The Perfect Job

I was talking with someone the other day who was not satisfied with his job and was thinking about making a change in his career.  We discussed what his options were going forward and what he was looking for.  The conversation made me start to think about what makes the perfect job.  What makes you feel satisfied in your job?  Does that mean you are never bored or unhappy with what you are doing?  Will the same job with more money satisfy you?  Or maybe if you get a better job title?

I have worked for multiple companies on various projects with different kinds of people.  All showed different levels of challenge, interest, and rewards.  As I look back, my level of satisfaction did not come from the specific tasks that I did (though I enjoyed some), but the ability to have impact.  When I believed in what I was doing as something that would make a difference in the world, that is when I felt the most satisfied with what I did.  Some people search their whole lives for the job that will satisfy them with no luck.  I believe that it could have been there the whole time, but they were looking for the wrong thing.  Don’t get me wrong, I am all for making the most money you can make, but I don’t believe that will ultimately make you happy.  You should not look at what you are doing or how much money you are making, but who you are affecting in a positive way.  Only with the help of God can we see what we do in the right light.

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20