A recipe for happiness in the workplace
When you tell someone that you have changed 6 jobs in 7–8 years of work experience, they will tell you either that you are not good enough or that you are never satisfied. Someone says the secret to job-hopping is to stay long enough to show that you are committed, but leave soon enough to show that you are eager to challenge yourself with new experiences.
I think that “being happy” is one of the biggest, if not the biggest criteria when choosing anything, including a job.
The only question you need to answer when thinking about any kind of change is “Am I happy?”
Have you ever worked 3 hours a day with great conditions, had a lot of free time and been unhappy, and worked 10+ hours under almost the same conditions and were happy? — I have. And it took me a while to figure out why.
As someone who has worked in different environments, enterprise companies, small teams, and in a startup company struggling to survive, the company where I was among the first 20 employees and followed the growth and changes of that company to 150+ people, I have formed a clear picture of what is it that I do and don’t want. Of course, each of these changes upgraded my experience and knowledge.
I don’t think that one company and one project are enough for a career. Each of the previous jobs fulfilled something: it was either great conditions or working with new technologies, the opportunity to advance or a great team. None of the previous jobs had it all.
I don’t think the point of the job is just to work and make money. If I will give 8 hours a day, and often much more to work, then it should have some higher goal and purpose. It’s a wonderful feeling to close the laptop at 5pm and not think about work until tomorrow, but it’s also fulfilling to feel useful and productive and know you’re changing something.
I think the decision to change jobs and start working with startups at MOP and making world-changing software has prompted me to see what makes me truly happy at work.
The individual is important
I don’t want to work in enterprise companies where I’m just a number, where my opinion doesn’t matter, where I don’t know anything about the vision of the product. I want to be an individual who creates and creates.
I want feedback
Some people may not care how much they contribute and how they do their job. Someone may be afraid of feedback. But I think it’s very important to hear the opinion from the other side, so whatever it is, that’s how I make progress, I know what I need to work on, I build and I improve myself.
I want to keep up with technology
I don’t want my job to become a routine. I want new challenges every day. I want to learn, make progress, follow trends, I don’t want to work with technologies that are 20+ years old. I want to follow best practice.
I want my work to be monitored and appreciated
I was in a company where I worked 12+ hours and no one said “thank you”. I didn’t expect it, but I thought it would be nice and appreciated to give feedback to someone who is „killing“ themselves at work for the company. The moment I worked for 2 hours a day and didn’t get the question “Is there a problem?”, I realized that it wasn’t a place for me, because working or not working turned out to be the same. I want my work to be seen, rewarded, but also criticized when there is a need for it.
I want an evaluation
I don’t want to ask for a higher salary, I’m not in the market. I think it’s quite valid to reward me when I deserve it.
I want to talk to my teammates at work
I spend most of the day at work and I think it is very important that I have a nice atmosphere. It doesn’t matter if it’s remote or in the office, but a good team and communication is the start point of every success story. I don’t want to think about whether I can call a colleague and ask for help, I want it to be natural. I want to work in an environment where people are willing to ask for help but also to share knowledge.
I want an ambitious environment
The environment greatly influences the pace of work. If people around you are ambitious, eager for knowledge, and working daily to improve, they unconsciously motivate you to be like that.
I want them to invest in me
We constantly need to invest in ourselves, improve our personal and technical skills. And I want support. I want to have the opportunity to go to a conference, a course, and thus contribute not only to myself but also to the company.
You reach such a point in your career where salary is not the only thing that motivates you. You need to find your way and do what makes you happy.
Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. ”
Because in the end only one thing is important, and that is to be happy!
