Occupational Well-Being

Occupational well-being generally refers to finding significance and satisfaction in one’s work, while also maintaining a sense of balance. In pursuing occupational well-being, one should seek job opportunities which are consistent with one’s personal values and interests or cultivate meaning in existing employment. Additionally, one should seek job and development opportunities to develop useful and transferable skills which may foster a sense of competence and agency. 

An absence of occupational well-being puts workers at risk of experiencing burnout, a state of emotional and psychological exhaustion as a result of feeling overwhelmed with unable to cope with everyday demands.¹ However, one can decrease their risk of burnout through finding meaning within their work, establishing boundaries around work, and managing workplace stress.  

Resources

• Job crafting is “the process of employees redefining and reimagining their job designs in personally meaningful ways” (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001). Read more about what job crafting is and how to do it by clicking here.
• Have questions concerning finding employment? Consider making an appointment with Hendrix Career Services to explore job opportunities, improve your resume, or complete an interest inventory to guide your job search.
• Sophomores have the opportunity to learn professional skills such as resume building and interviewing through Career Term.

¹https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397