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I remember growing up hearing from everyone around me (teachers, counselors, parents, etc.) that your job should be your PASSION and that you should look forward to it. I've found the exact opposite to be true. Jobs are a pain in the ass - backstabbing coworkers, meaningless work, mind-numbing repetition, micromanaging bosses, having to get up at the crack of dawn and fight traffic every day. What's so great about that?!
I'm financially preparing for an early retirement, and my job will (hopefully) provide the means to get there. That is why I continue to show up every day, to pay the bills and plan for a time when I will no longer have to show up to work. There is no passion. It's a means to an end.
Some people are lucky enough that their passion also happens to be a well paying job. Others have great paying jobs that they hate (many lawyers I know feel this way, doctors as well). Some passions pay nothing (stamp collecting), but in this day & age, you could probably host a website and Youtube channel that could generate decent revenue. My opinion is this:
You either work in your passion (career) or you hold a job that limits you to 40 hours a week with 1.5 pay minimum for any overtime work. It makes no sense to work on salary for a job you aren't passionate about. Commissioned sales is another option. If you take the job route, limit it to 40 hours as much as possible and work on your passion on your off time. Again, with the above net advice, you might actually be able to quit your day job thanks to the income from online sources.
With that said, I agree w/an earlier poster that said many that work on their passion usually have others that pay the bills. I have found this time & again when studying up on other successful people. They act like they did it on their own, but when you dig deep enough, you find out they had plenty of help along the way.
Sorry but he is wrong on a lot of people. Me for one.
I decided I was going to an electrical engineer before I knew what an electircal engineer was. Around ten I started to take thems apart and build things. Figured out much of the basics before high school. Was the grade school projectionist. For a couple of years I was the only one who knew how the projector worked and was hooked up to the sound system.
I went on an eventually got my EE degree. Went to work at it and had a great time. Actually should have left after about 20 years but did not because I was enjoying it to much. I pointed out to my wife that my hobbies cost a couple of million a year and that I would not be able to indulge them in other environments.
Ohh there were years where the passion waxed...but only a few.
And I would do it all over again. It was a great tour and the passion made it even better.
So, for those who are so lucky, engage your passions. The only way to go.
There is nothing that says one's passion can't change.
Humans are not animals--our passions are what we determine them to be.
Can change but it can also mature. I started fascinated by the physics and how it all worked...a really neat thing in a highly empirical art. Then into the engineering of how to actually do it. And finally off into how you structure and manage organizations to do complex tasks. Particularly interesting as you get into development where part of the art has to be invented. You begin knowing you don't know how lto get it done.
In my early career managers were nuisances to be avoided or conned into doing the right thing. Later though the most interesting thing was how to plan and structure big projects. My young self would have thought my old self dull and not in an interesting end.
A friend of mine once said...I knew I found my passion when I went to work... Got to eat ice cream every day... And then they paid me for it! Shaaaweet! (Btw he really didn't eat ice cream .. It was symbolic)
I would be in a career where I actually "got" what my friend meant. I was paid well... And I loved coming to work! Some how I managed to balance the office politics and contribute to improving . So yes ... It's possible and downright almost a crime to get paid for doing something that came so easy once I laid the ground work.
I like what I do for both of my jobs honestly. I work security at a sports stadium and as a SPED Paraprofessional/Teaching Assistant. One day I hope to be a teacher. I always wanted to be a teacher (well a college professor after I got established in the workplace like 10/20 years worth.) It's something I am decent at, I really try to find ways to make material relatable to the students I work with. At the sports stadium, typically the events are right up my alley and I try to have fun with the guests upon screening or at the aisles.
I don't believe much in loving your job and all that nonsense. I believe people should get jobs they can tolerate. Doesn't mean they like it, but at the same time not despise it. Getting a job you "love" so much that it doesn't feel like a job, usually results in little to no income.
Absolutely.
I have driven a cab for years, love it and have no desire for anything else. Sad, perhaps. I have an economics degree from a good university with mediocre grades, and never excelled. And I just don't seem to fit into the workplace, despite being friendly. Not athletic. not one of the boys, etc. Not a competitor or backstabber, I guess, which a male seems to need in some workplaces.
I live alone, am a loner and the cab lifestyle gives me lots of desired solitude, as there's lots of Independence but not many customers, especially with the life-changing aspects of Uber and Lyft decreasing earnings.
I drive 60 hours weekly, often 72 hours. Lots of sitting around waiting for passengers. The profit is small, and I have no house or savings.
Maybe I should have sucked it up years ago, gotten a career path like normal folks, bought a house, saved and had a nice retirement like my classmates.
I feel like a slob and a loser...but never hate going to work. I'd drive a cab once a month even if I were financially independent.
Agreed. Finding a job that you can tolerate long term is much more realistic advice than "passion".
Those who do love their work should count themselves as lucky. Just don't expect others to have similar luck.
There was another thread about this topic. As I recall, it was estimated that a large majority either tolerate their jobs, or actively hate them.
And yes, I am one of those who tolerates the job.
It's not just luck; it's knowing what you like and not always following the money. My job doesn't pay a whole lot. It pays my bills, but if I had gone for a position that I actually got my degree in, I would have made a lot more money and not enjoyed the work as much. Part of choosing the right path is thinking outside of the box and being willing to put up with some drawbacks in order to enjoy the time you spend at work. For most of us, a large percentage of our working hours are spent working. It's a shame if we don't like it and even actively hate it.
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