By Christina Salerno
Strangely, the topic of death tends to crop up when people are talking about how happy they are with their jobs. As in: "I can do this until I die."
That's what Michael Loschke said about his job as a management consultant in Modesto, Calif. Loschke, 47, diagnoses problems with area businesses and makes recommendations to help them succeed.
He describes his work with IMC Consulting as "inspirational," saying he's driven by the knowledge that he has helped businesses thrive, and subsequently kept thousands of people employed.
"It's become an awesome calling," he said. "I just love it."
Loschke isn't alone in loving his job. Several other Northern San Joaquin Valley residents said they are thrilled to wake up each day and report to work, whether they punch a clock or are self-employed.
"The reality is that we spend too much time at the job to be unhappy. It's worth it for people to think about how they can find a good workplace," said Julie Freeman, president of the International Association of Business Communicators, a nonprofit industry association based in San Francisco.
Considering that last Monday was Labor Day, it seems appropriate to take stock of our level of happiness in the workplace. Despite gloomy reports of downsizing and employee burnout, chances are pretty good that you are satisfied with your job.
At least that's the conclusion of a survey released last month that shows 86 percent of the people interviewed from 1972 to 2006 said they were either moderately satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Only 4 percent reported being very dissatisfied.
Among the happiest were older workers, people with more education and those earning more money. Southerners are generally happier than people in other parts of the country, including the West Coast, which has the smallest percentage of "very satisfied" employees.
Blacks, Latinos and people doing unskilled labor were the least happy, according to the report "Job Satisfaction in America: Trends and Socio-Demographic Correlates" by Tom Smith of the National Opinion Center at the University of Chicago.
According to workers and employment experts, the recipe for finding happiness is a mix of the right elements: Passion. Friendly co-workers. Fair compensation. Independence and creativity. A competent boss. And a good benefits package doesn't hurt, either.
"There's basic principles that apply to everybody," said Edwin Locke, professor emeritus of management and psychology at the University of Maryland. "You have to really enjoy the kind of work you are doing. That involves mental challenge so that you can grow and develop, rather than being bored to death. You can be challenged by being a lawyer, but hate the kind of work you are doing."
Playing a role in making workplace decisions makes employees happier, as does having the opportunity to advance in the organization, he said.
Bosses also can make or break a job. For employees to feel good about working for someone else, their supervisor must be trustworthy, have good moral character and be effective, Locke said.
"Constructive feedback is very important," Locke said. "Some ignore you for several months and then come after you for a mistake. It can be very demoralizing to work for bosses who can't be trusted."
The power of money can't be underestimated, either. That doesn't necessarily translate to a lot of money, but enough for workers to feel as though they are earning what they deserve.
"It is interesting because a good salary and good benefits attract people to take jobs, but they aren't the No. 1 factor in staying in jobs," Freeman said. "They want to feel fairly compensated. No one wants to find out someone else is doing the same job and earning $10,000 more a year. It has to be fair application."
After pay and benefits, having a harmonious group of co-workers is high on the list of what makes valley residents stay with their jobs, said Mary Segraves, area vice president of Adecco, a staffing company in Modesto.
"They find a group of people they enjoy working with. They love the people they work with so much that sometimes the pay is a trade-off," Segraves said.
Every job has some negative elements, Locke said, but some of the happiest workers say they can't believe they are getting paid to show up to work each morning. To find that position, he said, people should look inside to see what makes them happy.
"Ask yourself every day, am I enjoying this? Too often, they are looking outwards, not inwards. They may not realize they hate their job because they are so busy and focused on other things," Locke said. "You have to be introspective and ask, 'If money wasn't an issue, is this a thing I would really love doing?'"
Several northern-California residents interviewed by The Bee would answer 'yes' to that question, and they shared their thoughts about why they enjoy their positions.
At 23, Alma Hernandez said she feels lucky to have a job that gives her so much freedom. The recreation specialist at the Maddux Youth Center in west Modesto designs outreach programs for teenagers, such as "Proud Voices," a group she created this summer for girls that focuses on self-empowerment and healthy relationships.
"You are creating something out of nothing and having the opportunity to help other people. Not a lot of other people give free rein to younger employees," Hernandez said. "Usually it's about your experience or degree, but this is a job where you get the opportunity to put your skills to use based on your imagination."
Like a number of workers who said they were happy with their jobs, Hernandez got her start by volunteering. She was able to leverage the contacts she made through her volunteer work into a paid position.
"It doesn't matter how old you are, people come up with ideas all the time that change things," Hernandez said.
Even after 25 years of teaching, Susan Dillon still gets butterflies in her stomach the night before school starts for the year.
"I always consider the kids to be my co-workers," said Dillon, 49, an English teacher at Central Catholic High School in Modesto. "I enter a classroom every day and get to talk to people with valid ideas and questions."
Like the student who asked what Ophelia might text-message to Hamlet's cell phone if they were alive today, or those who come back to thank her after landing their first job after college.
"We all make a difference in our own paths," Dillon said. "If a person isn't passionate about what they are doing, that is the benchmark. Pursue your passion rather than a dream. A lot of people hate their jobs. It's really hard for them to do it, but they have other motivations. But if you can do something you love -- wow! That's what teaching gives me. It's a bonus."
Monica Sliva, 30, started her career working as a part-time Macy's employee at Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto. It was a temporary job that was supposed to last two weeks. Ten years later, she's a financial analyst working out of Macy's corporate offices in San Francisco, where she commutes each day from her home in Turlock, Calif.
Her formula for inner happiness? Making everyone else around her happy.
Whether that was spending her own time tracking down a pair of shoes for a customer or cracking jokes to make her co-workers smile, Sliva said she finds joy in seeing other people happy.
"By motivating myself, I motivate everyone else at work," said Sliva, who found time to complete her graduate degree at California State University, Stanislaus, volunteer on weekends and cook dinner for her father in Turlock every night.
"I always look at the glass being half full, and that's why I'm successful," she said.
Gloria Moreno, 57, spent most of her life working as a secretary. Three years ago, she became the front desk receptionist for the Samaritan Village retirement complex in Hughson, Calif.
That's where her enthusiasm for seniors became clear to the center's directors, and she was offered a job as an activity coordinator. Moreno arranges trips, events and activities for the residents, such as wine-tasting excursions or dance nights.
"I enjoy being here so much that it's too bad we can only work eight hours," said Moreno, who learned about the retirement center by volunteering with Community Hospice, the nonprofit entity that manages Samaritan Village.
"You just learn so much about the residents," Moreno said. "They are from all over the country and they've traveled and done all these neat things. I tell them, 'I'm traveling with you guys' when I hear their stories. It's a reward to have the position, and hopefully I'll be able to retire doing this."
Dan Guerra sees the results of his work everywhere around town. During the summer, that might be an air conditioning repairman who used to be unemployed. Or it might be a secretary who learned how to type after losing her job at a plant.
Guerra, 42, is the director of the Community Business College in Modesto, which is funded by the state to offer free tuition to people who have been laid off or are receiving unemployment assistance.
His job satisfaction comes from seeing people who have gone through traumatic experiences such as being laid off take classes to rejoin the working world, said Guerra, who started working for the school nine years ago as a vocational instructor.
"Somebody once told me that if you find a job you love, you'll never 'work' again," Guerra said. "I find that to be true, and it feels like I haven't had to go to work for years."
Bee staff writer Christina Salerno can be reached at csalerno@modbee.com.
Source: The Modesto Bee, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Powered by Yellowbrix.
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