I remember when I was a summer associate at a big Washington law firm. I walked into the law library. One of the partners was reading a journal of recent legal decisions. He wasn’t merely reading the headlines. He was actually reading the entire 50 plus pages of dense court decisions. As he sat in a large reading chair as if he were reading a great novel, the partner I was standing next to noted: “Alex does this every month when new decisions come out in the legal journal.” That was why Alex was successful.
This was also a clue to why I would soon want to leave the law.
I also recall “Eileen”, a paralegal at the same firm. While she never overtly was disrespectful, she looked either bored or unhappy. When given assignments, she politely accepted the work but gave off the energy of someone getting another 50 pound weight added on their cart.
She was fired by the end of the summer.
If you don’t like your career path, soon enough you won’t be that good at your work.
Consider what happens when people start on a career path. At least in terms of knowledge, they all are more or less on equal footing.
While in real life, this is simplistic, we’ll divide these new career starters into two groups:
(1) those who like their work and
(2) those who don’t like their work.
We’ll also make it so that the native talent of each group is the same.
Those that like their career will think about how to improve their work during off hours. They will learn more about the field. They will come in a bit earlier and leave a bit later. They won’t mind putting in time on the weekends or other off hours. While at work, they will be engaged and thus learning at a fast pace. Management will pick up their positive body language, energy, and attitude. That will help them move upward.
Those that don’t like their career will do none of those things. After work, they won’t think about work except due to anxiety. If they come in early, stay late or work on weekends, it will stem either from a boss’s order or simply out of worry about keeping their job. They will be bored at work and thus learning at a slow pace. Management will pick up those negative body language cues, the looks of disinterest, and those grumbles about working late.
You have to leave work you don’t like, not only because you are unhappy, but because soon enough you will also not be good at what you do.
I know this from my own experience running The Learning Consultants.
Even though the work of our company – teaching/counseling – is mission based and enjoyable for most everyone who works in our company, there are some that love what they do. They have created metaphorical cult followings (see Jean Card if you ever have a teen with any LD and see Jesse Brockwell if you ever have a teen or really anyone in need of math help). Through the 20 plus years of running the company, we’ll also had those who on paper were great but after working with us for a while I could detect that they were just viewing the work “as extra money”. They didn’t last long thereafter.
Success comes from happy work.