I'm curious as to many people love their jobs. Not like, love. This may or may not have something to do with my returning to work after 11 days off. Anyway, please indulge me and fill in this questionnaire. It's completely anonymous.
To quote Jean-Paul Sartre (I recently watched the excellent Urban Myths by Steve Pemberton about Les Dawson which featured this!) - "The best work is not what is difficult for you; it is what you do best". I think that's the key - being as true to who you are as possible, being able to use your personal talents, skills, abilities, interests, etc. as much as you can. Doesn't matter what that those are. So I'm one of the very lucky ones, I know - although it still feels very much like work (because of all the trappings I guess: other people's briefs, deadlines, one's own individual challenges, etc.) How do you feel about yours, Martin? I hope it plays to your strengths?
How do I feel about my job? On balance, I like it but wouldn't go further than that. There are aspects of it I very occasionally love. There are aspects of it I very occasionally dislike intensely. I think I'm quite good at aspects of it, very good at some. Of course there are bits of it that do not align with my strengths and preferences. There are worse places to be, I guess.
Definitely recommend that Urban Myths, amongst several others - did you watch the lovely 'When Dylan Met Dave' one?
I'm glad you like your job and feel that way more than not. I say I love mine when I'm looking at it as a whole, but indeed there are aspects I dislike intensely, and things that make me want to give it all up occasionally, frustrations with myself and frustrations with clients, but then I look at the bigger picture (no pun intended) and feel I can use the word 'love' overall. Perhaps a bit like we do with people who fall into the same category!
Even though my current job is 1000 times better than The Bad Place, I can't say I love it. The commute is definitely a downside (although it does give me 2 1/2 hours a day to listen to music). Then again, beyond family, I'm not sure there's much in my life that I love anymore. Mid-life ennui / gloom has put pay to intensity of feelings. This job is great, I enjoy most of it, it's so much better than my last one and I will happily do it until retirement (fingers crossed)... the fact I can't say that I love it has little to do with the job itself.
The only time I could ever say I truly loved my job was in the early days of working in radio. I got paid very little, but the job itself was an absolute joy. Of course, it couldn't last, because the business got in the way of the fun. When one particular management edict caused a colleague to complain that it was going to make our working conditions rather difficult, one of the new bosses retorted, "You're not here to enjoy yourselves". And that was that.
It's strange, isn't it? One of the best jobs I ever had was also the worst paid, had zero prospects and, during parts of the week, was boring and slow and mundane. Yet I made good friends there, and we found ways to make such an uninspiring job and workplace a fun place to be. Like you in radioland, we were able to enjoy ourselves a bit. Maybe that's the key to work happiness, not finding a job you love but finding a job you can enjoy yourself in. Maybe that's a more realistic aim too, if the preliminary results of the survey are anything to go by...
I think I recall seeing you in action(or not) in Canterbury at the job you most enjoyed,if I am thinking of the correct one! It's funny how things change,I've been in the same job(albeit with several rebrands) for some 34 years and until around 8 years ago absolutely loved it. At that point things changed massively from a smaller group with bosses that looked after you if you worked hard to a corporate speak driven constant flow of management speak nonsense. A massive influx of new joiners in their late teens and early 20s has revealed that when reasonably asked to undertake a task this apparently is a source of stress and angst for the majority resulting in welfare meetings and adjustments galore. I absolutely applaud supporting those with mental health issues but being in the Civil Service the tasks are fair and reasonable and were undertaken by all until recently,but now seemingly only by old hands. A reflection of snowflake society today or me being old and out of touch I wonder?
I hear you, mate, and have similar experiences (although to a lesser extent) in the last few years. Very frustrating. Maybe we are old and out of touch... But then again, maybe not. Old sure, but that's it, I reckon.
I currently have a real lack of love for my workplace, numerous changes and instability over the last 5 years have left us in a very bad place. I still enjoy teaching, especially A Level, but am struggling with many many aspects of education in an academy chain in 2023. My personal issues over the last 16 months don't help. I've changed role this academic year, a step down with a concurrent drop in salary all of which has contributed to me finding work more and more difficult. On the other hand, I am also able to go in, do my job, and then leave at a reasonable hour. I'm looking to retire from teaching at 55 (2 years away) if I can. At that point I'll have done 32 years and I think I'll feel like I've done my bit.
