Three commonalities to every 'Perfect Job'

Man's quest for the 'perfect job' has been a subject of abject discussions between many-a-group of people. While the search for ‘what I would love to do’ has been on everybody’s mind, its not too often that one puts life on hold, to hunt for the aforesaid.

In fact, between the various instances when we gather our courage and tread further along the path to find our true calling, Life happens.

This sentiment has held fort for a long while… anomalies have always been present although. These essential Outliers!

A cursory observation of the times we live in will inform us that the number of Outliers is going up. Are more opportunities available now than were available earlier? Are people gutsier now than earlier? Have responsibilities taken a backseat? Or are there fewer responsibilities? Have skill sets changed? Has the operating environment never been better?

A culmination of all of the above, I trust. But one thing is for certain… going off he beaten path, is in vogue. I think there is an essential advantage of shifting gears during a downturn. Every lull is followed by a storm. It might be a sporadic burst or a gradual build up… but dynamic times are sure to follow. What better environment might one need to unplug themselves?

However, as I think of the perfect job… I think back… what makes one deem a job perfect for him/her? This is when realization dawns that while the hunt for the perfect job, occupies many a sane mind… seldom do people realize that they are actually looking for the derivative.

This situation is akin to hunting for a perfect house, without realizing that the ideal home is what we want. This example makes one realize how futile the hunt might be, if the underlying is not understood.

Every ‘Holy Grail’ is bound by a common spine. For the grail hunters, looking for that dream job, the situation is no different. There remain certain shared ingredients between every perfect job. The underlying to every ‘perfect job’ are -

1) Autonomy

2) Complexity

3) Connection between effort and reward

Ta-dah!

Picture yourself in that perfect job… and look for the above traits and…. (Yeah, I noticed that surprised guffaw)… you’ll find each of them. Do not use these to clarify the attractiveness of the dream job, on the other hand, use them to define the perfect job.

Next time around, whilst on that elusive hunt, let the presence / absence of these three traits act as a barometer of the attractiveness quotient of the job.

In fact… a deeper understanding and a lot more contemplation will reveal how the said ingredients define the attractiveness and sustainability of many more relationships as well. Food for thought?

PS: A vast majority of what I say is drawn from my understanding of Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell. READ IT!