Interest in a profession is important, but not as much as you might think when it comes to job satisfaction. While not a strong predictor of job satisfaction, a University of Houston researcher found that your interest in a job doesn't matter as much as you might think when it comes to job satisfaction.
“Our main finding was that 'interest fit' predicts satisfaction, but the relationship is not as strong as people expect,” reports Kevin Hoff. “Other things that lead to satisfaction include the organization you work for, your supervisor, colleagues and salary.”
“To be satisfied with a job, you don't have to worry too much about finding the perfect match for your interests, because we know that other things matter too. As long as it's something you don't hate, you may be very satisfied if you have a good leader, just like your colleagues, and are treated fairly by your organization," said Hoff.
To arrive at these conclusions, Hoff and team systematically reviewed data from 65 years of research conducted between 1949 and 2016 on the relationship between interest and job satisfaction. They examined 105 studies with 39,602 participants.
The research also indicates that the relationship between interest fit and job performance is more important than the link to satisfaction.
“Being interested in your job seems more important for job performance and the downstream consequences of performing well, such as pay increases or promotions,” said Hoff.
The use of occupational interests to predict job satisfaction dates back to the 1940s, when interest rate estimates were first described as a tool to help people discover satisfying work.
“In the popular career guidance literature, it is generally accepted that suitability is important for job satisfaction. Our results show that people who are more interested in their job are generally slightly more satisfied, but interest assessments are more useful in guiding people towards a job in which they perform better and earn more money,” reports Hoff.
