{"id":3829,"date":"2013-11-25T16:13:26","date_gmt":"2013-11-25T16:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=3829"},"modified":"2023-01-17T19:36:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T19:36:45","slug":"whole-world-wants-good-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2013\/11\/25\/whole-world-wants-good-job\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;What the whole world wants is a good job&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, higher education has come under question\u2014is the debt worth it, are students graduating at sufficient rates, are we educating\u00a0enough of our population, are students actually learning what they need?<\/p>\n<p>In this environment, the value of higher education increasingly is being\u00a0defined\u2014by parents and prospective students alike\u2014as \u201cgetting a good\u00a0job.\u201d In fact, this is the No. 1 reason cited by U.S. respondents in the 2012\u00a0Gallup\/Lumina poll for pursuing education beyond high school. And the second\u00a0reason? To earn more money.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen college students and their parents think about the value\u00a0of higher education, they typically think about it too narrowly,\u201d\u00a0said Brandon Busteed, executive director of Gallup Education.\u00a0\u201cPeople tend to get caught up with things\u2014like potential\u00a0income or getting a job with a \u2018blue chip\u2019 company\u2014that don\u2019t\u00a0matter\u201d when it comes to predicting career success and satisfaction,\u00a0Busteed said. \u201cFocusing on those things is not the best\u00a0way to think about a great job and a great life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-3837\" src=\"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2013\/11\/GOOD-JOB-Pyramid.jpg\" alt=\"Good Job Pyramid\" width=\"650\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2013\/11\/GOOD-JOB-Pyramid.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2013\/11\/GOOD-JOB-Pyramid-300x133.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\u201cWELLBEING\u201d AS A MEASURE OF CAREER SUCCESS<\/p>\n<p>What factors do predict career success? According to Gallup,\u00a0it\u2019s being able to respond affirmatively to statements like the\u00a0following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI like what I do each day.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI do what I do best every day.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMy supervisor cares about my development.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI have a best friend at work.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Agreeing with statements like these indicates that a person\u00a0is engaged in interesting and meaningful activities at work,\u00a0is using his or her strengths to achieve goals, is motivated by\u00a0the team leader, and is supported by colleagues who share a\u00a0common purpose. Those characteristics, according to Gallup\u2019s\u00a0\u201cwellbeing\u201d research, correlate more with top performance than\u00a0income or title or working for a prestigious organization.<\/p>\n<p>Gallup has been studying wellbeing, on a global basis,\u00a0since the 1930s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWellbeing is not \u2018wellness,\u2019\u201d Busteed said. \u201cIt is a multidimensional measure of how people rate their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the past several decades, Gallup\u2019s study of people in\u00a0more than 150 countries has revealed five universal, interconnected\u00a0elements that shape our lives: career wellbeing, social\u00a0wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community\u00a0wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t invent these categories,\u201d Busteed said. \u201cThe\u00a0factors that correlate with wellbeing are what we found from the\u00a0data collected over time and across populations.\u201d Of those five\u00a0interconnected elements of wellbeing, career wellbeing is the\u00a0most important, Busteed said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur careers are a fundamental piece of how we define\u00a0ourselves,\u201d Busteed said. \u201cPlus, work is where you spend the\u00a0majority of your waking hours,\u201d so it is going to have a major\u00a0impact on your life evaluation\u2014not to mention your social,\u00a0financial, and physical wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p>Gallup\u2019s research shows that those who have high career\u00a0wellbeing are 4.5 times more likely to be \u201cthriving\u201d\u2014versus\u00a0merely surviving or, worse, suffering\u2014in life. However, just 31\u00a0percent of the U.S. population has very high career wellbeing.<\/p>\n<h3>WELLBEING AND WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT<\/h3>\n<p>The career wellbeing issue is connected with low worker\u00a0engagement, Busteed said. According to Gallup\u2019s 2012 \u201cState\u00a0of the American Workplace\u201d report, only 30 percent of full-time\u00a0U.S. workers are engaged and inspired at work. Fifty percent\u00a0are not engaged, the report states\u2014\u201cthey\u2019re just kind of present,\u00a0but not inspired by their work or their managers.