What matters to me?
Is there personal meaning behind my work?
What work values are most important to me?
You can think of work values as aspects of work that are important to you. Understanding your work values will help you identify career areas that are more likely to contribute to your work satisfaction. Below are six basic work values. Identify your two highest work values and see what careers use them most.
Achievement: Look for jobs that let you see your best abilities. Look for work where you can see the results of your efforts. Explore jobs where you can get the feeling of accomplishment.
Independence: Look for jobs where they let you do things on your own initiative. Explore work where you can make decisions on your own.
Recognition: Explore jobs with good possibilities for advancement. Look for work with prestige or with the potential for leadership.
Relationships: Look for jobs where your co-workers are friendly. Look for work that lets you be of service to others. Explore jobs that do not make you do anything that goes against your sense of right and wrong.
Support: Look for jobs where the company stands behind its workers and where the workers are comfortable with management’s style of supervision. Explore work in companies with a reputation for competent, considerate, and fair management.
Working Conditions: Consider pay, job security, and good working conditions when looking at jobs. Look for work that suits your work style. Some people like to be busy all the time, or work alone, or have many different things to do. Explore jobs where you can take best advantage of your particular work style.
Use O*NET to Find Occupations that Share Your Values