Knowing your values

The benefits you get from work are strongly linked to your values. When you know what your values are regarding work, you can:

• understand what you hope to achieve through working
• understand what your overall ambitions are
• set meaningful goals for yourself
• choose jobs that will satisfy you in ways that are deeper than your ‘hip pocket’
• understand why you feel dissatisfied in a job that doesn’t fit with your values.

To identify your values, complete the Values activity in My career profile.

Why work?

Many people say they work because it provides them with an income. This provides them with financial independence and some control over their life. But what if we didn’t work and we had every day to ourselves? Would not working make us happier? Or do you think it’s more than money that motivates us to go to work each day?

Sometimes money truly is the only reason a person works. But most people have more meaningful reasons for working.

• They like to spend their days doing something they’re good at.
• They like being productive.
• Their skills are needed by other people, and they feel obliged to supply them.
• They enjoy helping others.
• Work increases their self-confidence and self-esteem.
• They like the opportunities to meet people.

Job satisfaction

For many people, having a job is very satisfying. If it’s a job they enjoy, it might not even seem like a job.

Getting paid to do something you like and are good at may seem too good to be true. But you will probably find that you get satisfaction from more than one approach to work.

Here are a few aspects that can make work satisfying:

• being paid enough to fulfil your most important needs
• being paid a rate that is fair for the work you do
• being in an environment that ensures your safety as you work
• being given opportunities to socialise
• being given new challenges, helping you grow and be creative
• being made to feel good about yourself as you gain experience, expertise and status
• being acknowledged by your colleagues and superiors.

Overall job satisfaction usually comes from a combination of ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ factors:

• Intrinsic job satisfaction relates to the kind of work you do and the tasks involved in the role.
• Extrinsic job satisfaction relates to the conditions of work, such as your salary, colleagues and manager.

Being aware of the type of work you’re doing and the things you need for job satisfaction will help you to identify and adjust your expectations accordingly.