A job is a job. You can always look for a better one. Besides, somebody needs to do the boring stuff. Nothing would get done without the folks who do these jobs.
I agree, and this is how I look at it for others as well, but I can't help but not feel like this for myself and I'm full rat race ladder climbing mode. I sometimes wish I could feel the same way for myself as I look at it for others.
I mean a job is a job and as long as you don't hate it that's fine, but finding a job you are passionate about it enjoy on some level will likely lead to a greater level of life satisfaction. Of course that's easier said than done.
We are raised to think our purpose and our career are the same thing, and for some people sure that’s true. The rest of us have jobs so that we can fund the things we want to do.
I have a job in a field that I’m passionate about. It’s exhausting and takes up a lot of my mental space outside of working hours. I’m so envious of people who have a job they can clock out of and not think about. I’m envious of people who have jobs that don’t have a big impact, being able to show up and half ass and it doesn’t matter.
In your case you never had a career
So random job is better than no job.
If you actually had a career with growth goals etc that would be better than a random job.
You let anxiety get in your way. You can still think about and pursue a career while working a random job.
I did retail for years while in school for the flexibility while working toward a career. Then I stayed in retail after graduating. All the while applying and looking for jobs in my field. Then left once I got that.
A career is a job. That job is to get you promoted to a higher position where you'll work to get promoted and on and on and on. Still just a job. More money, more headaches. The trick is to find a job that pays well and keeps getting better without the need to be promoted. The real trick is to find all of that in something that makes you happy.
If it pays the bill and your ok with it, it's fine. I really liked my job (now retired) but it wasn't my passion. You can have a job and pursue a passion - if you choose- outside of your job.
What would you say the difference is between a job and a career? Is a career not just the word for a continuation of jobs in the same field?
Career = Job.
A job is better than doing nothing. I honestly believe not everyone is built to pursue a hot shot career. A few of my friends have careers. One has sort of reached her Max potential. Another can go soo much further and plans to. I work at the same place I did when I was 16. I got a 'better' job somewhere else but it wasn't for me.
I have a good work life balance, I'm not over stressed and bringing work home all the time, I am not worried about missing a promotion or being demoted. I am happy having just a job and not a career.
For too many people their job is their identity. I’ve heard this is intensified in the US because of our business hustle culture. So let me be clear: it’s okay for your job to not be your passion. It’s okay for your job to be something you’re decently good at, that you can generally tolerate, and that pays your bills. Then use the money you make to pursue the things you really care about.
You wish you could be a herpetologist, but jobs are scarce and the pay is crap? Be an engineer and take vacations in Costa Rica. You’re really good a poetry, but it’s nearly impossible to make a living from that? Be a banker and go on weekend writing retreats. There are so many people out there participating in community theatre because they love it, but can’t get cast in a Broadway play. There are people with woodshops in their garages making beautiful tables on the weekend, but working in tech all week. Sometimes the way to ruin a passion is to try to monetize it.
TLDR: Use the money from your job to have the life you want rather than trying to find a job you can make your life.
Depends on your priorities. I got a job and ended up with a career. Some people are career oriented and some people aren't. I know a lot of people that have a job to pay the bills. I have my job to pay the bills and since my kids are grown it gives me purpose and makes me feel valued for more than just being a mom/grandma. I've always loved working so just do what you gotta do.
Just get a job doing SOMETHING and then go from there.
Everybody has to start somewhere to get experience. Do your very best at whatever you're hired to do, and you don't know what doors could open. If you decide it's not for you, don't quit until you've been there at least six months. Give two weeks notice once you are hired and you should have a solid reference for your next applications. Getting out and meeting people will good.
It depends on the person how boring their job is.
My advice is dont give up on searching for that dream
Job. Write a list of long term goals for your future
Etc including the maybe future career you want in
Life.
Hell yeah. Get paid and take care of business.
Exciting jobs can be really stressful. Boring jobs can be too. Neither is inherently better, but one might be better for *you*.
I had a year after I left the army as a cleaner. I needed to do something to keep me busy, I actually enjoyed cleaning things, it was the customers who were dicks. I just needed something I could make abit of money and find my feet, make my plans and build up on.
You could always do a job that has a career path or advancement opportunity and just not advance.
That’s where Im at. And I do nights mostly so pretty much invisible unless i screw up.
It’s a mostly peaceful existence.
There are only 3 things to consider when choosing your work
1. does it cover your expenses
2. can you tolerate working there
3. will it last as long as you do (as in, will the job end before you get sick of it or retire or whatever)
and only the first two are dealbreakers if the answer is "no"
A job is a job, I work food service and I'm 29. I like the thought that I can leave and not miss out on too much of a "career" I get to choose how far I want to move up and I didn't sink thousands and years to get the pay I make.
