LOVE WHAT YOU DO

Why Hairdressing Is A Cut Above Others

Being a hairdresser is one of the most satisfying modern jobs, a survey has revealed. The much maligned trade has come second in a list of 81 occupations assessed for job satisfaction.

But snipping sideburns and creating quiffs was not quite as satisfying as being a corporate manager or a senior official, which came top of the chart. The majority of jobs featured in the top 10 were management positions, the survey published in the Industrial Relations Journal found.

But teaching rose dramatically from its previous position of 54th most satisfying profession in 1999 to take the 11th spot in the new chart. Journalists and media professionals were in 50th position, with legal professions, such as lawyers, at 44. Health professionals, such as doctors, were in 13th place, while welders dropped to near the bottom of the pile, in 80th. The survey found that workers who were well paid, had supportive colleagues and were able to express themselves on the job were those most satisfied with their professions.

The research was carried out by the University of Bath, using figures provided by the Department of Trade & Industry's Workplace Employment Relations survey of 2004-2005.
Careers in household services, childcare, secretarial services and leisure and travel services have all proved less satisfying since the last survey. Professor Michael Rose, who conducted the research, said: "These are all occupations in which women heavily predominate, confirming a long term trend towards lower women's job satisfaction. "Job satisfaction among skilled construction workers, an almost exclusively male group of occupations, also fell sharply in recent years."

The Ten Most Satisfying Jobs:
1. Corporate Managers and Senior Officials
2. Hairdressers and Related Occupations
3. Health and Social Service Managers
4. Personal Services Occupations
5. Managers in Distribution, Storage and Retailing
6. Production Managers
7. Managers and Proprietors in other Service Industries
8. Sports and Fitness Occupations
9. Functional Managers
10. Artistic and Literary Occupations.