7 Signs You Are 100% in the Right Industry

Masooma Memon via Fairygodboss

Did you know that 51% of employees are not engaged at work and 17% are actively disengaged? That’s a lot, considering the average American spends nine to 10 hours at work daily. So, how does it feel when more than half of the employees at your workplace are disengaged?

Lucky for me, I don’t have to dig up an answer because I’ve built a career that stands on my passion. If you were to tell my childhood-self that I’d be writing for a living, she’d be giddy with excitement. Besides satisfying my childhood self, here are some more ways I learned I was in the right industry — and signs you’re in the right industry, too.

1. You have no Sunday blues.

Folks in fields that they dread find it tough to stop thinking about Monday on a Sunday. That’s not quite true in the case of people who love what they do. When you are content with your work life, your schedule starts to work with you rather than working against you. Consequently, you’ve got a lot of things under control, translating into zero worries on weekends.

2. That little annoying voice in your head is gone.

You know that little voice in our heads that keeps nagging us, throwing questions like, “What will they say?,” “Is this right?” and so on? We all have that worrisome voice which speaks especially loud when we are at a career crossroad. Luckily, that voice has quieted down inside me, and I no longer feel the need to tell others what I do. Plus, I don’t pay much attention to others’ perceptions of me as well. Goals, right?

3. Growth and learning? Check.

Career stagnation in your job is an unmistakable sign of career dissatisfaction. Recruiter and Publicist at True Talent PR, Jennifer Yeko, explains stagnation as feeling stuck in the same job for more than 3-5 years, having learned nothing and witnessed no growth with the company.

As a writer, I get to work with several businesses and editors, learning something new from them almost every other day. Career growth is absolutely present.

4. Putting in the extra effort isn’t a cringe-worthy thing.

Every time we hate doing something, we end up craving its end, much less put extra effort into it. You can easily take a page from this everyday life observation and glue it to your career book.

Like Simone N. Sneed, the founder of Advice For A Brilliant Life, said: “If during challenging times you find yourself digging in and stepping up rather than opting out, you’ve found a career that you love.”

5. The child in you is having a blast.

Ryan Holmes, the CEO of Hootsuite, shares in Fast Company an excellent point about knowing you’re in the right industry that I can’t agree more with: “your 10-year-old self would be having a blast.”

In a way, we all know what we want to do as we grow up. That’s because such aspirations are built on passion. This speaks to me. Although I didn’t make it to Mars — which was one of my childhood dreams — I did end up writing.

6. You’re a tad-bit scared sometimes.

Now and then, it’s common that a few nervous jitters run down my spine. But those don’t indicate that I’m not satisfied. If anything, these shivers are healthy suggestions that I take my work seriously and am concerned with performing well.

The definition of healthy fear is what Nicole Williams, the bestselling author of “Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success,” and Secret’s Career Confidence Coach shared with Bustle. Williams highlights that career nervousness is “due to the fact that you’re really excited about performing well, feeling challenged or even a little out of your league. These are actually signs that you’re in the right job.”

7. Your to-do list isn’t repulsive.

How well you love your to-do list reveals a lot about your satisfaction with your work. If you are not in the right career line, your to-do list can quickly dress up as the stress-causing villain in your work story, making you want to bang your head on the wall.

On the flip side, no matter how long the to-do list is, it’s always pleasing to work with it if you are in the right field. I’m in a happy, fulfilling relationship with my to-do list, which tells me that I’m in the right industry.

A version of this post previously appeared on Fairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards and career advice.

Tell Us What You Think

Did you make the right career choice? We want to hear from you. Share your story in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.