“What do you do for a living?”

Whenever you meet new people, some variant of this question is bound to come up, and probably pretty early on in the conversation too.

And here’s something I’ve noticed: When you ask people what they do, most people will give you their job title. As in
“I’m an engineer” or “I’m a project manager” or “I’m a writer”. Or consultant, speaker, software developer, manager, contractor, freelancer, secretary, or…

But that’s not what you do – that’s just your title. It really says nothing about you or your job, so I always find myself asking follow-up questions. “So what kind of projects do you manage.”

Some titles DO say what you do. If you’re a pilot you fly planes. Teachers teach. Builders build. Coaches coach. But most titles are more ambiguous.

So think about it for a moment. How much does your job title really say about what you do? And what would be a better way of telling people what it is you do in just a few words.

Whenever people ask me, I always tell them that “I make people happy at work.” That is what I do.

This may look like just semantics, but it matters. See, your job title is never going to make you happy at work, but knowing what you do, may. Knowing your contribution, how you add value, how you make a difference – THAT can make you happy at work.

So now it’s your turn. Think of what it is you do in your job and put it a comment here.

James Parr at Omniblog has a great post on happiness at work, and how any company can become happy:

Now you might sit here reading this and thinking “yeah, that’s all very well in another company, but in ours where we’re just making widgets day in day out, who’s going to be that passionate about working for us?” Fair point, in essence. It’s a common notion that we can’t all be Google, with a raft of cool people, eager to sign up. Like many common notions though, it’s complete and utter BS.

You’re worried because you’re not making uber-sexy products, or you’re worried that it’s just too tough to get your warehouse staff excited about stacking boxes right? Well worry no more. Happiness at work can apply to everyone. Call centres (notoriously high attrition rates) can be happy places. Production lines can be happy places. Banks and leisure centres and council buildings and hospitals and schools and compliance units and McDonalds and everywhere else can be happy workplaces! It’s about doing some basic things right.

He then goes on to list 5 things your workplace could try right now.

He also goes on to say some very nice things about yours truly. I’m blushing here :o)

While I’m traveling the world making people happy at work, here is a guest post by Dan Schawbel. Dan is the lead personal branding expert for generation-y. He blogs at The Personal Branding Blog, publishes Personal Branding Magazine, directs Personal Branding TV, and is the head judge for the 2008 Personal Brand Awards.

A happy brand is a successful brand

Ever wake up, dreading your typical routine 9-5 workday? I can picture you waking up, rolling out of bed, getting dressed, running to Dunkin Donuts, dreaming about being successful on the way to work and then finally sitting down at your cube watching the clock until you leave. Now who in their right mind would want to go through such an outrageous process? Today, I write before you, to tell you that you too can be happy at work. You may not be a Chief Happiness Officer or a Chief Technology Officer, but the same concept applies.

Introducing personal branding, the happiness-initiator and guess what, it’s free. Personal branding is the process by which we differentiate ourselves by identifying and articulating our unique value proposition to achieve a specific goal. Wouldn’t you want to be branded as a happy person? People don’t want to be associated with a miserable Grinch-like individual that hates their job and the people around them. Why not start the day with a smile on your face, greet people who walk past you and be perceived as a team player.

Of course, if your job doesn’t fit your brand, then this isn’t possible. Personal branding allows you to use social media vehicles, such as blogs in order to convey your passions, goals and expertise. Now, for free, anyone can have their own website and build a reputable brand name. I used to be in product marketing, but my real interest was in personal branding and social media, so through all of my personal branding efforts, I was able to sculpt a position at my company that I would be content with. You can do the same.

Anyone can achieve happiness, but in order to get to that point, you need to gain confidence in yourself, be optimistic and pursue your passion. Starting a blog is a great way to let others know what makes you happy, and building a community through your blog can link you up with those that share interests, thus you both can be happy. In the workplace, whether you are a consultant or working for a fortune 500 company, your attitude is a reflection of your standing, in terms of customer acquisition and retention. In a web 2.0 world, people deal directly with people, so you need to be a “people person.”

Take Guy Kawasaki for instance. When do you ever see him angry? Never, and that’s because his brand is built on giving back to others, being a good father and sharing business practices.

Being happy at your job is success. If you’re not happy with your job, then build a brand that reflects who you are and be recruited or start a company based on that.