Is loving your job common? Is it a realistic goal, or something you just hope for and occasionally luck out? I’ve been pretty fortunate thus far in my professional life, and I’ve liked most of the jobs I have held. However, I know people who don’t care for their jobs but stick with them (especially when the economic climate is bad). What do you think? I’m not just interested in a poll about your personal job situation right now, but more about your beliefs about this overall given the job experiences you and others have had.
I think loving your job is actually pretty rare. I’m lucky, I’m in a job I used to do for a hobby, so I’m in heaven. But before then, I spent a couple of years in a job I hated simply because there wasn’t much else going.
I know quite a few other people in similar situations; they don’t have the qualifications or experience to get another job, and they find themselves unwilling or unable to “jump ship” and go looking for the idea job. It was easy for me to run away and join the circus; I don’t have kids, few debts, that sort of thing. But for someone with a home loan and a couple of kids, I can really see how it would be easier/safer to stay with the devil you know rather than go looking for the perfect job that may not even be there.
I’ve always been intrigued by semiconductors. My work in the field has always held my interest and been able to inspire me. Nevertheless, I have had several bosses or cow-orkers who were able to make the job miserable anyway. I’m just glad to be in a position where I learn about something I enjoy.
I agree with tavalla. I’ve been stuck with terrible, pathetic jobs for years until I got to where I I am today. Though I still don’t like the atmosphere here, at least I pretty much like what I do and it gives me leeway into the future.
It’ a matter of timing, luck and will to get a job you like.
I used to be a Bycicle Patrol Officer. Imagine getting paid to ride a bike around a college campus? I loved the job, I left for an opportunity to work over overseas, and I am still enjoying my new work. It all depends on whether a person is expecting a perfect job, or just doing sometihing that they enjoy. If other people are involved, invariably at least one of those other people will not be someone you want to be around.
There exists no perfect job, no good attitudes.
I happen to like my job, a lot. I work with persons with developmental disabilities in employment and residential settings. They are such a neat group of people to work with. It’s really cool when I have been sick or go away a few days on vacation, to come back and be mobbed by people hugging me and saying they missed me. Heck, even on days when things go bad it’s still a good job. I have had offers for employment that pay more money, but I make enough here for me and I just can’t believe I’d ever have another job as much fun as this.
Yeah I think its rare.
I’m currently unemployed. The first thing the employment people say to me is “What do you want to do”. Hell I don’t know. Back when I was an inexperienced teen ager I knew all that stuff.What a stupid question.
Swampbear - You wrote my post for me.
I too work in rehabilitation with dd adults and can’t ever see myself doing anything else. It’s the job I would be able to do for free and come to think of it, after paying taxes here I am almost working for that. 
It’s the kind of occupation where people really need to love their job because we surely aren’t there for the huge amounts of money we’re paid.
I was away yesterday so need to be prepared for a little mobbing by the guys. They get really concerned whever one of us gets sick or goes away so that is reflected in their behaviour when we return.
As rare as wooly mammoths , I hate every job i have done always I’ve always had meglomanic bosses antiscial working hours and crappy pay and hard work.
“Find a job you love, and you will never work another day in your life.”
- Confucius
I’m lucky in that I have a job that I love and I’m working at a place that I really respect. I think the 2 are separate issues. By education and experience, I am a medical librarian, and there is nothing else I would rather do. I will always love the work. But where I work is a different matter. The environment of my last job sucked–I worked for an agency I didn’t respect, was stuck in a basement, had the bosses from hell (who would tell me that my job was unimportant). But I loved the work. My brother recently said that there is nobody who likes their job. I told him I did and he told me there was something wrong with me. I do think it’s not the norm to love your job, and I feel bad for those who dread going to work. (I am sick–I look forward to going to work).
I’ve always believed that no matter how much you like what you do, if you are forced to do it 40 hours a week every week, it will stop being fun. Or at least it won’t be as much fun. But some of us have the ability to realize that no matter what we are doing for a living, some one some where has a worse job than we do. Even when I was in high school washing dishes at a truck stop, I felt like I had it alright because I wasn’t scrubbing toilets at the truck stop.
Plus, someone mentioned earlier, a lot of it has to do with where you work and who you work with.
I’ve had jobs that I didn’t absolutely hate, mostly because of the work environment. But I’ve never had, and can’t even think of, a job that I’d keep if I didn’t need the money.
I’ve heard one person in my life say “I love my job”. That was maybe six months after he started and he seems to be doing very well nine years later. There was a certain amount of luck involved in securing the job. So I’ll say it’s uncommon.
I know more people who do what they’ve always wanted to do but are disappointed in how it turned out, often in medicine and in jobs requiring travel. Anything, even something like playing music, can turn into a grind.
Having said that, a relatively enjoyable job is a very realistic goal in that once you settle on a particular field that you feel is worthy (this can be a matter of luck as well) you figure out what you want and don’t want, what companies or entities are good to work for, what skills and experience you need, and then you move towards what you think will be your ideal situation. There has to be a balance between your job and the rest of your life or you’ll become resentful (unless you’d rather do nothing except go to work). Having good people to work with when you get there is necessary for happiness and is, to a degree, also a matter of luck.