what's the key to career happiness?

I am officially on Fall Break, which means I’m finally letting myself relax a bit. Much needed. If your battery is close to zero, consider this your reminder to take some time for yourself this week.

I gave myself the weekend to lounge around and do absolutely nothing. It was glorious. And as I was doing a whole lot of mindless scrolling, I stumbled onto several videos that inspired this week’s edition of The Tennie Times. Just goes to show: taking a break actually makes you more productive, not less.

My TikTok feed on Tennie’s account is full of corporate girlies and career content. And a particular genre emerged over the weekend: general apathy and discontentment with work. These videos are Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault] [feat. Phoebe Bridgers]; there are thousands of TikToks of women sitting at their desks, wondering what it all means, concerned about spending the next 40 years doing exactly that.

But it hit different for me this weekend as I thought about my own relationship with corporate America and how I feel about the possibility of returning to the workforce after graduation. With all the negativity, I couldn’t help but wonder (hi, Carrie Bradshaw)… what really makes someone happy at work?

So I looked it up and came across a CNBC article by the CEO of an executive search firm who has spent their career trying to figure out what makes people successful and happy - or not - at work. The headline:

“These are the keys to happiness at work.”

Well, that was easy.

the 6 keys to career happiness

According to this CEO, there are six traits or conditions that consistently show up in people who report being fulfilled in their work:

1. a good boss

Speaking from experience, I can’t stress the importance of good leadership enough. It can motivate you through the tough tasks and make the fun ones even better. Feeling valued for who you are - not just for your output - is such a game changer.

2. work-life balance

Definitely true, though it looks different for everyone. I think the key is that work isn’t the only thing you spend your time on. Otherwise, you risk going a little stir-crazy like I did circa 2021 when I was a remote investment banking analyst living in a 10x10 room. (That should honestly be a haunted house theme this Spooky Season.)

3. enough money

Again, what is “enough”? We actually talked about this in my Science of Experiences and Well-Being class: most people think they’d be happier with just a little more. But the flip side is pretty apparent: when you’re clearly working harder than your paycheck suggests, that breeds resentment.

4. autonomy and flexibility

Micromanagement completely kills the vibe. With the rise of the “996 Method” in tech and return-to-office mandates (that disproportionately impact women, especially mothers), it’s not surprising that people are sad online. The real question: will the unhappy talent stick around?

5. professional growth

Makes total sense. I’ve always felt that if I’m not moving forward, I’m moving backward. Comfort has its perks, but it can easily turn into restlessness.

6. meaningful work

I worked to make rich, ginormous auto and construction companies richer, and then I worked to increase access to healthcare higher education. Guess which role I enjoyed more?

None of the keys on this list were necessarily groundbreaking - good culture, interesting work, fair pay - but it made me think: what job actually has all six? It’d be a unicorn.

And that’s okay. I don’t think the goal is perfection. Maybe it’s more about aligning your current work life with your current priorities. What matters most right now?

Maybe you can afford a little less work-life balance in exchange for more money in your savings down the line. Maybe your boss is so wonderful that you’ll sacrifice career growth for right now. Maybe your impact-driven career doesn’t pay as much, but you’re making such a difference in the world that you don’t care.

I’m super curious: where would you say your current role falls when it comes to having these 6 traits? And what’s the best thing about your job?