Regarding their professional lives, as many as sixty percent of U.S. citizens suffer from job dissatisfaction for many reasons. From not being rewarded enough and poor management in the workplace to limited career growth and feeling like the job doesn’t suit you or your lifestyle – there are many reasons why job dissatisfaction is so high in the United States.
The latter reason is becoming ever more popular in the U.S. due to individuals' priorities shifting as they grow older. While previously they might’ve cared about money and simply securing a job, nowadays they might prioritize factors like remote working, not having to work weekends anymore, late starts, and much more.
While having a job that ensures you can live comfortably is vital, putting your mental/physical health, personal/social relationships, and professional/personal goals first are also essential. So, if your current job role isn’t allowing all the above to thrive, it might be time to find a career that works around your lifestyle.
However, how do you go about finding a job that works around your lifestyle? From considering looking for remote jobs rather than in-person roles to figuring out what makes you unhappy in your professional life, there are many tips for job seekers to help them find their ideal position. We list several of the best below:
Don’t Wait For A Job To Fall Into Your Lap; Go And Search For It
No matter how hard you wish for it, the chances are that a job that works around your lifestyle isn’t going to fall into your lap. For instance, if your idea of an ideal job is being able to choose your own shift patterns, being able to work from the comfort of your own home office and having your weekends to yourself – it’s probably best to search for it.
Now, you might be thinking, how on earth do I search for something that specific? Well, one of the best ways to find all kinds of jobs is with the help of a job search engine like Adzuna, which can help users find a range of remote jobs and in-person jobs.
With the help of search engines like these, you can effectively weed out any unsuitable job adverts and focus on the ones that are relevant to you and your skill set. Utilising all resources available the next time you are job searching.
Rethink Your Personal Goals
Before you start signing up for job search engines and scrolling through listing after listing of remote jobs, desperately trying to find one that you can interweave with your lifestyle, put down your laptop and ask yourself what you want out of life. Look at your personal goals and see if they align with your beliefs and are still vital to you; if not, change them!
For instance, suppose your partner has every Wednesday off work. Would finding a remote job that allowed you to choose your shift patterns be essential to you? So that you can spend every Wednesday having quality time with your partner? Or, are you tired of giving up your weekends after spending a decade working in hospitality and thinking that a job that gives you your weekends off would be necessary?
Regardless of where your priorities lie, it is essential that you rethink what you’d like out of your professional and personal life so that the two can meet in the middle. Otherwise, you will continuously find aspects of your professional life that interfere with your personal life, which will cause further job dissatisfaction.
Don’t Be Scared To Approach Your Current Employer
Suppose you enjoy your current job role, but it doesn’t consider your lifestyle. In that case, you shouldn’t be scared to approach your current employer or someone in management and bring up your lifestyle wishes. Worst case scenario, all they can say is no, and if this is the case, you can always start the search for a job that will consider your lifestyle wishes.
According to research, around 54% of American workers are afraid to approach a higher authority about a workplace issue, whether they have previous bad experiences, feel they will be turned away, lack the confidence to speak up, and much more.
However, it's vital to remember that if you don’t ask, you won't receive. In most cases, most employers would rather have you speak up about workplace issues than run the risk of losing a valuable employee to another competitor.
You may find that your supervisor is more lenient than you thought, and they could grant you the changes you desire. On the other hand, you might find that they give you some wishes and negotiate with you on others, like instead of letting you work entirely remotely, they might ask you to come into the office one day a week, etc.
Conduct Research Before Applying
Once you know what factors are non-negotiable when searching for a job that fits your lifestyle, you can speak to firms, agencies, or employers with similar interests to yourself to ensure they are the right fit for you and your lifestyle.
On the other hand, it is also wise to speak to past employees (if you can!) and ask them about their experience while working there, why they left, what could be different, and so on.
This allows you to get an unfiltered review of what it is like behind the scenes so that you can be sure the company’s vision aligns with yours and that you don’t waste your time applying for something that isn’t suitable.
Understand How You Work
Another tip for job seekers looking for a role that works around their lifestyle is understanding how you work and in what environment you produce your best work. For instance, if you’re an introvert and work best being separated from the noise and the distractions that an office-based climate presents, you might be better off searching for remote job opportunities, like personal assistant roles, graphic design roles, writing roles, etc.
In contrast, there is no point apply for remote jobs if you’re a social butterfly, as you may find that being separated from work colleagues and the daily chit-chat they promise is depressing, which could make your work suffer as a result. Either way, ask yourself where you’re the happiest and motivated to produce your best quality work to discover what kind of career works best for your lifestyle.
Figure Out What Makes You Unhappy At Work
Before you can determine the non-negotiables, you must figure out what makes you unhappy to ensure that you don’t end up in a similar position. Start by grabbing a piece of paper and a pen or opening up the notes application on your smartphone, and make a list of what makes you happy and unhappy in the workplace.
Seeing all your hang-ups about your current role in front of you can help you zero in on what you’d like out of your next position and what you’d rather avoid. Which can help you weed out the bad from the good job adverts while you're searching and save you time going for dead-end interviews.
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