When people find their current employment less than satisfying, there are some questions to consider:
Are my duties interesting to me?
Is my environment comfortable?
Does my pay cover my expenses?
Will this job support my life goals?
If I want something else, what is it?
What do I feel like is missing?
Can I see myself here in 2, 5, 10 years?
How does this job impact my health?
How does this job impact my relationships?
Sigmund Freud believed that healthy people experienced satisfaction in Love and Work. The impact of unsatisfying employment (e.g., toxic work environment, under-employment, unemployment) has a ripple effect on other aspects of your life. Unfortunately, often when people recognize this, they avoid change because change is difficult and uncomfortable.
The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) assesses individual preferences and perspectives. This can have a huge impact on your satisfaction level regarding your work environment, duties, and attitudes. A similar assessment of your unique personality, the 16 Personalities, can help you better understand yourself, your needs, and your desires, which impact job satisfaction.
Once you have a better handle on who you are and what you want, you can assess job possibilities. The O*Net Interest Profiler follows many of the principles of the Self-Directed Search that helps people identify what kinds of jobs they may enjoy and have natural talents to achieve.
All of this information can be put together by reviewing possible vocations with a summary of necessary skills, knowledge/education, and earning potential at O*Net Online with a directory of every available job according to the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration.
Still unsure about where to go next? We are here to help!