When Your Attitude Becomes a Career Liability (and What to Do)

It’s easy to stay upbeat for thirty minutes during an interview, and it’s difficult not to feel optimistic when you start a promising new job.

As time goes by, however, stress can creep in. The job you thought was a “dream” can turn out to contain the occasional (or more than occasional) nightmare. Keeping your mind on the sunny side can end up demanding more energy than you have to give.

Everyday stresses, feeling “stuck,” poor relationships with supervisors or co-workers, overwhelming workloads: All these factors can result in a worsening of your workplace attitude. And while a bad day or two won’t hurt you, here are signs that negativity has started to hurt your career:

  • Your first response to a problem is to worry about yourself. People in a positive state of mind are more likely to think about solutions to the problem, not themselves. When your first concern is “but what about me?”, your co-workers may take note of negativity.
  • “Occasional” venting is now “everyday” venting. Everyone needs to decompress after a bad day. But when you find yourself venting your frustration daily—or even a few times a month—you’re in a situation that will do long-term damage to your attitude and your career.
  • Co-workers have started to avoid you. If you’ve ever had a co-worker who leaked negativity, you probably remember finding ways to limit your exposure to that person. If you notice your co-workers are starting to limit their exposure to you, ask: Have I become “that person”?
  • You are confronted about your negativity. Receiving an “intervention” from a supervisor or a co-worker is an obvious red flag that your negativity is starting to affect the rest of the team and your career.

Attitude Adjustment: How to Get Your Optimism Back

A negative attitude won’t just hurt your career. Over time, it will also grind you down, making you less able to enjoy your work or your personal life. If negativity is seeping into your work, here’s what to do.

  • Figure out what the problem is with an eye to solving it. Don’t play the “blame game,” but do look for sources of stress and ways to address them.
  • Find what you enjoy and do more of it. What drew you to the legal industry in the first place? Recall the projects you enjoyed the most, and seek out similar work. Alternately, if work you once loved now seems stale, look for something you haven’t tried before.
  • Talk to a recruiter. Staffing partners specialize in helping professionals find the “pain points” in their current career situation and seek solutions.

At Kent Legal, our recruiters can help you take an honest look at your current career path and make positive changes that push you toward your career goals. To learn more, contact us today.

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