With supernatural creatures running amok and the town of Mystic Falls under constant threat, the main characters of The Vampire Diaries don't have the same priorities as their classmates. Although the teenagers are focused on their future when the series begins, the Salvatore brothers turn their world upside down.

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School and work take a back seat to survival, and for vampires, achievements are often compelled rather than earned. Regardless, some characters in The Vampire Diaries take a genuine interest in their careers and are intent on living normal lives. Not all of the characters have a great work ethic, but there are a few exceptions.

Damon Salvatore

Damon Salvatore looking at someone in The Vampire Diaries

As a human, Damon serves in the army, but as a vampire, his work ethic couldn't be worse. Damon doesn't have a job in The Vampire Diaries and isn't interested in getting one. There's no reason for a wealthy vampire with mind-control abilities to start a career unless it's for fun.

Joining the Founder's Council is the only thing Damon does that can be considered work-adjacent, although it has nothing to do with a desire to protect the town. Damon uses the role as a cover for his vampirism and deceives all of the Founding Families.

Jeremy Gilbert

Jeremy Gilbert in the woods in The Vampire Diaries.

Jeremy's work ethic reflects that of a typical teenager. He prefers to spend the summer sleeping in rather than getting up early to bus tables at the Mystic Grill. Given how many times Jeremy almost dies in the series, it's easy to understand why he wants to do other things with his time.

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However, Jeremy's lack of motivation can't be blamed solely on supernatural circumstances. Rather, it's a combination of grief, disinterest, and being 16 years old. Laziness isn't his issue, as Jeremy goes above and beyond when it comes to protecting his friends. Work and school simply tend to be low on his list of priorities.

Tyler Lockwood

Tyler Lockwood at football practice

Going off of the first season, Tyler doesn't possess any semblance of a work ethic. His family's wealth and arrogance result in a problematic upbringing, and Tyler is raised to be selfish, entitled, and far too prestigious for his own good.

Tyler does begin a seemingly impressive character arc in The Vampire Diaries, but he regresses after Klaus runs him out of Mystic Falls. Other than a brief storyline with Matt, not much emphasis is put on Tyler's desire to excel in a specific career path.

Bonnie Bennett

Bonnie looking onward in The Vampire Diaries.

The series doesn't dive too deeply into Bonnie's future goals due to how often her future is taken away from her. Bonnie spends a large chunk of The Vampire Diaries as a ghost, the anchor to the Other Side, or trapped in a prison world. When Bonnie is among the living, she never intends to be for long.

She sees her life as expendable and doesn't bother dreaming about things that won't come to pass. Bonnie doesn't even make plans after graduation, because accepts she's already dead when she accepts her diploma. Yet, despite the minimal opportunity she gets to showcase it, Bonnie has a better work ethic than several of the other characters.

Stefan Salvatore

Stefan Salvatore in the woods in The Vampire Diaries.

Due to their family's wealth, Stefan is in a similar boat as his brother. He doesn't need a job and never appears as if he wants one. However, Stefan does possess the desire to live a normal life, which is part of the reason why he attends high school with Elena.

Not much work is required on his part, as Stefan has retained enough knowledge over the decades to teach the class. But he still chooses to put forth the effort instead of relying solely on his vampirism. Stefan sees the value of hard work, even if he doesn't get much of a chance to apply it to present-day goals. Stefan even gets a job as a mechanic during the months that follow his brother's death.

Alaric Saltzman

Alaric Saltzman in his classroom in The Vampire Diaries

As both a human and an adult, Alaric is the only main character who has an ongoing career. He's clearly passionate about teaching, but his job is often overshadowed by other things.

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Between periods, Alaric's classroom is used as a meeting spot for his supernatural friends rather than a place to grade papers. Additionally, Alaric makes questionable career choices, such as attending the 18th birthday party of one of his students and drinking with underage teenagers from his history class.

Elena Gilbert

Elena Gilbert looking at Stefan in The Vampire Diaries

Elena spends most of her adolescence striving to be a writer, but everything changes after her parents' tragic death in The Vampire Diaries. Elena's goals are put on the back burner while she grieves, and other things take priority once Stefan arrives in Mystic Falls.

Elena doesn't start focusing on her aspirations until college, which isn't out of the ordinary. She follows in her father's footsteps and becomes a doctor. (Legacies even features the outside of her practice.) While a career partially coincides with taking the cure, Elena plans to have one no matter her supernatural status.

Caroline Forbes

Caroline and Tyler at the school in The Vampire Diaries.

Caroline's personality is different from The Vampire Diaries books, and she resolves to earn her success through hard work and dedication. Whether she's a human or a vampire, Caroline has always exemplified an incredible work ethic.

Caroline has no problem using compulsion under the right circumstances, and will happily indulge in special perks. When it comes to her career, Caroline takes pride in showcasing her skills and proving that she's capable. Her daughters inspire her to open a school for supernatural children, and Caroline becomes personally invested in the students and their success.

Matt Donavan

Matt Donovan in a suit in The Vampire Diaries

Damon might go out of his way to make fun of Matt's misfortune in The Vampire Diaries, but his bad luck is a result of being human in a town overrun with supernatural creatures. Fans tend to dislike Matt the longer the series goes on, given his hatred for vampires and poor treatment of the other characters.

His devotion is admirable in certain respects, and he takes his job as a busboy more seriously than most teenagers would. In other ways, Matt's work ethic is so strong that it's detrimental. As the town sheriff, his loyalty is to the badge rather than his friends. Matt betrays them on multiple occasions and lets his career take precedence over those who've always had his back.

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