--- description: Should you follow your passion? It may not be that easy unless we can all be athletes and artists: Via So Good They Can’t Ignore... title: How to Find The Perfect Job for You image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbd5620ae28ff6024/698769cc55a85984d8a8435e/job-search1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How to Find The Perfect Job for You by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 20, 2014 5:01 AM CUT  Looking for job Looking for jobGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 20, 2014 5:01 AM CUT Should you follow your passion? It may not be that easy unless we can all be athletes and artists: Via [So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455509124/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455509124&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- Chase money? [Income doesn’t affect job satisfaction at all and job satisfaction affects income more than you might think](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-much-does-income-affect-job-satisfaction "undefined"). Happiness is only about what you earn [when you get paid by the hour](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/when-is-happiness-about-how-much-you-earn "undefined"). And money isn’t everything. There’s also sleep. What topped the list of [the **most sleep-deprived** professions](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/02/what-are-the-most-sleep-deprived-jobs/ "undefined")? 1. **Home health aides** 2. **Lawyers** 3. **Police officers** 4. **Physicians** So what should you do? Let’s look at the big picture. Job satisfaction is key because [work is often a bigger source of happiness than home](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-we-have-more-fun-at-work-or-at-home "undefined"), ironically. Enjoying our jobs has a great deal to do with [how much control](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-this-why-we-can-do-fun-stuff-for-hours-but "undefined") [we feel we have](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-prevent-mental-fatigue-at-work "undefined") and whether we’re doing [things we’re good at](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-be-yourself-really-make-you-happier "undefined"). Social factors are huge too. Happy feelings are associated with “the fulfillment of psychological needs: [learning, autonomy, using one’s skills, respect, and the ability to count on others in an emergency](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-leads-to-life-satisfaction-and-feelings "undefined").” What do we know about the [happiest and unhappiest jobs](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/12/what-are-the-happiest-jobs-what-are-the-unhap/ "undefined")? --- > “” --- What makes for a [satisfying job](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/09/what-makes-us-satisfied-with-our-jobs/ "undefined")? --- > “” --- Using your “signature strengths” — those qualities you are uniquely best at, the talents that set you apart from others — makes you [stress less](http://www.gallup.com/poll/157679/americans-strengths-stress-less.aspx "undefined"): --- > “” --- You want to experience “flow”. It’s when [you’re so wrapped up in what you’re doing that the world fades away](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/secret-enjoying-work/ "undefined"). There are a handful of things that need to be present for you to experience flow: Via [Top Business Psychology Models: 50 Transforming Ideas for Leaders, Consultants and Coaches](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0749464658/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0749464658&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): 1. **Clear goals that, while challenging, are still attainable.** 2. **Immediate feedback.** 3. **Knowing that the task is doable; a balance between personal skill level and the challenge presented.** 4. **Strong concentration and focused attention.** 5. **The activity is intrinsically rewarding.** And you want to be someplace where you’re treated like a partner — not an underling. Via [Gallup](http://www.gallup.com/poll/155372/Learning-Workplaces-Health-Habits-Set-Best-Regions-Apart.aspx "undefined"): --- > “” --- Any specific jobs to avoid? Lawyers are miserable. Martin Seligman, psychology professor at UPenn and author of [Authentic Happiness](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743222989/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"), clues us in as to just how unhappy lawyers are: --- > “” --- Job satisfaction isn’t just about your job. Try to make yourself happier: [overall happiness causes job satisfaction more than job satisfaction causes overall happiness](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-happy-people-love-their-jobs-or-do-good-jo "undefined"). Happiness [makes us successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-success-make-us-happy-or-does-happiness "undefined") – yes, that’s causation, not correlation. (Employers should try to make their employees happier too: [happy employees make for rich companies](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-happy-employees-make-a-corporation-rich "undefined").) And unless you’re really desperate, you might want to think twice about settling. [People with no job are happier than people with a lousy job](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/03/are-people-who-have-no-job-happier-than-peopl/ "undefined"). --- > “” --- **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/12/perfect-job-you/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 135,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/ "undefined") [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3596149/perfect-job-for-you/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3596149/perfect-job-for-you/"},"headline":"How to Find The Perfect Job for You","datePublished":"2014-11-20T05:01:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:02:14.802Z","description":"Should you follow your passion? 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