The Power of money today

The power of money today When people think about what they want to do with the rest of their lives they tend to think about whether or not it will make them a lot of money. Given the choice to work somewhere they love for a reasonable amount of money or somewhere they hate just to receive a big paycheck which would they choose? Many people want to live without having to struggle financially. They want a job that will help pay their bills with a little left over for fun and games. On the other hand, some people want a job where they can have fun and enjoy themselves every day without caring about how much money they make. There are specific tests that will help narrow down the search for a career or major depending on whether or not people decide to go straight to college or the workforce. When people take jobs for money without being interested in the work itself it could cause them to be upset and possibly have attitudes with customers or colleagues. Attitudes in the workplace may rub off on others making it difficult for the workers to get things done efficiently. While some employees may get angry with their job others may be happy with the money they are making. There are many people who are happy with the job they have because it pays well, but does that mean their happy with the little things in life or are they more interested in the things money can buy them to make them happy? Personal satisfaction in the workforce is more important than the number that shows up on their paycheck each pay period. Instead of rushing into a job opportunity for money people can take career assessment tests to discover if they would enjoy working in a specific field or not. Career assessment tests are used to help guide students and adults into a workforce that fits them. Recently more high schools have been giving out career assessment tests to help figure out which road students want to go down before they get to college. These tests give various questions about the student’s interests, skills, style, and values that help narrow down job and/or major options. This method may take some stress off of teens and adults as they try to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. It is helpful to start figuring out what people are either good at or enjoys at a younger age so they won’t have to worry about it when they have been in the workforce before and is looking for a career change. When taking the tests it is best to give honest answers. It does no good if an individual “consciously or subconsciously answers questions to fit an outcome he or she has in mind” (Lorenz). These tests may be a predictor of what people are good at, but it may not be correct the first time. It could take multiple times to find accurate results. Career assessment tests may help find a path to follow but people should not expect it to point to their dream job. Someone’s dream job may be to become a marine biologist, but he/she may not have the proper skills to execute the work efficiently. The career assessment tests have been known to help many people find jobs they could be interested in which will allow employees to feel satisfied with the work itself instead of taking a job for financial reasons.
If someone takes a job just for money and is genuinely unhappy working at a company or in a specific field they are not helping the company succeed. If employees are eager to work and have a good mindset it can improve the productivity of the company. Research shows, through many surveys, that the most effective way to increase productivity and creativity is when people feel their work has meaning or value. When workers show that they are unhappy with their job they tend to “produce less and their work quality suffers” (Tam). A Harvard business review article was released in 2011 stating the “level of happiness has a profound impact on workers' creativity, productivity, commitment and collegiality” (qtd. In Tam). Many people “equate success with a high income” and do not look at a job because they enjoy doing it (Korkki). No one wants to be served by a moody waitress or have a grumpy banker cash their checks. Yes it is true that the employee may be having a rough day or could be going through a tough times in their life. However if people are chronically coming into work unhappy and unable to enjoy themselves they should look into finding a new career path. Attitudes tend to rub off on others and an unhappy workers attitudes can torpedo employee productivity. Healthy relationships between colleagues are important for a company to succeed, and if people are irritated with others they work with it could cause tension which may be bad for the company (Tam). For decades people have been told to “go big or go home” or “go for the gold,” but while going big, are they forgetting about the little things? Some people have a passion for doing things and think making a difference is more important than a big paycheck. Working somewhere enjoyable makes it fun and increases work ethic of employees. When employees look forward to going to work daily they are inclined to give more effort to make the company succeed by giving their all each and every day. When rich, it is easy to buy extravagant things for pleasure; however, studies show that “wealthier people seem to be less able to savor the small things in life” (Korkki). Many people believe that when going for a job with a lot of money they are succeeding because of how much money they make, but they may not appreciate the smaller things in life. It is great to have a goal to reach in the workforce, but when on the journey to success people should not forget what got them there. It is easy to remember the big things in life; however, it would not exist without the little things it took to get there. The little things may consist of helping someone finish a task he/she was having difficulty with or working with people to complete a project that will bring more business to the company. When climbing up the ladder of success people forget about who helped get them there when they could not finish an assignment on their own, or who encouraged them when they felt it was impossible. These are examples of little things that help may help people succeed in the corporate world. There are many different people in the world, some that are satisfied with having a lot of money while hating their job, and those who love their job and do not care about the money they make. Work should be about enjoying yourself and helping the company because you want to. When employees enjoy themselves working their productivity increases making the company succeed which then will bring more money to the company and possibly each employee. There is nothing wrong with having a job just for the money; however, if employees are unhappy or miserable they should consider a different career path. When choosing a career or major in college people should look at things they are interested in or talented at. Taking career assessment tests is one way people can narrow their search for careers down to a select few based on their values, interests, skills, and style.

Works cited
Korkki, Phyllis. "Job Satisfaction Vs. a Big Paycheck." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Sept. 2010. Web. 06 July 2014.
Lorenz, Mary. CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Aug. 2007. Web. 06 July 2014.
Tam, Marilyn. “A Happy Worker Is a Productive Worker.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 July 2013. Web. 14 July 2014.