February 10, 2020, by Leah Sharpe

What job will make me happy?

By Jennifer Balloch, Employability Officer

Let’s imagine you start full-time employment when you graduate. If we stop to think about this level of commitment, then asking if you will be happy in your job seems quite reasonable.

Happiness in work is a scale and will mean different things for different people. For some people being content in work is ample, others will want to feel happy in what they are working on, who they’re working with and who they work for. And of course your ‘happiness-scale’ is likely to shift as you gain experience and progress in your career.

So, how can you be happy in your chosen career?  

I think it all comes down to the idea of ‘choosing your career’. Taking time to think about what makes you happy, what you’re good at and where you draw your energy from. Are you the kind of person who is very financially driven? Maybe you want to work with people and as part of a team. You might be someone who really thrives on building relationships, or the complete opposite. The idea of happiness and fulfilment in the workplace is very much down to the individual and thinking about this in terms of what your drivers are is a good place to start.

Here are two questions to ask yourself:

Take some time to understand what your values are 

What is important to you? What do you believe in? What traits, causes or lifestyle choices do you put importance on? For instance, some people believe that having a good work-life balance is integral to being happy at work. Some people really value having opportunities to progress and will look for positions or companies that offer continual professional development programs. Some people want consistency and dependability from work, so working regular hours and having a permanent contract can be one way to achieve this. Values can overlap so it could be useful to think about what your top three values are and use this as a guide to thinking about who you would like to work for.

Think about what your strengths are and where you get your energy from

Are you someone who loves to write and feel like you could blog all day long? Are you a bit of a ‘number-cruncher’ and love to look at datasets and search for inconsistencies? Perhaps you thrive in the spotlight and feel most comfortable delivering a presentation to a room full of people. People tend to be good at the stuff that energises them, so looking for a job that actively plays to your strengths is worth thinking about.  

Explore future career ideas no matter what stage you are at, or discuss your options by booking an appointment with a careers adviser.

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