Whoever came up with the idea that “it builds character” was not being kind.

There is a common belief that your very first job is expected to be low-level, degrading, and generally unpleasant. It is true that starting to work for the first time as a teenager or young adult can be a significant adjustment. My initial role as a filing clerk at a local doctor’s office was not exactly a walk in the park, but I didn’t despise it. No job should be inherently terrible, and if it is, that doesn’t necessarily make it a valuable learning experience. It could simply be a bad job.

It’s important to differentiate between a “challenging” job and a “terrible” job. A challenging job may require a lot from you, whether it’s demanding your complete focus for extended periods or needing specific skills or training. A challenging job can be tough initially because of your lack of experience, but with time and support from colleagues and managers, it should become more manageable, offering you valuable job and life skills along the way.

On the contrary, a terrible job is not just bad because it’s challenging. It can be unpleasant for various reasons such as incompetent management, vague guidelines, dealing with difficult customers, and unfair, excessively demanding schedules. If you find yourself in such circumstances, sticking around and enduring them won’t lead to any meaningful growth; instead, you might only learn how to cope with emotional stress and waste your time.

Your first job may be tough, and it’s normal to have some dislike for it as a result. However, if you outright hate your initial job due to the reasons mentioned or similar issues, it’s not an opportunity for personal development; it’s simply a bad job, and staying in it could be a disservice to yourself.