1489: 5 Reasons to Take a Cr---y Job by Isaac Morehouse on Resiliency & Work Experience Benefits

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[00:00:26] This is Optimal Work Daily.

[00:00:28] 5 Reasons to Take a Cr----y Job by Isaac Morehouse of IsaacMorehouse.com

[00:00:35] If you want to be really good at whatever you do, I recommend getting some cr----y work experience while you're young.

[00:00:41] Mop floors, work a cash register, haul junk, install drywall, dig ditches, clean bathrooms, or some kind of job that has no pre-existing skill requirement.

[00:00:51] Let's not get too romantic.

[00:00:53] I don't look down on people who haven't ever had a cr----y job, nor do I look up to people who don't like it but have never moved on from one.

[00:01:00] Still, there are some takeaways a cr----y job provides that are just hard to get any other way.

[00:01:05] Here are a few things you'll gain.

[00:01:08] You'll learn that attitude is everything.

[00:01:10] There literally is nothing else.

[00:01:13] When you're working a c----y job, you can't expect things to suddenly get more exciting or rewarding on their own.

[00:01:19] Without the faintest hope of a fortunate change in external circumstances, you are forced to come to terms with what's true for every job.

[00:01:27] Attitude trumps everything.

[00:01:28] The difference in a good day cutting 2x4 studs and a bad day cutting 2x4 studs is whether or not you begin with a smile and a whistle.

[00:01:36] I'm not kidding.

[00:01:38] Try not being happy while whistling.

[00:01:40] Customers will be rude, things you just swept will get dirty again, and it'll rain while you're trying to read the smudged instructions on the rented ditch witch.

[00:01:48] Your laughter might be the only thing that saves you.

[00:01:51] This lesson will serve you well when you're doing work that's not c----y because then the stakes only get higher, and bad days can seem catastrophic if you don't know how to deal.

[00:02:00] You'll learn to focus on product.

[00:02:03] Titles and family income and educational attainment and physical beauty don't mean much on the cleanup crew.

[00:02:09] When you're bagging groceries, nobody gives a hoot how good you are at tennis or how many extracurriculars you have.

[00:02:14] There is little scope for unearned favor and politicking in a c----y job.

[00:02:19] You shut up and produce.

[00:02:20] Want to raise?

[00:02:21] Get more done.

[00:02:22] Make more customers happy.

[00:02:24] Be faster than your coworkers.

[00:02:25] Never show up late or miss a day.

[00:02:27] Work overtime.

[00:02:29] It's too easy in some of the more complex and interesting jobs, many of which are several steps removed from the end customer,

[00:02:35] to forget what it is that actually generates the money to make the place go.

[00:02:39] You can slip into a mindset that overvalues cleverness and social gamesmanship and overlooks value creation.

[00:02:46] That won't happen when you're stocking shelves or emptying sticky beer bottles into the dump truck.

[00:02:51] You want to move up?

[00:02:52] You'd better create more value.

[00:02:54] You'll learn that you can be great.

[00:02:56] There are a lot of people who have mastered the techniques of c----y jobs and can really fly through.

[00:03:01] There are even some who genuinely love the jobs.

[00:03:04] But let's be honest, most of the people you'll work with at the landscaping company aren't the type you'd want to work with later in life.

[00:03:10] In c----y jobs, the majority of people you're surrounded by are always looking for the path of least resistance,

[00:03:16] being sneaky about hours, indulging in fruitless gossip, pilfering snacks from the break room, and sometimes worse.

[00:03:22] When the skill bar is low, you get some unsavory characters who come in and out.

[00:03:27] The best part about this is that it won't take you long to realize that, with a little effort, dedication, and basic people skills and integrity,

[00:03:35] you can rise to the top and be one of the best employees.

[00:03:38] This is a good feeling.

[00:03:40] I'm convinced that the path to greatness for most people comes not when they suddenly realize how much potential they have,

[00:03:46] but when they realize how little everyone else seems to try.

