I’m spilling all of the corporate tea in this “Ask Breakroom Buddha” series.
If you have a career question that you’d like me to answer send your question here! You might be featured on the next Ask Breakroom Buddha post!
I’ve talked to many young professionals who get into their first few full-time jobs and discover that they HATE them.
I like to say to them:
- Where you start is not where you end.
- Do some self-discovery work and figure out what you do like.
- You can DIY your life, so start DIY-ing.
- Don’t keep saying you hate something and then not try to actively figure out why.
- As you progress through your career, figuring out why you feel a certain way is essential.
Then I tell them to figure out why they HATE their jobs by asking questions like:
- Is it your daily tasks?
- Is it the current project you’re working on?
- Is it the process in which work gets done?
- Is it the physical work environment (i.e., your desk, your chair, etc.)?
- Is it the team (i.e., your colleagues, manager, department, etc.)?
- Is it the company (i.e., their business, culture, etc.)?
- Is it the industry?
- Is it the constraints (i.e., timelines, budgets, client expectations, technology, etc.)
- Is it a skill challenge? (i.e., do you need to upskill?)
Take Notes: Need to think about it a bit more? Take notes in the space below. Hit submit, and I’ll send you a copy of your notes to your email address. 🙂
Breakroom Buddha Notepad
Final Pep Talk
Simply put. You got this. You are in control!
I’ve been in marketing for a while because I enjoy it! I’ve never thought about leaving it because I realized early on that it’s not the work’s fault when I run into challenges. I do something marketing related even when I’m not paid for it. It’s most likely an external force (like one of the things I listed above) causing me grief.
If more people sat down, reflected, and understood what was truly bothering them, we’d all be better off and more successful daily.
If you’re on a career path that you love or think you’d love, don’t give up on it! Figure out how to do a slight course correction. Answer those questions I listed above until you figure out the actual problem.
Once you find the root cause, figure out how to remove it from your equation. This is your life, and you get to DIY. 🙂
Bonus note: You’ll run into a few nasty challenges on your course, don’t let them deter you from what you know you’re good at/or what you truly want to do!!
Up Next: Change Your Career
A Step-by-Step Guide To Making a Career Switch as a Young Professional
As a young professional one of the hardest things you’ll ever do is make a career move. It’s not impossible but it will take a lot of hard work and mental grit.
After That: Design Your Own Path
