5 Non-Monetary Benefits I’m Looking For In My Next Job

Let’s be honest: money is great … and necessary. You have a job to afford your living expenses, participate in hobbies and acts of leisure, and invest in your future self. Taking a job because you need money to survive isn’t lame or ‘a waste of your degree,’ if the job in question isn’t in your ideal field. It’s obligatory and smart. Again, because like it or not, you need money.

However, there are plenty of other benefits you can receive from your job that aren’t monetary. Maybe you just want more time at home or more creative liberties. Access to these types of non-monetary benefits could sway you to choose one job over a higher paying one–because they appeal to other important aspects of your life.

I’ve been in a bit of a career rut recently. I’m not exactly in my desired field, and there are some issues in my personal life that are making me crave a job switch. And as I weigh the various potential salaries for new jobs I’m looking into, I’ve also created a list of non-monetary benefits I’m also hoping for in my next job.

Flexibility + Work from Home Opportunities: Retail is OK. It’s probably great to some people; it’s just OK to me. I’m good at it, but the hours suck. Let’s just be honest here. In my next job, not only would I appreciate a more consistent schedule from week to week, I’d really enjoy a little more flexibility as well as possible work-from-home opportunities. While I don’t know exactly what my next job will consist of, what I do know is I need to be able to spend more time with my friends, family, boyfriend, and self.For me, work-from-home should translate to out-of-the-office. I don’t have to be at home answering the phone or working on the computer, I could have to leave the office to attend a meeting, conduct research, attend an event. I think I’m currently burning out from being in one large room all day, 5-6 days a week. I want some fresh air and time outside of the confines of 4 commercial walls.

Paid parental leave + childcare options: While I’m not exactly there yet, parental leave is something that will definitely be an area of concern in the semi-near future. Even if I’m not planning to stay at a job for ‘x’ amount of time or see parental leave as a necessity at this very moment, eventually it will be, and I think it’s something to keep in mind when looking for a job. I’ve looked through my current job’s handbook for information on parental absences, and I couldn’t find a whole lot of info, honestly. The way interpreted it is…you better have vacation time. I could be 200% wrong, but I couldn’t find anything telling me otherwise. It’s a little concerning to know I may not get any kind of paid leave after having a baby. When I’d want to be spending time getting used to my new family, I’d be concerned with paying my bills and covering other expenses. In my next job, I’d like a clearly defined, and hopefully generous,  plan for parental leave so there are no surprises or confusion.

Creative freedom + autonomy: A few things about me: I am generally a people pleaser. I do take my work seriously, even if I don’t really care about it that much. I can meet an end goal. I like deadlines. I have a lot of good ideas, and am good at implementing them at work. And I don’t do very well when I’m being micromanaged.

With that being said, I, to be frank, feel like I’m being smothered in my current job. I feel like I don’t have the freedom to meet a goal in my own personal way. I’m in customer sales, and so much of that is developing a relationship with the customer. If I can’t even have the ability to have an unscripted conversation with a customer without being scolded, I don’t feel I can do that effectively.  While some people enjoy a micro-manager and thrive on constant direction, I do not. I like to achieve a goal myself, using my own thoughts and processes. If the end result is the same, and my way of getting there is ethical and within company policy, what difference does it truly make?

Additionally, in my next job I don’t want to feel like I am unable to express creative and innovative ideas. I want to work with a company that is open to new ideas from new perspectives. Suggestions with good intention shouldn’t be shot down in a defensive, aggressive manner, especially if the company wants to boost morale. Every employee brings a different perspective and skill set to the table, and I want to work with a team that embraces that and allows individuality and creativity.

Agreeable co-workers + work environment: I feel I have this at my current job, and I enjoy it and would like to have the same closeness in my future job. The day goes by so much faster when you’re with people you enjoy being around. To me, if there’s any kind of tension (especially in a small office or space), it completely alters your mood. I hope a new work team will be fun and enjoyable as well as being efficient.

Mentorship + training opportunities: I never want to stop getting better, neither should you. We should all want to continue improving ourselves and our skills. In my next position, I’d like to have more training opportunities. I’m not talking training for new programs and features. I mean training for skills. Training to make me a better leader, a better team player. To make me better at skills necessary to the job–like Photoshop or color theory. Or skills that will make me a better professional–like networking or insider knowledge on the industry. In my next job, I’d love to be surrounded by mentors and advisers that want to see me improve and grow and a professional, not stifle me to make themselves look bigger.

Retirement/Benefit access + matching: This is another benefit I do have at my current job, but is another I’d like to carry over to a new company. We know saving for retirement is important, but have an employer match contributions is also great. It’s kind of like free money. Also access to benefits through your employer is nice as well–it makes it easy to find a plan and have free advisers to help you understand it. And taking the payments out of your check helps you to never forget a payment, or total.

Are there any non-monetary benefits you have at your current job or wish you had?

Update: I quit my job after scheduling this blog post, so I’m currently actively job searching. (;