4 crucial aspects in a job that will keep an adventurous person happy

Broadly speaking, people who score highly on measures of extraversion tend to seek stimulation. More than just adopting an outgoing social interaction preference, these people also gravitate towards other stimulating situations such as active leisure activities, work pursuits and travel.

There are four categories for the adventure-seeker:

Disinhibition: A desire to seek stimulation through partying, drinking and sexual variety

Thrill and Adventure Seeking: A desire to engage in risky and adventurous activities and sports that provide unusual sensations

Experience Seeking: The pursuit of new sensations through music, art, travel, or psychoactive drugs

Boredom Susceptibility: An aversion to monotony

If any of these categories describe you, then it is imperative for you to identify the type of lifestyle a job can offer you, instead of searching for a position in the hopes that it would satisfy your sensation-seeking desires! In view of maintaining your pursuit of intriguing experiences, here are four crucial aspects to look out for in the organisation you wish to apply to.

(1) Overseas Trainings

The thought of venturing into a foreign land for the purpose of work is likely to light up the face of an experience-hunter too. For these individuals, experiencing new cultures, observing different sceneries and exploring in unfamiliar terrains are what keeps them feeling alive.

However, finding an opportunity abroad can be full of surprises - pleasant or not. Dishonest colleagues, poor working conditions or simply a post that doesn't suit you or your personal objectives. While these occasions are rare, be sure to consider these questions before you jump the gun:

1. What are the working conditions in the foreign country?
2. How much will I be paid to work there?
3. Is accommodation included, or will I end up spending more on rent?
4. Am I equipped with the necessary skills and experience to succeed in this country?

(2) Learning New Skills

One of the common characteristics of a non-conforming personality type is the desire to challenge boundaries and restrictions. Since being bound within the four walls of an office and stuck in the same routine is unappealing to sensation seekers, learning new skills and changing job scopes is one possible aspect that can keep these individuals motivated. A constant exposure to both theoretical and practical aspects of a specific job scope caters for rare and well-rounded opportunities. Whether it's speaking and translating other languages, photography or leadership management, find an appointment that has a set of new skills mapped out for you to pick up!

(3) Job Rotation Possibilities

You can break the monotony of work when you're given the chance to rotate jobs. Although uncommon to most private sector cultures, these possibilities are aplenty with independent or people-oriented companies.

The trick to enabling yourself to this kind of exposure lies in your adaptability. Innovative companies today are quickly learning to embrace the new retention strategy of employee rotation and are moving towards offering their people a variety of position within departments or teams. In fact, this logic applies to many industries.

In sales, where relationships are of utmost importance, it's crucial and better for everyone in the team to be familiar with each others' clients. Instead of having single people dedicated to their own clientele. This too, is similar for a human resource department. It would be more productive to have employees who are familiar with say, all types of organizational benefits; than one who is focused on a single aspect of a staffing process.

(4) Adventure Courses

Out of adversity comes success and there's no better teacher than experience. Martin Luther King once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands during challenge." In addition to satisfying the desire for out-of-ordinary situations, adventure courses aid in reinforcing certain corporate goals such as team building, communications, camaraderie and appropriate risk taking.

Find an organisation that provides a good range of adventure courses that will take your mind off work itself! Take the Jungle Confidence Course in the Singapore Army for example. What consists of a survival phase where trainees are left alone to survive for three days with the most basic tools, and a race against time to trek back to base camp might be barely known to the corporate world but all too familiar for the keen thrill-seeker!

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