Do You Love Your Job?

The vast majority of people are not happy at work.  According to the latest Gallup Poll from October 2013, "87% of workers are emotionally disconnected from their workplace".  While the numbers are better in the U.S., there's still a huge population unhappy with their work.  So what do you do?  People spend more waking hours at work than at home, that's more time with your coworkers and boss than friends and family.

You should enjoy what you do for a living, and if you don't, you should think about making a change.

• Think about what tasks or activities you do that you really enjoy.
• What things do you absolutely hate to do?
• Where do you want to be in 5 years?  I know it's an annoying interview question, but think of it this way: what type of work do you want to be doing? Are you a numbers person or a people person, or both?  Do you enjoy interacting with others?  Do you like working on your set tasks or do you prefer working on tons of projects?  These answers will help steer you towards a job you'd actually enjoy
• What type of company do you want to work for?  Fortune 500, medium/small business, start-up?
• What about industry?  Is there a specific sector you're interested in or passionate about? 

You don't have to have all the answers now, but thinking about these things will help get you started, because no one should stay in a job they hate.  If you're ready to find something new, dust off your resume, look at job boards, and talk to your network to see what kinds of jobs are out there.

What do you do to stay engaged at work?  Let me know in the comments!