Is it important to love your job?
So I am a 20 year old 1st year undergraduate student who has been looking for work since approximately half way through the academic year (although admittedly the pace has only really picked up enough where I'm proper serious now as it is summer)
One of the things that I've noticed is that you are often asked why you want to work for a company or work a certain role but the truth is I just want to get a entry level job to save a little bit of cash and also at my age I feel I ought to start working.
I can think of reasons why I wouldn't want to work for particular places but for most I'm not bothered.
This topic is also on my mind because this academic year has went by so fast and it just sees like, assuming I get this far, graduation is really not far away which means that I need to figure out what kind of jobs I want to look for afterwards.
But the truth is I cant choose because I am vaguely interested in alot of things, particularly in the stem area but I dont have one true passion
I really just think that I'm not bothered what I do as long as I dont absolutely hate it and it allows me to pay my bills and save a little on the side to keep myself financially secure.
Granted I haven't had a job yet (the closest I've came is five weeks placement is an engineering but it was a nuffield research placement where I was mostly working on my own doing something I consider to be relatively simple so I dont even think that's representative) so maybe I'll change my mind if I have a really *****y job.
So is it important to have a passion and really love your job ?
Also any tips on getting that first job?
One of the things that I've noticed is that you are often asked why you want to work for a company or work a certain role but the truth is I just want to get a entry level job to save a little bit of cash and also at my age I feel I ought to start working.
I can think of reasons why I wouldn't want to work for particular places but for most I'm not bothered.
This topic is also on my mind because this academic year has went by so fast and it just sees like, assuming I get this far, graduation is really not far away which means that I need to figure out what kind of jobs I want to look for afterwards.
But the truth is I cant choose because I am vaguely interested in alot of things, particularly in the stem area but I dont have one true passion
I really just think that I'm not bothered what I do as long as I dont absolutely hate it and it allows me to pay my bills and save a little on the side to keep myself financially secure.
Granted I haven't had a job yet (the closest I've came is five weeks placement is an engineering but it was a nuffield research placement where I was mostly working on my own doing something I consider to be relatively simple so I dont even think that's representative) so maybe I'll change my mind if I have a really *****y job.
So is it important to have a passion and really love your job ?
Also any tips on getting that first job?
Scroll to see replies
it not important, but it's helpful.
it depends how much of your life is consumed by it and what are the rewards gained from it. You have to weigh up all three...
for example, my grandfather didn't love his job, he worked as a manager in a factory, there was no love or passion or motivation really, but work finished at 5pm, and there was no email/phone/work to take home.. it was 37 hours a week, nothing more, job done, 4-5 weeks holiday a year plus all bank holidays. Enough money back then to buy a nice home, have a wife who only works occasionally, and raise two children in a middle-class style. He was very happy.
Obviously he would have been more happy if he had also loved what he was doing, but what if the cost of him doing what he loved, sacrificed his nice working hours and lost him time with his family? Or what if it lost him some of the financial rewards that he needed to support his childrens lifestyle?
For most people you are looking at a mix of:
- reward
- satisfaction
- effort/time required.
Your aim is to find a balance of all 3 that works for you. Maybe the satisfaction is low, but the reward is high.. maybe the ward is low, but the effort required is also low, etc.
Obviously having all three maximized would be great.. not to much work, lots of money, lots of satisfaction... but that's a dream for most. so in reality just try and negotiate the best balance you can. Don't believe the hype of 'Do what you love, and you will never work again though' - its just one of the three main points.. there are plenty of people who do what they love, but don't earn enough to support their family.. or who do what they love, but have to work so many hours that they never see their kids etc.
Find a balance that works for oyu.
for example, my grandfather didn't love his job, he worked as a manager in a factory, there was no love or passion or motivation really, but work finished at 5pm, and there was no email/phone/work to take home.. it was 37 hours a week, nothing more, job done, 4-5 weeks holiday a year plus all bank holidays. Enough money back then to buy a nice home, have a wife who only works occasionally, and raise two children in a middle-class style. He was very happy.
Obviously he would have been more happy if he had also loved what he was doing, but what if the cost of him doing what he loved, sacrificed his nice working hours and lost him time with his family? Or what if it lost him some of the financial rewards that he needed to support his childrens lifestyle?
For most people you are looking at a mix of:
- reward
- satisfaction
- effort/time required.
