It’s not really news to anybody that I’m not exactly passionate about my 8-5 job. The work I do is highly analytical, data-oriented and involves me starting at a computer screen for 8 hours a day. When people ask me what I do at my job, their eyes generally glaze over when I get about 15 seconds into it. That’s about how long it takes before my eyes glaze over when I open up a new set of data I’m about to work with. I am not, however, excused from excelling at my job.
I believe that if you ask my coworkers, my boss, and the associates who rely on my work on a daily basis how I am doing, they will probably tell you that I’m a data whiz kid, an Excel genius, a PowerPoint guru. OK, maybe that’s taking it too far, but for the most part, they’ll tell you I rock my job. Because I do.
Let me repeat – I don’t love my job. As a matter of fact, about twice a week I skulk off to the online department and chat with the guys over there about what’s new in the online world. I wonder, sometimes out loud, when another position will be budgeted especially for me. Then I go back to my desk and finish my work.
Sound boring? It is.
Maybe this sounds really bleak to you, really dismal and boring and you say to yourself, “I could never do that.” Well, remember that I do have a passion – my own business that I am growing after hours.
It’s also really exciting to hear the president of your company decide that you are the only person necessary at a conference call who is not a manager or vice-president. It’s nice to hear you described to a new manager as an integral part of such-and-such process. It’s gratifying to hear that you were impressive in that strategic planning meeting.
It could be tempting given the recent success my own business is having, to not give a crap about my current job. Here’s the thing: I don’t want to be known as a crappy worker. I don’t want to put mediocre work out into the world. I also respect that the people I work with are counting on me to support them the best that I can. They are passionate about their jobs and they are counting on it to provide for them.
In a word, what I am talking about it responsibility. I may not be passionate about my 8-5 job, but I am passionate about being a quality employee and coworker. To buck Gen Y stereotypes, I guess you might say I am passionate about responsibility.
If that’s not good enough for you, then remember that everyone you come in contact with at your current job is a contact. Your reputation as a solid worker is at stake.
*Shortly after writing this post, I found out that I am up for Employee of the Month at my company. Pretty great for a job I’m not passionate about, huh?
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Wow. We’ve got a lot in common! I’m in the same boat, with my ‘career’ being in the financial services field, but my passion being in IT. I get sent to conferences, field situations on million dollar accounts, and handle most of the ‘problems’ that come my department’s way. I usually will be reading a geek-related blog while I do it.
There is something to be said for your job not being the source of your happiness and fulfillment. Like you, my outside interests are what drive me. My job finances it.
I agree, I do my best at work though it’s not my passion, because I would never want to be known as the guy or girl who does a crappy job but gets paid anyway. I have found passion in it, in a weird way. Like you say, you are passionate about resposibility. I think that is great.
We’d all be deluding ourselves thinking if we were only the heads of our own companies or following our singular blisses in life we wouldn’t come across days when our “passion” made our eyes glaze over. Trust me, I have a friend who is forging a successful career on Broadway who skulks off to rehearsals and autograph signings. Some days.
I think the overall point is that being passionate about responsibility, no matter where you are in your current career is only going to make you more successful should you choose another path.
I chalk it up to being competitive. I want to be the best at everything I do.
I suppose that is my passion. I have a knack for maybe not loving something until I get into, in which then, it consumes me until I get what I want out of it.
I like this post. My wife and I are the same way - dedicated to responsibility, to high performance, and to making our companies better for being there.
We’re also both competitive and like to be seen as integral.
Hooly -
Congrats! You realize your value in life is not defined or tied to your 8-5 job! A lot of people make this mistake and think their “value” in life is how well they do at their job. How shallow.
I, too, have had a few jobs where I was told I was “very good” at something and even trained other people to do things the way I did them. But still, at the end of the day, I always felt there was more I could be doing. The jobs I was doing at the time never completely “filled me up” and I am still looking for that “something more” today.
Best of luck in your life beyond the cube. You’re far ahead of most already.