Ambitious Mondays: Finding Your Place Edition
I was originally going to write about the importance of finding your (emotional) niche in the work world, in order to have any lasting chance of success, approaching the problem from the POV of recent college graduates, and then I thought, “How many grown people in their 40s or 50s have found their niche?” Therefore, I’m writing this for everyone’s benefit.
I don’t mean to be sappy, but finding a job in an office that makes you feel valued, and respected and part of a (good) team is pretty much crucial to your long-term career goals. If you’re working at a company you hate, surrounded by co-workers who seem like rejects from Dawn of the Dead, it can be almost impossible to be excited and emotionally invested enough to do a good job. If everyone else is furious and taking it out on each other, how will you have the momentum, discipline or desire to do well and succeed? And you can end up, very quickly, habituated to the idea that work sucks. That work is supposed to suck. That, my friends, is a very dangerous mind-set to have. If work is “supposed” to suck, well I guess, you’re absolved from every trying to discover yourself in order to discover work that truly cultivates your talent…I guess. I guess that sounds like a plan… except that you still have to live your life, day by day, and you’re setting yourself up for a LOT of days spent being bored and frustrated. That means a lot of resentment. Given how much time you’re going to spend at work, given how much value our society places on our choice of profession, how do you think you’re going to end up feeling about yourself?
Before I started this company, I worked for years in the dungeons newsrooms of TV news. I worked at some networks that I adored–I remember, for example, literally leaping out of bed in the mornings when I was at ABC–and there were some other jobs at other networks that made me wonder what crimes against humanity I had committed in a past life that led to this moment. Of course, I was very driven, and I have the kind of personality that thrives under screaming fits of rage pressure.
However, what I was not aware of when I was in my twenties and making obscene amounts of money, working 18+ hours a day is that people are not meant to survive under those conditions for extended periods. And because I hadn’t invested in creating connections with mentors, because I obsessed with climbing the ladder, not you know, humanity (yawn), when I was burnt out, I was out.
Today, I can truly say that it was all for the best. But if you are reading this and wondering why your career never really clicked…or if you’re a recent college graduate, hoping to make sure your career does click…this is a good time to know thyself. The more you know about what kind of structure will make you thrive–start up vs. established, for example–the more chance you have of finding a company wherein you can truly join the community. (The people who succeed will be team players. So corny yet so true: if you don’t like your co-workers, or the work, or the industry, you won’t be able to mask your frustration, your boredom and your anger. Popular people get promoted; popular people get the good opportunities. Furious people have a hard time creating allies. Without allies and a positive reputation, you won’t get promoted. All you’ll end up doing is hurting yourself.)
Therefore, consider: Do you need a lot of structure and guidance? Thus, in all likelihood, a small start-up probably isn’t for you. There’s too much sustained chaos going on, and in the daily frenzy, it can be difficult for management to really understand why you’re not doing well. If your boss is only 2 or 3 years older than you, and he himself did great in that environment, it might genuinely not occur to him, that you could use some serious one-on-one encouragement. Therefore, when you interview, perhaps you should look for more traditionally organized companies, companies which are committed to training and mentoring their staff.
And yes, I know: you need a damn job. You enjoy eating every day. But the longevity of your career depends on the succession of choices you make, and the consequences of those choices. The people at your (potential) next job will be looking to see how you interacted, and contributed and grew at your current job. Not to mention, when you’re oppressed and discouraged at work, it’s virtually impossible to believe you deserve a better job, and put a successful plan into operation. Stockholm Syndrome is a real thing, Kids.
Yes, we all have places on our past that we don’t even want to think about, much less mention. Even with the best of intentions, and research and networking, some things simply won’t work out. Such is life. But there’s a difference between having one or two (at most) missteps and having a resume of self-sabotage. Too many mistakes, and people will stop wanting to see your resume.
I just want you to be as mindful as possible about yourself, your personality and your goals: the more you know yourself, the more you can help yourself. #boom
