Is Happiness the Most Important Thing for Your Job?

DBI is a global recruiting firm focused on the Architecture and Interior Design Industry. Each year we place candidates across the globe, supporting their career growth and goals. We love what we do and enjoy seeing our candidates flourish as they join exciting firms and further their careers, but we don’t work with EVERYONE.

We know many candidates would benefit from talking with us about their careers, but we get stopped in our tracks with two words:

“I’m happy.”

Some architecture and interior design candidates assume that being content with their current role means they have reached their career goals.

Is happiness the most important thing for your job?

The answer is no; happiness is not enough.  Happiness in your job means stagnation in your career.

Your job should be challenging, satisfying, and rewarding. It is time for something new if you are happy because you’ve hit a dead end. It’s time to think about your role and what’s next for you.

Why Happiness is Not The Most Important Thing for Your Job

Happiness is not enough for genuine satisfaction. How many of these statements describe your current career situation?

I’m happy but . . .

1. . . . I’m bored. You complete your job responsibilities by rote.
2. . . . There’s no passion. Design projects no longer excite you.
3. . . . I’m not challenged. You know the job so well that doing it is second nature.
4. . . . I don’t feel like I’m contributing. The team, the project or the firm doesn’t need my input.
5. . . . I’m not supported. I have no one to talk to about career growth and development.

Happiness could be signaling that it’s time to be curious once again and seek out challenges.

Red Flags to Look Out for at Your Firm

The cause of your happiness may be outside your control. When the firm’s main questions regarding employee satisfaction is are you happy at your job, it may be time to rethink your career path. These three red flags may be the warning you need:

1. The corporate culture promotes words over actions. The leaders reward toxic positivity and reprimand anyone who thinks differently.
2. Your firm promotes employee satisfaction with only one type of reward, whether that reward is meaningful to the employee or not.
3. You are not encouraged to engage in self-reflection, and burnout among team members runs high.

The current market offers an excellent opportunity to leverage your happiness to find your next job. And now is the time to make a change.  Candidates have the opportunity to find a job they love, at a firm they respect and earn what they are worth.

So, are you happy or stuck?

Contact us to discuss your career options or browse our open positions.