You want a job that makes you happy, and why shouldn’t you? Work makes up the majority of our lives.
Author Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” For most of us who don’t have trust funds and wealthy partners, that means most of our lives will be spent working.
So, it’s only normal that you want to wake up with vigor to go to work and not trudge around like the soulless. You want to spend your commute happy and not looking like Bellatrix Lestrange straight out of Azkaban. And you want to spend your workday making an impact rather than engaging in dull co-worker banter about how much you hate your boss.
But finding a job that makes you happy can seem impossible, especially when we’re living in an economic crisis with high unemployment and job scarcity.
You might think, “I’ll just have to take what I can get; I don’t have a choice.”
But you do. If you know what you’re looking for, it’s possible to find a job that fulfills you.
This post will show you how to find a job that makes you happy in 8 simple steps. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
8 Ways to Find a Job That Makes You Happy
1. Understand Who You Are First
Many people believe that what they do for a living is who they are — but your job title doesn’t define you. You are a whole, complete being with a personality that exists outside of your job.
That being said, understanding who you are can help you understand the type of role you’d flourish in.
For example, if you’re an introvert, you’d likely bloom in a calmer, more behind-the-scenes role rather than customer service that requires you to speak to people all day. Likewise, if you’re naturally magnetic, you’d prefer a more energetic, people-y, and leadership role.
When looking for your ideal job, you should also consider if it will improve certain aspects of your personality. For example, if you have social anxiety, a role that demands you interact with more people might help you in the long term.
I was incredibly introverted three years ago. While I would’ve loved to work in a quieter environment, I was thrust into a very energetic and loud team. I was forced out of my comfort zone because I had to talk to people all day. But, as uncomfortable as that experience was in the short term, it helped me break out of my shell.
So you see, it’s crucial to understand the type of person you are and what you’d like to improve, so you can find the job that will satisfy that.
Related Post: 8 Ways to Figure Out What You Want to Do in Life
2. Find Out What You Want In a Job Other Than Money
We work to earn money, right? We have mouths to feed and bills to pay. However, money isn’t the best deciding factor when looking for a job that makes you happy.
I believe most people hate Mondays because they took the job that makes the most financial sense to them. More people would be happy if there were other motivating factors like world impact, a flexible schedule, autonomy, etc.
Now, get a piece of paper and write down everything you’re looking for in your ideal job besides money.
Do you want the job to be flexible, or are you happy with a rigid schedule? Do you want autonomy, or are you happy to have others dictate to you? Which roles do you want to perform, and what do you not want to perform? Do you want to work from home, or do you thrive in an office environment?
Having a job wish list will help you weed out roles that aren’t a good fit for you.
3. Look for Meaningful Jobs
As I’ve previously mentioned, most people think about money first when choosing a job — and that’s understandable. But money isn’t the answer to long-term happiness and success.
Meaningful jobs leave you feeling more satisfied at the end of the day.
I’m not saying you should become a firefighter, doctor, or the head of a non-profit organization, but even if you want an office job in a corporate company, it should make a positive impact on others’ lives.
One of my jobs was in insolvency. As you can imagine, it was tedious and arduous. However, I tried to make it bearable by thinking about the financial peace of mind it gave clients. These clients were deep in debt, but they could live a little more freely with the company’s insolvency solutions.
Positive impact creates happiness. Therefore, use this as one of your guidelines when looking for a job that makes you happy.
4. Listen to Yourself
It’s common to go down a career path somebody else has chosen for you—the people we love, and society place expectations on us.
In most Indian families, it’s the norm to get good grades in school and college and then choose a high-paying and respected career. Therefore, most choose medicine, law, engineering, accounting, or IT.
There isn’t anything wrong with these career paths if you genuinely love them. But nobody in my family encouraged me to choose a creative career — which is where I’m pulled towards today.
Even though I always enjoyed writing, it was never an option to pursue it as a career. So, I took the easy route; I went with the choice that was expected of me and studied accounting.
I grew to resent it and had a quarter-life crisis.
My point is: You’ll never be happy in work that others have chosen for you. No matter what you do and how much money you earn, you’ll always feel like you’re living someone else’s life.
Listen to your gut — what does it crave? This might be the best formula for finding a job that makes you happy.
Related Post: 83 Beautiful Quotes About Following Your Heart
5. Try Different Jobs
It’s possible that your gut doesn’t give you any answers because you haven’t explored different careers to know what you love doing.
I had a romantic view of accounting in my early twenties. It wasn’t until I did a brief internship with a Big 4 company that I knew I didn’t want to become a chartered accountant.
Similarly, if I hadn’t been writing on this blog for over two years, I wouldn’t have known I wanted to be a professional writer — never mind that most of my writing is terrible. But I have the passion and perseverance to succeed, and that’s all that matters!
You’ll only know what makes you happy (or unhappy) once you give it a try.
6. Be Happy Outside of Work
Work does make up a significant portion of your life, but it isn’t your entire life. There are other facets, like relationships, traveling, hobbies, passion projects, etc., that deserve your attention.
Focus on these other areas because your happiness outside of work affects your mindset when you’re working.
And a job will never make you happy if your personal world is filled with burnout, bitterness, and misery.
Related Post: 60 Quotes about Bad Days at Work to Turn Your Day Around
7. Figure Out What Job Would Make You Proud
By “proud,” I don’t mean “stroke your ego.” I mean that your dream job should fill you with a sense of accomplishment regardless of whether anyone else can see your achievements.
Moreover, you shouldn’t consider the amount of money you earn but rather the amount of impact you make and how much you grow.
Also, go beyond the job title. “Accountant” sounds legit to most people, but to me, it spells boring. Even if I were earning a 6-figure salary working as an accountant, it wouldn’t make me proud. However, I love saying I’m a writer even though I have much to learn and my work isn’t published.
What job lights something deep within you and makes you want to shout from the mountain tops?
8. Remember That There Is No “Right” Choice
Choosing a career or job will not make or break you. So, stop placing too much emphasis on finding “the one.”
In romantic relationships, we kiss a few frogs before we find the person we’re ready to commit to. The same goes for your career, and remember, you don’t have to be stuck in one job for the rest of your life.
Plus, it’s okay to change your mind as you grow. Your ideal job might change in two or five years. Who knows, I might actually want to be an accountant in the next three years or become a photographer!
Take your time and try different paths because the more you try and the more wrong choices you make, the closer you get to finding the path that was meant for you.
Related Post: 30 Inspirational Career Quotes to Motivate You Towards Success
Final Thoughts on How to Find a Job That Makes You Happy
I hope this post gave you useful advice on how to find a job that makes you happy.
A job that makes you happy isn’t a four-leaf clover. We’ve just been conditioned to believe that you have to take what you can get, and if it pays well, you’re set for life. Break that mindset, and learn who you are and what you want in a job.
I wish you all the best on this journey!