Workers are the unhappiest they’ve been in 3 years—and it can cost the global economy $8.8 trillion per CNBC’s Morgan Smith Oct 2023

That’s at least according to new research from BambooHR, which found that job satisfaction has suffered a steady decline since 2020. They note that “Most simply accept that morale is getting worse.”

The article asks, why so many people are unhappy at work? “The most common complaint I hear is a loss of control,” Srikumar Rao, the author of “Happiness at Work. Jenn Lim, CEO of Delivering Happiness, “It’s all about creating an environment of belonging, hearing and being understood,”

Another factor driving employee unhappiness is the lack of meaning people feel in their roles, says Emily Liou, a career happiness coach.

According to Wharton psychologist Adam Grant, employees who understand their work has a meaningful, positive impact on others are not just happier than those who don’t; they’re more productive, too.

So, how does one find some joy in their occupation?

Mike Wysocki, Author of Careers by the People: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals, offers informative advice on how to acquire some type of joy from your career based on hundreds of interviews and decades of research. Wysocki says “All this stems back to a haphazard approach of determining the best occupation for yourself.” If you ask people about their career satisfaction it’s basically flip of the coin, 50% are fine with their career and 50% are not. Most people “fall into….” Or see it as a “safe profession” “It’s the family business….everyone is a doctor” blah blah blah. It’s basically saying “I didn’t do my homework in high school/college/vocational school and I got this gig because of x, y, z. “

Questions:

Where is the disconnect? Where does the issue with career satisfaction start?

It’s starts with lack-of-preparedness. Roughly 20-25% of college students go to their career center for information. If their only focus is getting into grad school, I get It but where do they have any idea of what they are getting themselves into at 18, 20, 22? Have they even spent a day with a person in the career they desire? Ask anyone in high school or college if they have “shadowed” a person in the occupation they desired. I’m guessing less than 5% and I’m being nice.

What would be some ideas suggestions to help them prepare?

College or high school classes about careers. Some schools offer them and others do not. Some offer “Intro to our college” but nothing about career choice. How is the student supposed to have any idea what an electrical engineer does if they don’t do extensive homework on the subject? This should start in Freshman year and end in senior year so they can start running day 2 after graduation.

Other than taking a class, what would you suggest?

Attending networking events to learn how to network. Setup a Linkedin page. Try to meet with alumni. Go to a trade show that interests you to network. Try to narrow down choices to 3 industries and 3 jobs in those industries and talk to people face-to-face in those occupations. Ask to shadow people in which careers interest you. It’s going to take time but it’s better than just guessing that being a lawyer is awesome.

What are some topics that the schools or students are asking you about?

Without a question, Soft Skills. The schools push me to talk about this as much as possible. In sales, my career, there is no “hard skills.” Anyone with persistence and a thick head can do it, whereas students might learn a computer language like Python and think that’s all they need to get a gig whereas the Soft Skills can get them to the next level. So, I read books and make posts on YouTube about the subjects. Example writing. How to get better at writing, Get Published in a local newspaper or periodical on something you enjoy.

Notes:

If someone is a student, a young worker or needs to switch occupations there are many ways to do it. Narrow down your research to 3 industries and 3 jobs within those fields. From there, network with people in those occupations via trade shows, linkedin, associations, alumni groups, meetups etc….get to know the people in those fields so you can learn about the professions. You might learn that that profession is or is not for you. Even take some of the occupational tests. Go all out. Read every career book you can find. “Gig”, “Working” are works of art.

When you encounter people in an occupation you desire it is best to make it one-on-one meeting and try to find a secure place so they can actually tell you what it is like. Phone calls are great, texting is awful. It has to be at least a call. When you meet with them, have your questions prepared and make sure you know everything about the person, their schools, their former companies etc…. Moreover, find a few people that left the industry you desire. Why did they leave it? What don’t you know?

If it goes well and you hit it off with the person, you could shadow them for a day and/offer some time to volunteer at their organization or as Former Labor Secretary Bob Reich would say “Be a Go-For!.” Also, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Get to know at least 5 in the occupation that you desire to get many thoughts. All paths lead to retirement – which one are you on?