Early in my career, I was an editor for a large investment-management company in New York City. (I am not naming any names!) It was a step in the right direction career-wise and eventually led me to Bottom Line Personal.
I learned a lot there about investments and editing financial content…but I learned even more about—dare I say it—ambition.
I was surrounded by stock traders, investment managers, financial analysts, and newly graduated interns, all of whom put their careers above all else. The hours were long, and the work could be grueling, with intense deadlines. Yet I felt energized and proud to be working alongside these ambitious, driven people on exciting projects.
Now it seems that “ambition” has become a nasty word. Employees in all fields say that the pandemic has made them realize what they were missing by spending so much time at the office. I wasn’t surprised to read about a recent survey by the software firm Qualtrics—36% of the employees queried say their ambition has declined over these last three years…and 40% say that their work has become less important to them. Employees are refusing to stay even just a few minutes after quitting time…and some are doing the bare minimum to meet job requirements.
A part of me applauds these efforts to create a work/life balance—but I worry that ambition has been lost along the way. I may sound old school, but I think ambition is a quality to be proud of—one that encourages us to succeed in our jobs and our personal lives…and aspire to the next step toward success.
So here’s a round of applause for the forgotten ones—those who remain ambitious…who put in their best efforts at work and at home. We at Bottom Line are proud of you!
