"Dreams? No... We just work to make money" Low Job Satisfaction Among Office Workers

59.1% of Office Workers Employed in Jobs Unrelated to Their Future Aspirations
9 out of 10 Say "Not Satisfied with Current Work"
Experts Say "Phenomenon Occurs Due to Lack of Deep Reflection When Job Hunting"

Among office workers increasingly engaged in jobs completely unrelated to their future aspirations, most were found to have low job satisfaction. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] #Lee (27), an office worker at a small-to-medium enterprise, recently graduated from university and successfully found a job. However, Lee expressed frustration, saying it is difficult to work because the job is not in the desired field. Lee said, "I originally dreamed of becoming a marketer, but due to circumstances, I ended up getting a job at another company. It has only been a few months, but I’m not sure if this is the right path for me," adding, "I feel like it doesn’t suit my aptitude, so I’m considering quitting and looking for another job." He continued, "But these days, my financial situation isn’t good, so I think I have to endure it for a while," and added, "Having the job you want is important, but you can’t ignore the economic aspect either."

The number of office workers with low job satisfaction while working in jobs unrelated to their duties is increasing. Since the current company they work for is not the one they hoped for, their satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in their work are low. In particular, these workers do not feel a sense of fulfillment in their jobs and are considering changing jobs.

According to a survey conducted by Byeolok Market Job Recruitment on 1,943 office workers, 6 out of 10 workers said their current job has nothing to do with their childhood career aspirations, and only 1 out of 10 said they are very satisfied with their current work. This suggests that most office workers do not feel satisfied with their jobs.

In particular, more than half of the office workers were found to have jobs completely unrelated to their childhood career aspirations. According to the survey, only 8% of workers were employed in jobs that "exactly match" their career aspirations. Additionally, 32.9% were employed in jobs "somewhat related," and nearly 59.1% were employed in jobs "completely unrelated."

The reasons for dissatisfaction with their current jobs were varied. According to the survey, "feeling of no progress" (35.3%) ranked first, followed by "low salary compared to work" (24.8%), "not suited to aptitude" (14.4%), and "not the job they aimed for" (12.6%).

As the number of employees with low job satisfaction increases, the turnover rate is also rising. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

As the number of office workers lacking a sense of accomplishment in their jobs increases, many of them are also frequently changing jobs.

According to the recent "Asia-Pacific Labor Market Status Survey" conducted by the global HR consulting firm Persol Kelly Consulting, Korean office workers have experienced an average of 2.5 job changes.

Moreover, last year, the Seoul Institute’s Citizen Economy Research Office analyzed the job change status of Seoul youth using the Korea Employment Information Service Youth Panel Survey (2009?2017, 6,312 people aged 15?34). Among 5,348 people with job experience, 52.2% (2,807 people) had job change experience.

Among respondents with job change experience, more than half (52.3%, 1,467 people) had changed jobs once, 25.7% (721 people) had changed jobs twice, and 22.0% (619 people) had changed jobs three or more times.

Among 865 respondents who voluntarily changed jobs and stated their reasons, the reasons were △"poor working conditions or environment" 21.4% (212 people) △"mismatch with aptitude" 15.8% △"dissatisfaction with pay or promotion" 13.2% △"no prospects in workplace or job" 13.2%.

In summary, the main reasons for job changes among office workers appear to be jobs that do not suit their aptitude and low salaries. Changing jobs has become one of the means to select a job that fits oneself.

Regarding this, Kim (31), a fourth-year office worker, said, "Who these days chooses a job based on dreams? People are busy making a living and just work wherever they can get a job," adding, "A place you thought wouldn’t suit you might surprisingly be okay. If you really can’t stand it, I think finding another job is a good option."

On the other hand, there are concerns that frequent job changes may lead to lower wages or worse treatment.

According to the earlier Seoul Institute survey, those who changed jobs three or more times had lower wage levels than those who stayed at their first job. While those who changed jobs once or twice could receive higher pay than their previous job, frequent job changes deplete human capital value, making it difficult to find reemployment with higher pay, the institute analyzed.

Kim Jinha, a deputy research fellow who participated in the study, warned, "Job changes can be opportunities for economic improvement and self-realization, but frequent job changes carry the risk of economic and social downward mobility."

Experts advise deep reflection on what one wants or what one wants to do.

Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University’s Department of Psychology said, "Job and work are distinctly different. The former is simply an activity to earn money and does not involve finding important values within it. The latter means something you like and find meaningful," analyzing, "The difference between these two causes regret and the desire to change jobs from the moment one enters a job."

She continued, "The problem arises because people have to earn money for livelihood rather than for meaningful and valuable things," advising, "Office workers with low job satisfaction need serious contemplation about what they truly want."