Dead End Job? No Such Thing.

I made a bold statement to a colleague not too long ago when I said: "There is no such thing as a dead-end job." I was inspired previously at a conference about recruiting and retaining employees in a 'boomer, gen-x, gen-y' world. A presenter demonstrated how the term 'McJob' was hurtful to their organization because there is always something of value to be learned and always somewhere higher to go, even with seemingly dead-end positions - it's all how one views their position in life.

I'm not saying that a relatively low-paying and under-appreciated position is good to have forever, but there is always something to learn and people to meet, no matter what you do. It really is up to the person in the position to figure it out for themselves. I've always stuck by my firm belief that it takes just as much time and energy to look for something you do want as it does to follow something you don't.

During my many years in the working world, I have discovered many things about positions I didn't like - namely, I didn't like them, so I looked for something else. Eventually, I forced myself to follow a path I would truly enjoy and I have been there ever since. Former co-workers, who chose to stay at what I perceived to be dead-end jobs, appeared to be thriving yet others at the same place weren't. That confirms my belief that it is up to the individual to determine what success means according to them.

I started off my working life selling garbage bags door to door when I was 14. Let me just say, it was a great way to get over disappointments in life. When I came home with forty bucks, I was the king of my own world and when I came home with four, I had to take a look at what happened. At some point, I lost my enthusiasm and my earnings were directly proportional to that. So, what made me care for a while, then begin to not care and go into a slump? It's called 'life'. Life always gets in the way of everything, of course, and I got a great life lesson that summer, dealing with ups and downs, family, friends, love interests and money.

That was almost thirty years ago and you know what? Life still happens the same way.
Nothing is different except that I eventually chose to focus on other things, which led me here, but having many seemingly dead-end jobs until I got here. The difference is, I chose to get the most from the work and not let it do me in, no matter what industry I was working in. If I had to mop a floor, it was the cleanest floor anyone had ever seen. What kept me mopping so well? The thought of what I'd be doing in the future. I knew I'd have to mop a few floors and take out tons of garbage in probably the same types of bags I'd sold, but when I kept my future in focus, I knew it would be okay.

Did I feel belittled doing such menial tasks as part of my position? Sometimes, but those feelings usually went away when I was sharply focused on my future. How did I maintain that focus over all those years? One word - perseverance. That one word kept me going through every position I'd ever had because I knew I would one day be doing what I wanted, not what I felt I had to. I eventually posted the definition of the word onto my fridge so I could see it every day and over time I developed my experience into a process, much of which is written about on this blog site.

Takeaway points:

1. Never let anybody tell you what your career direction should be. You are in charge of it at all times.

2. Always do your best work, no matter what you do. You will feel like you've actually contributed to a working system in a positive way.

3. You won't be there forever. Consider any position a stepping stone if you discover you aren't completely satisfied. But, plan your way out.

4. Always remain positive when working. It seems impossible, sometimes, but you never know who is watching. Any position can be a networking opportunity, some require you to be more discreet, however.

5. Remind yourself every day of your desired position or career.

6. Don't get trapped by money, money follows success. A great paying position may make you feel used and just because you make good money, doesn't mean you can appreciate it and hang onto it. To be truly successful, you need to make the money you want in the position you chose.

7. There is no such thing as a dead-end job! Unless, of course, you see a dead end. But, if you see a dead end sign on the road, do you go down it and expect to find a way out? I think not.

Cheers!
Buck Moore
thinkWORKnotJOB.com