Happiness as a Developer
Like any profession, there will always be a percentage of people who aren’t happy with their work. Let’s hope this post can help some of them.
Most unhappiness comes from having unmet expectations. Knowing this, how can you become happier with your work?
First and foremost, if you accepted a new job, something would have convinced you to take that offer, right? What is it?
It could be money, something the interviewer said or promised, or simply an idea you thought about, such as what you think you might achieve within the company. In any case, write this down and ask yourself a few questions. For example:
Did I make this up?
Being honest with yourself is the very first step. You might have assumed you’d get promoted a year from now because of something said or implied in the interview. Write it down.
Did company leadership encourage any unrealistic expectations?
This is a big one. Any expectations you have now came from somewhere. Whatever your expectation are, write them down.
Did I communicate my expectations up front?
Most likely not. Write them down.
Now that you have a good list of things that probably need attention, you have in your hands a recipe for your unhappiness at work if this doesn’t get addressed.
Be responsible and make a plan to address this with your superior. This can simply be presented as: “Hey John, I really want to be happy here and work with you guys long-term. I’d like to have a chat with you about a few thoughts I’ve had since I started working here. Do you have time for a coffee?” I can tell you that any company that has empathy for its employees will genuinely appreciate your insights.