Are project managers happy?
Survey says… Apparently not!
According to a study of more than 6,252 project managers, we PMs are below average for career happiness, fulfillment, personality fit, and use of our abilities. Ouch!
More than 6k of us rated our day-to-day a 3.1 out of 5 stars, or in the bottom 36% of careers. Say what now?!
The study cites 5 key components of career happiness, for any industry, and where PMs rank for each:
1. Salary -- 3.3 out of 5 stars
2. Meaning -- 2.8 out of 5 stars
3. Personality fit -- 3.8 out of 5 stars
4. Work environment -- 3.5 out of 5 stars
5. Skills utilization -- 3.2 out of 5 stars
All five of those are important, but here's my professional opinion:
When you address components #2 - #5, and align those to who you really, actually are, #1 (salary) follows suit on its own.
I've seen it time and time again. I help PMs do it every day. If you want that for yourself and need guidance or accountability, please grab time for us to chat, or tap a trusted mentor for support. We have got be proactive about giving ourselves better in this profession.
What do you think of the ratings in this survey?
How would you rate your current day-to-day in each of the 5 components of career happiness above? Feel free to reach out and let me know!
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