A sitcom television show (perhaps this was on a Seinfeld episode) once marveled that it was amazing that the universe contained hundreds of thousands of different types of jobs, and yet there was someone out there willing to fill every different one. This sounds pretty level-headed coming out of the mouth of a comedian. But in the real world, the odds are against you.
Do You Like Your Job?
It has been long reported that our feelings about our jobs are extremely negative overall. In a 2013 survey conducted by Gallup, 70 percent of 250,000 people interviewed—including part-time and full-time workers—said they hated their jobs. Only 30 percent said they actually enjoyed their jobs and their bosses, according to the Daily News.
My memory says that the figure is much larger than that. I have seen polls that say 90 percent of workers hate what they do for a living.
There are obvious reasons this is true. There are more jobs at the bottom of the pyramid than there are at the top, and many of those at the top of the income ladder are there because they vigorously pursue what they like to do—professional athletes, doctors, artists, rock stars, and the like. Even corporate executives enjoy the power and prestige of their jobs, not to mention the perks and the six-digit salaries.
This leaves out the factory workers, cab drivers, waiters and waitresses, office assistants, laborers, and the like, who are allowed little creativity in their working day. At least service workers enjoy the variety of people they deal with. But some people lift the same 50 pounds all day or listen to the same machine, punching out rivets by the hour. You can see why so many are dissatisfied at work.
How do you turn that around? There are, basically, two types of soul-searching. One type involves taking standardized tests and following their lead to an enjoyable career. The other entails searching your heart and living out some experiences to test yourself.
What are You Willing to do for Your Job?
There are ways to jump-start the process. Online job listings are helpful for the possibility of landing employment and as a source of job lists that can get your imagination in gear. Sometimes, we are stuck because we never knew that there was a job as a mural painter for a municipality or a research assistant in a fascinating field at a University. If you’re in a rut, sometimes you need a jarring moment to bring yourself out.
Are you brave enough to move? There are jobs in Hawaii that do not exist in Boston, Massachusetts. There are jobs in Boston that are unheard of in Honolulu. In the fast internet and mobile smartphones age, a good job resource can give you listings from around your local city, state, and beyond.
How Does Your Job Make You Feel?
Do you vent about your job? Have you ever tried actually listening to your venting and realizing that the words have meaning?
Here are some of the most common and potentially profound venting we speak or hear daily. “My job has no intrinsic value to me – I just do it for the paycheck.” Obviously, that person should explore what really makes them tick. “I am not living up to my potential.” This vent tells you you may have waited too long for a promotion. It might be time to find another company with a more challenging opportunity.
“I don’t feel in control.” Let’s face it, you might have a good boss (great!) or a bad one, but if it’s the latter, there isn’t much you can do about it most of the time. Maybe it’s time to work for yourself. (Don’t bet on finding a better boss. Most bosses are ill-suited to the authority granted to them.)
“I work too hard for what I’m getting out of it.” This might suggest meaning in your life is found at home, with friends, or on weekends when you get into the garage and live out your fantasy as a rock star. Maybe you just need to discipline your hours and get home earlier.
Decide What Works For You
For many of us, work will never get much past the point of something we marginally enjoy. But think of a mountaineer who lives to climb tall peaks and for whom work is just a means to an end – something that allows him or her to afford what they love.
Yes, there are not many jobs as mountaineering guides. And how many musicians work in banks but use their jobs to keep what they love alive?
There is a valuable truth in the concept of “Do what you want, and the money will follow,” but sometimes, that will not pay the bills. Do some more soul-searching or do something intolerable to salt away money for what you want to do.
After all, life is not a sitcom, and not everybody gets to be a comedian. You may need a degree for your job, and you may not. A supply chain management degree would be really beneficial if you wanted to work in the supply chain field, but if you wanted to be an entrepreneur and open your own business, you may not even need a degree.
You are the only one who truly knows your situation and the best route to take.