Every day I come across people who are in the wrong job. You do, too. They are sad, unhelpful and may seem incompetent. It’s tempting to get mad at them, but the more humane response is compassion. No one feels comfortable doing a job for which they are a bad fit.

These experiences are frustrating, which is why it’s so refreshing to come across someone who is in the right job. Glenn O’Neill, for example, is a middle school teacher who has taught social studies to all three of my kids. He is always upbeat, inspiring and insightful; the students love him, and the parents do, too. Most importantly, he seems to love what he does.

In honor of this great teacher, I created The Glenn O’Neill Test. It will help you understand if you are actually a good fit for your current job:

Do people seek you out? If others go out of their way to tap into your expertise, it’s a very good sign you are in the right position. To test this, ask yourself a hard question: do people come to you for help because they have to, or because they want to?

Do “customers” recommend you? Everyone has customers, even if you don’t call them that. Someone depends on you to do your job well. The highest compliment is when these folks praise your skills to others. When people recommend someone, they are putting their personal reputation on the line. Do others respect the job you are doing enough to risk their reputation endorsing you?

Does your job feel “just right?” It’s not too easy, but it’s not too hard, either. You generally don’t get either overwhelmed or bored. This can be a really hard balance to sustain, and it’s quite possible that the job that was perfect for you two years ago is too basic for you today.

Do you have room - and the energy - to grow? Every year should bring fresh challenges. It’s a giant warning sign when your job theoretically leaves you room to grow, but you lack the energy to tackle those “challenges.” Early in my career, I worked in an entry-level position for WGBH/Boston, the public broadcasting station. My supervisor gave me a review that said I still had plenty of room to master my basic responsibilities, but I perceived those tasks were so far below my aspirations as to not be worth my time. Her supervisor agreed, and pulled me out of the department to take on on a much more challenging position.

Are you eager to learn? People who think they know everything there is to know about their job are at risk of getting old, jaded and inflexible. The world is constantly changing, and there are always new skills and insights to learn. If you don’t feel this way, you’re in the wrong job.

Are you comfortable with your compensation? We all could use more money, but it’s critical that you are able to make things work on your current income. Life is not always fair, and sometimes society doesn’t value highly enough the job you were born to do. You may have made other life decisions - such as having four kids - that preclude you from being a good fit for a job you otherwise would love. Few things eat away at your soul like feeling that you are underpaid for the work that you do.

Does your job fit your self-image? Human beings are complicated. We don’t just need money and something worthwhile to do. Many of us need prestige, power, or respect. Some people care more about their influence than their income. Others want to be in the room when big decisions are being made. While your job won’t satisfy all your needs, it should be a good fit with who you really are.

Are you thankful? Gratitude is important. I feel bad for people who don’t know how lucky they are until they lose what they had. If you are actively thankful for your job, the odds are good that others are also thankful you are in your position.

~ Bruce Kasanof

Don’t settle for just another JOB.
Find your GROOVE »

You may not give your computer screen an embarrassingly gushing smile and you might not write little love notes during your lunch break. But, there are ways to tell if you love your job.

Of course, no job is perfect — even the best of relationships have their down days. We all have to do things we don’t like. I love working at HubSpot, it’s the best job I’ve ever had. But, even I have “off” days where I’m not spending all my time doing things I absolutely love.

So all of the following may not be the case all of the time… but when you love your job, many of the following should be the case much of the time:

1. You don’t talk about other people; you talk about the cool things other people are doing.

“I hear Mary is heading up a new project. What are they working on?” “I’d love to know how Mike managed to rescue that customer relationship.” “Sherry developed a new sales channel; is there some way we can leverage that?”

When you love your job you don’t gossip about the personal failings of others. You talk about their successes, because you’re happy for them – and because you’re happy with yourself.

2. You think, “I hope I get to…” instead of, “I hope I don’t have to…”

When you love your job it’s like peeling an onion. There are always more layers to discover and explore.

When you hate your job it’s also like peeling an onion – but all you discover are more tears.

3. You see your internal and external customers not as people to satisfy but simply as people.

They aren’t numbers. You think of them as real people who have real needs.

And you gain a real sense of fulfillment and purpose from taking care of those needs.

4. You enjoy your time at work.

You don’t have to put in time at work and then escape to life to be happy. You believe in enjoying life and enjoying work.

When you love your job, it’s a part of your life. You feel alive and joyful not just at home – but also at work.

5. You would recommend working at your company to your best friend…

In fact, you can’t stop talking about how cool your company is and the awesome work you’re doing even when you’re away from work.

6. You enjoy attending meetings.

No, seriously, you enjoy meetings. Why? Because it’s fun to be at the center of thoughtful, challenging discussions that lead to decisions, initiatives, and changes – changes you get to be a part of.

7. You don’t think about surviving. You think about winning.

You don’t worry much about losing your job. You’re more worried about not achieving your potential. Not being as impactful as you can.

8. You see your manager as a person you work with, not for.

You feel valued. You feel respected.

You feel trusted.

9. You don’t want to let your coworkers down.

Not because you’ll get in trouble or get a bad performance review, but because you admire them – and you want them to admire you.

10. You hardly ever look at the clock.

You’re too busy making things happen. When you do look at the clock, you often find that the time has flown.

11. You view success in terms of fulfillment and gratification – not just promotions and money.

Everyone wants to be promoted. Everyone wants to earn more.

You definitely feel that way too… but somewhere along the way your job has come to mean a lot more to you than just a paycheck. And if you left this job, even if for a lot higher salary… you would still miss it.

A lot.

12. You leave work with items on your to-do list you’re excited about tackling tomorrow.

Many people cross the “fun” tasks off their to-do lists within the first hour or two.

You often have cool stuff – new initiatives, side projects, hunches you want to confirm with data, people you want to talk to – left over when it’s time to go home.

13. You help without thinking.

You like seeing your colleagues succeed, so it’s second nature to help them out. You pitch in automatically.

And they do the same for you.

14. You don’t think about retirement… because retirement sounds boring…

…and a lot less fulfilling.

How many of the above statements apply to you and your job?

If you said:
0-3: You may want to find a new job. Life is too short.
4-6: You don’t hate your job… but you don’t love it either. What can you do differently?
7-10: You really enjoy your job and the people you work with
11-14: You are deeply, madly in love with your job! (and your friends are jealous!)

~ Dharmesh Shah, Founder and CEO at HubSpot

Don’t settle for just another JOB.
Find your GROOVE »