Are You Happy In Your Current Job?

Recruiters may ask you this question, and your own manager might ask it as well. It’s a simple inquiry, not a loaded or trick question. Still, you might not have a straightforward answer. After all, what exactly does it mean to be happy, anyway? Happy in a metaphysical or literal sense? Do you have to have a big grin on your face every time you walk into the office? Or does happy just mean that you are content, satisfied, glad to have a job in this economy? Here are some questions you might ponder to help answer the happiness question.

First of all, do you enjoy the work you are doing? Do you feel you are creating something of value, or accomplishing something of importance? Or do you wonder whether anyone will ever see, much less appreciate the results of your work?

Do you feel that you are uniquely qualified to do your job, or do you feel like an interchangeable cog in a big machine? Do you feel that your job is matched to your skills, or do you think that a trained monkey could do the work? Do you see a clear career path, or do you see yourself stuck in the same position years from now?

Do you look forward to coming into work in the morning to fix those problems left over from the previous day, and to take on new challenges? Or do you find it difficult to pull yourself out of bed in the morning and deal with the dreaded commute in to work? Do you rush through lunch at your desk so you can get back to work, or do you take long lunch breaks to escape from the oppressive office environment?

Is management receptive to feedback and new ideas? Do they listen to the developers, or just pretend to do so? Do you respect your bosses for their knowledge, experience, and wisdom? Or do you wonder how those clueless morons ever got their jobs? Are you inspired by their leadership, or do you roll your eyes every time they issue a silly directive?

If you need something done, can you talk to someone and be confident it will be taken care of? Or do people try to shift responsibility and give you the runaround? Do managers avoid making decisions and not respond to your e-mails? And are there people who try to insert themselves into the decision making process for no good reason?

Do you respect the people you work with? Are they are as smart as or smarter than yourself? Or are they idiots to whom you have to explain things over and over again? Do you find yourself learning new things from your colleagues, or do you have to show them how to perform the most basic of tasks?

Does your company provide rewards for performance? And are the rewards fairly distributed, and individuals properly credited for their contributions? Or are the rewards and kudos handed out only to a select few, the “golden boys”, while everyone else is neglected and left to stew?

Does your company provide you with the tools you need to do your job? Is it easy to order technical books and software with a minimum of hassle? Do you get regular upgrades of your computer? Do you get large or multiple monitors? Or does any procurement request have to get multiple signoffs and require lengthy forms to be completed?

Do you have a positive work environment conducive to productivity? Do you have enough conference rooms and gathering places? Does your company have any silly and arbitrary regulations? Do you have flex hours, or do you have to be in at exactly 9 am and stay until at least 6 pm? Is unpaid overtime mandatory? Can you telecommute?

All these things, though perhaps trivial individually, combine to determine your level of happiness at work.