The Only Times You Can Take a Mediocre Job

Are you stuck in a mediocre job? Do you get up every morning wishing you could just stay in bed? Does hearing about your friends’ careers make you feel slightly envious? 

If this sounds in any way familiar, you have to make some changes in your life. 

Of course, there are times when you simply need to take any job you can get. If you can barely pay your rent, it goes without saying that you need to get money from somewhere. 

But no matter what your current situation is, you can’t just focus on paying the bills. You have bigger plans for your life. You have dreams. And you should never put them on the back burner. 

So, if you happen to be in a situation where you either have a job you hate or you are considering taking a job you already know you don’t like, I’d like to share a few thoughts with you.

How having a mediocre job can hurt you

To be very blunt, a mediocre job tends to go hand in hand with a mediocre life. For people who simply want a normal, good life, getting any decent job might be perfectly acceptable. 

But for people who don’t want to settle for an average life and who have a clear vision of what they want their life to look like, mediocre is simply not an option. 

The problem with taking a job that you don’t like is that it holds you back. You make some money, but you don’t get up in the morning excited for the new day. You’re not proud of what you do. You’re not living your dream life and you’re not surrounded by the right people. 

Instead, you’re settling for a life that isn’t for you. 

When you can take a mediocre job:

Every rule has an exception and that applies to having a less-than-ideal job as well. Other than simply needing the money, there are three other reasons to take a job you don’t really care about that much. 

1. To learn a certain skill

It might be worth it to take a job simply because you know it will teach you a valuable skill. For me, the job in question was face-to-face marketing for Doctors Without Borders.

If you want to read the whole story of what the job was like and why I took it, you can read it on my Medium blog. All I’m going to say here is that I’ve never learned as much from a job before. 

So, if you know that the job you’re considering can teach you something that would definitely help you in the future, that’s definitely a valid reason to take it. 

2. It looks good on your resume

Some jobs aren’t particularly exciting (well, I guess that applies to most jobs), but they look really good on your resume. 

There are many mediocre jobs that luckily come with really impressive job titles. An internship abroad can look great on your resume, even if you did little else than fill Excel sheets. 

3. It will help you get a job in the future

The third reason to get a mediocre job mainly applies to young people who don’t have much to put in their resume yet or who aren’t quite sure what they want to do in the future. 

Sometimes it’s a good idea to get a job simply because it can increase your chances of getting a job in the future. For example, working at Walmart can help you get another retail job later. 

Last year I was trying to find a simple part-time job so that I wouldn’t just sit at home writing all the time. And guess what? I couldn’t get even the simplest job at any shop. Absolutely no chance because they all prefer candidates who already have experience. 

So, for the off-chance that you’ll one day want a simple, mediocre job to make some extra money, keep this in mind. 

In any case, you NEED to have a plan to get out

Whatever reason you have to get a mediocre job, make sure that you also make a plan to get a better job as soon as possible. 

I’ve seen many times how people get too comfortable with the jobs they hate and then they stay there for years, missing the chance to build a better life for themselves. 

If you know the job isn’t what you want to do for the rest of your life, don’t let yourself settle. Make a plan to move on as soon as possible and don’t stay any longer than you need to. 

Your dreams and goals are way too valuable to be sacrificed for something that doesn’t even make you happy. 

Conclusion

There are times when it’s wise to take a less-than-perfect job. But whatever your situation is, you should never forget who you are and what you actually want to do with your life. 

A better job could be right around the corner, but you’re not going to get it if you don’t even try. 

Have you taken a job you didn’t really care about? Do you feel like it gave you something valuable besides money? Let me know!

And here’s what to read next: Are You on the Right Track in Your Career?