3 minute read
CEO’s message
Find yourself a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. So, the old saying goes, at least. But is it true?
If we take it literally, then obviously not. Even the most enthusiastic business owner or technician has their bad days, when all we want to do is turn on the answering machine, put up a “gone fishing” sign, and lock the door behind us. But when it comes to Capricorn Members, there’s certainly some truth in the sentiment.
We know from our 2022 State of the Nation Report that 31% of Members say they are moderately happy in their career, 46% say they’re very happy, and 16% say they’re extremely happy. Another 5% said they were a little bit happy, leaving just 2% who said they weren’t happy at all.
What made them happy? The top answer, with more than a third of all respondents (at 36%), was “I love what I do”. There were a range of other answers, all around the eight to 10% mark, including having a great working environment (staff or customers), liking being a business owner, there being plenty of work around and the job providing for a good lifestyle. Of those who answered, “I love what I do”, more than half (53%) had also answered that they were either very or extremely happy.
So, there’s certainly a strong correlation between loving your job and happiness in your career. But where does making money come into it? And what about perceptions of success? In this month’s Ignition we dive a lot deeper into the interplay of happiness and success. Don’t miss our special report on that.
Also in this month’s magazine, we catch up with the 2020 Capricorn Rising Star winner, Gab Clift, who is enjoying tremendous success in her career. Nominations for the 2023 Rising Star competition are open until 30 April 2023. If you have an apprentice who has a fantastic attitude, great character and a passion for the industry, please nominate them. Passionate young people who love what they do are the future of our industry, and recognising their talents early can be life-changing, as it has been for Gab.
Finally, it’s worth remembering that, even if we love what we do, we all have bad days. Sometimes we have bad weeks or even bad months. Taking time off, getting away from the business and putting that “gone fishing” sign on the door, can be a great circuit breaker—providing time to recharge the batteries, find perspective, and prioritise life over work. Hopefully, we can all enjoy a bit of that over the Easter long weekend and return to work happy and refreshed.
