How many of you reading this blog can say that you genuinely love your job? Or perhaps, taking that further, you think of it as a vocation, a passion? Traditionally we think of those in creative industries such as acting or art, as well as nurses and doctors perhaps, and of course monks and nuns as having a true calling to their jobs, but can this be extended to other roles too, such as being a lecturer or researcher? (I think it can!)
In the course of my historical research this week I was reading about 18th century American women who became professional writers. Back then, the idea of a woman having a career was seriously frowned upon. Even today there’s a negative side to the term ‘career woman’…as well as conjuring up images of dedication and commitment to one’s job, it also hints at someone who neglects her family and friends, is one-track-minded, perhaps a little too ambitious. Even casting the gender aspects aside, the concept of a ‘career’ is an interesting one, it suggests a given path, a set progression, a long term commitment: more than just a job. There are fewer of these positions available in the 21st century with more people on temporary short term contracts.
The word ‘career’ has its origins in the Latin word for a chariot race-track and still today an alternative meaning for the word suggests high speed and being slightly out of control. This reminds us that it’s more important than ever to think about work-life balance; whether we have a job, career or vocation, we must not travel too fast or become out of control. However important your work is, don’t exclude everything else from your life.
So, is there anything wrong with having ‘just’ a job? Intrinsically, no. Why not treat your work life as a means to an end, a discreet part of your life that requires no focus outside particular hours? But surveys regularly show that most people in the UK are unfulfilled in their work and simply see it as a way to earn money to pay the bills. Even people in Higher Education can become disillusioned and lecturing or researching can become a chore in which they are just going through the motions. By paying attention to how your job sits within the rest of your life, and how you can improve your lot by cultivating a ‘career’, you can go a small way towards making your working life more bearable.
I understand that some people need a job as a means to pay the bills, but those who do find themselves in a job that they love seem to find it harder to ‘switch off’, as they don’t see it as ‘work’. It isn’t a problem when you’re single and got no kids, but in my line of work constantly getting ideas as a writer does tend to get on my family’s nerves.