3 Things to Be Thankful For In A Bad Job
I couldn’t wait to leave my last really bad job. I was having panic attacks on a weekly basis, working around the clock, and nothing I turned in was ever good enough. When Thanksgiving came around that year, I felt like I had nothing to be thankful for.
But, despite the toxic work environment, the worry, and the fear, I did get some things out of that job. Not just a paycheck and unlimited time off, but things that helped me progress to my next job. And today, I am thankful for the experience.
Obviously, I would never want to repeat the experience, but now that I’m removed from it, I can appreciate the lessons and the resources I took from the situation.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are 3 things to be thankful for in a bad job:
The ability to learn
Each job that you work in gives you a chance to learn something new. Sometimes, you learn hard skills, like a new software, industry, or tool. But, sometimes, it's soft skills, like having hard conversations, how to manage up, or how to work with a difficult coworker. Every job comes with challenges, and with those challenges comes learning.
If the issue is, you aren’t learning anything new, however, then I encourage you to pursue learning and development opportunities. If your work won’t support it, then do it on your own. There’s a variety of free and paid resources out there to help you work on your professional development.
Getting clarity on where you want to take your career
Even bad jobs can help you get clear on your career goals. In each job, you’ll get an understanding of what you like and what you don’t like. What you want to do more of and what you never want again.
In my case, my last job helped me realize that I wanted to go back to the education industry and that I thrive in a position where I have trust. This helped me evaluate my next job opportunities and find a position where I could thrive.
A bigger network
Finally, your bad job has brought new people into your life. If you were all going through it together, the bad experience can bond you to your coworkers like soldiers in wartime. If your coworkers were part of the problem, perhaps you have customers or clients or vendors that you’ve met that can be an ally or resource for you in the future.
In my first very bad job, I had a crew of coworkers who hated every minute of the job. We are all still friends to this day. That experience bonded us, and I’ve gotten several job opportunities from former coworkers at the job.
To be honest, you can learn these lessons in good and bad jobs. But, they’re especially helpful in bad situations to help you hold on to the light.
But, no matter what type of job you find yourself in this holiday, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
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