What are career values? Career values are one of the most important factors to consider when deciding on a job or career.  Our career values represent the beliefs we have about what is important in our work.  

What Do You Want From a Job?

Are you looking for prestige, creativity, flexible hours, independence, high income, people contact, advancement or some other satisfaction from your work life?  Values vary greatly from person to person, so it is essential to understand the unique make-up of your value system.

 

Career Satisfaction

Some career theorists believe that how well a job or career satisfies our values should be the most important consideration when evaluating options.  These theorists posit that work which is consistent with our values will be more meaningful, and we will be more likely to invest our energies to master the roles and achieve success.  

Most career experts recommend considering personality traits, interests and abilities in conjunction with values when making career choices.  

How to Assess Your Career Values

What’s most important to you? Review the examples of work values below and rate their importance to you on a scale of 1 - 10.   Then examine some of the highest rated values and choose 6 - 10 that should have the greatest weight when considering career and alternatives.

Examples of Career Values

A - E

• Adventure
• Autonomy
• Avoiding Stress
• Building Things
• Camaraderie 
• Casual Work Environment
• Challenge
• Changing the World
• Collaborating with Others
• Competition
• Creating New Things
• Creativity

• Diversity
• Employee Benefits
• Exposure to Beauty

F - O

• Fast Pace
• Fun
• Helping Others
• High Income
• High Level of Interaction with People
• Income Based on Productivity 
• Influencing Others
• Intellectually Demanding Work
• Job Security
• Location
• Moral/Spiritual Fulfillment
• Opportunity for Advancement
• Opportunity to Lead
• Opportunity to Learn New Things
• Outlet for Creativity

P - Z

• Physical Activity
• Pleasant Work Environment
• Power 
• Prestige
• Recognition
• Risk Taking
• Routine Work
• Seeing Tangible Results from Work Completed
• Sharing Ideas or Information
• Socialization
• Solving Problems
• Status as an Expert
• Structure 
• Supportive Management
• Team Membership
• Time Freedom
• Travel
• Variety of Tasks
• Working Alone
• Working Outside
• Work/Life Balance

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