An interesting study was released today by some researchers from the University of Chicago. That’s right, from the fightin’ Flames of the Horizon League. The study consisted of surveying people from a variety of professions and determining their happiness at work.

There were two categories, satisfaction (this would be like your fulfillment from coming to work everyday) and happiness (how happy you were at your job everyday.) The bottom of the list wasn’t very surprising, low skill professions like waiters, labors and handlers seem to have some unhappy folk. You could probably throw in Hardee’s burrito maker and local donkey trainer in there as well.

However, the top results were somewhat surprising to me. Check out the percent of people in these professions who say they are very happy with thier profession.

• Clergy—87 percent percent
• Firefighters—80 percent percent
• Physical therapists—78 percent percent
• Authors—74 percent
• Special education teachers—70 percent
• Teachers—69 percent
• Education administrators—68 percent
• Painters and sculptors—67 percent
• Psychologists—67 percent
• Security and financial services salespersons—65 percent
• Operating engineers—64 percent
• Office supervisors—61 percent

Strangely, it seems that my fellow SEM’s and I were left off the lists. Surely we have to be happier as a group of people than say, painters, physical therapists or office managers. What is an office supervisor anyway? Is that like the real life Bill Lumbergh? And financial services salesperson? Is that like a life insurance salesperson? I thought that’s what ended up happening to people who flunked out of college from snorting too much coke before breakfast.

So, by all means, let me be the first to conduct the SEM’s happiness at work survey. Leave a comment or post on your blog 3 things –

1. How would you describe your job satisfaction? (Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Indifferent, Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied)
2. How would you describe your happiness at work? (Very Happy, Happy, Indifferent, Unhappy, Very Unhappy)
3. Estimate what percent of SEM’s that you know would be in the very happy range.

I will gather the results and publish them later. Let’s see if we can’t at least beat out security salespersons. But hey, maybe I am wrong. I have been hearing lots of rumors that Lumbergh is going to be doing a little “housecleaning” around here. So then I could end up as a clergy (no, I would want to smite people all day) or firefighter (no, I can’t even open a can of pickels). I’d have to be an author. I don’t think that the human race as a whole can go on without knowing my memoirs.