Career test: Defining your happiness at work

Being happy at work is a crucial factor for most of us when considering our career options, so, undertaking a personal career test can boost your wellbeing and determine whether or not you are in the correct role. There are several aspects of your work that can affect your happiness, whether this is career progression or your work environment, it’s important to recognise what might be stifling your progression and to make changes to ensure you are making the most out of your career.

So, how can you conduct a career test and what can affect your happiness at work?

Why the right career is important

Finding the perfect career might not be easy for everyone. It may take a couple of years to find your craft and also secure a role in the company of your dreams. But, you should never stop aiming to achieve this goal. We spend the majority of our lives in the workplace, so it’s crucial to make the effort to be the happiest you can be.

The core aspects of work that can affect your happiness

Several areas of your work life can directly impact your happiness. There are some things about a company you often cannot change, such as location or commute time from your house. But there are other things you can make an effort to improve or put ideas to business leaders to change in the future.

Working environment: Your working environment can be a huge factor in your general happiness in the workplace. Ensuring your desk space is clean and tidy is one thing, but if your office has a lack of natural light or is often left dirty, it can leave you feeling depressed and demotivated.

Aligning your career to your values: One way of boosting your happiness in the workplace is to align your career to your values. Your values are what drives you to do anything in your life, so if a company directly disconnects from your personal beliefs, it is unlikely you will feel passionate about the work you’re doing.

Company culture: Similar to aligning your career to your values, the company culture that you’re working in should match your personality and what you want out of a working day. Company culture is about the company values and ensuring that whatever you do at work feeds into what the company’s overall cultural beliefs are. Furthermore, this should also be reflective of what the office ‘feels’ like on a day-to-day basis. Finding somewhere that suits your working preferences will help you to feel happier at work.

How you should choose a career

Choosing a career is easier said than done, and can take time to decide. From secondary school we are told to choose subjects that will eventually feed into our career in the future, but who knows what to do when they’re 16 years old? As an adult, we are expected to know a bit more about what our career goals and aspirations are.

Choosing a career comes from knowing what you enjoy, and how you like to work. This doesn’t happen after only working for a year or two, it is important to learn from all of your experiences and make an informed decision about your next steps. Not everything happens linearly, and you may find companies don’t suit you when you expected them to be perfect. Take each position one at a time, and consider how much you are learning and developing before you consider what you want to do for the rest of your life.