Identifying Your Work Values

When you're planning your career, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is what do you want from your job - what are your work values?

Although many people believe they work primarily to pay the bills, money cannot be the only deciding factor when choosing a job. You may be interested in a job with a high salary, but the high number of years required to train, long working hours, time spent away from home, long travelling time into work, or the fact that the company may be facing an uncertain future, may rule it out in favor of an alternative with a more modest income.

One important value to consider is the amount of time you want to devote to work. This isn't merely a matter of whether you want to work full time or part time, but about how fundamental you want your work to be in your life.

Would you like to have more time to spend with your family?
Do you need to spend time caring for children or relatives?
Do you want to be able to commit some of your time to a charity or other volunteer association?
Would you like to have more time to take part in a sport or hobby?

It is important to understand your work values fully, so that you can identify the kind of work that would meet your real priorities. The following table should help you to decide how important each value is to you:

I want to work in an environment that:	The work will involve:	This indicates a value of:
...benefits the community or provides a service to others.	Concern for the welfare of others.	Selflessness and Service
...encourages accomplishment and achievement.	Using my abilities; offering interest and challenge.	Challenge and Achievement
...gives me the opportunity to use my initiative.	Being in control of my own work.	Independence
...has colleagues that are easy to get along with.	Friendly work environment.	Social
...offers me steady employment and security.	A comfortable work environment that is not stressful.	Security and Permanence
...offers opportunities to direct and influence people?	Opportunities to lead, manage and influence.	Influence
...provides good financial rewards and social status.	High salary, occupational and social standing, prestige.	Economic Status
...provides new and different experiences.	Meeting new people and many different projects.	Variety
...requires me to take personal and financial risks.	Creating something new, coping with uncertainty.	Enterprise and Risk
...treats people fairly.	Concern for fairness and equality of opportunity at work.	Fairness