Figuring Out What You Want
from Your Career
If I told you that I always knew what I wanted, I wouldn’t be lying to you. At different points in my life, I could tell you exactly what I wanted. When I was 16, I wanted to become a doctor by age 28 and have 0 dogs, 8 cats, and 3 kids. When I was 19, I switched my major from chemistry to computer science and wanted to become a biomedical engineer. When I was 21, I wanted to become an operating systems engineer. When I was 22, I became a web developer and decided front-end work would never make me happy. Now, I’m 29 and I have 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a kid on the way. My point is: wants change. Your personal definition of happiness changes as you move throughout life and the things you want to achieve that happiness must change too. In particular, career happiness will be defined differently at different stages in your career as well.
For me, happiness has been found in every position I’ve worked in at one point or another. This is only true because I’ve been honest with myself each step of the way.
…wherever I was to work next I wanted teamwork.
My first full-time job was at a huge company. I lasted about 6 months. I hated it. I was bored. Everyone on my team seemed scared to lose their jobs because they had been there for 10+ years, and I was part of the new generation coming to replace them. I was on the IDaaS (identity as a service) team. I actually liked the idea of the work that I could be doing, but the point was I basically sat there for 6 months. I created my own tasks and got permission from my manager to work on them. I was very separated from my team and I decided that wherever I was to work next I wanted teamwork.
I did not like to be micromanaged.
My second job, 6 months after the first, was at a smaller company. This company focused solely on IDaaS and IAM (identity access management) which is what I decided made me happy at my previous position. I also made sure to ask in the interview process about teamwork. I decided that teamwork would make me happy because I am a social person. To be happy, I need to bounce ideas off my teammates and have them comment on my solution or suggest better solutions. Shortly after working in my position for a few months, I found another happiness item that I would continue to want in any future positions. Autonomy. I did not like to be micromanaged. I sort of learned this at the first company, but it was truly reinforced at this company. I was generally unhappy when a technical lead was very micro-managey vs the technical leads that were very hands-off once requirements and expectations were set. With smaller companies, autonomy is much more achievable. Keep this in mind.
I learned that learning was going to make me happy.
I stayed at the second job for about 4 years. I enjoyed my time there and spent time in several different positions as the company began to grow. I learned. I learned that learning was going to make me happy. I needed to feel that my education was being continued on the job. Once my learning became stagnant at the company, I became bored and decided to leave.
Everything in my life felt strained.
My third full-time position taught me the most about myself. I was in the position for a year and a half. The company began to fall apart about a year into the position and my team was falling apart long before that. Additionally, I was going through an extremely hard time with extended family. Everything in my life felt strained. I learned that I am resilient, but I also learned that I need stability from my workplace. Work is where we spend 40+ hours per week. Work needs to be stable, so when unexpected things in life happen, work is still stable.
For my latest position, I made sure to mention my requirements at the beginning of the interview process: teamwork, autonomy, continuous education, and stability. I also added a new requirement that comes from years in the field, flexibility. This position is 100% remote where I can work from anywhere.
Becoming in touch with your emotions about your current position can be a very difficult process.
My personal journey with figuring out what I needed from my career has taken years to assess. I am adding new things to the list for my personal career happiness with each new project, position, or task. I make sure to be honest with myself about what is making me happy and what is making me miserable. I continue to reassess every day. Becoming in touch with your emotions about your current position can be a very difficult process. I find it is a lot easier to be honest about your emotions about your career than other aspects of life that might not be as easily changed.
…strive for personal career happiness…
At the end of it all, strive for personal career happiness and find your own list of items that will make your current or next position a personal success.
