Find a job doing what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.
It’s a common motivational saying, but what does it really mean to “love” your job? Do people who love their jobs never wish they were relaxing at home instead of tackling challenging tasks? Are people who love their job less likely to procrastinate, daydream or have difficult days? Not necessarily.
Every position, even the ideal ones, come with a few pesky tasks you’d probably rather avoid. Loving your job doesn’t have to mean that you’d rather spend more time in the office than you do at home.
It simply means that you’re passionate about what you do, engaged by your work, and committed to continuing your position with your chosen employer.
Here’s how you can figure out whether your love affair with your job is still strong or the flames are burning out, and it might be time to move to new pastures.
What motivates you to keep your job?
If you truly love your job, you should have motivations beyond simply earning a salary. If your answer to the question of “why do I have this job” is “I need to pay the bills”, then you’re working out of necessity, not love.
With this in mind, it’s worth looking at your motivations for maintaining this specific accounting role. Do you share the same values and visions as the company? Do you feel like you get a meaningful sense of purpose from your current job, and does working within the position make you feel fulfilled?
Do you enjoy the challenges you face and actively have fun with the tasks you complete each day or are you simply checking items off a “to-do” list? If you can’t find any non-monetary sources of motivation, it might be worth speaking to your recruitment consultant to find a better role. After all, endless alternatives exist for the right talented professional.
Do you love your job but not your company?
When you look ahead and attempt to visualise the future of your career, what do you see? When you’re planning the next stages of your accounting role, can you see yourself working with the same business, just in a higher position with more responsibilities? Are you actively excited about growing and developing your career with this business?
Alternatively, do you see your future taking you in a different direction? Even if you enjoy your role now, you might feel there are no real progression opportunities in your current workplace that can help you progress towards your professional goals.
If this is the case, it might be worth asking whether your love for your current role is really enough. Just because you adore your job doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to pursue a future with the same business. Sometimes, to take your career to the next level, you must consider pursuing other opportunities.
Does your company love You back?
Any good relationship is a two-way street. You can dedicate all your time, creativity, and passion to an accounting role, but if your company doesn’t show you any love in return, the relationship will quickly turn sour.
Ask yourself how you demonstrate your commitment to your role and how your employer and the larger company support you in return. What kind of company culture is the business building, and how does it commit to making you feel like part of an inclusive team?
How frequently do your managers or team leaders share feedback with you through guidance and recognition? How often does your hard work go unnoticed?
If your company isn’t dedicated to making you feel like a valuable team member, then there’s a good chance your feelings for it will begin to disintegrate over time.
Is your company invested in you?
If you’re passionate about your accounting role, you likely devote much of your time and energy to your tasks. You might go above and beyond to ensure you’re always delivering the best results on projects and constantly commit to expanding your knowledge with external forms of education.
The more invested you are in your company, the more you’ll help it grow and thrive. But how invested is your company in you? Does your manager regularly discuss your goals and help you develop plans for the next step in your career?
Do you have access to various learning and development opportunities within the business? Or are you the sole person responsible for expanding your skills and talents? A company committed to nurturing the relationship between the business and its employees will consistently invest in its staff. Your feelings might change if you feel like your company isn’t helping you grow.
5. Is the love still there?
Over time, your love for your job will either flourish or wilt depending on your experiences in your role; and if your employer and the business you work with is invested in you, committed to helping you grow, and aligned with your personal values. In that case, you might be at the beginning of a fantastic professional love affair.
On the other hand, you might discover that over time, your love of your company begins to dwindle. Loving your current job isn’t the same as loving the company. If you’re not passionate about growing with the brand, you can always look for other opportunities to find new love with a different organisation.
If your love for your job or company isn’t as strong as it once was, now could be the perfect time to start getting back on the playing field. Contact your recruitment agency and seek new opportunities aligned with your professional goals.
Hedley Scott Recruitment offer complimentary and confidential career conversations. Contact one of our team here.