[00:03:49] Here's the secret. This doesn't change when you move from the grocery store to the Fortune 500 company.

[00:03:55] You'll learn what you want to avoid.

[00:03:57] If you've always been in the officers' quarters and never with the enlisted men and women,

[00:04:01] you won't know exactly what you've got.

[00:04:03] In fact, you may even long for the romantic ideal of menial work in your weaker, more stressed-out moments.

[00:04:09] If only my biggest concern was the blister on my heel, you'll think to yourself,

[00:04:13] imagining working the chain gang with Cool Hand Luke.

[00:04:16] Everyone who has ever worked a crappy job and moved on will laugh at you.

[00:04:20] Sure, they can reminisce about it, but they would never trade intellectually engaging, creative work for it.

[00:04:25] They see it as what it is, the first rung on a ladder of personal development.

[00:04:30] Working a crappy job helps you realize that you've got bigger dreams than just earning enough money to live.

[00:04:35] It will motivate you to do more, to build your skill, knowledge, and network outside of work so you can jump into something better.

[00:04:43] You'll learn that the worst case isn't so bad.

[00:04:46] Yes, this post is about crappy jobs.

[00:04:48] Yes, I just said there's nothing romantic about it, and if you work one, you'll probably want out.

[00:04:53] And that's all true.

[00:04:54] But it's also true that these jobs aren't so bad.

[00:04:57] You can only really know this if you've had one.

[00:05:00] This knowledge will come in handy when you are about to launch your startup and you have no idea if it will fail.

[00:05:05] Failure will loom as a haunting specter, crippling you with indecision.

[00:05:09] What will happen if I'm wrong and this thing fails?

[00:05:12] That's when the memory of your crappy job will be like a warm blanket.

[00:05:15] You'll smile and realize that the worst case isn't so bad.

[00:05:19] So what if your business fails?

[00:05:20] So what if no one will hire you afterwards?

[00:05:23] The worst that can happen is you'll downgrade to a small apartment and mow lawns or ring up customers.

[00:05:27] You've been there. It's not death.

[00:05:30] That's as far as the fall can go.

[00:05:32] There's comfort and courage in that.

[00:05:34] And by the way, when I say crappy jobs, I'm painting with a broad brush.

[00:05:39] I realize that these jobs are not crappy at all to some people.

[00:05:42] I do not mean to insult.

[00:05:44] I quite enjoyed most of my crappy jobs while they lasted.

[00:05:47] My goal is for you to imagine a job that you think would be crappy.

[00:05:51] Something you know you don't want to do for the rest of your life.

[00:05:53] Something that doesn't require much skill to start with.

[00:05:56] And something that no one will be impressed by at cocktail hour.

[00:06:03] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:06:06] Five Reasons to Take a C***y Job by Isaac Morehouse of IsaacMorehouse.com.

[00:06:11] This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

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[00:06:19] But as adults, sometimes we lose that curiosity.

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[00:07:02] Visit betterhelp.com slash workdaily today to get 10% off your first month.

[00:07:07] That's betterhelp.com slash workdaily.

[00:07:13] And I want to give a big thanks to Isaac before I go today.

[00:07:16] He's the founder and CEO of Crash, the career launch platform.

[00:07:20] And he previously founded and currently serves as an advisor to Praxis, a startup apprenticeship program.

[00:07:26] And when he's not with his wife and kids or building his company,

[00:07:30] he can be found playing guitars, reading, writing, getting angry watching sports teams

[00:07:35] from his home state of Michigan or enjoying the beach.

[00:07:37] He has a ton of great content on his site, isaacmorehouse.com.

[00:07:42] And he also has a podcast called Office Hours that covers career and life advice,

[00:07:47] which is also worth checking out.

[00:07:49] All right, that's going to do it for today.

[00:07:50] I thank you so much for being here and listening all the way through.

[00:07:53] And I'll be back with you tomorrow for the Tuesday show where your optimal life awaits.

[00:07:58] you know, these are all very great things.

[00:07:58] .