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Pursuit of Job Happiness - Values Checklist
Here are a few things from monster.com to consider when thinking about your job and career options.
Intrinsic Values
These values are usually intangible and relate to motivation and satisfaction at work on a daily basis. They usually provide the basis for loving the idea of waking up and going to work!
On a scale from 1-5, rate each item. Five signifies most important. How important are these intrinsic values to you?
1. _____ Variety and change at work
2. _____ Be an expert
3. _____ Work on the frontiers of knowledge
4. _____ Help others
5. _____ Help society
6. _____ Experience adventure/excitement
7. _____ Take risks/have physical challenges
8. _____ Feel respected for your work
9. _____ Compete with others
10. _____ Have lots of public contact
11. _____ Influence others
12. _____ Engage in precision work
13. _____ Gain a sense of achievement
14. _____ Opportunities to express your creativity
15. _____ Work for a good cause
Extrinsic Values
These are the tangible rewards or conditions you find at work. Extrinsic values often are known for trapping people into staying at jobs they don’t like.
On a scale from 1-5, rate each item. How important are these extrinsic values to you?
1. _____ Have control/power/authority
2. _____ Travel often
3. _____ Be rewarded monetarily
4. _____ Be an entrepreneur
5. _____ Work as a team
6. _____ Work in a fast-paced environment
7. _____ Have regular work hours
8. _____ Set your own hours/have flexibility
9. _____ Be wealthy
10. _____ Have prestige or social status
11. _____ Have intellectual status
12. _____ Have recognition through awards/honors/bonuses
13. _____ Wear a uniform
14. _____ Work in an aesthetically pleasing environment
15. _____ Work on the edge, in a high-risk environment
Lifestyle Values
These are the personal values associated with how and where you want to live, how you choose to spend your leisure time and how you feel about money.
On a scale from 1-5, rate each item. How important are these lifestyle values to you?
1. _____ Save money
2. _____ Vacation at expensive resorts
3. _____ Have access to educational/cultural opportunities
4. _____ Live close to sports/recreational facilities
5. _____ Be active in your community
6. _____ Entertain at home
7. _____ Be involved in politics
8. _____ Live simply
9. _____ Spend time with family
10. _____ Live in a big city
11. _____ Live abroad
12. _____ Have time for spirituality/personal growth
13. _____ Be a homeowner
14. _____ Live in a rural setting
15. _____ Have fun in your life and at work
Now write down all the values you rated as 5’s. If you have less than five, add the values you rated as 4’s to the list. If have more than 20 values with 4’s and 5’s, then you need to prioritize your list.
Decide which category is most important to you and determine how each is reflected in your current work. Narrow that list down to the five values you absolutely need both on and off the job. If you align these values with your work, you can achieve job happiness!