The Ultimate Guide To Finding Career Happiness
I used to fly to work in the company jet (as pictured) The same model (A Challenger 604) was used in a James Bond film. I was served fat succulent tiger shrimp dinners, by a polite waiter with a white linen napkin draped over his forearm. You would think I loved my job? Wrong! After eight grueling months of travel I was the most overweight and exhausted I’d ever been. I ended leaving that company after 3 years.
Next week I’m speaking at the 2013 SCM, PLM, Manufacturing, and Procurement conference in Las Vegas and I’m in a much happier place. How did I get to this happy place? How do you?
Please take risks. I’ve taken some huge risks in my long career. I became a well paid IT specialist after being a senior buyer/planner for many years. I switched from Aerospace to Pharmaceutical to Consulting careers. I’ve also been laid off by an idiot boss (who put his friend in my place). I now speak at large conferences. Taking risks makes you become fearless after awhile. Taking big risks makes the little risks tiny in comparison. Talking risks makes you feel like Superman some days. Do you want to feel like Superman sometimes? Yes you do.
Don’t let the idiots bother you. Every company has its fair share of idiots. Those incompetent people that hide behind the boss, fool everyone into thinking they are super busy or have advanced degrees and the people skills of a drunken baboon. The latest idiot will not listen to any reason, hides behind the boss and has fooled a few people into thinking they have some sort of certification for the job. Do I let it bother me? No. If they say it will take 3 weeks to do something that should take 2 days, I make sure they put it in writing. Therefore every idiotic thing they say is on paper. Now I hope someone catches on and fires them. They usually end up hanging themselves. No point in getting bothered by it. You shouldn’t either. Make sure their incompetence is out on paper for all to see.
You aren’t the most important thing since sliced bread. Most people believe the company will suffer greatly if they leave. *chuckles* If you leave the company it won’t make any difference, AND the sun will continue to shine. So don’t get all stressed out over how important you think you are. Enjoy your job and enjoy your LIFE. Contribute because you WANT TO not because you are “important”. I’ve seen plenty of people quit a company and then come crawling back because they realize they aren’t THAT important. Their new company simply booted their fat head AND ass out the door. Try to limit your knee jerk emotional moves and leave a company at the right moment. Not because of your fat head.
Treat people like you would like to be treated. Stop blabbering on your cell phone in meetings. Show up early or on time. Don’t be one minute late. Sit quietly and listen to people before speaking. Stop making promises you have no hope of keeping. Stop making ridiculous excuses. In this age of information overload it’s much more important to be aware of how we treat others. Mutual trust and respect go a long, long way. Act like an asshole and you will be treated like one. Are you listening? How DO YOU want to be treated?
It’s the little things that count. A shorter commute means you can save at least an hour a day of travel. That’s 20 beautiful hours a month extra you can spend with your kids or play video games. Don’t waste your life in a long commute. You have flexible work hours and can work occasionally from home. Now you can take care of your sick puppy. Your company has a real training program and actually wants to develop your work skills. It’s amazing to me how many companies talk about employee development yet their training program sucks badly. I’ve had one boss search for the cheapest training on Google for me. It’s like being asked to repair jets and Googling “Best jet repair training” and attending the cheapest offer. Seriously? Make sure the company wants and understands how to develop employees. Being well trained is extremely important to your career.
Now you have a few good tips in order to have a happier career. Go out and start practicing a few.
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Tags: Career, career happiness, change career, Happiness