In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’ve taken the liberty of changing the 1985 Whitney Houston teenybopper song “How Will I Know” to “How Will I Know If I’ve Found Career Love?” Let us count the ways:

You don’t dread getting up in the morning.
There’s nothing worse than experiencing overwhelming anxiety before your feet even hit the floor. Those who are eager to start their day, already mentally mapping out their next project, may have found the career love they’ve been longing for.

You like to stay late sometimes.
Most workers have to stay late at some point. But if you’re doing it because there are so many more things you want to accomplish and there aren’t enough hours in a day to satisfy you, you’ve definitely got it bad for your career.

You don’t surf job sites at work.
Anyone who’s routinely posting their resume and bookmarking job openings online has probably not yet found the love of their career life. If it’s been years since you last updated your resume or even thought about pounding the virtual pavement, however, there’s a good chance that career love is in the air.

You don’t give out a “fake job” to friends and acquaintances.
Some people are so ashamed of their job that they dread the standard “What do you do?” introductory question. If you tell the truth about your work and even welcome the opportunity to discuss it in detail, that’s a good sign of career love.

You garner accolades for your work.
People who enjoy what they do are usually doing it better than those who hate it. When you’re consistently getting “attaboy/girl” e-mails or other forms of recognition, it signals that you put your heart into your work. Your career love shows.

You keep at it even when you don’t receive praise.
On the other hand, your stellar contributions may not always be acknowledged. When you continue to do an amazing job regardless of the recognition you may or may not receive, that’s how you know it’s love.

You’re not emotionally drained at the end of the day.
There’s a difference between being physically exhausted and being emotionally drained. If you love your job, you generally don’t come home with nothing left to give. Your work may make you physically tired, but it also tops off your tank of mental and emotional fulfillment.

You’re happy.
Of course, no matter how wonderful it may be, your career isn’t going to fulfill all of your needs. But those who spend a good chunk of their lives at work and are still feeling good can smile and sing (a la FireHouse in 1991) “I’ve Finally Found the Career Love of a Lifetime.”

-Robyn Tellefsen

Have you found your career love?