9 Dimensions of What Makes A Career A Good Career
Recently, I wrote a post on LinkedIn about "quiet quitting" that went viral, like the most impressions I've EVER had on a post (30k+). What's great was the amount of feedback and opinions people shared about why they think this phenomenon is happening. Many said this isn't new, it just has a new name.
This made me wonder, what is a job worth "loudly keeping?" Well, it would need to ace a variety of factors, so I set about gathering, refining, and defining what those factors might be.
How would you define what a good job is?
First, I’ll ask you this, how would you define what a good job is. Is a “good job”:
stable work
fuels your insides
fits your lifestyle
meets your financial needs
has purpose...
These are some of the responses I received when I posed this as a survey question, and they are all legit qualities.
As a researcher on an insatiable quest to creatively disrupt the old career paradigm with fresh thinking, I've been stewing on an even bigger picture of a “good job”, which are the dimensions of a good career.
Dimensions of a “good” career
Depending on who you talk to, there’s no right way to measure a good career, but there are dimensions and variables that are commonly discussed and weighed in terms of importance. Each person must decide which elements are most relevant to their lives and prioritize how they fit within their personal career schema. Here are the nine dimensions that are the most poignant to consider along with questions that help you see what each one means.
Personal Growth Dimension:
Do you find it challenging?
Do you find it rewarding?
Are you able to learn new things?
Are you growing?
Does it meet your values?
Are you proud of it?
Do you want to do it?
2. Work/Life Balance Dimension
Does it take the right amount of your time? Or too much time?
Is it sustainable or will it burn you out?
Does it invigorate you and give you energy?
Does it provide enough flexibility to meet your needs?
3. Skill Dimension
Are you competent at it?
How much time will it take to become competent at it?
Can you continue to grow or evolve in it?
Will it challenge you over time?
4. Purpose/ Satisfaction Dimension
How happy are you in your work?
Are you fulfilling your purpose?
Is it your calling?
Are you fulfilling your potential?
5. Education Dimension
How much, if any, education do you need?
How long will it take to gain the required training?
6. Impact Dimension
Are you doing good/ making positive change in the world?
Are you making a difference or leaving a legacy?
Are you solving an important problem?
7. Social/ Cultural Dimension:
Do your friends and family support it?
Is it culturally or socially important or acceptable?
Is it respected?
How much will depend on your individual ability versus social connections?
Is it hard to break into or become an expert in?
Are there many barriers, biases, or prejudices to navigate?
Is it growing, dying or emerging?
8. Financial Stability Dimension
Does it pay enough to meet or exceed your lifestyle needs?
Does it provide quality benefits?
9. Market Dimension
Does it feel secure/ stable?
Does the job market value it?
Does the world need it?
Is there demand?
Is it competitive, or hard to get into?
Will it be relevant in the next five, ten, twenty years from now?
NOTE: There’s an intersection between all these dimensions. Some dimensions matter more than others, and that’s a personal value system to assign. Try it out, label each value 1 through 9, with 1 being most important. How would you rank order these? Maybe certain ones are tied in terms of having the same priority for you? Notice, why is that? Test out these questions and see how it helps you evaluate and reconsider how “good” your career currently is, or what else you would need to reach the next level of a good career.