What is Job Satisfaction?

I was recently reading an article about job and employee satisfaction that explained all of the intricate elements that make up this topic. It seemed rather complex and it made me reflect on my own personal perception of this concept.

I believe you can look at job satisfaction as a sliding scale; a scale that is in a constant eb and flow of small ups and downs. On one side of the scale you have your job and on the other you have your employer. To maintain equilibrium or job satisfaction, you have to have a balance between the right job and right employer.

The Right Job

I am not in a position to say what the right job is. This is an individualized concept that is defined by our and ambitions. Regardless of the definition in our own minds, we should be able to list off our  wish list, must haves, wants or needs in a job. These usually involve our day-to-day tasks and the work itself.

The Right Employer

I carefully used the word ‘right’ here because it sets the stage for your own personalized definition of what a right employer is to you. Sometimes it’s in the type or purpose of the organization, the products it sells or simply what the company stands for. Sometimes the ‘right employer’ has to have a certain reputation, be of a certain size or in contrary, exhibits similar values to you personally.

Does job satisfaction really exist?