In today’s workforce, the reality is that most workers are not happy where they work. The 2017 Gallup study on the “State of the Global Workplace” identified more than two-thirds of workers as disengaged, which suggests a lack of fulfillment with the nature of work, the organization itself, or both. Costs incurred due to lost productivity amount to upwards of $7 trillion — company losses and impact on the economy at large aside, we are ultimately concerned about what this means for employees everywhere.Organizations and management can do a much better job at ensuring employees are engaged, we want to help you have a plan that allows you to capitalize on the opportunities you do have and be thoughtful about those you pursue.
Pursuing Money is not a Career Path
There a several key differences between a job versus a career:
A job’s main benefit is the paycheck. In a career, the benefits include gaining the skills, network, and
experiences needed to achieve lifetime career goals.
A job requires you to be present during work hours (i.e., 8am–4pm or 9am–5pm) and you hardly bring work home. In a career, you constantly learn, build skills, and go up the ladder. You are emotionally investing more energy and time, which makes the money only a fraction of reason why you do what you do.Most importantly, in a job, you feel your presence benefits the organization. In a career, you ultimately invest in yourself.
A Princeton University study of over 400,000 people found that boosts in salary improved individuals “emotional well-being” up until the $75,000 of annual income mark. This makes intuitive sense, since those making significantly less than $75,000 worry about basic necessities such as food, rent, transportation and healthcare. Money alleviates these stress points but once you pass the threshold and can afford them, “higher income is neither the road to experienced happiness nor the road to the relief of unhappiness or stress.”
Career Path & Soul Searching
Once your basic needs are met (i.e., food, shelter, safety) you can start working on your psychological and self-fulfillment needs. The broad questions of what will make you happy or what do you want to do with your life are overwhelming for most. Luckily there are better frameworks to helps us think through the various parts of a career path. These exercises require self-reflection, honesty and patience.
Pursuing Money is not a Career Path
There a several key differences between a job versus a career:
A job’s main benefit is the paycheck. In a career, the benefits include gaining the skills, network, and
experiences needed to achieve lifetime career goals.
A job requires you to be present during work hours (i.e., 8am–4pm or 9am–5pm) and you hardly bring work home. In a career, you constantly learn, build skills, and go up the ladder. You are emotionally investing more energy and time, which makes the money only a fraction of reason why you do what you do.Most importantly, in a job, you feel your presence benefits the organization. In a career, you ultimately invest in yourself.
A Princeton University study of over 400,000 people found that boosts in salary improved individuals “emotional well-being” up until the $75,000 of annual income mark. This makes intuitive sense, since those making significantly less than $75,000 worry about basic necessities such as food, rent, transportation and healthcare. Money alleviates these stress points but once you pass the threshold and can afford them, “higher income is neither the road to experienced happiness nor the road to the relief of unhappiness or stress.”
Career Path & Soul Searching
Once your basic needs are met (i.e., food, shelter, safety) you can start working on your psychological and self-fulfillment needs. The broad questions of what will make you happy or what do you want to do with your life are overwhelming for most. Luckily there are better frameworks to helps us think through the various parts of a career path. These exercises require self-reflection, honesty and patience.
