Daryl C.
A couple of decades ago when I was a summer associate at a big Washington DC law firm, I walked into the law library and saw one of the partners 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. He sat in a large reading chair as if he was reading a great novel. Another partner noted: “Alex does this every month when new decisions come out in the legal journal.” That was why Alex was successful.
I also recall “Eileen”, a paralegal at the same firm. While she never was overtly 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 the following hypothetical: new career starters with no inherent advantages are divided into two groups:
(1) those who like and
(2) those who don’t like their work.
Those that 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 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 will avoid thinking about their job, only prompted to do so by 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.