When it comes to employment, increasing numbers of people are seeking more from their work than just collecting a paycheck. Finding work that has meaning and value is now high on the list of job seekers today. Having a process to evaluate a great job match is helpful in making that determination. There are 5 key factors that can be used to identify the ideal job. If you find yourself with less than 3 of the 5 it might be a cause for concern, and maybe time to look for a change.

The 5 keys are as follows:

1. Love What You Do

The first criterion in determining the ideal job is doing work that you love, that you are passionate about, that drives, energizes, and leaves you with a sense of personal satisfaction as you go about completing the daily tasks involved.

• Love Why You Do It

Having a cause that is bigger than yourself is another critical aspect in determining meaningful work. Why you do something is equally, if not more, important than what you are doing. Knowing why you’re doing what you do provides additional energy and clarity to your work.

• Love Where You Do It

Fortune magazine annually puts out a list of the best companies to work for. Google, SAS, and Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., are a few companies that have been on that list for multiple years. It’s no coincidence that companies that people enjoy working for achieve high levels of success. When you love your place of employment, and when your work is done in an pleasant environment, the quality of work produced is consistently higher.

• Love Who You Do It With

In any working environment you are bound to run into someone who rubs you the wrong way. But when you love the people you work with, it makes going to work every day much more enjoyable. Working with a group of like-minded people with a shared vision and purpose adds value and meaning to any work situation.

• Love Who You Do It For

This alludes back to the “why.” Who are the intended beneficiaries of your work? Who are your customers, clients, constituents (whatever you want to call them); what is the impact you have on their lives? When your work is centered on enhancing the lives of others, every aspect of your work is filled with unbridled vigor and meaning. When all five of these elements are in place, you can feel confident that you’ve found the ideal job. Some might say this isn’t realistic, but I disagree. It’s not common, but there are people enjoying and experiencing all 5 of these key elements in their work, myself included. How many of these can you apply to your current work situation? I would love to know.

By Hollis Nelson