Your aim is to find a balance of all 3 that works for you. Maybe the satisfaction is low, but the reward is high.. maybe the ward is low, but the effort required is also low, etc.
Obviously having all three maximized would be great.. not to much work, lots of money, lots of satisfaction... but that's a dream for most. so in reality just try and negotiate the best balance you can. Don't believe the hype of 'Do what you love, and you will never work again though' - its just one of the three main points.. there are plenty of people who do what they love, but don't earn enough to support their family.. or who do what they love, but have to work so many hours that they never see their kids etc.
Find a balance that works for oyu.
Original post by irishninja
So I am a 20 year old 1st year undergraduate student who has been looking for work since approximately half way through the academic year (although admittedly the pace has only really picked up enough where I'm proper serious now as it is summer)
One of the things that I've noticed is that you are often asked why you want to work for a company or work a certain role but the truth is I just want to get a entry level job to save a little bit of cash and also at my age I feel I ought to start working.
I can think of reasons why I wouldn't want to work for particular places but for most I'm not bothered.
This topic is also on my mind because this academic year has went by so fast and it just sees like, assuming I get this far, graduation is really not far away which means that I need to figure out what kind of jobs I want to look for afterwards.
But the truth is I cant choose because I am vaguely interested in alot of things, particularly in the stem area but I dont have one true passion
I really just think that I'm not bothered what I do as long as I dont absolutely hate it and it allows me to pay my bills and save a little on the side to keep myself financially secure.
Granted I haven't had a job yet (the closest I've came is five weeks placement is an engineering but it was a nuffield research placement where I was mostly working on my own doing something I consider to be relatively simple so I dont even think that's representative) so maybe I'll change my mind if I have a really *****y job.
So is it important to have a passion and really love your job ?
Also any tips on getting that first job?
One of the things that I've noticed is that you are often asked why you want to work for a company or work a certain role but the truth is I just want to get a entry level job to save a little bit of cash and also at my age I feel I ought to start working.
I can think of reasons why I wouldn't want to work for particular places but for most I'm not bothered.
This topic is also on my mind because this academic year has went by so fast and it just sees like, assuming I get this far, graduation is really not far away which means that I need to figure out what kind of jobs I want to look for afterwards.
But the truth is I cant choose because I am vaguely interested in alot of things, particularly in the stem area but I dont have one true passion
I really just think that I'm not bothered what I do as long as I dont absolutely hate it and it allows me to pay my bills and save a little on the side to keep myself financially secure.
Granted I haven't had a job yet (the closest I've came is five weeks placement is an engineering but it was a nuffield research placement where I was mostly working on my own doing something I consider to be relatively simple so I dont even think that's representative) so maybe I'll change my mind if I have a really *****y job.
So is it important to have a passion and really love your job ?
Also any tips on getting that first job?
It's quite a luxurious concept. Most people don't much like their job, but don't have much of an option. Something has to pay the mortgage.
If you can get a job you love, then that's great. But if it's more mediocre, and you're ambivalent about it, then you've probably got something in common with 90% of the UK population.
yeah i guess but i loved my job but still don’t give a **** that i was sacked. and i was making **** tons of money. RIP RICH CHANEL. hello brokey
my aunt always tells me that a job is just to get you money and not necessarily be happy in, but if you can find a job that does both then that's good. not necessary tho.
Well yes.If you are just doing it for the money then what's the point? There is no point making money for food and rent if you just spend most of your time not enjoying yourself.Life is to be enjoyed.If it's not enjoyable then I see very little point in it.
can't be that important, most do not love their job. You can enjoy life outside of job.
Unless you're planning to work your way to early retirement - yea it's important.
For most people, it will consume the majority of there day and even the majority of their life.
For most people, it will consume the majority of there day and even the majority of their life.
Original post by irishninja
So is it important to have a passion and really love your job ?
Also any tips on getting that first job?
Also any tips on getting that first job?
I genuinely believe that the vast amount of information out there that tell people 'find your passion' etc is unhelpful. Motivation is a curious thing.
The reality is that many people have no clue what they want to do and that's all right. Yes even at 21, even at 25, sometimes even at 30 and beyond. Even those that do know and get it can be pretty unhappy.
The team and environment you work in is far more important for a lot of people in terms of satisfaction than what they do. A lot of people will tell you exactly the opposite advice to this, that it matters incredibly precisely what you do and you have to have a love/passion/various unimaginative descriptors to describe that precise role.
