Do you pass the happiness test?

How many people have returned to work after their annual two weeks in the sun this summer with the words ‘back to the grindstone’ or some other such clichéd expression of discontentment.

My philosophy has always been ‘if you don’t enjoy what you do, do something else!’ – and it shows! Not just in how happy I am in my job but in how successful I am at it too.

Of course, everybody gets a dose of end of holiday blues every now and again, but the purpose of taking a break is to refresh you so that you can return to work with plenty of enthusiasm. If, instead, you make a beeline for the nearest newsagent so that you can buy a lottery ticket in the faint hope of early retirement, it’s time to ask yourself what you could be doing differently.

I recently read a blog by CNBC TV reporter, Julia Boorstin that discussed how her first boss had inspired her to value what she does and overcome any boredom or dislike for elements of her job by harnessing her enthusiasm for the tasks she really enjoyed.

For me, it’s all about results – personal and business. I know that everything I’m doing - whether it’s chatting to a journalist or ploughing through a 50-page document – is all about getting coverage for clients and enjoying every minute of it in the process!  And, even after more than 30 years in PR, that’s still a thrill and always will be.

A career in PR involves stress, impossible deadlines and frustrating days in the office; but all of that is part of the buzz of starting with nothing but an idea and ending up with words on a page – or a screen – that will influence a client’s target audiences and contribute to their commercial success.

When the pressure’s on it can be easy to lose sight of what brought you into a career in the first place. Whether you’re considering a move or planning on recruiting, the challenge is to name three things you love about your profession – if you get stuck on number one, it’s time to make that move and if your candidate can’t make it to three, keep looking.