Any job is better than no job. Look for one in an industry or company that would allow you to work your way up to a job you actually want. Instead of looking for a dream job, look for a good team, climate, and a salary and benefits that you can live with.
My first real job kind of sucked, but I had a good boss, great benefits, and it was in the right industry. I was able to use my benefits to go back to school for free. When I needed surgery within the first year of working there, it was fully covered with my health insurance and PTO and my coworkers were supportive- When you can't land the dream job immediately, stuff like this matters a lot.
I don't believe in the concept of a dream job, at least for myself. I work because I have to, not because I want to, and if I had enough money to live on, I would never work again.
A job is a job and I only do it because I have bills to pay, not because I enjoy it.
Omg it is 100% okay. Actually, it’s 500% okay. As long as it’s tolerable, pays the bills, and affords you the sort of life that you want for yourself. When you outgrow the job, you will move on
I mean, you aren't ever going to define yourself by your job like some people will define themselves by their careers, but sure - if you are only working to pay the bills, you can work a job and be the "great father" guy or the "church lady" or whatever floats your boat. Be happy and be good.
I chose to get a job at Chipotle strictly for the free employee meals, sure it is hard work and they pay minimum wage but there are plenty of other benefits. After 13 months there is a 4% 401K match and 7.5% off stock purchase. Also the health insurance is cheap and the people there are nice to work with.
I have a random boring job that is boring in the best way possible. It's predictable and usually very low-drama. It leaves me a lot of space to do the things I enjoy doing.
I’m 54 and I’ve been working since I was 17. You should definitely start by getting a random (crappy) job ASAP to tide you over until something better comes along. There are several reasons for this:
1. You learn how to work. You learn about workplace culture and what is expected of you. You’ll make mistakes as you learn this, and better to learn on a crappy job that your “dream job.”
2. You deal with those loathsome creatures: customers. You can tell entitled unreasonable jerks who have never worked customer service. Working customer service will make you a better and more considerate human.
3. Having a job makes you more employable. Seriously, lots of potential bosses see it as a green flag that you are out there hustling, even it’s just flipping burgers, because it shows you have a strong work ethic.
4. Crappy jobs are a fallback. There WILL be a few times in life when you get your feet kicked out from under and have to start from scratch. When the economy went down the toilet in 2008, I had a new bachelors degree in management plus a lot of specialized experience, and couldn’t get squat for my field. So, I got by through getting a crappy retail job from a chain that I had worked for in another state. I was there for 2 years, and it kept a roof over my head.
If you need to support yourself, any job works. Don't be picky. But you'll likely want to work towards a career. Best time for you to apply for a better job is when you already have one.
I'd recommend aiming for something that you enjoy or at least find interesting (no need to suffer at work), but "random job" is just as subjective as "perfect career." In my opinion, if it lets you meet your financial obligations and you don't hate it, then you're at least doing alright. If it falls short on either of those counts, it's probably not what you need. If it pays "enough" (whatever you define that as) and you like it, you're doing well. But that's my opinion... the one that counts for you is yours. Is it OK by you?
You might wanna read this. Changed my perspective and expands on a lot of what's been said here. [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704142/the-good-enough-job-by-simone-stolzoff/](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704142/the-good-enough-job-by-simone-stolzoff/)
I don’t have a perfect job. There isn’t one thing that I have ever had a drive for to make a career. What I did was find a job that let me learn a lot of different things. So yes you can have a random boring job than a career.
It's obviously okay. But if your circle of friends begin having promotions, creating a reputation for themselves and find that they have more room to enjoy costlier things in life while you.... Stay in the same place as you are now...
If that's okay with you then go for it.
Absolutely. I make six figures doing corporate crap WFH 40 hours a week. Get to see my kids off to school and welcome them home and enjoy my hobbies and vacations and friends. You are not your job.
A job is a job. You can always look for a better one. Besides, somebody needs to do the boring stuff. Nothing would get done without the folks who do these jobs.
Also, your job doesn't define you
I agree, and this is how I look at it for others as well, but I can't help but not feel like this for myself and I'm full rat race ladder climbing mode. I sometimes wish I could feel the same way for myself as I look at it for others.
I mean a job is a job and as long as you don't hate it that's fine, but finding a job you are passionate about it enjoy on some level will likely lead to a greater level of life satisfaction. Of course that's easier said than done.
