What would be your perfect job? Although there are well-defined parameters around what people actually want from work, our career-related choices are not always consistent with those parameters — even when we are consciously aware of them.
Why Are We So Bad at Choosing the Right Job?
If people are generally clear about what they want (and need) from work, why do so many of us make the wrong choices when choosing a job, particularly when we do have other choices? There are a few reasons. First, money talks. Though there is almost zero correlation between pay and job satisfaction, many people will choose a higher salary over a fulfilling job. Second, people are generally inept at evaluating their talents. Even when they do decide to “follow their passions” there is no guarantee that they will end up doing something well. This means that there is not always a clear ROI to taking risks and changing careers. Finally, job branding can lead people in the wrong direction. Trivial jobs camouflaged with sexy titles can appear quite desirable.