We have all been there at one time or another in our professional career. You get up, get dressed, endure a lengthy commute and commence to sit at a job that you utterly abhor for 8+ hours. I have had several jobs that I’ve hated. They didn’t all start off as jobs from hell, but due to either unmet expectations, a change in interests or bosses going completely nuts, I have visualized my escape route from jobs I hated numerous times. Though I would be proactive in changing my circumstances by applying for new job opportunities and listening to some Fred Hammond to keep my attitude at bay, my change in employment never happened instantaneously and/or the way I expected.
More times than not, I had to suck it up and keep going to a job I didn’t want to go to because bills had to be paid and, as my mother would always tell me, “You never leave one opportunity without another one waiting on you.” Boy did that suck ! If you find yourself in the same situation I have been in by staying on a job you hate, here are three benefits that may allow you to look at the bright side of not moving professionally just yet.
1) You Learn to Practice Patience – I had to learn the hard way that I will not always be immediately delivered from uncomfortable situations. I had to exercise patience and continue to pray for what it was that I ultimately wanted in a career. Some of my friends and colleagues were lucky enough to immediately jump from a bad work situation into a new opportunity, however, if that is not the case for you, it is important to understand and accept the process which most times involved practicing patience for the right opportunity to present itself so you are not blindly going from a bad situation to a worse situation.
2) You Immediately Recognize Better Opportunities – Most of the jobs I hated were due to continued assignments that did not afford me an opportunity to grow in my field. I sometimes questioned the numerous degrees I had procured because my daily responsibilities were limited to drafting and editing mundane letters to tenants. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I went to law school, but it was my reality at that time. The job I ended up getting next not only offered more pay, it also offered more responsibility which caused me to expand my understanding of the law and my belief in my capabilities as a supervisor. You should have seen the look on my face when a paralegal asked me to review something to go out instead of me needing to ask someone to review my work. I ultimately knew the work I did for my previous employer was not the end of the road, specifically with the belief I had in my work product and the additional benefits I could offer in my field.
3) You Take Nothing For Granted – The more time you spend at a job you hate, the more you desire and long for something more fulfilling. Once you find that new and exciting opportunity, 9 times out of 10, you will not take it for granted. Recognizing and utilizing new spaces for professional growth, while remembering previous jobs you weren’t quite interested in assists in directing your path to your greatest self in your profession.
The Bright Side: 3 Benefits To Staying On A Job You Hate was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