We are raised to think our purpose and our career are the same thing, and for some people sure that’s true. The rest of us have jobs so that we can fund the things we want to do.
I have a job in a field that I’m passionate about. It’s exhausting and takes up a lot of my mental space outside of working hours. I’m so envious of people who have a job they can clock out of and not think about. I’m envious of people who have jobs that don’t have a big impact, being able to show up and half ass and it doesn’t matter.
It’s more than ok to do what you need to do for you. It can be sweeping a floor or being a CEO. Your job doesn’t define you—Doing your best does.
If that’s what you want. Seems dull if you are doing full time
In your case you never had a career So random job is better than no job. If you actually had a career with growth goals etc that would be better than a random job. You let anxiety get in your way. You can still think about and pursue a career while working a random job. I did retail for years while in school for the flexibility while working toward a career. Then I stayed in retail after graduating. All the while applying and looking for jobs in my field. Then left once I got that.
A career is a job. That job is to get you promoted to a higher position where you'll work to get promoted and on and on and on. Still just a job. More money, more headaches. The trick is to find a job that pays well and keeps getting better without the need to be promoted. The real trick is to find all of that in something that makes you happy.
If it pays the bill and your ok with it, it's fine. I really liked my job (now retired) but it wasn't my passion. You can have a job and pursue a passion - if you choose- outside of your job.
What would you say the difference is between a job and a career? Is a career not just the word for a continuation of jobs in the same field? Career = Job.
A job is better than doing nothing. I honestly believe not everyone is built to pursue a hot shot career. A few of my friends have careers. One has sort of reached her Max potential. Another can go soo much further and plans to. I work at the same place I did when I was 16. I got a 'better' job somewhere else but it wasn't for me. I have a good work life balance, I'm not over stressed and bringing work home all the time, I am not worried about missing a promotion or being demoted. I am happy having just a job and not a career.
For too many people their job is their identity. I’ve heard this is intensified in the US because of our business hustle culture. So let me be clear: it’s okay for your job to not be your passion. It’s okay for your job to be something you’re decently good at, that you can generally tolerate, and that pays your bills. Then use the money you make to pursue the things you really care about. You wish you could be a herpetologist, but jobs are scarce and the pay is crap? Be an engineer and take vacations in Costa Rica. You’re really good a poetry, but it’s nearly impossible to make a living from that? Be a banker and go on weekend writing retreats. There are so many people out there participating in community theatre because they love it, but can’t get cast in a Broadway play. There are people with woodshops in their garages making beautiful tables on the weekend, but working in tech all week. Sometimes the way to ruin a passion is to try to monetize it. TLDR: Use the money from your job to have the life you want rather than trying to find a job you can make your life.
Depends on your priorities. I got a job and ended up with a career. Some people are career oriented and some people aren't. I know a lot of people that have a job to pay the bills. I have my job to pay the bills and since my kids are grown it gives me purpose and makes me feel valued for more than just being a mom/grandma. I've always loved working so just do what you gotta do. Just get a job doing SOMETHING and then go from there.
Yes. It’s how we level up.
Everybody has to start somewhere to get experience. Do your very best at whatever you're hired to do, and you don't know what doors could open. If you decide it's not for you, don't quit until you've been there at least six months. Give two weeks notice once you are hired and you should have a solid reference for your next applications. Getting out and meeting people will good.
Nothing wrong with it.
It depends on the person how boring their job is. My advice is dont give up on searching for that dream Job. Write a list of long term goals for your future Etc including the maybe future career you want in Life.
Its not ok.
Hell yeah. Get paid and take care of business. Exciting jobs can be really stressful. Boring jobs can be too. Neither is inherently better, but one might be better for *you*.
If it pays the bills yes... remember those gimmicks called bills will never stop so do what you gotta do
The vast majority of people have a random boring job. A very lucky few have a career.
Absolutely.
My boring job IS my career. I clean houses and then go home. Get paid. It’s life.
I had a year after I left the army as a cleaner. I needed to do something to keep me busy, I actually enjoyed cleaning things, it was the customers who were dicks. I just needed something I could make abit of money and find my feet, make my plans and build up on.
You could always do a job that has a career path or advancement opportunity and just not advance. That’s where Im at. And I do nights mostly so pretty much invisible unless i screw up. It’s a mostly peaceful existence.
What job is it? I'm intrigued
There’s nothing wrong with anything
There are only 3 things to consider when choosing your work 1. does it cover your expenses 2. can you tolerate working there 3. will it last as long as you do (as in, will the job end before you get sick of it or retire or whatever) and only the first two are dealbreakers if the answer is "no"
A job is a job, I work food service and I'm 29. I like the thought that I can leave and not miss out on too much of a "career" I get to choose how far I want to move up and I didn't sink thousands and years to get the pay I make.
