A Job You Love or Hate....It's The People

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius

Having a job you love is worth more than just money. It is Christmas, your birthday, Halloween and a visit from the Tooth Fairy all wrapped up in one. I know, cuz I have worked in great, dynamic, uplifting environments and I have had the job from hell. The bad jobs are so awful that you lay in bed in the morning wishing for the flu.

I wish I could tell you there is a way to identify the wheat from the shaft before you accept that offer, but usually you cannot. During the recruiting phase you are only shown the roses, the thorns are hidden away. A crazy or dictatorial boss never informs you up front that they will make irrational demands upon you or belittle you in front of peers at every chance.

I once worked for a woman who made the work environment miserable for everyone. The bad news was not that she was a tyrant, but that her superiors chose to look the other way at her behavior because of her rising sales numbers. Their priorities were nothing but the numbers. Eventually the whole staff left and a new crop of employees were recruited, who also eventually resigned.

Another boss was the type of man who claimed to be a good Christian, but would throw you under a bus to save himself. He routinely would have "discussions" with employees and put a synopsis in their file. He made sure that even good workers had something negative in their write ups, as he had discovered this made it easier to fire them if the need arose. YIKES.

What I have discovered is that the people with whom you work will add to or subtract from how you enjoy your job. If you find yourself hating your career, then it is up to you to make plans to move on. Jobs do not just fall from trees, but if you network and research your options you will be able to easily find new employment. If you do your homework, you can limit your chances of ending up in a dysfunctional workplace. In good times and bad, people make career changes.

I am fortunate, I currently work for a dymanic and growing company in an expanding industry. I like and respect the people with whom I work, and the future looks bright. I hope your does too.

Have A Great Day.

Thom Singer
www.thomsinger.com
thom@thomsinger.com