Is it important to like/love your job?

What about lion taming?

Peter

Hi Kevin,

I will reply to your question from my own experience. I would say: yes! You have to like your job. Otherwise you'll end up with a burn-out or something really soon.

Now, a job is many things. It's the actual work that you're doing. It's the place where you work, the building, colleagues, organisation. And it's a proces of putting in energy and getting energy and recognition in return. These things have to be balanced. I believe you can survive if your job sucks but you have a bunch of nice people you work with and it pays well. I also believe you can survive if the people around you are not really your friends but you have a huge passion for your work and you can share that with others. Recognition is neccesary at all times. Salary and most importantly the feeling that your work is appreciated. Whether that's by your boss or the clients or colleagues, as long as you get some positive feedback somehow.

I recognize somewhat of what you write about enjoying your studies but not really looking forward to the job you're studying for. I really love studies, training, courses and everything, but I never see myself in a serious job afterwards... So what I do is, I do work I'm qualified to do and in the meantime I keep looking for trainings I enjoy and I just keep busy developping myself because I just like to do that. And maybe I'll end up in a job I'll be doing for years and maybe I just keep switching and looking, who knows.

What is important to know is that you always have the choice. In high school they give young people the idea that the choice of your studies and your career is the most important, which gives some people this feeling of a definite or final decision. OK, financially it's nice of you pick the right education at once and get a job you really like. But most people find out later in life what they want. And you can always keep developping yourself and keep exploring, what it is that you like, both education and job wise.

This may sound like you can be a student forever, but what I mean is, especially if you will get an accountant job that pays well, if you don't really like the job you have some money to go into a different direction if you want to and do a part time study or some trainings.

I am 30 and I'm being trained as a teacher now. I have no idea if I will become and stay a teacher. I have many more things I want to do. Maybe it's fun to know that the average age of my co-students is about 50 I guess. All people who enjoy learning and developping, from age 20 to 65. That's great.

About the job. A job takes time. To get used to after college. And you have to get experience as an employee. But keep one thing in mind. If it doesn't feel right, something is wrong. That can be anything (you don't like work, you don't like the people you work with, your conditions are not right, you are not appreciated in your job). Fix it. If you lose more energy than you put into the job, find out where it goes and fix it. A pricky boss is not worth your energy. Unless you get something in return that is worth it for you (there is that balance again).

I understand from your post that you do know what you like (so sorry for my long rant then ). That's great. If you do what you enjoy with a passion, you have the best chance to succeed.

Last thing I want to say. You don't have to know what to do with your life. I mean that's a really long time, isn't it? Just decide what you want to do now. That will be enough for now. And you'll see what happens and you go on from there. As long as you keep asking yourself if you're doing what you like and perhaps one day you want something else, that is still possible. Ask feedback from people and make sure you have people to share your experiences with and people who appreciate you.

Good luck with your life! (OK, with the next 20 months to begin with then )

Good point.

I forgot to mention that I am talking from both an easier point of view and a more difficult point of view. The easy part is that I am in a relationship and that I am not the person who brings the most important part of the money in. The more difficult part is that I have two children and that's why it can be tough to go back to school. There are more possibilities when you don't have a family yet. And perhaps there are less possibilities if you have to take care of yourself and your home and everything financially, all by yourself...

And speaking of career, I realise that being in the field of education the chance of a job is also bigger because of the lack of teachers and because age doesn't matter. I can imagine that in other fields it very difficult to build up a career when you are older. I am no expert whatsoever when it comes to fields that have to do with economics, business, marketing, commercy etc!

There's a lot of excellent points mentioned above - and all very well put.

One thing I would say is that there's more opportunity to try different things to see what suits when you are younger and (probably) have fewer commitments. Once you have commitments (family, etc) then it's more difficult to move from job to job, trying to find something that you "love."

Maybe a part of you would be content at being a "professional student"? I think that I would have been best suited to that. I really enjoyed learning things - much more than actually applying the knowledge in the workplace!

Thor, how many people you know who make that romantic view of job and working, an actual reality? I find that with most people, down the road reality brings those dreams down, at least to a degree.

I see your points; and i agree with them. Sadly, for many people just having the WILL to change your life in that area (the job, professional one) isn't always enough whereas luck is a factor that also plays a great part; and of course who you know...

An added thought: it may of course help immensely if you are a generalist rather than a specialist.

If you have a broadly developed set of skills it's way easier to be job hopping (or even switch tasks and responsibilities within the confines of your current employ).

It may be worth your while Kevin to maybe look at some skills and competencies that may broaden your horizon: project management skills, some business competencies. Just nothing too specific. It may very well give you the space you need to develop yourself beyond your studies and avoid your getting pigeonholed too soon.

Money isn't a tool for happiness and I can personally attest to it. Happiness must come from within.



I do know someone who is a professional student. She has multiple degrees and has spent her life so far, nearly 40+ years going to school. She has very little in terms of "things" but she is quite happy. She has never experienced the joy and sorrow of being in a relationship and has no desire to experience it. While I don't know her well she seems to be quite happy.

As most know on this forum I had a stroke which completely changed my life. I loved my job but also became obssessed with making a lot of money. When the dust settled from the sickness the money was gone and I was left with myself. I have enough money to live and will no longer be able to work again. The long term relationship with the person that I thought I had to have was taken away from me because of the stroke. We need to have relationships in our life just not one particular person. Today I'm trying to do that.

Thomas

Although I agree with your sentiment and I know perfectly well you don't mean it to imply a 'black and white' view of the subject, I would add that money can be used as a tool for happiness depending on who is using that tool and how it is used. To put it simply, money can provide opportunities of happiness that a lack of money may not necessarily be able to. Money just shouldn't become the main driving force of happiness, and can of course be a cause of unhappiness.

...saying that, I wish I had more of the stuff.

I am with Thomas basically; the money earned from a job can make you absolutely love it; or in the contrary situation, hate it.

Depends on one's needs. Especially as people grow and make their own families.

ah, and he's only working a couple of months

I want to hear how you would react when you worked 5 years

then I recommend you start quickly my boy

But of course being healthy and loved is the primal beginning in everything, nobody's arguing with that. Materialism is the other extreme, we aren't talking about that either. Inbetween extremes, there's always a middle situation. We're in the middle, normal situations whereas you need the basic amount of money (accordingly) to have the basic needs and luxury in order to live a respectable life.

I would guess it's not much different for any layer?
It's just more direct and easily observable in the lower layers where money goes directly for food and rent.

In the upper layers there's still a money flow, but more subtly (indirectly, towards education for example, or travel).