Working hard is so important, no matter what you are working on or where you are working.
I find that a lot of my peers only want to work hard in academics, but not other areas, such as “odd jobs.” Coming from an Asian upbringing, academic studies are highly valued. Getting good grades, acing exams, and winning awards are integral components to success. While I agree with excelling in studies, I think the same amount of effort should be exerted into so-called menial jobs as well. Just because a job is considered “easy” doesn’t mean it’s okay to slack off and do the bare minimum.
I notice that some people do not put as much effort into volunteer positions or short term/summer jobs because they are not as important and aren’t a “real career.” Putting forth your best effort in any job — whether it is being around kids, working in a fast food restaurant, or working as a grocery store bagger — is important. In any job, it isn’t okay to get away with doing the least amount of work.
Being a hospital volunteer doesn’t give you the free pass to sit on your phone and get college credit for doing nothing. Having an office job doesn’t entail scrolling through Reddit while “pretending” to do work. If you are working from home, you should try your best to do what is asked of you instead of leaving your laptop on and doing something else.
We should put forth our best effort in any job that we do, because at the end of the day, you only get paid in exchange for actually doing that job.
In the words of Walt Disney, “Whatever you do, do it well.”