Are you in your perfect job?

What is your definition of a perfect job?

As I consider changing careers, I have pondered this question quite a bit lately. It's not easy because there are many factors that go into it. Here are my top items that came to mind right away. I'm curious what you think.



The Work
Obviously the work itself has to be meaningful, add value to society and is needed in the world ("Gung Ho" by Ken Blanchard). There is nothing better than a client feeling better off today because they partnered with us and we made a significant difference. Do you love it? Do you wake up in the morning with excitement ready to take on the day? Friday afternoons, do you wish it was Monday? If you do, you have found something special. At the perfect job we are really good at it or at least have the propensity and willingness to improve. Skill, Knowledge and Attitude are our responsibility. Most organization worth anything will provide opportunity and training to make us better, but its up to us to take advantage of it.

Leadership
At the perfect job, we love our boss. He or she sees our hidden talents and is able to bring out the best in us. I don't need them to be a friend. I want the tough conversations and a high level of accountability, but I also want to know they have my best interests in mind without hidden agendas. I also want leadership that is transparent and invests in the employees providing great training and tools that make work easier. There have been times where I felt like I was asked to rake a 12 acre field and given forks to do it with. Don't get me wrong...I welded 100 forks together and got it done, but at my perfect job the leadership will make the right investments in the infrastructure to make work productive, efficient and effective.

The Team/Culture
Co-Workers on your team and the company can make a huge difference. If you do not fit the culture of the organization, it can make for a long day. In my career, I was fortunate to be part of several teams where it felt like "corporate nirvana"; twice as a sales rep, once as a manager and once as a senior leader. That's pretty good considering many people never find that team and culture fit. In every situation the players were competitive, driven and cared about each other. We collaborated, fought, competed and always had each other's backs. If you stepped out of line it was never the boss who addressed the issue. We "policed" each other...with a net, a net that caught you from falling, not one that caught you doing something wrong.

The Money
Although many of us have thought about just working for "the love of the game", unfortunately the banks don't take love as a form of payment for our mortgage and car payments. The perfect job is one that pays you what you are worth and gives you the opportunity to make as much as you want as long as the results support the reward. At the same time, we have to be careful not to chase money. One of my mentors told me that if I do the right things, invest in myself and work hard, money will always chase me. So far, his advice has been... "right on the money!" (pun intended)

I'm sure there are other critera that make up the perfect job. What are yours?