The happiest guy I ever knew at work was the head bellman at the Beverly HIlls Hotel, where I worked for 6 years. Wayne was a smart, educated man who was so delighted to carry luggage to and from bungalows at the age of 50 that he just about busted the buttons off his green uniform at the start of every day. I never understood it, but I always admired it.

http://www.sawyerspeaks.wordpress.com

I’m an IT Project Manager, which is a step down from my career as an IT exec. I retired and am financially independent, so I work mostly for the stimulation, not the pay. Yes, I enjoy my job and like the people I work with, but I don’t always like getting up early to go to work and there are some dull moments now and then.

Call me a “glass is half-something” kind of guy, but my job is OK. There are times when I do enjoy it and derive satisfaction from doing it well. There are other times when, well, it doesn’t do it for me. Then the paycheck shows up and evens things out a bit.

Let’s face it, we all work for money – people who don’t are called “volunteers”. And if your pay isn’t in proportion to your job dissatisfaction, it’s time to quit.

As for guys having a mid-life crisis that appears to revolve around their job, employers beware – the problem is usually much deeper.

Love, Hate, just different sides of the same coin,,,if you don’t like yourself then chances are you don’t like your job…if you don’t like your job ,,,why are you doing it…Cause at the time you got the job it seemed like the answer to your problems,,,that’s why…small things like RENT,FOOD, BILLS,,,these are the deciding factors,,,,,,,,overcome these and now you can complain and dream about an ideal job……

A lot of people do jobs I would not want to do,,,and some how they manage to roll with the punches and survive,,,,don’t like your present job…quit feeling sorry for yourself and get a different one…….

90 percent of a job is attitude, 10 percent is work if you are smart.

I want a cushy job with a great pension, permanent tenure and lots of other bennies. I want to act with total impunity with regard to power, scandal and money.

So, can I be a Senator?

Too much work with too little pay in a all too depressing job market that leaves one with few options is how I see the present state of workers in America. Do you agree?

Do I like my job? I think that I like mine as much as most people, especially those who work for others.

Is it what I want to do? No. And the reason is a deep, philosophical one. And I hope one day to have the job I want. But it is still several years out.

I like my job. I’ve been a computer programmer for 15 years, and have had multiple employers. In 2003, I came up with a few key philosophies a company needed to have for me to be happy working there: pay an employee’s worth, ability to manage expectations, employee appreciation, work / life balance, and affordable healthcare. It took kissing some ugly toads before I found my prince, but I DID eventually find what I was looking for.

I am a graduate of a biology degree, mid-twenties now and working as a coordinator of a lab for a large company in the petroleum industry. I like my job but sometimes I feel like I should be doing something else. I’ve only been here for less than two years and am moving up quite fast but I didn’t receive a raise since the company froze them and sometimes things at work become too repetitive and dull. I am the type of person that needs to be moving forward but it feels like I am at a standstill.

OK, Bing Bloggers. I confess to you that I do love my job. Not that I couldn’t live without it, mind you, but love it I do.

I am very, very lucky. I teach math and English in a rural school district, where it is not uncool for kids to like you. So all I have to do is generate enthusiam for what I have to teach (No problem there!), and the field is won!

This does not mean, however, that every moment is wonderful. Teaching is second only to parenting on the scale of my life’s most challenging duties. I wonder, though, if what people expect from their work is more than what it could be expected to deliver. Many look at work just in terms of what it can do for them, rather than in terms of what they bring to the job. Metaphorically, they want to nurse their job; they want to suckle. The irony here is that the more one brings to a job, the more, potentially, he or she can get out of.

Yeah, I can feel the reaction this will get from some, since there are no guarantees that every job will provide self-satisfaction. That’s when you hunt up another one: when you are bringing to the job a positive attitude; you are being productive, but no one appreciates it.

I hesitate to say this because it smacks of cliche, but I believe that attitude is the key to personal fulfillment, whether it be on the job or vacationing in Vegas. If everyone could be positive, no one would complain.

To loosely quote Mark Slackmeyer’s father (Doonesbury): “Life isn’t to be enjoyed … it’s to be gotten on with!” Jeez, look at the people you cited: Marketing, movies, law … these people should be forced to work in a meat packing plant for a month to gain an appreciation of how easy they’ve got it. I’m not saying they should feel better about their jobs just because somebody has it worse, but a tiny bit of perspective wouldn’t hurt them.

“Like” is such a strong word for what you are asking. If someone “likes” their job more than 25% of the time, then they are way ahead of the game. If they like it more than 50% of the time, they are delirious and possibly insane.

Some of the happiest people are those who don’t think about it much. Over analysis of your lot in life can cause great concern and should be avoided.

Bing,

I don’t believe anyone can fully enjoy ever aspect of their job. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a fire fighter. I went to school for it, got my degree in it and started the process to join a department. As a low level candidate, you start off as an EMT. My life’s goal was almost complete until one day. Like most weeks, we responded to a multi-vehicle fatality accident on the freeway. At this one though I decided fire fighting wasn’t for me. At the accident were two kids…one alive and one not. I was done. My dream job gone as I realized I could not handle the kid aspect of the routine.

