Finding a Job You Love: Stop Insisting on Looking for a Job You’ll Hate
Business January 25th, 2011I have another guest post this week and have to say, this is an entertaining one on typical job searching irony. Â I hope you appreciate the humor as much as I do!
Have you ever wondered why so many people hate Mondays? Obviously it’s because they hate to go to work. But why would you hate to go to work? Why would you even apply for a job that you hate? These sound like naïve questions, but they truly are not. If a job is not the right fit for you, the best advice I can give you is to give it a pass. You’ll save yourself and your prospective employer a big waste of time. But, I’m here to help. If you insist on applying for a job that you are bound to hate, try these tips - they might just help!
- Apply only for jobs within a particular salary range. Of course, you have to feed your family, pay your rent, and keep the cable guy in business. But is that high paying job really worth the misery? If you think it is, then go through the job listings with that salary range in mind. If you want to be absolutely certain that you don’t end up with a lower paying job, mention your preferred salary range in your cover letter. There are plenty of employers out there who will appreciate your slavish insistence on money over job satisfaction (see ams fulfillment)
- Apply only for jobs within a particular geographic location. I know, you like the city you live in, you grew up there, and your entire family lives there. And having a support network of friends and family can be important if you have kids. But ask yourself if that support network is really worth the daily grind of working at a job that makes you groan and hide your head under the pillow every morning when your alarm goes off.
- Apply only for jobs in a large company with plenty of room for advancement. You don’t want to suffer in that entry-level job forever. Nobody does. But the days when the average worker started in the mailroom and worked his or her way up to become the CEO of a large company are long gone. I’m not saying that you can’t do that, but you are much more likely to work your way up the ladder of success quickly if you are willing to make horizontal jumps from one company to another – and that means that it doesn’t really matter if you work for a small organization or a large one. As for becoming CEO one day – that’s not likely to happen unless you start your own company. But if working your way up in one company is your dream, by all means, go for it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- Apply only for jobs that offer good benefits and plenty of vacation time. I cannot overemphasize this point – it is all important when you are searching for a job that you plan to hate. After all, if you hate your job, you will want plenty of time off from it. And you certainly are going to need good personal health insurance for all the stress-related ailments you are likely to develop. Plan now for the diverticulitis, weight gain, depression, fatigue and heart attack that may lie in your future!
- Apply only for jobs that have regular 9 to 5 hours. Again, this point cannot be overemphasized. If you hate your job, the last thing you want is to have it encroach on your personal time. You don’t want to be working late hours or weekends. You are going to be miserable enough as it is! Why prolong the agony?
If you insist on applying for a job that you are bound to hate, go ahead and try my tips. But I have to tell you that I can think of one, and only one reason to set your cap for a job you hate. If you spend enough
time miserable at work, you will be able to really, truly appreciate the movie Office Space.
Brendan Cruickshank (Vice President of Client Services) – Brendan is a veteran of the online job search and recruiting industry, having spent the past 8 years in senior client services roles with major sites like Juju.com and JobsInTheMoney.com. He is quoted regularly as an expert in employment and jobs trends in major media outlets like the Washington Post, US News & World Report, and Forbes and has spoken at recruiting industry events such as Onrec and Kennedy Information’s Corporate Recruiting Conference.
Prev: Book Review: Perform Like a Rock Star
Next: 50 Ways to Be More Humble and to Act Humbly
January 25th, 2011 at 9:33 PM
Haha, nice one Brendan. It’s amazing how you perspective will shift when you ask yourself those questions. This type of post is great at motivating people to put themselves in a position to find a good job.
I’ve been fortunate enough to find satisfying work by working at home for myself but it took some introspection, planning, sacrifice, and a lot of hard to work to get to that point.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:14 PM
First of all, thanks so much for the article Brendan. And Dee, yes I agree these questions asked to oneself do make you stop and really look at what is important. So many jump into a job they have some fear of being trapped in without ever realizing they can make their job more than it is, with a bit of passion and desire.
I do a lot of interviews and see so many people ask about how the company or position might limit or allow for future growth. Then they would of course be looking for roles that make that automatic progression happen and they will never truly be satisfied by organically growing themselves to move to another role, they actually stick themselves into a progression machine, instead of doing it on their own and actually growing. Its a very strange phenomenon in my mind with interview applicants and I see it ALL the time.
January 27th, 2011 at 12:34 PM
Good tips, funny too! I know it’s not realistic for everyone to be able to do what they love, so what advice would you give to get by the interviewer who asks “Why do you want to work here?” Ha, probably can’t say “Salary, Benefits, easy work hours…” Of course, like you say, the best option is to just do something you enjoy…
January 27th, 2011 at 10:59 PM
I had a job I loved for 10 years, then settled on 3 jobs I didn’t enjoy. I think settling for a job you don’t like is about the worst thing you can do professionally and psychologically. I’d probably of been better off working for a non-profit or school doing something I loved.
January 28th, 2011 at 8:08 PM
Well, These are the tips which i always keeps in mind while I go to find out a job. But the point number one “salary range” has became the top most priority now.
January 28th, 2011 at 8:47 PM
Great tips thanks for sharing.. just enjoy and treasure what is your current work 🙂
January 30th, 2011 at 12:28 PM
Well these are some tips which are surely to be kept in mind while looking for i job, As i think the work we done should be done with interest otherwise its not worth doing it.
January 31st, 2011 at 12:19 AM
if i was asked about one thing i hate most… then its, for sure, going to be working weekends… i hate working at weekends… so i found this new job thats 9 to 5 and no working weekend.. yippee…. although salary is a little less but i am more than happy
February 28th, 2011 at 12:07 PM
do a job you love and you dont have to work for a day
Sourish
July 2nd, 2011 at 10:10 PM
The amount of money you make is important, but it is even more important to have a job that you enjoy. I have known some people that make a lot of money, but hate their jobs.
They spend much of their productive “work” time looking for ways to escape their job. I cannot imagine what the dissonance is doing to their health.