To quote Jean-Paul Sartre (I recently watched the excellent Urban Myths by Steve Pemberton about Les Dawson which featured this!) - "The best work is not what is difficult for you; it is what you do best". I think that's the key - being as true to who you are as possible, being able to use your personal talents, skills, abilities, interests, etc. as much as you can. Doesn't matter what that those are. So I'm one of the very lucky ones, I know - although it still feels very much like work (because of all the trappings I guess: other people's briefs, deadlines, one's own individual challenges, etc.)
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about yours, Martin? I hope it plays to your strengths?
I must watch the Urban Myths of which you speak.
DeleteHow do I feel about my job? On balance, I like it but wouldn't go further than that. There are aspects of it I very occasionally love. There are aspects of it I very occasionally dislike intensely. I think I'm quite good at aspects of it, very good at some. Of course there are bits of it that do not align with my strengths and preferences. There are worse places to be, I guess.
Definitely recommend that Urban Myths, amongst several others - did you watch the lovely 'When Dylan Met Dave' one?
DeleteI'm glad you like your job and feel that way more than not. I say I love mine when I'm looking at it as a whole, but indeed there are aspects I dislike intensely, and things that make me want to give it all up occasionally, frustrations with myself and frustrations with clients, but then I look at the bigger picture (no pun intended) and feel I can use the word 'love' overall. Perhaps a bit like we do with people who fall into the same category!
Indeed, the big picture is probably what matters most with work (and people).
DeleteOn balance I would say that I quite liked my job.I like it even better now that I have retired!
ReplyDeleteAh, retirement... will I ever get there? Or will it, like tomorrow, never come?!
DeleteEven though my current job is 1000 times better than The Bad Place, I can't say I love it. The commute is definitely a downside (although it does give me 2 1/2 hours a day to listen to music). Then again, beyond family, I'm not sure there's much in my life that I love anymore. Mid-life ennui / gloom has put pay to intensity of feelings. This job is great, I enjoy most of it, it's so much better than my last one and I will happily do it until retirement (fingers crossed)... the fact I can't say that I love it has little to do with the job itself.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I could ever say I truly loved my job was in the early days of working in radio. I got paid very little, but the job itself was an absolute joy. Of course, it couldn't last, because the business got in the way of the fun. When one particular management edict caused a colleague to complain that it was going to make our working conditions rather difficult, one of the new bosses retorted, "You're not here to enjoy yourselves". And that was that.
It's strange, isn't it? One of the best jobs I ever had was also the worst paid, had zero prospects and, during parts of the week, was boring and slow and mundane. Yet I made good friends there, and we found ways to make such an uninspiring job and workplace a fun place to be. Like you in radioland, we were able to enjoy ourselves a bit. Maybe that's the key to work happiness, not finding a job you love but finding a job you can enjoy yourself in. Maybe that's a more realistic aim too, if the preliminary results of the survey are anything to go by...
DeleteI think I recall seeing you in action(or not) in Canterbury at the job you most enjoyed,if I am thinking of the correct one!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how things change,I've been in the same job(albeit with several rebrands) for some 34 years and until around 8 years ago absolutely loved it.
At that point things changed massively from a smaller group with bosses that looked after you if you worked hard to a corporate speak driven constant flow of management speak nonsense.
A massive influx of new joiners in their late teens and early 20s has revealed that when reasonably asked to undertake a task this apparently is a source of stress and angst for the majority resulting in welfare meetings and adjustments galore.
I absolutely applaud supporting those with mental health issues but being in the Civil Service the tasks are fair and reasonable and were undertaken by all until recently,but now seemingly only by old hands.
A reflection of snowflake society today or me being old and out of touch I wonder?
I hear you, mate, and have similar experiences (although to a lesser extent) in the last few years. Very frustrating. Maybe we are old and out of touch... But then again, maybe not. Old sure, but that's it, I reckon.
DeleteI currently have a real lack of love for my workplace, numerous changes and instability over the last 5 years have left us in a very bad place. I still enjoy teaching, especially A Level, but am struggling with many many aspects of education in an academy chain in 2023. My personal issues over the last 16 months don't help. I've changed role this academic year, a step down with a concurrent drop in salary all of which has contributed to me finding work more and more difficult. On the other hand, I am also able to go in, do my job, and then leave at a reasonable hour. I'm looking to retire from teaching at 55 (2 years away) if I can. At that point I'll have done 32 years and I think I'll feel like I've done my bit.
ReplyDeleteSo difficult when a job you enjoy changes around you. I envy you your retirement plan.
Delete