Hi Cup - yes you're right, what people are looking for in their career is complicated and varies by people.

This is part four of our career guide; the first article is all about what actually creates job satisfaction: http://80000hours.org/career-guide/job-satisfaction . I think we say everything you said on your comment, and a lot more.

While people are varied, there are a few factors identified in the psychological literature that are highly predictive of overall job satisfaction and fulfillment for most of us. :)