avid reader and lives for two things – football and food. If he is not involved in any of those, you can find him contemplating existential issues. Follow him @Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn.
