Recognition
Three in 10 working in 'dream job'Show me the moneyForget perks like corporate credit cards, concert tickets, priority parking spots and extra vacation time. Cold, hard cash packs the biggest punch among Canadians looking for a job, according to a recent survey. |
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 [ 2007-10-19 ] |
© 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation
Though the online survey was conducted in the summer -- when many employees jockey for a few days off -- vacation time was at the bottom of the list of considerations. The online Sympatico/MSN survey was conducted by Ipsos-Reid in July.
Still, when asked about current workloads, responses suggest Canadians would welcome, and could even benefit from, more leisure time, notes Stephanie McGrath, product manager for MSN Canada.
According to the survey, four in 10 find it difficult to balance their work time and family time, six in 10 wish they would work fewer hours and four in 10 feel burned out by their workload. That finding suggests job seekers should place more importance on vacation time when negotiating a job offer, believes McGrath.
72% WORK TO LIVE
Despite heavy workloads, most Canadians don't want work to dominate their lives -- 72% adhere to the notion of "working to live," while 24% agree that work takes a more dominant place in their lives and that they "live to work."
"I think most people are saying that work is important, but they really are working for time off," McGrath says.
Almost three in 10 (28%) say they are working in their "dream job," and almost all have a soft spot for their supervisor. In fact, 78% admitted they "love their boss."
"I work in Toronto and hear a lot of people on the subway complaining about their bosses, so this finding was a nice surprise," McGrath says.
Three in 10 (28%) are considering a job change in their current field. Nearly the same margin (29%) wants to make a more drastic move and is thinking about changing their career choice altogether. "This is not the baby-boom generation, when people stayed in the same job year after year," McGrath says.
The survey also asked Canadians about their career aspirations as youth. The most popular career choice was teaching (21%), followed by acting/singer (13%). But just 12% of men and 8% of women are presently working in the occupations they dreamed about in their younger years.
A far greater number are working in professions they trained for. According to the survey, 60% of men and 54% of women went through school or completed an apprenticeship to prepare for work in a specific field. Of those, 55% of men and 51% of women are working in the field they went to school or acquired training for.
CANADA SPEAKS POLL
Earlier this year, a Canada Speaks poll provided insight into the country's most trustworthy professions. Firefighters (93%) topped the list, followed by nurses (87%), pharmacists (86%), airline pilots (81%), and doctors (80%).
Among the least-trusted professions: chief executive officers (21%), trade unions (19%), local (12%) and national (7%) politicians, and car salespeople (7%).
The most desirable professions? Doctors (14%) topped the list, followed by teachers (9%), police (7%), nurses (7%) and firefighters (7%). On the flip side, plumbers and those working in the judicial system were seen as the least desirable.
According to a recent Canada Speaks "Dream Jobs" survey by Sympatico/MSN, four in 10 Canadians rank salary as the most important consideration when looking for a job, followed by a good location (13%) and flexible hours (10%). Trailing far behind were rewards and perks (3%) and vacation time (2%).
POLL RESULTS ...
A Canada Speaks poll provided insight into the country's most trustworthy professions. Firefighters (93%) topped the list, followed by nurses (87%), pharmacists (86%), airline pilots (81%), and doctors (80%).
Would you ever work for a social or charitable enterprise in the third sector?