<p>Hi parents, I am a co-op student and realized I don’t like my job since it is not challenging (I understand since this is a first year co-op)… I searched the web a bit and realized most studies show that more people hate their jobs (50% - 80%) than enjoy it, which is contradictory from what I thought previously! After all, most people on CC and in society told us to pick a college major / career based on our interests, so I thought people would like what they do!</p>
<p>So parents, do you like your jobs? Does the original interest wear off since you do the same things for 40+ years? Is there a reason why studies show such high numbers for hating your job? Also, do you tell your kids to follow their passions or do something that will pay well?</p>
<p>I love my job. I have bad days like everyone else, but have not had a solid stretch of “I’ve got to find something else” in over 20 years.</p>
<p>I don’t do the same things I did 20 years ago- my job changes constantly. And I certainly did not pick my work thinking I’d do it day in and day out for decades-- just that as long as the job remains challenging and I’m always learning new things and stretching myself, there is no reason to do something else.</p>
<p>I told my kids to follow their passions, and make sure they have a viable Plan B. They have done exactly that- none of them is doing Plan B since they seem to be doing well financially (or well enough, depending on their lifestyle needs and wants) executing Plan A.</p>
<p>Before you conclude you hate your job, why not ask for more responsibility if it’s not challenging enough?</p>
<p>I have always mostly enjoyed the jobs I have held over the years. When I dread going to work, I know it’s time to seriously search for something new. My H has mostly loved his job/career as well. He had same employer 45+ years. One of my sibs had major career changes twice, when he realized he hated his job/career/situation. Most of the folks I know who are generally happy mostly like or live their work. </p>
<p>I am in the unique position right now of still loving my profession after nearly 40 years but hating my job fairly often. Luckily, I am fairly close to retirement. Ideally, I will actually work part time for a while and then as needed and then done. LOVE my profession. I still learn something new every single day and it’s endlessly fascinating to me. I am soooooo fortunate.
I think it’s a very good idea to always keep in mind the possibility of having two (or more) careers in a lifetime. I think it rocks to do this.</p>
Not many are able to make a living off of what they’re passionate about. </p>
<p>Life comes, responsibilities pile up, and you’re in the job for the money. </p>
<p>I, for one, am not surprised many people are dissatisfied by their jobs. The economy changes, legislation a are passed, markets change, and next thing you know your once highly pleasurable job is the source of your high blood pressure. </p>
<p>I don’t think a student entering college really can anticipate what job they might have when they graduate. Majors change, goals change, interests change. I love my career but have had stints where I hated my particular job. Right now I am fortunate to have the best job in my entire career with a great company. I have a few years to go, so I hope I keep liking it!</p>
<p>The simple fact that people are paid to do their jobs tells you that no one would do that job without being compensated in return. Ergo, compared to not working or doing something else, it is not surprising that most people would say their job is not enjoyable.</p>
<p>I like my job a lot, and would do certain aspects of it without compensation, but others I would not do unless I were getting paid enough to make them worth my while.</p>
<p>Sometimes I think young people are overly idealistic about work. I’m not a big fan of the whole “do what you love” thing. It cultivates unnecessary dissatisfaction with life. It’s better to do something you don’t hate, that you’re reasonably good at. Every single job, even the most glamorous one, has its unsavory parts. </p>
<p>I LOVE teaching, but there has been lots of change over time. Kids are far less respectful than they once were. Just last week, I had young students (kindergarten - 2nd grade) talk to me as if I’m their age and I had to remind them I’m the teacher. What else has changed is the rules and incredible hierarchy. I think my time is spent as so: 25% actually teaching, 35% doing paperwork/lesson planning, 40% meetings. So while I love teaching, the job is hard.</p>
<p>The way I look at my career (not jobs) is like marriage. I have to like it overall. I am not always going to be in love with it all the time, there will be ups and downs, but there should be more positives than negatives.</p>
<p>I’m reminded of this quote: “Oh, you hate your job? Why didn’t you say so? There’s a support group
for that. It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.”
– Drew Carey</p>
<p>And for all you writers out there, don’t you just love this one?: “The mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated, neurotic, caffeine-addled, crippled by procrastination and consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing and soul-crushing inadequacy. And that’s on a good day.”</p>
<p>Robert De Niro’s introduction to best screenplay nominees at last night’s Oscars.</p>
<p>I like my job. I gave up a better paying job to continue pursuing my passions. I’m young enough where I can still do that. I’d probably make different choices if I had kids. </p>
<p>My dad gave up a well-paying job in the beginning of the tech boom to become a plumber- a career he loved. I had a good role model </p>
<p>As for not being challenging- have you asked if you can do specific jobs or tasks that you find more challenging? Most places want you to get something out of the experience but they’re not mindreaders. They may not realize that you’re bored. </p>
<p>I’m an engineer by training, but to be honest, I enjoy AutoCADD drafting a lot more. It’s a good thing, since DH and I are a two-person engineering firm. I do all of our computer drafting work, quite happily. We work out of our home office, so I am very flexible. I feel very fortunate.</p>
<p>Unfortunately the world isn’t necessarily based on what jobs people want when they are kids. Otherwise everyone would be an astronaut, firefighter, police officer, or doctor. You just have to go for what you like and be happy with whatever reality is closest to the ideal.</p>
<p>I love my profession but hate my job. I have been trained well and I have developed a passion to make a positive impact on all of my patients. It is amazing how I have matured through my life experiences to become a comedian, a physician, and a listener all at the same time for my patients. But I hate my job!!! Over the past several decades, medicine has deteriorated into a profession run by number crunchers who apply financial models that dictate everything you say and do beyond the personal conversations. That is not what I entered medicine to do but it is overwhelmingly becoming the way it is.</p>
<p>So, I think many people out there are like me; they love their careers but may not like their situations. Focus on developing appropriate expectations and finding the situations that help you be excited about coming into work.</p>
<p>Some of us picked a job skill to learn for the money, but then grew into the job, and find much pleasure, identity and meaning in the work we do. A quote I heard someplace, involves you choosing a job, and the the job remakes you. On any given day, I’d prefer not to go to work, yet it adds much value to my life. </p>
<p>I am assuming the OP is a male and as such I feel compelled to respond. Even though society has shifted greatly from the 50’s and 60’s, there still is a certain amount of pressure on husbands/fathers to be primary wage earners. Assuming you have visions of getting married and starting a family, the more practical route would be to pursue a carreer that would lead to sufficient compensation. This often entails getting “stuck” in a field that you didn’t envision in college or directly after graduation. While choosing one’s passion is an admirable goal, it is often not realistic or obtainable.</p>
<p>Count me as one who has had a job/career I loved (pharmaceutical research chemist) that pretty much disappeared and another career (project management/technical writing) that I came to loathe. I am currently re-inventing myself to be a high school chemistry teacher. My take on this is - you are LUCKY if you love your job, because there are many many people out there who are working for the paycheck and the benefits. It’s called “life.” </p>
<p>I originally chose my first career because I loved chemistry and I thought pharma research would be a stable career choice. (Ha!) Just goes to show you, you really can’t predict the future and you’d best develop those soft skills that are transferable to many other jobs - communication and writing skills and people skills being some of the most important!</p>
<p>One of the sadder things I am seeing around me is young folk who are wasting years in their 20s trying to figure out exactly what they want to do. Somehow they believe they must find their passion, and it becomes an elusive goal. Sometimes picking a track and following through leads to it’s own rewards, as well as evolves in ways that become more meaningful over time. </p>
</p>