Are You Taking Your Job for Granted?

It’s February.  Corporate America has been a stressful place to navigate over the last two years.  You have watched colleagues get laid off and you may have been left to do the work of two or three people.  You are tired.  You are burned out.  I bet you’re taking your job for granted just a little bit right now.

Try to resist the urge.   No matter how boring, repetitive, slave-driving, or irritating you perceive your job to be, things could always be worse.  You could be visiting the unemployment line for the thirteenth month in a row and be facing eviction from your apartment.  You could be too sick to work.  You could live in a country where putting food on the table requires hard physical labor.  Instead, you get to ride the train to a heated office, keep yourself busy for a bunch of hours, and go home to a life of playing on your iPad and watching American Idol.

I hear that you want your career to be personally meaningful, but remember that meaning is in the eye of the beholder.  If you don’t believe me, walk down the hall and talk to HR for a moment.  I bet they have a stack of resumes up to the ceiling belonging to people applying for the very position you currently consider to be beneath you.

Taking your job for granted is bad for your mental health, and it will also make you enemies.  Managers and colleagues do not appreciate someone who acts like she doesn’t care and/or is always complaining.  If this is you, please take a step back and think about why you took this job in the first place, and how you can re-invigorate your interest in it. 

For example, is there a new assignment you can take on that will help you master a critical skill?   Is there training available that will help you hone your long-term career potential?  Is there a younger employee in your office who would be overjoyed to have you as his mentor?  Since your satisfaction depends not so much on the job itself as your attitude toward the job, take action this year in a productive direction. 

Comments

[Andrea]

Great post! Everyday I remind myself how lucky I am to have a job at a great company. When I have the urge to complain, I remind myself of all the positive aspects of my position. Knowing that there are so many unemployed that would love to have my job is scary, but it also makes me even more grateful and motivates me to work harder.

[Jeffrie]

I'm in this type of situation right now, and I have tried repeatedly to reinvigorate my entry level position. But I have been told that, despite my growing skill set, my "great potential" (in the words of one of my supervisors), and my interest in contributing more to my current employer, there is nothing other than the same kind & level of work for me. I was also told that I need to think about what I want to do next. Do you have any advice for somebody like me?

[Marty Nemko]

I think you speak great truth here. And most jobs, even the mundane, can indeed be made more interesting--with initiative and intelligence.

[Sara Kmiecik]

Nice post! I do believe you have to be optimistic with your job and remember it could always be worse!

[Zack Pike]

Such a relevant article for today's corporate environment Alexandra. I often catch myself falling into this rut, and to be honest, it's difficult to dig yourself out! I wrote a similar post a while back on how staying happy at work takes "work". I'd love to hear your comments! Here's the link: http://corporateradical.com/happiness-at-work-takes-work

[Alexandra Levit]

@Sara: True of life as well, no?

@Marty: You wrote an article about this topic too once, didn't you? I seem to remember seeing it.

@Jeffrie: I would look for other ways to grow your skill set and potential either inside or outside the organization (cross-functional committees, volunteer work, etc.)

@Andrea: Good for you! And I bet this attitude makes you genuinely happier than a lot of your colleagues.

[Alexandra Levit]

@Zack: Thanks for passing on the link, I will check it out!