When I was unemployed a few years ago, a job digging ditches for $2 an hour would have qualified as a good job. I was lucky and got what I thought was a good job. It had a salary, some health insurance benefits, and a few days of paid vacation each year. Within a year or two, the good job somehow turned into a crappy job. So I looked elsewhere for a better job and got it. Would I consider my position now to be a good job? I plead the fifth. (By the way, how ya doin’ boss?)
Time for Me to Get a Better Duty!
Your definition of a good job changes often. When you think you should get more money and find a position that does pay more, the novelty of the increased cash flow eventually fades. As you become more proficient at your work, your pay doesn’t increase proportionally – you just get more work. If you’re like me, the real measure of needing a new gig comes when you don’t have opportunities to learn new things.
Good Jobs Gone Bad!
How often did/do you hear that you should go to college to get a good job? Is a good job simply one that has more security than others? Or, is a good job always the highest paying job? Perhaps you define a good job as something you really enjoy doing.
The people I know who enjoy their jobs don’t get paid the most and their incomes aren’t predictable. Others I know who have high-paying, secure jobs don’t enjoy them very much (programmers, engineers, sales reps, etc.) Maybe there’s no such thing as a perfect job, and all we can do is try to strike a balance between income, security, and enjoyment.
My Definition is This
My idea of a good job (moving target that it is) includes:
- Sufficient pay to meet all my family’s needs and a little extra for saving and playing
- Ongoing opportunities to learn new skills
- Some liberty in coming/going as I please
- Managers and coworkers who are willing to share the load
- Some autonomy in creating things how I think best
This list doesn’t include everything I value in a good job. You may have noticed that I didn’t include security as a requirement. Security in a job would be nice, but it’s a myth. I’ve seen my employers sack “very loyal” employees with no more than a few minutes’ notice. If they don’t think your work is making them money – no matter how much you’ve made them in the past or how much you could make them in the future – it’s over.
In Your Opinion?
What elements make up your definition of a good job? Do you have a good job right now? How would your better job be different? Who do you think has the best job, and why?
