3 Ways to Find Happiness in Your Job

With all the ups and downs of life, it's important to be able to help create a positive mindset and find time for self-care in the workplace as well as at home. In order to successfully do this though, we need to address and identify what is making us unhappy so that we can begin to make and identify positive changes.  

If you think your job could be making you unhappy, we’re here to help with some useful tips that will guide you through your new self-care mission.  

Identifying the reason(s) for your unhappiness 

According to recent surveys done by Glassdoor and The Work Institute, the following are some of the most common reasons that lead to employee unhappiness:    

Compensation and Benefits 

Employees get a sense of reward and appreciation from what they get in return for their effort at work. And when they keep feeling the reward doesn’t reflect their time and dedication spent at work, they may want to look for another position that does. According to the same report by The Work Institute, this factor has become increasingly important over the last decade. 

Progression 

In a survey we put out to our audience on Twitter, we found that the third most important factor for happiness at work was career progression (after company culture and the actual work done). This indicates that career progression is a key element to an employee’s satisfaction with their role and if they don't feel they've been given the opportunity to develop their career they'll become dissatisfied with their job. With good development opportunities and clear progression routes, an employee can grow and gain more of a sense of achievement from their job. With this comes an increased motivation to work harder and better.   

Work-life balance 

The fact that we see more employers put this down as an enticement in their job adverts shows the increasing importance it has among job seekers. The mindset of ‘all work and no play’ is giving way to ‘work hard, play hard.’ This means employees would want to have time outside of work for their personal life, be it quality time with family or learning/ perfecting a new hobby. And when that’s not available, they would likely move one to another place where this is better offered.  If you're not getting the right mix of work-life balance from your current role, this could factor into reasons why you're feeling unhappy. 

Resolving unhappiness in your current job

Now that you've unearthed the reason for your unhappiness at work, the first – and sometimes the quickest – solution should be to address your concerns with your line manager.  Any reasonable employer will be willing to listen to your worries and make feasible adjustments to meet their employees’ needs.  

If you’ve been in a position for a while and now feel your hard work deserves more recognition, book a time to sit down with your manager to review your salary and discuss what you’d need to achieve for a pay rise. Asking for money doesn’t always come easy for everyone; this guide may help prepare you for the difficult conversation.  

If you’ve determined that one of the reasons you’re unhappy in your jobs is because you often find yourself struggling to stay on top of an ever-growing workload, let your manager know. They’ll be the best person to help as they know everything you’re tasked with and can quickly look at how to increase efficiency and delegate some of your tasks to other suitable team members.  

And if you’d like to discuss your career progression and development, it’s also worthwhile bringing this to your manager and drawing a plan together for you to take on more responsibilities and prepare you for stepping up.  

Is it time to find happiness in a new job?

Hopefully, the above options will help to bring happiness back into your job. But if they fail to do so, or you’ve already raised your concerns internally but are yet to see any positive improvements, it might be time to consider a new career opportunity. This takes us to our next step in the guide – searching for your next role. This might feel like a daunting task but fear not as we have some top tips that will guide you through making your next move: 

Freshen up your CV on LinkedIn and Job Boards 

It may seem like a big project if you haven’t updated your online profile and C.V. for a while, but it’s the crucial first step towards your next happy role. When updating your C.V. and profile, make sure to include any new skills and experience you’ve gained since the last update. List your responsibilities in a succinct manner so the employer can spot what they are looking for straight away, and remember to include facts and figures to substantiate your claims. If you need some help, visit our guide 8 top tips to updating your Pharma CV.

LinkedIn, being the biggest professional networking platform in the UK, is the go-to place for most recruiters and companies seeking talent. When updating your LinkedIn profile, treat it as if you’re selling your personal brand. Make sure you pick a suitable picture for your profile headshot as it forms your virtual first impression to your viewers. Utilise your headline and summary to tell your story and include all your skills and the services you’ve provided under each role. This useful guide provided by LinkedIn can show you how to polish your profile in more details.  

Research on your next role 

You’ll most likely have been thinking about this since you started considering your next role. Would you like to stay in the same industry, or would you like to seek new challenges by venturing into a new field? If you decide to stay in the same line of work, you need to consider whether you can take a step up or if you'll look for the same role with a better package. Many job adverts specify the years of experience required for a position, but it’s worthwhile doing your own research to find out what your progression looks like. This can provide a good picture for you to plan your next steps and career path in the long run.  

A helping hand to make your search more efficient 

It is not an easy task to work full time and still commit to job hunting with full vigour - we often hear the saying "job searching is like a full-time job in itself!” But it doesn’t have to be. By using a recruiter you’re giving yourself an extra set of eyes that are constantly looking out for opportunities that best suit your skillset, leaving you time to tend to other commitment. A recruiter will usually have a chat with you prior to the search to discover what you're looking for from your next role. With their first-hand information on what’s available in your industry and a specialised knowledge of the sector and what companies are looking for, they're in a prime position to match you up with suitable opportunities. If you would like to talk to one of our consultants, contact us today!  

Looking to the future

Addressing your unhappiness at work offers the opportunity to set new goals and focus on what’s important to you. 

If you’re looking to find out more about the current health of the sector you work in within Pharma and the Life Sciences and what opportunities could be available, you’re in the position to consider a career move currently, or you’d simply like some advice on what your future options might be, our experienced recruiters are here to help in any way possible. 

You can contact us on 01625 541 030 / enquiries@carrotpharma.co.uk and we’ll put you in touch with the relevant consultant. Or stay in the loop with our live vacancies.