\u201d The\u00a0remaining 20 percent of all full-time U.S. workers are actively\u00a0disengaged in their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>One significant driver of high or low engagement is a person\u2019s\u00a0manager, Busteed said. People looking for a \u201cgood job\u201d\u00a0focus so much on income and landing a position at a \u201cgood\u201d\u00a0company, but finding a good manager is vastly more important\u00a0than working for a well-known company, he explained.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor causing low worker engagement is whether\u00a0a person is using her or his strengths every day. \u201cNot just once\u00a0in a while, not once every week or so, but every day,\u201d Busteed\u00a0said. Among college graduates, he said, the lack of opportunity\u00a0to use one\u2019s strengths at work every day points to career misalignment\u2014either getting a degree in a field in which one isn\u2019t\u00a0able to get a job or pursuing a field because of others\u2019 expectations\u00a0instead of based on one\u2019s own strengths.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe onus is certainly on the individual [student], but it is\u00a0also on the college and mentors to make sure that students are\u00a0asking themselves\u201d what they are truly good at, what engages\u00a0and excites them, Busteed said.<\/p>\n<h3>EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT SUPPORT CAREER SUCCESS<\/h3>\n<p>In addition to studying workplace dynamics that correspond\u00a0with career wellbeing, Gallup also has identified specific college\u00a0experiences that correlate with subsequent career success. In\u00a0its research, Gallup has found two educational experiences\u00a0that are twice as likely as other factors to predict high work\u00a0performance:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Working on a long-term project that took several classes to\u00a0complete, and<\/li>\n<li>Using what was learned in class to develop solutions to\u00a0real-world problems.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In short, Busteed said, \u201cwhat works in school is \u2018real work.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReal work\u201d\u2014including problem-solving and experiential\u00a0education opportunities\u2014helps prepare students for success\u00a0after graduation, but Gallup also has done extensive research\u00a0on the factors that predict success during college. Here,\u00a0Busteed said, Gallup has found that \u201chope\u201d is statistically a\u00a0stronger predictor of educational outcomes than test scores or\u00a0grade-point averages. (In fact, according to the work of Gallup\u00a0Senior Scientist Shane Lopez, hope is the leading indicator of\u00a0success in relationships, academics, career, and business\u2014as\u00a0well as of a healthier, happier life.)<\/p>\n<h3>HOPE: AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN COLLEGE SUCCESS<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cHope is a strategy,\u201d Busteed said. However, it is not just wishful\u00a0thinking, he explained. Instead, it refers to one\u2019s ideas and\u00a0energy for the future and includes the following three elements:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Attainable goals,<\/li>\n<li>The ability to see multiple pathways to achieve those goals,\u00a0and<\/li>\n<li>Agency\u2014i.e., a belief that you can achieve your goals.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Measures of hope, engagement, and wellbeing account for\u00a0one-third of the variance of student success in college, Busteed\u00a0reported. And, although college success is also driven by other\u00a0things\u2014such as academic preparation and content knowledge\u2014those things are being measured fairly consistently and\u00a0systematically through cognitive measures, such as tests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut no one is paying attention to measuring the non-cognitive\u00a0factors that account for a whopping one-third of\u00a0student success,\u201d Busteed said. \u201cWe need better balance and\u00a0alignment around how we track and promote student success\u00a0[in college].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The same is true for college outcomes, where job placement\u00a0percentages and average salaries tell only part of the\u00a0story. \u201cWhat\u2019s the ultimate outcome of an education?\u201d Busteed\u00a0asked. \u201cTo have a better life,\u201d he said. We need to pay attention\u00a0to how we measure that.<\/p>\n<h2>AUGSBURG AND CAREER WELLBEING<\/h2>\n<h3>MATCHING YOUR GIFTS TO THE NEEDS\u00a0OF THE WORLD<\/h3>\n<p>According to Gallup, career wellbeing requires\u00a0that people understand what they are truly good\u00a0at and pursue career opportunities that allow\u00a0them to use their strengths every day.