The Job You Hate (not)

One of this blog's readers tweeted a reference to Teena Rose's blog posting: Six Strategies for Surviving in a job you HATE".

Rose's suggestions are quite reasonable, but it saddens me when I find anyone in a job they hate. Those of us with the good fortune to be working within our strengths (where we can combine our passions and competences) experience the truly liberating freedom to look forward to, not dread, our work.

Sure, you say, but who is paying the bills?

I would argue that the dumbest thing you can do is accept the status quo if you are unhappy at your work, especially if you are doing it for (survival) money alone. This doesn't necessarily mean "quit the job and shove it" -- you should have a plan and place to go -- but you need to put as much mental energy into making your work right, as you do in complaining about it not being what you want.

Why is job satisfaction so important for Construction Marketing? I dedicate a chapter to the concept in my upcoming book, but my main point is that if you aren't really happy where you are, you are unlikely to be successful at marketing in the long term. And if your business is full of unhappy people who "hate" their jobs, your marketing will be truly ineffective because your clients, most likely, will hate being near the people who hate their work.

(That is why I don't fight employees who, while technically qualified, simply don't enjoy their work in our organization. I wish them well as they move on -- after reviewing our own operations to see if we are creating situations where they wouldn't be happy to be around here.)

Note that most of us do not have 100 per cent perfection in our work; there are days and times when nothing goes right -- but if your underlying work matches your passions and strengths you can live through the low points and ultimately thrive. If you speak with anyone who achieves meaningful and lasting success in their careers, business and lives, you will almost inevitably find they have found their workplace of strength and passion.

In other words, if you must work at a job you hate, stay there only long enough to solve the problem or find something better.

Posted in: passion