What Makes a Good Job a Good Job? More than Salary, For Sure
Everyone wants a good job, just like everyone wants to be rich. To get a good job, you need to know how to evaluate what makes a job good or bad, which goes beyond more than the salary offered. Would you need to move for this job, uprooting your life in the process? Does it require you to be on the road a lot, or to put in more than 40 hours each week? Most importantly, would taking this job make your life better?
You know already you need to be mindful about increasing your income and lowering your expenses. I’ll show you how to be mindful about potential jobs by using my own as an example. There’s roughly eleven line items I consider when I’m comparing a new job to my current one, or if I have competing job offers and I’m deciding between them. There are more potential perks to consider at the end of this post, but here’s everything I look at before making a decision.
Everything I Care About in a Job
Location
Downtown Boston, in a nice office building that only takes me a bus ride to get to. I actually would have preferred not to go into the city for work, because the congestion is ridiculous and only getting worse. But since it’s relatively close to where I am, meaning I don’t need to move elsewhere or change my lifestyle that much, I’ll put it down as neutral.
😐
Work-from-home Opportunity
Of course, I might think differently about my “location” rank when my WFH opportunity is an ENTHUSIASTIC pro! In fact, I only go into the office once or twice a week, going the sweet WFH route the rest of the time. I’m not sure how long I can milk this but I’m milking it as much as I can. Pro.
✅
Team/Support
This is another pro, and such a welcome one too. My first job had a terrible manager and my second job wasn’t a good personality fit, so having a team I vibe with so well is a special bonus. My head manager is hands-off and only steps in if I ask for his help or opinion, trusting me to get it done without breathing down my neck. I also work directly with directors and VPs who are all understanding, friendly, and incredibly intelligent. Pro.
✅
Workload/Stress Levels
Stress levels with this job are nonexistent. No, I have no idea how many puppies I saved in a past life to have gotten so lucky. The work I do is right up my alley and the load is extremely manageable, especially when it’s all done from the comfort of my couch. That said, it also gets tedious doing the same thing. I’ve asked for other projects just to spice things up, but no dice so far. Meh, still pro.
✅
Salary
Because we wouldn’t do it if we weren’t paid! I made it a goal to earn six figures by the time I’m 28, and I’m already getting close with my current $90k salary. Big pro.
✅✅
Financial perks
This is the first role I’ve had that gives me access to a 401(k) and an Health Savings Account (HSA), both of which are fantastic at helping me save pre-tax dollars and bump up my investments. A year-end bonus is also a welcome touch. No match for the 401(k), but anything’s possible. Pro.
✅
Other perks
Oh man. Catered lunches are at the top of my list, and were a serious contender with the 401(k) for being the perk I was most excited about. Great vacation policy (by American standards, anyway!) of three weeks’ vacation plus some nice holidays off. Good sick day offerings. Good health, vision, and dental insurance. There’s also great company parties, snacks for the taking, and seasonal tickets. Pro.
✅
Company/office culture
Pro. My company’s obviously in business to make money, but it does so while helping people. The office culture, at least when I’m around, is startlingly bereft of catty gossip or cliques. Everyone works well with each other and no, I still don’t know how many puppies I saved. Pro.
✅
Commute
When I do go in, the commute time isn’t bad at all. That’s saying volumes when dealing with Boston’s MBTA. I walk about fifteen minutes to take an express bus downtown, which come every ten minutes and in which I almost always have a seat. Unlike the subways and commuter rail, the buses do not catch on fire nor stop working due to rain or snow. From there it’s like a five-minute walk to the office. Easy peasy. Pro.
✅
Opportunity for advancement
This one is tricky because I only began working here last year. This is also a fairly young company so there hasn’t been much opportunity for anyone to advance within it. However, if I stick with them for another couple of years I’ll have a great chance of furthering my career. I’ll mark this down as an unknown for now, subject to change.
😐❔
Consistency of the work
Some work places operate on a “feast or famine” system, in which you’re either sitting around bored or furiously trying to get a last-minute project out the door. My job is not one of them. Work is very predictable and consistent, which is a turn-off for some but for me it’s fine. Pro.
✅
Other pros and cons to weigh what makes a good job includes travel requirements, time spent on the clock, mentorship opportunity, and whether there’s a dress code. I didn’t add these to my own analysis as they’re either not applicable (I’m not required to travel) or related to other items, or things I don’t care about (dress code). If you happen to have children at home or someone else you want to spend more time with, you’ll want to consider how well the job allows you to be there for them. ALL of these items relate directly to your work-life balance, because they all impact the quality your life will hold.
Based on my eleven line items, this job is an excellent fit. The only reason I would need to leave it is if I suddenly got very picky about some particular line item (“I MUST have a 401k match so it’s time to GO!”) or if some aspect of my job changes dramatically. There’s only two line items that aren’t pros, and those non-pros I can live with.
What are your most important line items when considering jobs?