<\/p>\n<p>Augsburg calls this vocational discernment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAugsburg is about forming and shaping\u00a0students to lead lives of meaning and purpose,\u201d\u00a0said Mark Tranvik, professor of religion and\u00a0director of Augsburg\u2019s Bernhard Christensen\u00a0Center for Vocation. \u201cAt Augsburg, we encourage\u00a0students to move beyond self-enhancement and\u00a0think about their lives within a wider horizon. We\u00a0want them to ask questions like, \u2018What am I good\u00a0at?\u2019 and \u2018How can my gifts best be used to make a\u00a0difference in the world?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor many at the College,\u201d Tranvik said,\u00a0\u201cfaith plays an important role in how those questions\u00a0are answered.\u201d The exploration of one\u2019s\u00a0gifts is rooted deeply in the Lutheran theological\u00a0tradition of vocation, and it is a critical part of the\u00a0educational journey at Augsburg\u2014for students of\u00a0all faith and spiritual backgrounds, Tranvik said.<\/p>\n<h3>FINDING THE RIGHT WORKPLACE\u00a0ENVIRONMENT<\/h3>\n<p>Another important part of the self-discovery\u00a0journey is determining what types of work environments\u00a0might suit you best, said Keith Munson,\u00a0director of the Clair and Gladys Strommen\u00a0Center for Meaningful Work. \u201cYou can get a job\u00a0doing something you love, but if that job is not\u00a0in the right place\u2014the right work environment\u00a0or culture\u2014you won\u2019t be able to sustain your\u00a0motivation for the job very long,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, you need to pay attention to\u00a0where and how your gifts will be used.<\/p>\n<p>A good way to learn about work environments\u00a0is through informational interviews,\u00a0Munson said. \u201cNetworking, of course, ensures\u00a0that people learn more about you than can be\u00a0picked up from your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, but that\u2019s not\u00a0the only reason to network,\u201d he said. It is as\u00a0important \u201cfor you to actually find out if a given\u00a0company or department is a good place for you\u00a0to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Determining whether a given work\u00a0environment is a fit, however, requires that\u00a0you understand what kind of work cultures and\u00a0relationships are best for you. This involves\u00a0self-reflection and, usually, some amount of\u00a0coaching. But many students\u2014and many adults\u00a0in job transitions, for that matter\u2014skip that\u00a0step and just focus on securing a job.<\/p>\n<h3>EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF A\u00a0\u201cGOOD JOB\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Munson said he understands why students (and\u00a0their parents) think it\u2019s important to get a \u201cgood\u00a0job\u201d after college. \u201cFor many students, following\u00a0their passion without worrying or thinking about\u00a0their income is not a realistic option,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cI always tell these students that it\u2019s okay for\u00a0them to think about the realities of their career\u00a0choices. You can be practical about those matters\u00a0and still pay attention to the other piece\u201d\u2014the search for work and work environments that suit you\u2014as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re looking for a job anyway,\u201d Munson\u00a0tells students. \u201cWhy not also try to find something\u00a0that you are going to like to do?\u201d In fact, Munson\u00a0said, by actively seeking work environments that\u00a0suit them, students tend to be more effective in\u00a0the job search process. \u201cWhen you are looking\u00a0for something\u2014and someplace\u2014that\u2019s interesting\u00a0to you, you are likely to be more motivated\u00a0in the job search,\u201d he said. You\u2019ll do more\u00a0background preparation, seek more informational\u00a0interviews, and ask more purposeful questions.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, Munson said, students shouldn\u2019t\u00a0think that they need to choose between following\u00a0their hearts and getting a \u201cgood job.\u201d You can\u2014and should\u2014do both.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, higher education has come under question\u2014is the debt worth it, are students graduating at sufficient rates, are we educating\u00a0enough of our population, are students actually learning what they need? In this environment, the value of higher education increasingly is being\u00a0defined\u2014by parents and prospective students alike\u2014as \u201cgetting a good\u00a0job.\u201d In fact, this is the No. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":6260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-3829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories","tag-fall-2013"],"wps_subtitle":"- Gallup World Poll, 2010","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3829"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12318,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3829\/revisions\/12318"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}