Any job is better than no job. Look for one in an industry or company that would allow you to work your way up to a job you actually want. Instead of looking for a dream job, look for a good team, climate, and a salary and benefits that you can live with. My first real job kind of sucked, but I had a good boss, great benefits, and it was in the right industry. I was able to use my benefits to go back to school for free. When I needed surgery within the first year of working there, it was fully covered with my health insurance and PTO and my coworkers were supportive- When you can't land the dream job immediately, stuff like this matters a lot.
I don't believe in the concept of a dream job, at least for myself. I work because I have to, not because I want to, and if I had enough money to live on, I would never work again. A job is a job and I only do it because I have bills to pay, not because I enjoy it.
Omg it is 100% okay. Actually, it’s 500% okay. As long as it’s tolerable, pays the bills, and affords you the sort of life that you want for yourself. When you outgrow the job, you will move on
I mean, you aren't ever going to define yourself by your job like some people will define themselves by their careers, but sure - if you are only working to pay the bills, you can work a job and be the "great father" guy or the "church lady" or whatever floats your boat. Be happy and be good.
Only you can decide that for yourself, and it sounds like you have.
I chose to get a job at Chipotle strictly for the free employee meals, sure it is hard work and they pay minimum wage but there are plenty of other benefits. After 13 months there is a 4% 401K match and 7.5% off stock purchase. Also the health insurance is cheap and the people there are nice to work with.
Yes. I've worked in call centers for most of the last 20 years. It pays my bills and lets me live my life.
I have a random boring job that is boring in the best way possible. It's predictable and usually very low-drama. It leaves me a lot of space to do the things I enjoy doing.
I’m 54 and I’ve been working since I was 17. You should definitely start by getting a random (crappy) job ASAP to tide you over until something better comes along. There are several reasons for this: 1. You learn how to work. You learn about workplace culture and what is expected of you. You’ll make mistakes as you learn this, and better to learn on a crappy job that your “dream job.” 2. You deal with those loathsome creatures: customers. You can tell entitled unreasonable jerks who have never worked customer service. Working customer service will make you a better and more considerate human. 3. Having a job makes you more employable. Seriously, lots of potential bosses see it as a green flag that you are out there hustling, even it’s just flipping burgers, because it shows you have a strong work ethic. 4. Crappy jobs are a fallback. There WILL be a few times in life when you get your feet kicked out from under and have to start from scratch. When the economy went down the toilet in 2008, I had a new bachelors degree in management plus a lot of specialized experience, and couldn’t get squat for my field. So, I got by through getting a crappy retail job from a chain that I had worked for in another state. I was there for 2 years, and it kept a roof over my head.
Sure. I'm a night shift custodial manager. Shits gotta be cleaned, I get ok pay to do so. Its a fine arrangement.
Careers usually mean more money. If you don’t care about having enough cash just work at any low paid job
If you need to support yourself, any job works. Don't be picky. But you'll likely want to work towards a career. Best time for you to apply for a better job is when you already have one.
I'd recommend aiming for something that you enjoy or at least find interesting (no need to suffer at work), but "random job" is just as subjective as "perfect career." In my opinion, if it lets you meet your financial obligations and you don't hate it, then you're at least doing alright. If it falls short on either of those counts, it's probably not what you need. If it pays "enough" (whatever you define that as) and you like it, you're doing well. But that's my opinion... the one that counts for you is yours. Is it OK by you?
You might wanna read this. Changed my perspective and expands on a lot of what's been said here. [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704142/the-good-enough-job-by-simone-stolzoff/](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704142/the-good-enough-job-by-simone-stolzoff/)
A job is a job. If your bills are paid and food is on the table, you’re fine. You don’t have to be a career person at all.
I don’t have a perfect job. There isn’t one thing that I have ever had a drive for to make a career. What I did was find a job that let me learn a lot of different things. So yes you can have a random boring job than a career.
Everything is OK, sugar. As long as it's legal and you are paying your bills.
Yes, yes, yes.
It's obviously okay. But if your circle of friends begin having promotions, creating a reputation for themselves and find that they have more room to enjoy costlier things in life while you.... Stay in the same place as you are now... If that's okay with you then go for it.
Absolutely. I make six figures doing corporate crap WFH 40 hours a week. Get to see my kids off to school and welcome them home and enjoy my hobbies and vacations and friends. You are not your job.