Key factors that influence job satisfaction
- Free time
- Compensation
- Company and job title
- The people you work with
- Professional growth
- Mental and physical health
- Flexibility of work hours and location
- Ability to disconnect outside of work
Own your career
- You are responsible for your career.
- Don’t wait for your manager to step in—take initiative.
Be known as someone who gets things done
- Finish the work you are assigned.
- Deliver with quality and reasonable speed.
- Focus on impactful work, not just busy work.
- Make sure your manager knows what you’ve done and why it matters.
Keep a work log
- Track what you worked on this week, last week, and months ago.
- This becomes invaluable during performance reviews and promotion discussions.
Ask for and give feedback
- Code reviews are a natural way to give and receive feedback.
- Proactively ask for feedback from colleagues.
- To reduce misunderstandings:
- Describe the situation and its impact.
- Avoid giving direct instructions like “you should do this.”
- Prefer giving constructive feedback in person.
- Make it clear you are on their side.
- End the conversation on a positive note.
Make your manager an ally
- Have regular 1:1 meetings.
- Understand and support your manager’s goals.
- Be open, honest, and transparent.
- Prepare ahead of time for 1:1 meetings.
Performance reviews
- Set clear goals aligned with team and company objectives.
- Older achievements can be forgotten, record your wins.
- Share progress and challenges regularly in 1:1 meetings.
- Write a thoughtful self-review.
- Most people receive average reviews; fewer get above or below average.
- Recent work usually carries more weight.
- Managers may rate people higher if they feel a stronger connection with them.
How promotions are decided
- Many companies promote people who already perform at the next level.
- Budget and open positions directly affect promotion decisions.
- Promotions require support from decision-makers.
- Perception can matter more than reality.
- Be honest with yourself: how was your last performance review?
- Get your manager on your side.
- Don’t let promotions and titles define your self-worth.
Onboarding to a new job
- Take ownership of your onboarding process.
- Connect with your future manager before you start; clarify goals for the first month, 3 months, and 6 months.
- Start a work log from day one.
- Familiarize yourself with the company’s tech stack.
- Meet your team early and make a positive, friendly impression.
- Understand the domain, projects, and priorities as soon as possible.