It’s rare to find a job that doesn’t make you dread Monday mornings.

Sure, you can like what you do, and enjoy your co-workers, but how often do you feel excited to go to work? If you do, email me! I want to work with you!

If you spend even just five minutes reading through the reviews on this website you’ll realize there are A LOT of crappy television stations out there. I get sad every time I read a review about a toxic newsroom, managers who are bullies, and work environments that are literally making people have panic attacks.

For some reason it seems like being overworked, never getting lunch, and being made to feel inferior are commonplace in the TV news industry.

It’s really disappointing, discouraging, and frankly, unacceptable.

Here’s the thing though, there are some great stations out there, and even at those stations, some people think they have it bad.

KABC and KUSA both have great reviews on Rate My Station.

I don’t work at either of these shops, and while I do know some people who work at one of them, I don’t have the inside scoop on what goes on there. What I do know is that people seem happy, they put out a great product, and people actually want to come to work on Monday morning.

What always surprises me though are the people who are at these stations,
but think they can do better.

There’s a station in my market that is by far the best place to work.

Everyone is happy at the station, they all genuinely seem to support each other, and they have all the gear, tools, and training they could ask for. Rarely does someone working there not have what they need to put out awesome content.

Most of the people who work there, both on-air and behind the scenes, understand how good they have it. They get to do storytelling, they get to do long-form pieces, they get to move up at the station when there are openings. They never have to work extra hours.

The other day, someone who works there told me how much he hates it.

The way he talks, he’s at a station that doesn’t give him the opportunity to do anything. He thinks he has learned everything there is to learn, and he thinks he’s ready to be in a top 10 market.

I was shocked to hear this. First of all, I had never heard anyone talk badly about the station. Second, he’s only been working there for a year. Third, he has been given opportunities to do whatever he wants, but in a lot of cases he has passed up those chances.

Now, he’s miserable. He thinks he’s too good for the station and his attitude is turning people against him. He’s not a part of the team anymore, he’s actually playing against the team.

He’s applying to some of the highest rated stations on this website, and some of the most well-known stations in the country. He hasn’t heard anything back yet, and that’s making him mad, too.

He’s in a rush to get out of his current situation, but by having that attitude, he’s missing out on all of the opportunities in front of him.

He could be telling amazing stories at his current job, but instead, he’s just focused on moving on.

I think this happens to a lot of us. Even when we have it good, we think the grass is always greener on the other side. News flash: it’s not.

Sure, this guy could land a job at KUSA or KABC, and be happier than he’s ever been. Or he could end up at another station, and realize he had it pretty good where he was.

Don’t spend all of your time thinking about the future. Take the time to enjoy the opportunities in front of you, and make the most of them. If you are unhappy at a place where most people aren’t miserable, maybe you should talk to your co-workers, and your bosses, to figure out where the disconnect is.

Sometimes I think a lot of people don’t understand how truly good they have it until they move on.

When I look back on my past stations, I can’t believe I thought some of them were awful, when in reality, they were pretty darn good.

Enjoy where you are, and make the most of it. Take opportunities that are presented to you. Tell the best stories you can. Don’t rush through your career and look back at the end of it wishing you had made different choices.