SPRING CLEAN YOUR JOB

Melanie Burgess finds it may be time for workers to clean out the cobwebs

MORE than a third of Australian workers do not find their jobs fulfilling, suggesting it may be time for them to do a career spring clean.

Research from SEEK reveals 64 per cent of workers rate themselves as “satisfied” in their work, with education and training workers the most content in the country.

Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) say they are satisfied in their job, up 2 per cent on last year. Other particularly happy sectors are banking and financial services (73 per cent satisfied), healthcare and medical (70 per cent) and information and communication technology (70 per cent).

Career Development Association of Australia national executive committee member Rebecca Fraser says she is not surprised by the research, as people often find satisfaction in challenges and growth opportunities.

“These industries have either gone through or are currently undergoing substantial transformation,” she says.

“Large transformational change at an organisation or industry level can have a substantial impact on building resilience and personal awareness, which can assist in people knowing what they need to be satisfied and then seeking that for their next role.”

Australia’s least-satisfied sectors are retail and consumer products (53 per cent), construction (58 per cent) and hospitality and tourism (59 per cent).

Fraser says workers in search of career satisfaction must first understand what drives them, then ensure they are in a work environment that allows them to achieve those things.

“Drivers may include financial reward, relationships with your peers, status within the business, challenging work and new opportunities,” she says.

“You might be driven by a fastpaced, challenging work environment but a greater driver may be flexibility in how you work, so if you are working in a really fast-paced work environment, but with a traditional nineto-five mentality, you may be greatly dissatisfied.

“Additionally, if you are driven by reward and recognition but a more important driver may be learning, all the money in the world without developing new skills may not satisfy you.”

SEEK Laws of Attraction data reveals the three factors most important to Australians looking for a new role are salary, work/life balance and career development opportunities.

Together, the three factors are the key drivers for 40 per cent of workers – more valued than management, company culture or job security.