Is work-life balance an impossible dream? It feels like we are all working longer hours and taking on a greater share of the work in this post-recession era. Unfortunately, this seems to be the new normal, resulting in employees seeking the elusive balance between work and personal life.
Since the recession, employers have demanded more from employees, but you can only get so much blood from a stone. As the war for talent begins, employers are beginning to look for ways to retain disengaged and dissatisfied employees. And these same employees have begun to shop around for greener pastures where they can leave work behind at the end of a normal workday.
It isn’t easy to provide a universal definition of work-life balance. In general, it has to do with how easily you can draw a line between your personal and professional life. It is uniquely defined by your values and how well you can integrate these two areas to meet your expectations.
If you crave a role that doesn’t require 24/7 attention, you aren’t alone. Over the past three years, there has been a steady decline in how employees rate satisfaction with work-life balance. In 2009, the average satisfaction was 3.5 out of a five-point scale where five equals very satisfied. In 2015, satisfaction dropped to 3.2 as tracked by Glassdoor.
Some jobs seem to rank higher in work-life balance satisfaction than others, according to Glassdoor’s study released in October. It’s interesting to note that of the 25 jobs profiled, only a few existed 10 or more years ago. Here is a glimpse of the top five:
Data scientist. With an average 4.2 satisfaction rating, Glassdoor reports this as a top work-life balance role. So what exactly does a data scientist do? This job analyzes data and produces insights used to enhance operations, products and services. Data scientists use statistics, predictive modeling and other methodology to quickly interpret piles of data and present a summary of findings. You’ll come across data scientists in many different industries, from retail to education.
SEO manager. Second in satisfaction at 4.1 out of five is a position that involves managing search engine optimization. These employees know how to collect and analyze website data, like visits and time on a site. SEO managers also understand how to optimize the website for optimal traffic and visibility. Any organization with a website needs someone, in house or outsourced, to monitor and manage how its website ranks in search results.
Talent acquisition specialist. You used to call them recruiters or HR specialists. The main responsibility for talent acquisition specialists is to find, screen, interview and determine the best candidate for a position. This role ranks third, with a work-life balance satisfaction of 4.0. You will find these jobs in larger organizations that need dedicated resources to fill openings. Smaller companies may either outsource this to a recruiting agency or try to wing it themselves.
Social media manager. Ten years ago, this role didn’t exist. Today, it ranks fourth for work-life balance satisfaction at 4.0. This role requires creativity and diverse skills, including strong communication and relationship-building skills. It is part content creator, part customer service, part marketing and requires interaction and familiarity with many other business units. This is an ideal role for someone who likes a day filled with variety. Social media manager roles can be found in any organization that has jumped on the social media bandwagon.
Substitute teacher. While you may recall playing pranks on your sub during school, this doesn’t seem to bother those who ranked it fifth in work-life balance satisfaction. Substitute teaching can be rewarding work, and no two days would ever be the same managing all the responsibilities in a classroom. You might not need to grade papers as a substitute, which makes it fairly easy to leave your job behind at the end of the day.
If you are looking for a change of pace and a role that could potentially fit better with your lifestyle, check out these and the other 20 jobs listed in Glassdoor’s report.
More from U.S. News
7 Companies With Perks That Will Totally Make You Jealous
11 Fantastic Tech Jobs in 2015
5 Top Jobs for Work-Life Balance originally appeared on usnews.com