You need a job not just to survive but to live as well. Choosing a job entails careful consideration because the time you spend working is more than the time you spend for your personal life. Imagine you are at work for about 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. Though not all jobs have that schedule, that’s the usual requirement. Having said that, it would be better to do a job that will give you satisfaction.
5 Criteria for Choosing a Job: Have You Considered These Things?
1. Interests
What do you enjoy doing? It’s important that you find happiness in performing your job. If you work just to pay your monthly bills, then you’ll burn out easily. That’s why you need to assess what tasks excite you. Do you find yourself staring at a roller coaster while thinking how it works? Then a mechanical engineering might be the right job for you. However, interest is not enough to finalize that a particular job is for you. That leads to the criterion number 2.
2. Skills
If you’re interested in a profession, that doesn’t mean you should go for that. You have to consider your skills as well. Because no matter how you like it, if it’s not in line with your abilities, then you’ll find it hard to excel in that field. On the other hand, if you know you have the potential to learn it, then grab it. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that you’re currently not good at it. Thus, if you see a job hiring opportunity for those who don’t have any experience but are willing to be trained, you may give it a try if you have the interest and the potential.
3. Marketability
Since you need to get paid so you can support your lifestyle, assess if the job you are aiming for is in demand. Also, do a research about the job outlook in the future. You don’t want to work for a few years and lose your means of living in the next coming years. So, before you start your job search, do your research first. Choose a job that will always give you opportunities to earn in the future.
4. Environment
If you’re an introvert, you might prefer working solo or with a small group of people. On the other hand, if you’re an extrovert, you might enjoy making human interactions most of the time. Environment also involves culture. If the culture doesn’t align with your values, that’s a conflict that can stress you out. So if you enjoy writing on newspapers but you are given a writing task to slander someone, wouldn’t you feel guilty receiving your paycheck?
5. Priorities
Though it’s on number 5, this doesn’t make it any less than the other criteria. Evaluate your priorities before you regret doing things that would devalue your preferences. If you want to be always present with your family on every special occasion or holiday, but you’re interested in being a policeman, think again. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of what you really value more in life.
Having a big paycheck is indeed a good thing. However, if that’s your only consideration in choosing a job, you’ll get tired soon. Unless you’re a kind of person who can be happy with a fat wallet alone while sacrificing other things which you don’t realize are essential, then you’re good to go. Otherwise, ponder over these 5 things when choosing a job so you will be happier with your work even if it isn’t perfect. Also, keep in mind that it’s still possible to have a high-paying job while meeting all the criteria above. After contemplation, you may start your job search and be excited about landing your dream role.
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