As you are in engineering my advice would be to try and get some work experience and don't beat yourself up too much, as it's a very competitive field. Also don't restrict yourself to just industry - get some work experience in something totally and utterly different.
Original post by James2312
Well yes.If you are just doing it for the money then what's the point? There is no point making money for food and rent if you just spend most of your time not enjoying yourself.Life is to be enjoyed.If it's not enjoyable then I see very little point in it.
In most cases, nobody is going to pay you to do something you enjoy. And without work you don't have money to do the things you actually enjoy.
Original post by Reality Check
It's quite a luxurious concept. Most people don't much like their job, but don't have much of an option. Something has to pay the mortgage.
If you can get a job you love, then that's great. But if it's more mediocre, and you're ambivalent about it, then you've probably got something in common with 90% of the UK population.
If you can get a job you love, then that's great. But if it's more mediocre, and you're ambivalent about it, then you've probably got something in common with 90% of the UK population.
There is an engineering job that I'm looking to get very soon, and I know that if I get it, then I'll be in that minority 10%.
At least if one has a job of any description, in my eyes at least, you can have a bit of pride you otherwise wouldn't have.
No.
Most people who have to earn a living to support themselves will work several different jobs in five years and many more over the next two decades.
I've worked in so many different industries since I started working at 16.
My priority is to pay bills and necessary living expenses.
So long as I don't despise the job or feel unsafe, I'm reasonably content.
Most people who have to earn a living to support themselves will work several different jobs in five years and many more over the next two decades.
I've worked in so many different industries since I started working at 16.
My priority is to pay bills and necessary living expenses.
So long as I don't despise the job or feel unsafe, I'm reasonably content.
Original post by Student-95
In most cases, nobody is going to pay you to do something you enjoy. And without work you don't have money to do the things you actually enjoy.
That says more about society than the actual value of work itself tbh.We've basically just made lives for ourselves which are 70% not enjoyable.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by James2312
That says more about society than the actual value of work itself tbh.We've basically just made lives for ourselves which are 70% not enjoyable.
Not really. Most things we enjoy are for ourselves and don't really add value to society so why would we get paid for it?
Original post by Student-95
Not really. Most things we enjoy are for ourselves and don't really add value to society so why would we get paid for it?
Well we actually do far more work than we need to.In reality a lot of jobs don't add much but are merely beurocracy.We actually work some of the longest hours in the EU and don't actually gain much in productivity.Same with schooling.I'm not saying we should get paid for it but maybe we should work less? There is a lot more to life than work.
It depends a lot on the job; I don't think I've ever met anyone working in any technical IT job who wasn't interested in technology or who didn't enjoy working with computers. Given how much there is to learn in jobs like that, I'd think it's also pretty hard to work in anything IT-related unless you're really enthusiastic about working in tech, since it's a non-stop learning-curve, but more importantly, the work needs various levels of creative and logical thinking, so those usually aren't jobs which suit someone who just wants to turn up to work and be a 'robot' for 7.5hrs.
Also, a lot of people who work in areas like medicine, care, teaching, policing, etc often find that sort of work to be quite rewarding, and enjoy being able to help people. Again, those jobs are demanding on multiple levels (particularly emotionally and often mentally too), but are often also long unsociable working hours, so it doesn't suit someone who wouldn't enjoy it.
There's also other things to keep in mind about job enjoyment - sometimes a job can be enjoyable if you're working with really good people who you get on well with, or if the job feels challenging in ways which keep you learning or on your toes all the time, and gives you something to feel proud of at the end of each day.
Also, a lot of people who work in areas like medicine, care, teaching, policing, etc often find that sort of work to be quite rewarding, and enjoy being able to help people. Again, those jobs are demanding on multiple levels (particularly emotionally and often mentally too), but are often also long unsociable working hours, so it doesn't suit someone who wouldn't enjoy it.
There's also other things to keep in mind about job enjoyment - sometimes a job can be enjoyable if you're working with really good people who you get on well with, or if the job feels challenging in ways which keep you learning or on your toes all the time, and gives you something to feel proud of at the end of each day.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by irishninja
But the truth is I cant choose because I am vaguely interested in alot of things, particularly in the stem area but I dont have one true passion
But the truth is I cant choose because I am vaguely interested in alot of things, particularly in the stem area but I dont have one true passion
I think realistically it's already one of the best guidance you can get in this world.
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