Question: Do you feel excited and happy to go to work every day?
Sure, we all have our off days – you know, the ones where we’d rather spend the day hiding in bed instead of sitting at a desk. However, if the thought of going to work fills you with dread more often than not, your job might not be a good fit. Sure, it might fill some needs for you (like putting food on the table) but we tend to think that career happiness is just as important as money – don’t you?
Like the majority of people, you’ve probably spent the majority of your professional life working in jobs that you applied for simply because you thought, “I could do that.” To make that decision, you considered your education and training, experience, location and the salary or hourly wage. Now, you’re starting to feel that something’s missing. And it is! Work shouldn’t feel like something you have to do so you can live your real life for the few hours per day that you’re not recovering from work.
The first step to finding career happiness is doing a bit of soul-searching and understanding more about your personality traits. Then find a way to incorporate your preferences at work so you can create your dream job.
Here are some things to consider when you’re trying to find a better job match for your personality:
Outgoing – If you’re outgoing and/or energetic, make sure that you have lots of opportunity to “make things happen” in your job, create wins or make the big sale. You need to be on the move and accomplishing things.
Right-brained – You’re naturally inclined to see the big picture, be creative and use your intuition to make decisions. Get involved in projects that require vision and creative solutions to problems. Don’t shy away from leadership – you see things that others don’t see!
Introvert – Having a quiet space to work on your own is critical to your happiness at work. You enjoy being around people and having meaningful conversations – even making a difference – but it has to be in short spurts so you have time on your own to fill up again.
Passive – You prefer specific details and things to be orderly. You are inclined to perfectionism and just want to please others. Choose to work in a structured environment where you will have regular feedback and direction from your supervisor. Create a daily check list so you can see your accomplishments.
Learn more about your personality type, understand what role you naturally play, find the organizational culture that fits, and do something that you believe in. It’s a recipe for career happiness.
If you haven’t tried out our service yet, have a look. We hope you’ll find information that leads you to your dream job!