As individuals, people find fulfilment in different aspects of their working life. Ultimately, many people dream of finding a job they are happy doing - and since full-time workers spend between 35 and 45 hours at work every week, it isn’t any wonder! Here are five factors that can contribute to your happiness at work and beyond.
Passion
A genuine passion for and interest in the career you pursue is undoubtedly one of the biggest contributing factors when it comes to work satisfaction. If you enjoy what you do, it’s much more likely that you’ll turn up to work ready to face the day ahead. Passion will drive you forwards and encourage you to go above and beyond in your role - which may lead to other factors that can make you happy at work, including praise and promotion.
Development
Professional development is something a lot of people hope to get out of a job, especially those who are just starting out on the career ladder. Acquiring knowledge and new skills at work is a great way to continue learning once you’ve left education. Improvement and growth can feel incredibly rewarding, and people seek it not just for self-satisfaction, but also to improve their future prospects.
Balance
Finding a work-life balance that you’re truly satisfied with is a surefire way to increase your happiness, not only at work, but with life as a whole. Work-life balance is all about having enough time to find fulfilment (or just time to relax) out of work, whether that be by pursuing a hobby, raising a family, travelling, or anything else. Things such as commuting time and distance, hours spent at work and provision of support networks all contribute towards a healthy - or unhealthy - work-life balance and finding one that works for you is important.
Finance
There’s no denying that money is an important factor for most people when it comes work. Even if you’re more motivated by other aspects of your work, your salary probably still needs to be adequate enough to keep you happy on the job. Of course, different people will define ‘adequate’ in different ways - think about what you believe your work is worth, and if you genuinely feel you’re due a raise, don’t be afraid to ask for one!
People
The people you work alongside can absolutely make your job feel more worthwhile and that includes everyone, from the person who sits beside you, through to the CEO. Working for a company with a management team who are on the same page as their employees can increase workplace happiness, as can building positive working relationships with the people you work directly with every day.
Why not browse our flexible online courses here and enhance your career prospects today?