The ICT Job Hunter Blog

With 10% of the nation’s population currently unemployed, it would be easy to imagine that the remaining 90% would be ecstatic with their jobs, if only because they have one.  Not so, however.  As the latest survey conducted by The Conference Board reports, job satisfaction is down to its lowest level in 20 years and 22% of those who took part don’t expect to be in their current jobs in a year’s time.

Of course, none of this is good news for employers, who understand just how seriously low levels of motivation and engagement can affect their bottom lines.  After all, an unhappy worker who is only there to pick up the pay check isn’t exactly going to be the most productive.  This, however, is only one perspective, and I personally am just left feeling pretty miserable at the thought of all those unhappy people out there, dragging themselves out of bed five mornings a week to turn up at jobs that they detest.

I think I’ve probably said this before, but I’m going to say it again anyway in light of these latest findings – this might not seem to be the best time to think about switching careers, but nor is it the time to be in the wrong one!  I mean, let’s face it, if you were an employer who was looking at cutting back on unnecessary expenditure, would you want to keep paying staff who clearly didn’t want to be there and didn’t feel motivated to pull their weight?  And why would you want to put yourself in such a precarious position when you could be doing something that truly inspires and excites you anyway?

According to The Conference Board, levels of job satisfaction have shown a consistent downward trend since they began their survey in 1987 and this truly is a sad indictment on the well-being of the nation’s workers, not least because their unhappiness reflects directly on their own abilities to achieve success.  If you are one of the 55% of workers who now reports being dissatisfied with their jobs, why not resolve to make 2010 the year that you strive to take control of your life and find what really sets you alight?