Searching for Job Satisfaction

Earlier, I wrote about how the Chief of Staff wanted to meet with me and discuss our companies people strategy. First, it's an amazing feeling when it's not you who is going to the senior management team and begging for an audience, but the other way around. Kudos to her for realizing that 20Somethings have a unique perspective and can make a big contribution.

Second, I spent the night before preparing for the meeting. This is an important step, and you should never skip it. Remember, in order to succeed, we need to use our natural strengths to our advantage. I came up with lots of stuff, and the discussion went really well. A portion of our discussion was about what people are looking for in a job. I found a really helpful and interesting post on the HBS Editor's Blog entitled Make Sure You're Engaging Your Top Talent. The most interesting thing I took away was this part:

Intellectual stimulation

Inspiration, or strong belief in the mission of the enterprise

Camaraderie/social interaction

Time/flexibility/convenience

Advancement up the ranks

Financial rewards

Various extra freebies and boondoggles

Basically, this is what people look for. And when they do not get enough of the top ones, they are unhappy. However, when you ask why they are unhappy, they only mention the bottom ones. People either do not really understand why they are unhappy or are afraid to say it, and use the bottom ones as a cop out.

20Something TakeAway:
When you complain about the low items on the list, think if that is really at the cause of your dissatisfaction. If you chase the bottom ones, perhaps you will never be truly satisfied with your job. On job searches, try to come up with some questions that will help you understand how well the organization scores on the top few bullets.