‘Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life’. Is this true for you?
In previous generations most people just did their jobs. It was a lucky bonus if they enjoyed their work, probably reflecting their social class. They worked to live.
Now over 82% of us work in a service economy and our expectations of work have changed. Quite rightly, we want a lot more. The career coaching industry has raised the bar right up. We don’t talk about job satisfaction anymore, we help clients to find their life’s purpose. If you haven’t found a career like this, is there something wrong with you?
Some employers exploit our desire for the perfect job. The careers people are more ‘passionate’ about – like media, fashion and the arts, are the ones that are more likely to offer lower salaries and unpaid internships.
How lucky you are to find a job that fulfils your destiny. Don’t expect us to pay you fairly as well!
I don’t want to be cynical; I’ve written a career book after all. I am fortunate enough to love what I do. But work is well ….. work. It’s an important part of our identity but it’s not all of it. Do we expect too much from our careers, neglecting other areas of our lives?
Working long hours in the pursuit of meaning certainly isn’t working for us. Our live to work, always-on culture is failing both worker and employer. Less than ten percent of UK workers feel engaged or enthusiastic about their work and one third of us feel stressed.
We put in the longest hours in Europe, an average of 42 hours a week, two hours longer than the EU average. That is equivalent to working two and half weeks more every year than our European cousins. This doesn’t include evening/weekend/holiday emails.
Despite this (or because of?) we have one of the worst productivity rates. The average output per worker for the G7 nations is 16% higher than the UK’s.
In Denmark – the EU country with the shortest hours – workers put in over four hours less than UK workers and productivity is 23.5% higher. Maybe they want to get their work done as efficiently as possible so that they can enjoy life outside of it?
How can we be more productive and fulfilled in our careers without stressing about it?
Having restrictions around our time makes us much more productive. Think how much you get done the day before you go on holiday and how enjoyable it is to get everything done at pace.
Don’t worry if you haven’t yet found your ‘path’. Like life partners, there’s more than one option for everyone and plenty of time to get it right.
Just do your best, enjoy the work you have and switch off more.
Find pockets of whatever it takes to make your day a good one: intellectual stimulation, deep work, challenge, validation, appreciation, successful collaboration, interesting tasks, inspiring bosses, nice customers, new skills, creative challenges, problem-solving. Make iterative steps in the direction that feels right. A good indicator of what’s right for you is if the task/people/context make you feel more energetic.
If you feel frustrated that your job is only meeting your financial needs but you can’t make a change yet, then accept that. Pursue fulfilling activities and relationships outside work.
Don’t compare yourself to everyone else: no job sparks joy five days a week, regardless of what people claim on LinkedIn. Life can be hard and the news is desperately sad. Don’t put extra pressure on yourself to construct a seemingly perfect career. Keep your career in proportion, you want a balanced life.
And like all types of love, a job you love will sneak up on you when you least expect it.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Zena