“I love my job!” Don’t we all dream of saying these words regularly?
In the last two years, tens of millions of workers took a leap of faith and left their existing jobs in what’s become known as the “Great Resignation”. In 2023 alone, almost 96% of workers were planning a career change.
The lockdownsgave people a chance to reevaluate their lives and look for their dream career. The ultimate goal, of course, is to find a role with the most merits possible alongside the fewest faults. In other words: the dream job!
If your current position isn’t living up to your expectations, it’s time to start asking whether you can make some changes.
Don’t let years pass you by waiting around in a position that’s merely “fine”. You deserve to work in a job you find stimulating and enjoyable.
Use the clickable menu to navigate through the article more easily:
- Why I love my job: an easy question to answer?
- 9 Steps to say “I love my job”
- Find a purposeful mission
- Look for a challenge
- Ensure there’s room for progression
- Check how impactful the work is
- Be mindful of your work-life balance
- Think flexible
- Ask for a fair salary
- Find a positive work culture
- Find a leader who sets goals and listens
- Key takeaways
Why I love my job: an easy question to answer?
How can you be sure it’s the right time to switch up your career?
If you’ve been in your current role for a long time, it’s possible that comfort and habit have set in, and it won’t be so easy to tell how satisfied you actually are. If you’re not sure whether you ought to be leveling up your career, a good starting point is to write a list.
Title it something like “Why I love my job”, and write down everything that you enjoy about your daily work life.
Your list should, hopefully, include points such as:
- I work with supportive colleagues who make me smile
- I work in an area that interests me and inspires me to learn
- I believe my work has an impact on the company as a whole
- The company’s values align with my own
- I can see a clear path ahead, with room for growth
- My managers appreciate my efforts and encourage my development
- My role involves challenges, which I am able to overcome
- I am respected as an employee, and not treated merely as a number
If you find yourself filling the page easily, you know you’re in a good spot. If, however, you find you’ve run dry after only a couple of bullet points, it’s time to take the next steps toward finding a position you truly love.
9 steps to say “I love my job”
1. Find a purposeful mission
Let’s be honest: you’ll always struggle to love your job if you don’t believe in the work you’re doing—at least to some extent.
You don’t have to decorate your car with branded stickers or fly the company flag from the roof of your house, but you should feel that your work has a genuine purpose and that you’re making a change in the world in a way that makes you feel proud.
If you’re not sure yet, try reading our guide to answering that pesky question “What should I do with my life?”
2. Look for a challenge
Everybody enjoys the occasional quiet, easy day—only a couple of new emails, an empty in-tray, and no long meetings. Too many, however, and life gets monotonous. It’s important to feel challenged and tested in your career, as overcoming obstacles is a major part of growth.
There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes from solving a complex puzzle, and with a career that offers the right level of challenge, you’ll be leaving the office with a smile on your face each day.
3. Ensure there’s room for progression
To feel satisfied in your career, it’s crucial to feel you’re heading somewhere. If opportunities for advancement are zero—no possibility of promotion, no skill-boosting seminars, no training days—then not only will you feel frustrated and stagnant, but the business may soon lose momentum as a whole.
Instead, find somewhere with the space to flourish, a clear route of progression, and open-minded leaders who want to see you advance.
4. Check how impactful the work is
When you’re interviewing for jobs, try to discern from the interviewer how much of an impact your work will have on the business as a whole.
Will you be making meaningful decisions? Or will your work be left unseen in some distant, gloomy corner (metaphorical or otherwise)?
A key factor in job satisfaction is creating impactful work, and directly witnessing the impact of said work. Even something as small as receiving a mention in the monthly company newsletter can make all the difference. Nobody wants to feel like a tiny part of an incomprehensible machine.
5. Be mindful of your work-life balance
It’s easy to get sucked into the mindset of working every spare minute, particularly when you’re new in a role and are determined to make a positive impression.
Too many late nights and early mornings, however, can lead to a lack of sleep, thereby increasing stress, and in turn leading to even less sleep and even more stress.
Yes, there are times in every business when a little extra is required from employees, but a company must respect the work-life balance of its employees, not bury them beneath a mountain of unpaid overtime.
Listen for hints that this might be the case during the interviewing process, and read reviews on sites like Glassdoor to discern whether a company is considerate of its employees’ home lives.
6. Think flexible
The standard nine-to-five is on its way out. If you’re looking to yell “I love my job” from the rooftops, flexible working is a crucial component to look out for during your job search.
This could mean flexible working hours, remote or hybrid working options, or a good amount of paid holiday. All of these benefits give you the option to work in a way that suits you, giving you time to thrive outside and inside the workplace.
It’s mutually beneficial: flexible working attracts top talent, makes employees happier, and has been proven to increase productivity.
7. Ask for a fair salary
If you’ve put years into studying, growing, and honing your abilities, don’t undersell yourself!
Even a fun, fulfilling job can start to feel pointless if the remuneration is far below what you’re worth. While it can definitely sometimes be worth taking a pay cut if it means you’re able to break into an industry you’ve been wanting to, in the long run, fair pay means you’ll be able to work your dream job without the stress of wondering whether bills are getting paid.
And a little security can work wonders for overall happiness.
8. Find a company with a positive work culture
Company culture starts with the CEO and flows down. You’ll be able to sense whether a company has a positive (or not-so-positive) culture early on—sometimes, as early as the interview process.
Is the HR department warm and open to chat, or do they have little interest in pleasantries and putting you at ease? If the latter, it’s probably fair to assume things won’t improve much when you’re hired. So seek better!
A rich company culture can mean many things.
It might mean a creative, inspiring office space. It could mean team-building activities. It might mean yoga classes, skills workshops, or engaging company all-hands meetings once a week. It might simply mean a lot of laughter during the working day.
You’ll know it when you find it—because you’ll feel at home.
9. Find a leader who sets goals and listens
Good management can be a huge factor in career fulfillment. If you’re being micromanaged, given unreachable targets, or if all your ideas are ignored, it’s unlikely you’ll feel like sticking around.
For true job satisfaction and that blissful “I love my job!” feeling, seek out a company where the management sets clear, measurable goals that are challenging yet achievable.
Further, seek out a company where your voice is heard, and your expertise is both listened to and appreciated. This is what good leadership looks like.
How to say “I love my job”: Key takeaways
Consider this list as a series of suggestions, rather than absolute requirements.
We haven’t written them in order of importance—that’s down to you to decide. We’re giving you a rundown on things you should try to consider.
Of course, in reality, everybody’s vision of perfect career happiness looks a little different. You might prefer less flexibility and rigid, tight deadlines to help keep you motivated, or you might like strict hierarchies that give you a concrete sense of where you stand within the company.
You might not want any kind of challenge in your career, you might passionately hate work socials, or your only concern might be finding a job that’s future-proof.
All of that is perfectly fine. Finding your dream job—the one that gets you all excited to go to work in the morning—isn’t about following a set formula as much as it’s about being aware of what’s out there, and what suits you.
Why not begin now? Make a list of your priorities, using this article to help you, and see where it takes you. This could be the moment you’ve been waiting for. If you’re unsure what you might be best suited to, try our free job career quiz.
If you’d like to learn more about switching up your career, these articles are packed with information to help you:
- “What Should I Do With My Life?” 15 Questions to Find Your Path
- “I Hate My Job”: What To Do Next
- 5 Ways to Prepare for a Major Career Change
- How To Successfully Change Careers in 2024: Your Step-by-Step Guide
