Feeling stuck in your job as a young graduate or professional years after graduation? Ghanaian entrepreneur Dr. Daniel McKorley, founder of the McDan Group, has a timely message for you.
The business mogul says the breakthrough you are looking for will not be miraculous but will only begin with you mastering where you are.
In a reflective post directed at young graduates navigating early career frustrations, the business leader acknowledged a difficult reality that many are not stagnant because they lack ability, but because they are operating within systems that often feel limiting or unfair.
However, he argues, frustration is not an excuse for mediocrity.
The “Overqualified” Trap
According to McKorley, a common mindset among young professionals is quiet disengagement. Some start in roles they do not enjoy and immediately distance themselves from the opportunity.
The excuse for not giving their best has always been “I’m overqualified”, “This job is beneath me,” or “This isn’t my passion.”
He understands the sentiment. By his own admission, he changed careers three times before finding his path. But he insists that early-career dissatisfaction should not become an identity.
The deeper issue, he suggests, is not the job itself, but how people choose to perform in it.
Excellence Creates Leverage
The entrepreneur’s core argument is that your current job, however imperfect, funds your life. It pays the bills. It buys time. It creates stability. And most importantly, it provides a platform.
Instead of enduring it resentfully, he urges young professionals to become exceptionally good at it.
This, he says, is because excellence generates leverage. When an employee is average, they blend into the background. There is no negotiating power. No internal advocacy. No one volunteers their name in decision-making rooms.
But when someone consistently delivers, managers notice. Colleagues trust them. Leadership recommends them. Opportunities begin to surface organically.
In his view, excellence is not about pleasing employers. It is about positioning oneself.
Promotions Don’t Reward Struggle
For those eyeing a different department or a more prestigious role, McDan reveals that struggling employees are rarely moved upward.
He insists that no sane company moves a failing performer into something better. Organizations elevate their most reliable contributors, the ones who demonstrate ownership, initiative, and results.
He therefore admonishes that if a graduate wants to pivot into another field, the path is not complaint but preparation. Learn the skills for the target role after hours. Volunteer for cross-functional projects. Seek mentorship. Build competence before demanding the title.
Chronic complaining, he warns, is rarely forgotten. While employees may believe their grievances justify disengagement, what supervisors often remember is energy and professionalism.
