Depending on what site or survey you read, job dissatisfaction in the US can range anywhere from 50%-80%. I can say from experience that throughout most of my first career in advertising, I was part of the majority in that I didn’t get much satisfaction from my 9-5. Don’t get me wrong, there were days that were great, getting that promotion and raise I’d been working all year for, having a client say thank you for the hard work I put into their campaign. But overall, it was just a job, a means to an end to pay the bills. If my previous career could be broken into two cups, one of satisfaction/purpose/meaning and the other of monetary reward, it would look something like this.

        Satisfaction/purpose/meaning cup                              Monetary/money cup

As you can see, the monetary cup was filled to around 80% capacity, meaning I could pay my bills and have a little extra for savings, travel, and miscellaneous expenses. Unfortunately, that came with a cost to my satisfaction/purpose/meaning cup where I would get around 20% on average. The older and wiser I get, the more I realize there needs to be a balance. Ever since starting work at the nursing facility at the beginning of the year, I’ve seen my monetary cup drop to around 30% but my satisfaction/purpose/meaning cup has increased to around 70%.

For this post, I’m going to explore how my job has challenged me and my perspective on so many different levels. Below are some of the themes that have made me stop and think about how I’m living my life and contributing to the betterment of society.

Co-workers & Colleagues

The duties and responsibilities of a position are the main components of one’s job but an often overlooked aspect of job satisfaction is the camaraderie with coworkers and colleagues. Having a supportive, caring, and welcoming family of coworkers has significantly contributed to my overall satisfaction at my current job. It’s much easier to get through a tough day knowing that you have someone willing and able to help you out. That’s not to say that you’re going to get along with everyone at work but if you can find your support system, it makes everything else so much easier. I’ve tried to set the example by helping out my fellow nursing assistants when they need it and have noticed them returning the favor.

Interdependence

We live n a country that stresses independence and individualism, which has numerous benefits but also has its drawbacks. One of those drawbacks is something we’re currently witnessing with the lack of a universal plan to get this virus and pandemic under control. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had the attitude and mindset of treating people the same, whether you’re the janitor or owner of the company. My job has shown me that we all play a part in the functioning of an organization, big or small. I wouldn’t be able to do my job properly without the daily maintenance of the housekeeping unit, charge nurses, and kitchen staff. We are all cogs in the system and when one part isn’t functioning properly, it can have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the system.

Judgment

We place so many things in boxes or categories in our lives, good/bad, pretty/ugly, smart/stupid because it’s easy and convenient. Working in a psych unit has not been easy by any means, physically, mentally, or emotionally but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything because it’s helped me work on my non-judgment muscle. I’m learning to unlearn my judgmental tendencies and see people for what we all share in common, being human.

Finding a career or job that you enjoy can take some time and trial and error but I believe it is more than worth it in the end. We spend about a third of our lives working that can positively or negatively affect the other two-thirds of our lives. Transitioning to a career that fits my personality and outlook on life has positively contributed to making me a better, more compassionate human. You’re never too old to start something new or try something different, you only get one shot at this thing, so make it worth it.

QOTP: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” –Steve Jobs