Earlier generations, which were formed by families that had lived through the Great Depression, have had a different approach to work than millennials today. A scarcity mindset in previous generations drove employees to be satisfied with a job that paid their bills.

Today, some millennials are often more likely to prefer a lower income and career satisfaction than a high paying job they hate. Why? Millennials are values driven.

Millennials Are Values Driven

According to a recent Capital One survey, 93% of respondents think that it’s important that their career path aligns with their personal values (i.e. personal interests, beliefs or issues they find important).

When it boils down to the most important parts of a job, millennials want to show up to work with their whole heart, not just the part that needs to eat avocado toast every day.

“I have seen many millennials who want to have an immediate impact on the world, but they are not realizing that the impact will come as they deepen into themselves and their role and the relationship with those around them and on their team,” said Megan Lathrop, Money Relationship Expert & Lead Certified Money Coach at Capital One, a bank holding company.

It’s possible that this is the hidden secret to career happiness that millennials don’t stick around long enough to discover. They job hop so quickly sometimes that they don’t give their job a fair chance to fulfill their passion.

Millennials Can’t Handle A Job That Doesn’t Fit Their Values

The Capital One survey found that 77% of respondents said that at some point in their career, they’ve taken a job that didn’t align with their career values (i.e. their career interests, ambitions or long-term goals).

Further, only 24% of respondents reported that when they first started out in their career, they took a job that was both in their desired field and aligned with their career values and goals.

If you are looking for a summary, it is this: most people have had a job they did not like or agree with, but worked the job to pay the bills. However, millennials settle for this the least. They often get by, but are likely already searching for a new job or building up a side hustle that does align with their values.

“I believe in a balance of commitment (which is a more common trait in previous generations), and that with time, a deeper purpose will come through,” said Lathrop. “But don’t stick around too long if it’s not working well for you and sell your soul if it’s not a fit (which also has been more common in previous generations). If you commit to the job, it can possibly turn into something more over time as you shape it with your employer, team, etc.”

Source: Kaytie Zimmerman, forbes.com