Career Coach: It's Time To Find Attitude!

What do you say when someone asks you, “What do you do for work?” Would your answer tell them that you are proud of what you do? Would it tell that you feel you do significant and meaningful work? We live in a status-driven culture where titles, positions, and levels of authority are a big deal to most of us. The end result is too few of us have a healthy “attitude” about the work we do. 

I recently did a keynote speech for one hundred librarians. I asked them, “What do you say when someone asks you what you do for a living?” The room was silent – maybe because they were all librarians, or maybe because they didn’t think their work was anything to write home about. It turned out that most of them didn’t think their work was all that impressive. They were clearly lacking in attitude. Why is that?

Why do we think certain jobs and titles – doctor, CEO, firefighter, astronaut, Oscar-winning actress – are a really big deal, but we lack the confidence in our jobs and titles? Shouldn’t we all have healthy attitude about the work that we do?

It’s time to get some attitude! I told the librarians, “When someone asks you what you do for a living, tell them, ‘I change lives!’” They looked at me like I was just trying to flatter them, so I told them a story. When I was eleven years old I read two books that changed my life – one on Amelia Earhart, the other on Helen Keller. 

What did I learn? I learned how important it was to have attitude – to believe in yourself, to get out of your comfort zone, to keep learning, and to never underestimate yourself or what you are capable of. I learned to be proud of myself and be proud of what I did – even if others weren’t impressed. I learned to tell myself that my work had attitude. 

What about you? Does the story you tell yourself about the work that you do inspire you? If not, change your story! There isn’t a job that isn’t significant and meaningful. I’m sure you would agree, but if not, think about what Helen Keller said: “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” I don’t know about you, but I think Helen Keller had the right attitude – and it’s time we got some of our own. 

–Alan Allard, Career Coach