Workplace Staff

In a society where having a job is something to celebrate, Valentine’s is a perfect day for South Africans to reflect on what they have and to reassess how they approach their jobs.

Kim Meszaros, Kelly’s marketing executive, says it is important to embrace your job and make a difference.

How you approach your job, says a lot about you. Employers want people who are passionate about what they do.

Knowing you make a difference makes your job rewarding and having a passion for what you do will change your outlook.

With the everyday routine of work responsibilities, it’s easy to fall out of love with your job.

Like every important relationship, however, staying committed to what it is you do is a state of mind.

“Keeping the romance alive requires you to be an active and willing participant in your job and there are several steps you can take to put the spark back into it.”

Meszaros advises that you give your work a touch of relationship therapy by considering the following:

l Exceed Expectations: aim to exceed expectations in your daily job and reap the rewards.

l Reward yourself for jobs well done: celebrate your achievements, because it will drive you to further success and job fulfilment.

l Find significance in what you do: remember why you first entered your current working relationship and refer back to this whenever you feel your spirits declining.

l Mix it up: new perspectives are in and mundane is out. Strive to think outside the box and be creative in all that you say and do.

l Money can’t buy you love: the Beatles knew what they were talking about when they sang Can’t buy me love. Just as financial gain is not the basis for a successful relationship, your job shouldn’t be about your pay slip.

l Manage your stress: some workplace stress is expected, but too often anxiety is self-induced. Stop worrying about things you cannot control and focus on doing your daily tasks to the very best of your ability. Take up a hobby in your free time to help you de-stress and relax.

l Relationship works: happy employees have good relationships with colleagues. Having positive and supportive office relationships means that you have a support system, with people you trust to help when the workload weighs you down.

l Fall in love again: Make the decision today to fall in love with your job again.

This you can achieve by remaining positive and creative at work, treating your colleagues with respect and taking on additional tasks that don’t fall within your realm of responsibility.

“As in any other form of a successful relationship, keeping your career fresh and exciting is at the heart of enjoying job satisfaction and creativity.”

Create your own great love story and your career will surely soar. Make your job a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.