Today we spend perhaps more time at work than ever before. That means it's more important than ever for us to be happy in, and fulfilled by, our jobs. But how happy are professionals in your city? And what makes the UK feel fulfilled at work?
Brighton wins the UK satisfaction stakes
According to LinkedIn's Work Satisfaction Survey, professionals working for small businesses are the happiest employees in the UK, with those in Brighton topping the list for the UK. Almost half (48 per cent) of workers there reported that they feel very or completely fulfilled in their jobs, followed by Glasgow and Leeds with 45 per cent. The top ten list is:
1. Brighton (48%)
= 2. Glasgow and Leeds (45%)
= 4. Manchester and Sheffield (43%)
6. Edinburgh (42%)
= 7. Birmingham and Southampton (41%)
= 9. London, Liverpool and Cardiff (39%)
The fulfilment factor
Being satisfied with our work lives is so important to us that over half of UK professionals (58 per cent) would be prepared to take a pay cut to be happier in their jobs. Three quarters of us would be open to a new job in approached by a recruiter.
The survey also found that whilst money is one of the biggest 'fulfilment factors' in the UK, Brits prize relationships with colleagues just as highly in terms of their job satisfaction (54 per cent). This is followed by doing work that has a positive impact (44 per cent) and achieving a healthy work life balance (38 per cent).
Get a job you love
Being fulfilled by your job can have a big impact on overall happiness and success at work, but these stats show that career satisfaction seems to be eluding thousands of the UK's professionals. Here are my top tips for finding a new and more fulfilling job:
•Know what you want - Start by working out what you need to be happier at work. From better work-life balance, to more challenging work or the opportunity to travel - this will be different for everyone. Make a checklist that puts your priorities in order of importance, and work out which you'd be prepared to compromise on, versus any deal-breakers.
•Do your research - A company's website and their Company Page on LinkedIn are great places to start to find out if their values match your own, but it's also invaluable to look at what their current employees say about them online, to make sure that they practice what they preach.
•Signal your interest - Let the opportunities come to you by showing that you are interested in hearing from potential employers. LinkedIn's brand new 'Open Candidates' feature allows you to indicate which type of jobs you'd be interested in hearing more about, without it being visible on your profile.
•Use your network - Once you've identified companies that share your values, get in touch. Many employers will meet good candidates even when they don't have a vacancy so don't wait for a job to come up to drop them a line. Rather than calling cold, use LinkedIn to see if you have any have any connections in common who could help you get a foot in the door.