Are You at the Right Workplace?

I want to share a quick framework to check whether you’re at a net-career-positive workplace or not.

It all boils down to 3 simple things:

Time at work should be genuinely fun.

• Do you have people around you that energise you?
• Do you have people that lift you up on tough days at work?
• Do you remain upset because of and about work for many days with no fixing function?
• Do you look forward to going to work every day?
• Do you miss your coworkers when you or they are away for long?

Work should be challenging.

• Do you sense that you have a long way to go towards being the best in your function?
• Do your coworkers feel inspirational to you by the virtue of their skills?
• Do you frequently find yourself seeking help from your coworkers in solving complex problems?
• If a very complex and demanding project is coming up, do you feel like you’re the best person to be given that responsibility?
• Do the projects you work on feel repetitive or mundane? Do they have nuances you have to tackle that you haven’t before?

Work should have enough aspirational people you look up to.

• Are there domain stalwarts that you admire at work?
• Are they accessible and able to share their learnings with you? Do they do that often?
• Are you able to comfortably rely on them for continuous guidance?
• Are they someone who you would like to be one day?

These should be good enough to give you the right answer, and a path forward.