"The absolute perfect job probably doesn’t exist," Christine Mitterbauer, a licensed and ICF-approved career coach and serial entrepreneur, told Bored Panda in an interview. Having said that, she believes that it’s possible to get a job that is 90% perfect.

"Where most people go wrong, however, is by thinking they can achieve this in a few months, whereas especially if they’re looking for a career change, you need to think long-term and be willing to work hard to achieve this," Christine explained.

She added that even in a fantastic job, there will be bad days or even weeks. "So you always need to keep the big picture in mind, as well as get clarity on what work values are most important to you."

We also wondered why our society puts so much importance on careers while we know that it leads to burnouts or our lives being put on hold.

Christine explained that it’s maybe because for decades, people did work just to survive: “after wars and economic downturns, people are happy to have a job that puts food on the table.” But as things have improved, she argues, “people expect more from their job than simply a pay check, you could say it’s a result of how well we’re doing overall.”

In fact, “You could argue that some people now expect too much from their jobs (aka happiness and fulfillment), and they might be wise in considering whether they could achieve more happiness and fulfillment from other parts of their lives too.”

The main signs that a person is happy at work can come down to asking yourself these questions, according to Christine. “Are you able to switch off over the weekend and not think of work? Do you even look forward to Monday morning? Do you feel work is getting the best out of you?”

What makes someone happy at work is very individual, Christine said, but often a mix of being stimulated, supported, rewarded, and having great colleagues and bosses.

If there’s anything the worldwide pandemic taught us, it's rethinking our priorities and values in life, including our work and life balance. Many employees switched to partially or fully remote work, while others quit en masse, which caused the Great Resignation.

In a previous interview with Bored Panda, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, the best-selling author and CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, explained that the Great Resignation is a phenomenon that began in 2021, where a large number of people across various industries and countries decided to voluntarily leave their jobs.

“This mass exodus from the workforce was primarily driven by a combination of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, changing work-life balance expectations, and increased demand for higher wages and better working conditions.”

The pandemic prompted many workers to reevaluate their priorities, leading them to seek out more fulfilling and flexible work opportunities. Additionally, government stimulus packages and unemployment benefits provided a safety net for some people, enabling them to take time to reconsider their career paths.