“I hate being in Sales,” a woman recently confessed to me. Even so, she’s pretty successful, and was recently netting $40,000 a month in commissions. But here she was, telling me that she hated the very job that she was so good at.
This surprised me, because I like to pretend that most sales professionals enjoy their jobs. I’m pretty certain (but can’t prove) that the ones who do enjoy it are generally more successful. And most sales professional seem pretty upbeat, at least on the surface.
Even so, I’m well aware that plenty of people don’t like their jobs. I was just always kinda assumed that sales professionals were immune to the typical work-a-day malaise.
“I hate treating everyone as a potential customer,” she continued, “I hate pretending I like people with whom I have little or nothing in common. I hate cold-calling and I hate following up.”
Hoping to put a more positive spin on the conversation, I asked, “Well, then, what do you like about your job?”
She answered without hesitation: “The money, that’s all. I do my job and do it well, but if I could do something else and still make this kind of money, I would.”
I found her viewpoint personally depressing, because she happens to be my sister.
I want my sister to be happier but I don’t know what to tell her. Seriously, I’m at a loss.
Do you secretly hate your job? If so, how do you cope? And if you don’t, what’s your secret?
Can anyone help me out here?
