3 Positives From Having a Job You Absolutely Abhor
Look at your crummy situation as a glass half full.
“I hate my job.”
If you feel this way, you’re not alone. According to a Gallup survey, having a miserable job is a common sentiment roughly two-thirds of the global population share.
I’ve been at multiple jobs that were soul-crushing. In my twenties, I had a job in retail, worked at a rental car company, and in a cubicle doing mindless data entry. I was a terrible employee and knew early on the 9 to 5 rat race wasn’t for me.
I’ve been my own boss for the past few years. Though I wouldn’t trade the ability to call the shots for anything, there are positive lessons I learned from having a horrible job:
- Never be a “Karen”
- Builds character
- Powerful motivator to strive for better
If you’re at a job where you’re utterly unhappy, firstly, I empathize with you. Secondly, if you approach your crap situation as a glass half full instead of half empty, your job is actually shaping you to be a more well-rounded person. Don’t we all want that?
Look back at your life. It’s always the hardest times that made you who you are. — Casey Neistat
Never Be A “Karen”
What’s a “Karen?” According to BBC News:
“Karen” has become a widespread meme referencing a specific type of middle-class white woman, who exhibits behaviors that stem from privilege… “Karen” is associated with the kind of person who demands to “speak to the manager” in order to belittle service industry workers…
If you’ve worked in any customer-facing related industry, odds are you’ve come across a “Karen” or two.
At my rental car job here in Hawaii, a male tourist (yes, dudes can be “Karens,” too) walked into my branch to pick up his convertible for the week. As I entered his pertinent information into the system, he asked, “The car’s a red Chevy Camaro, right?”
I responded, “Sorry, sir, we only have a silver mustang available.”
“Well, I requested a red Chevy Camaro convertible,” he said with a hint of impatience in his tone.
“Sir, we don’t guarantee specific colors, or makes and models, as our inventory changes constantly.”
“This is bullshit!” he shouted, “I didn’t travel all this way to drive a fucking Ford Mustang! I want to speak to your fucking manager!”
My manager came to my aid, reiterating my explanation to the disgruntled customer how the company can only guarantee a car class. We can’t promise a specific color, make, or model. The dude went ballistic.
You guys are fucking idiots. I’m getting you fuckers fired. Fuck your fucking company. He slammed the counter with his fist, chucked his cheap sunglasses against the wall, and stormed out.
Those types of confrontations make your blood boil. It takes every ounce of energy not to sock those dickheads square in the jaw. People who’ve never worked a shitty job in their life are the ones who tend to possess “speak to your manager” energy.
If you have a job as a waiter/waitress, work in retail, or are a grocery store cashier, you know how thankless and demanding those jobs can be. By working those kinds of hard jobs, you’ll treat every individual on the other side with the utmost respect because you’ve been in their same shoes.
Builds Character
I’ve lived an easy and privileged life. My parents were well off financially and supportive of any endeavor I chose to pursue growing up. Moreover, they took us on family vacations, bought me a used car when I was in high school, paid for my college tuition, and allowed me to move back home after graduating (rent-free). I wanted for nothing, and I’m appreciative of my parents’ support.
But, the lack of adversity made me Charmin soft. According to the dictionary, grit means courage and resolve; strength of character.
I had no grit until I entered the workforce.
Stocking shelves of shoes. Getting berated by customers. Cleaning cars in the heat and humidity. My boss scolding me for taking a break five minutes too long. I was despondent at the moment, but all these experiences built up my grit meter.
I understand it’s difficult to see a silver lining when, for example, you’re a dishwasher, elbow-deep in soap suds, scraping hardened chili from the bottom of a pot. However, instead of sulking, view your shit situation as a means to strengthening your character and work ethic. These traits can only be beneficial to whatever future career path you choose.
If more people worked unglamorous jobs, where toughness is a prerequisite, I guarantee we’d have fewer trolls and assholes in the world today.
Powerful Motivator to Strive for Better
My Dad spent his high school summers working in the sugarcane fields on the North Shore of O’ahu. From sun up to sundown, he’d be chopping sugarcane with a machete in the Hawaiian heat. The work was labor-intensive, paid very little, and even dangerous. The height and thickness of the sugarcane made it difficult to see what was in front of you. Thus my dad had a couple of close calls where he was almost sliced in half by other field workers.
After those wretched summers, my Dad vowed never to do that type of backbreaking work ever again. He attended college, got his Master’s in Architecture, and now runs his own successful company.
Working at a job you hate lights a fire under your ass. For me, the worst aspect of having a regular job is being told what to do and where to be. I’ve been self-employed for the past five years, and I can never go back to the old ways. I consider the freedom and flexibility I enjoy now as priceless.
If you have a shit job, are you going to use it as an excuse for your piece-of-shit life? Or, will you use it as fuel and go scorched-earth to find your true passion? I hope it’s the latter.
“Work without love is slavery.” — Mother Teresa
Final Thoughts
There are positive takeaways from having a job you hate. You’ll know not to be a “Karen,” the real meaning of grit, and use it as motivation to achieve something greater. I know what it’s like to have the Sunday Scaries, dreading waking up for work every day. If you’re somehow able to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel that is your current job, you’ll be much happier. And years from now, when you’re killing it in life, you’ll look back at those painful times with fondness.
