by Lou Belcher

Created on: March 11, 2009

How to assess how satisfied you are with your job.

Job satisfaction is different for every worker. Some workers value large pay and will put up with a lot as long as they are paid well. Others value what they do and don't care as much about pay as long as they have work that is creative and stimulating to them. Here are some ways to assess how satisfied you are with your job:

1. Decide what's important to you. Make a list from most important to least important of what aspects of your job are important to you. Include everything. There are no right and no wrong answers. You are merely expressing your wishes for job satisfaction. For some of you, the pay will be at the top of your list. For others, pay will be in the middle or at the bottom of the list. Maybe a feeling of teamwork on the job is important or a good supervisor who is helpful is important. Your list can be completely different from the list of your best friend. It doesn't matter. You are trying to determine your points of job satisfaction.

2. Once you have made your list of what is important to you on the job, assess whether your current job is meeting the items on the list.

3. Next assess your stress level on the job. Are you able to enjoy the job while you are there and leave it when you go home? If your job is causing you an undo amount of stress, this would be a sign that you are not satisfied with your job.

4. Is your job doing for you what you want it to do? Here are some specifics to look into that will help you assess how satisfied you are with your job. Does your job provide adequately for your financially? Does your job provide you with an outlet for your creativity? Does your job provide intellectual stimulation? Is your job a good use of your skills? Do you have good companionship and communication with fellow employees? Does your job provide you with enough free time? And, is that free time free from worry about your job?

After you've considered all the particulars about your job, it is important to go through your answers and tally whether the majority of your answers indicate that you are satisfied with your job or if they indicate an underlying dissatisfaction. The next step is to determine what to do with the information. In some cases, you can probably revise your job to make it more palatable. By speaking to your supervisor or co-workers honestly about your job you may be able to improve the situation. In other cases, overall dissatisfaction might be so high that it will spur you to take action in finding another job.

In any case, don't assess your job satisfaction just once, Assess it periodically to ensure that you keep a handle on how satisfied you are with your job.

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