As Zafir was scrolling through his Facebook newsfeed, he came across a post of one of his classmates. It said she left her job at a well renowned multinational company (MNC). He was shocked, partially because here he was waiting from callbacks from recruiters, being without a job for over six months now. More so because, he thought why anyone would leave such a great job with such great pay and benefits. But on the other hand, the classmate in question was very much relieved. She thought to herself, she finally understood that there is more to life than a flamboyant label and the worth of having peace of mind.
With the increasing number of graduates from both public and private universities, the job market is quite a competitive place. Fresh graduates not only lack the proper understanding of work culture, work-life balance and many other important factors, they also fail to understand what line of work would be appropriate for them. As a result, many are lured into jobs that are in no way a good fit for them. But not everyone feels the same way; there are some who enjoy their work more than they imagined they would. A widely used term by HR professionals is 'job satisfaction'. Job satisfaction is commonly defined as the extent to which an employee feels self-motivated, content and satisfied with his/her job.
While job satisfaction can vary from person to person, using a general checklist individual can evaluate and understand if their current job is right for them.
Looking forward to the day
First thing that an individual feels when they wake up is dread if they are not at all happy with their jobs. If an individual feels that they look forward to going to work, interacting with his/her colleagues, subordinates and seniors and completing their tasks, it can be seen as a sign of the job being a good fit for them. Currently working in a research organisation, where Maria regrets joining, she claims that, "Every morning, when my alarm rings I feel agitated; because it means I have to go to work and face my boss, who makes my life miserable."
Skills development
The day-to-day skills needed for the job are not just skills they already possess; there is scope for growth and development of new skills. Many a time, individuals feel that their degrees come of no use to them in the workplace. For instance, many organisations have management trainee programmes where they train the recruits through comprehensive methods. "At Robi, one goes through an intense induction the first month that gives a complete understanding of the telecommunications business. After that, one is given a permanent position and trained in such a way that after two years the graduate trainee (GT) graduates as a manager and is able to lead properly in one's relevant department. Robi aspires to be a digital company, so one learns how to do every task digitally and are constantly encouraged for innovative ideas that will help the company reach its vision. This enables one to think creatively. "The culture of Robi is such that all employees are encouraged to think and work in a modern, agile and digital manner in order to keep pace with the constant changes in the industry," mentions a Sameeun Nahar, a graduate trainee at Robi.
Career prospects
Jobs that are stimulating often have growth opportunities within the company, as well as within the respective industry. Rakib Hasan, who shifted from his previous job at the investment banking sector to a leading private bank says, "The primary market related role had little chance of progression as per my understanding as our capital market is still underdeveloped and that's why I switched to a more vibrant and larger sector like commercial banking."
Organisation culture
A lot of researches have shown growth opportunities, job enthusiasm and good reputation of the organisation affect the job satisfaction of the employees. "In my opinion, work culture is the single most important factor that defines whether or not you're fit for the job. When your colleagues treat you the way they want to be treated, I believe, that is when you feel empowered; that is when you don't feel exhausted thinking about going to work after opening your eyes in the morning," mentions Kowshik Azad, who is currently working at the telco industry.
Alignment with one's interests and passions
Often employees feel their jobs to be very draining because of lack of passion for the job. In such cases, individuals fail to realise their true potential, instead it will remain a job all the while and eventually one day it turns out that they have not been able to achieve anything all their lives. "To me, it's really simple; if my current job stops me from looking for a better alternative; it's definitely the right one for me. There are a few things a person wants from his job. In my case, I look at the future prospect of my job, and how much it's helping me to give back to the society. So If I can clearly see the next five years of the same job and if my job makes me feel content, it's definitely the right one for me," mentions Sabir Ahmed, a finance graduate from North South University who is currently employed in the banking sector.
One must remember that no job is 100 per cent perfect. Every job has its own challenges; overcoming those challenges are what helps a person to climb the ladder of success.
The writer is a fresh graduate of BRAC University and is currently working in a local private bank. She can be reached at [email protected]
