Job Satisfaction Advice

In Marty Nemko's latest column, the career/job advice expert lays down his "6 most important career tips", one of which is:

Don't focus on finding a so-called dream career. Focus on getting your career non-negotiables met. It's extraordinarily competitive to land a well-paying job in most so-called dream careers -- for example, law, investment banking, acting, art, sports, nonprofit work, fashion or TV. And once in, dream careers so often turn out to be disappointing. Because so many people want to be in those careers, bosses can demand absurd work hours, be unkind, etc.

Sure, if you're brilliant, driven, winsome and/or well connected, all options may be open to you, but let's say you're a mere mortal. In a less-competitive career, you're more likely to find the things that lead to true career contentment: a kind boss, nice co-workers, opportunities to keep learning, a reasonable commute and a middle-class living.

As long as the compensation is middle-class, your contentment won't be impeded by a lack of income. Study after study shows that wealth doesn't increase contentment. Yes, the extra income may enable you to buy that new suit or new car, but the happiness derived usually fades quickly. After that, you'll seek another material fix and that too will soon wear off, whereupon you'll need yet another fix. Dan Pink, author of the new book, "A Whole New Mind," calls this, "The Hedonism Treadmill." Ultimately, contentment comes mainly from love and from good work.

Bad news for those who want to follow their dream, believe in doing what they love for a living, or who want to live a middle-class lifestyle that includes owning an average-priced home in many parts of California, apparently:

[T]he California Association of Realtors' monthly affordability report for March saw San Diego County again sink to its lowest level ever. The association said the affordability rate for the county was 10 percent, which is the percentage of households earning enough money, $137,758, to buy the median-priced home [$484,000, up 10.3 percent from a year ago] with a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year, fixed-rate loan. Santa Barbara and the Northern California Wine Country had the lowest affordability level of 9 percent.

County housing market decelerates San Diego Union-Tribune 5/13/05

See also 18% able to afford home Los Angeles Daily News 5/6/05 (18% of Californians earn enough to afford a median-priced house: "The median-priced California home -- with half priced above and half below -- cost $495,400, and it took a minimum annual income of $115,910 to buy it.")