Good Job or Bad Job? It’s More Than the Work or Position

It’s not so much what you do or the position you have.  It’s the how and why, and the company for whom you work, that often makes it a good job or bad one.

Do you feel good about the company for whom you work?  Or would you rather not think about it?  Consider the following questions about your employer.

Would your company think nothing of asking you to do something that goes against your principles?

Is the company only interested in the bottom line or does it believe itself to have a mission beyond the making of money, believing that it is doing an actual service and/or providing a meaningful product that adds value to people’s lives?

Is your company well-respected in the community?  Does it have a good track-record?  That is, has it legitimately earned the people’s trust and admiration?  Is it known for its honesty, trustworthiness, and community involvement, for example?

Are the company’s values well known, readily expressed, and actually adhered to?  Are they the kind of values that you are happy to support and buy in to?  For example, does it care about the environment?  Does it value people of all ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds?  Does it value women in the work force as much as men, the young and inexperienced as well as seniors with much experience, the disabled?  Is the company family oriented, supporting benefits and time schedules that aid and support family realities rather than oppresses them?

Does the company respect you as a person?  Is the company interested in your personal growth?  Does it provide opportunities for developing your own particular set of personal talents and skills?  Does it appreciate you for who you are and not merely for what you can do?

If you gave your company a plus to these questions, than you are most likely happy with your employment and believe yourself to have a “good job.”  If, on the other hand, you feel disrespected, taken advantage of, oppressed, and abused, you have a lousy job, no matter how prestigious the position may be.

Hence, it’s not simply what you do in your job, or the position that you have, that makes a job good or bad.  It’s for whom you work, and the how and why of your work, that counts.  Considering that most of our life-time waking-hours are spent at work, it’s certainly something to think about.