Secular vocations / just plain careers / jobs question

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JamalChristophr

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Did you look hard at what you like to do, what you’re good at, etc. etc. when you chose your career or job etc. How did that work out for you? Are you content with your job?

I’m just wondering if a lot of people just sort of get what they can and make the best of it. Can’t remember how many people in the U.S. can say they like there job. Less than half, I think.
 
I’m self-employed. I decided that when I was fired from the corporate world even though I was the top producing salesman in the company. I vowed I would never put my position of having responsibility without authority ever again. Building the business I am in took time, some failures along the way, and in the end a self satisfying feeling. I am good at what I do.

However, I will tell you one thing I learned along the way. If you are going to go out on your own and own your own business, in this day and age you will find that you don’t own the business, it owns you. There have been many times over the years that I envied my friends that had a consistent weekly paycheck. But I also realized that I heard over and over that people envied me that I would start, run and make my own business successful. I have never heard a person who owns and enjoys his/her own business wish that they could join the corporate rat race and occupy a cubicle somewhere.

Not to disparage cubicle workers, some people love it and thrive in that environment (and more power to them), but I’ve met more than my share of Dilbert’s along the way.

There was a movie some years ago called “Flashdance.” It was about a self made man and a young woman. The theme song to the movie said it all. Simply, “Take your passion and make it happen.” Good advice.
 
I love my job. I have worked in my industry now for roughly 52 years. I have no intention of retiring. Yes, I am good at what I do, which I attribute to the gifts given to me by God. I’ve been with my current employer roughly 12 years.

If you don’t enjoy what you do, you either have a severely wrong attitude, or in the wrong profession or both.

Blessings,
Stephie
 
I’m a bit odd in that I don’t think jobs necessarily need to be loved. As a colleague once said, “If it was fun, they wouldn’t call it “work”, and people would say, “I’m going to fun now” instead of “I’m going to work now.””

But if you want to talk about love, I love getting paid every month and being able to pay my bills.
 
I didn’t know my passion and after several years of switching majors I looked at what I had taken and found the major I could finish the fastest. It ended up being Finance and Accounting. As I neared graduation I saw that public accounting firms hire ahead of graduation and threw some resumes out there. Somehow I was picked and that’s what I’ve been doing for 9ish years.

I find a lot of value in the work and I’m passionate about doing a good job for my clients but it’s not like I’d do it if I won the lottery or something. 😉

Not sure where that fits in the categories given.
 
I love my job, always have. I’ve been a Nurse for 48 + years. My career has spanned from hands on nursing to hospital administration & currently a Nurse Educator at a University. Wouldn’t change anything. Would do it all over again.
 
Interestingly, more than once I have said I’m going to my fun for the day. Would I go if I wasn’t getting paid? Well, as you say, you gotta pay the bills. If, however I were independently wealthy, yeah I’d go to “work”.
 
Had one job in my lifetime it was okay but some people are best with no people around.
One could say i live my job, i guess. Because i do not consider being a farmer a job but as a way to live. I am perfectly happy to get up in the morning and not see another human being for 6 to 8 hrs even then the only person i would see in that time frame would be my wife.
 
I am a management consultant. My vision is that people spend most of their waking lives at work, or at least a huge portion of it. If I can make their working lives more efficient and effective, they will generally enjoy work more. They will also be more productive, which helps their company and helps the economy. That is the ideal. Of course it doesn’t always work out that way, but that is what I strive for. I think you have to have a “higher ideal” for what you do to even have a chance of liking it long term.

After years of working for management consulting firms, I went out on my own a year and a half ago, There have been ups and downs, but overall I am happier than I have been in my working life. But ask me again when business is slow!
 
I loved my job as a Police Constable when I did it (I’m retired) but I fell into it, but that was more because I moved countries etc. I would say it was more a calling and it found me than I found it. I was well suited to it and had always served people in some way this being no different. I was retired due to ill health cos the job made me sick though so I God had other plans for me, but I don’t think that that wasn’t part of his plan as I learned a great deal about life and me. So now on to the next part of his plan.
I don’t think me saying I loved my job means that it needs to be fun in general, well it was fun sometimes, heart-breaking other times and most of the time it was hard work. There were times when I hated it cos I hadn’t ate or slept in way too long and it wasn’t fair to me or things didn’t go my way and I had to say yes sir, all for a terrible salary. But Isn’t that life !? and we love it.
So I miss it sometimes but I’m here and loving this now the next part of my life, the still young retired me.
 
Thanks everyone. These are great, helpful, and enisgtful answers!
 
95% of jobs aren’t fun. That’s why they pay you to do them. The key is to find one that you generally find fulfilling, don’t hate, and gives you a decent standard of living. But if you’re expecting to find a job where you’ll literally be skipping out the door at 7 AM on Monday morning, you’re going to be disappointed.
 
I think I’m benefiting from all your wisdom even more than I generally do at the forum because this is an area that I definitely need to understand better.
 
Don’t be hung up on what choice you make either, just give it your best shot and enjoy the moment. Many people nowadays have several careers in a lifetime. I went to school for law enforcement and ended up working in media arts.

Remember what you do doesn’t define you as a person. Don’t succumb to making a decision on what others expect of you. I know of someone who is a doctor, comes from a family of doctors but never wanted to be one. It was expected of him though he always wanted to be a musician. Follow an interest or a passion and everything else will work out.
 
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