Job Hunters Willing to Accept Less Pay for Job They Love

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Current job-seekers are taking an old adage to heart, as they hope that finding a job they love indeed means they will never work a day in their lives.

According to a new survey, 82 percent of current job-seekers would accept a job with lower pay in a field they love over a job in a different field that pays more.  Additionally, 63 percent of job-seekers defined success as doing something they love, while an additional 36 percent of respondents defined success as advancing their talents and abilities.

"The slow recovery of our economy has changed the way job-seekers look for jobs as well as what they look for in the work they choose," said Gautam Godhwani, co-founder and chief executive officer of the online job search website SimplyHired.com. "Today's job-seekers rely more heavily on social networking and referrals to find a job. In addition, job-seekers are looking for more than just financial security — they prefer jobs that fit their personal requirements, whether that means location, benefits or even the company's recycling policy."

The Simply Hired Job Seeker Survey showed that 90 percent of people looking for jobs relied on the Internet. This number was boosted by a large number of job-seekers who relied upon social media in their search. According to 54 percent of respondents, LinkedIn was the most effective social media utility when looking for a job. LinkedIn was followed by Facebook, which was deemed effective for job searches by 22 percent of respondents.  According to the survey:

• 40 percent of people were looking for a job because they were laid off

• 27 percent of job seekers were looking for a job while currently employed

• 51 percent listed insurance or health care as the top non-negotiable benefit

• 24 percent of workers were willing to work less hours or relocate to keep a job

• 41 percent they would work full-time if money and child care were not issues

• 39 percent want to leave their current career path

• 31 percent of job-seekers felt it was important to work at a company that is eco-friendly

The information in the second annual Simply Hired Job Seeker Survey was collected from more than 100 user polls posted on SimplyHired.com.

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience.