Dominant Work Values
Simple Changes to Improve Job Satisfaction

The need to match your dominant work values and attitudes with your career choices can be one of the most important and overlooked considerations when it comes to making career related decisions. If you're feeling a bit unsettled, or downright unhappy in your current job, it's quite possible that your job is out of sync with your work values.

It can be very easy to fall into the pursuit of career rewards that do not fit within your own value system. Society tells us to value prestige, power and a high income. If those accomplishments are within your own set of values, then pursuing those things will likely contribute to your happiness and career satisfaction. However, if prestige, power and income are not your primary values, then a high income will rarely make up for the shortcomings of a job that goes against your own dominant work values.

The good news about the important connection between work values and career satisfaction is that, if you can identify the work value or values that are not satisfied in your current job, you may be able to negotiate to alter your current job so it is a better fit for your needs and values. You may find that instead of a complete career change, a less drastic shift, such as a few simple changes in your current job may be all that is required to help you to feel more fulfilled at work.

If you feel your current job is not meeting your expectations in one of those areas, that can be a significant source of stress. It can be very helpful to consider ways to initiate or negotiate some changes in your work so your work values are better represented within your current job. For example:

• If you value creativity, variety or mental challenge and one or more of those values are missing from your job, you could volunteer to become involved in a new project at work that allows you to express yourself creatively or learn new and challenging tasks or concepts.
  
  
• If your lifestyle-related values are not being met, you could explore the possibilities of job sharing, working from home, or working flex hours if those options fit within the structure of your current job.

After some brainstorming, you may feel that you are not able to alter your current job to meet your needs and your values. You still may not need a full blown career change to feel fulfilled in your work. Consider whether a similar job with a new supervisor or employer would be a good match for your needs and values. For example:

• If you value independence, and although you've tried, you just cannot achieve that within your current supervisor's management style, a shift to a new department in the same company, or possibly even a similar job with a new company may provide you with the independence you need.
  
  
• If you value prestige and achievement, you may quickly begin to feel stifled in a company with a flat organizational structure. A shift to a similar job within an organization that offers plenty of room for advancement may help you to feel happier in your work.

Of course, career change is a very normal part of career development across a lifetime, so there will be times when a full career change is in order. However, if you're feeling that your current career isn't an ideal fit with your dominant work values, you may not require such a drastic change to find happiness in your work. Sometimes a few simple shifts in your current career will make all the difference in your sense of fulfillment at work.

Lisa McGrimmon is career counselor who has supported close to two thousand clients through the challenges of career planning and job search. You'll find plenty of proven career management and job search tips at her site, careerchoiceguide.com.