When Denise walked into Career Counseling Connecticut’s offices, she gave off the energy of someone on the verge of depression. I knew Denise when she was 17. She had come to The Learning Consultants for college counseling. She was a bright light. So, I understand that something dramatically changed in the ten years since I last saw her. After she relayed that everything in her life was “good” (relationships/health) except for her career happiness, she relayed that the only thing that kept her in her unhappy job was that she was viewed from the outside as “successful.” She called Career Counseling Connecticut when she had her last performance review, which was subpar.
I told her about my transition from big law into education-entrepreneurship.
When I was a summer associate at a largeWashington DC 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 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.
I also knew that there was no way I would ever consider following Alex’s example
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 let go 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, all are more or less on equal footing.
We’ll divide these new career starters into two groups (1) those who like 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 who like their career will think about how to improve their work during off hours. They will read about the field. They will come in on time or 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 learn 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 learn 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.