As we grow our needs and wants do as well. The majority of people I know don’t practice what they studied and graduated for in college. I was lucky that I found my niche and love doing it. Not all of it though. I know I have a great job but the people I work with are another story…

I work in IT and hate my job….I have had jobs that I’ve liked and left more more pay, better position, etc…I regret that. Now I am a man who hates his job and has regrets…

I absolutely despise my job – just shoot me now. I work for the federal Environmental Protection Agency. I’m too old to find something new and they pay us way more than the private sector for the amount of work. The job is excrutiatingly boring and the management is beyond horrible & completely incompetent. Very demoralzing. We don’t even really protect the environment, we cater to the States and industry and politicians. Very disappointing if you think EPA is actually looking out for you – they are NOT.

I know I should be grateful to have a job and health insurance but I just hate to waste my life like this.

To all of those who profess to love their jobs…..Have you never once bought a lottery ticket?

Do I love my job? Before I would have said definitely yes. But as I get promoted and the job changes I would still say yes though not definitely. I am an Army officer with 16 years of service. There are good and bad parts in any job. If I concentrated on the bad parts, my job would be easy to hate. But I sincerely believe that the good parts outweigh the bad parts so I too agree that attitude makes the difference.

i dont, and i am trying my best to exit out into something id like to do for the next 20+ years. I think its difficult to find and OUT so to speak when you dont like your job. You cant just leave, you must have something lined up. I tried leaving once for the mortgage business but that proved to be a mistake, hence the grief we all saw behind that one.

I do like my job, but it does get trivial, repetitive and monotonous. I’m currently a File Clerk for a Fidiciary Business (ie, Trustee Work/Probate Law). I can’t complain really, nice co-workers, easy work, free dark chocolate and coffee and flexible schedule. But the down-side that the hours as very low and it doesn’t pay much (Hey I gotta get to my Transfer College sometime).

A 2nd job doesn’t sound that bad in this time and in this economy. But I’m just grateful to have a job at this time at all. I’m content at the moment. But looking at this job as just another stepping stone to something better maybe with a better firm.

wake up call everyone:
unless you inherited a fortune or stroke the jackpot at Vegas, we ALL got to work, i.e. for a living, right ?
haven’t we ALL had moments we felt on top of the world, wether it’s graduating from Harvard, winning a multi-million dollar deal or just fixing the PC, or the sink, or fine tuning the family car ?
we all had our glorious moments, so, we must hold on to those memories and move on and keep up the good work and keep asking ourselves: Am I where I wanted to be ? Was I 1000% trying ?

Job disatisfaction never surprises me because the process by which most people select their career is deeply flawed. Many people “fall” into jobs by chance or reputation (if you are good with numbers, become an accountant) or because they have a friend who works there. As a result we have people who make life altering decisions and become “a lawyer” before they know what a lawyer does on a daily basis. unless you want to argue and negotiate your entire day it might not be the right thing for you. There needs to be a better way to direct youngsters to the many many choices that are available and to find a way to better match peoples true wants & needs with their careers.

I had a great job, in a great deptartment with the best boss I had ever had. Then the bank eliminated my whole department, said if I wanted to remain emplyed I would have to take a 4 Pay Grade Demotion and a 20% pay cut, which I did. I hope this economy gets turned around fast so I can stop living hand to mouth.

The real workers don’t have things to to respond to things such as this.

I mostly agree with that font of all northern wisdom, Jack Hammond. Attitude can be just about everything, and a lot of what you feel about your job is a reflection of how you feel about yourself.

I’m a lawyer, and I love my job. Or, rather, I love the law (it’s incredibly entertaining), and my job lets me be around a lot of law.

Then again, I imagine that I would enjoy ditch-digging, too. Ever de-tasseled corn? Hot, itchy, filthy job. I kinda liked it, because at the end of the day I knew that I had done something, and all I wanted was a long shower and multiple tall glasses of something cold. Simplistic, maybe; but then maybe too many people are asking too much of their jobs. A job can’t make you happy, if you’re not already halfway there.

I can honestly say that, although there were surely “moments,” that I have loved every job I ever had. Surely I’m one of the lucky ones!

Abby, Columbus, OH

I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed this column in the past. But this topic hit a soft spot. Relevant and humorous. Way to be thought provoking Mr. B.

Well Bing, there has to be one so it might as well be me. I’m a lawyer and I love it! Been doing it for over 20 years.

Bing,

I happen to a marketing officer at a large bank, and I genuinely like what I do, with whom I do it, and the organization for whom I work. I also believe fervently that work is what I do; it is not who I am. I try my best to navigate my life accordingly.

This is quite timely; today is my last day at a job that I had only three months. Or is it four? No matter. I took the job in order to get out of my previous one. What sucked about the previous was that it required me to be away from home 100% of the time. What sucked about this most recent one was the management and the technology (not engaged; dead end).
I am a computer programmer, and I do really, really enjoy writing software. I just hate the way most people do it. It seems that 90% of all software jobs are trash (briefly: because quality is not valued; and because managers don’t care about good process), and that this is the way things will stay. I could go on at length about the reasons why I think this is, but that’s a topic for a blog post.
I will say this though: I am no longer interested in working for other’s gain. Let’s face it: If you’re good, and passionate, and don’t mind working hard, then you can enjoy doing things that benefit you (and your customers!) – and reap the rewards, rather than let someone else (who you may or maybe not respect) reap thereof. So, my goal now is to build something that I’m proud of, and enjoy, and not have to work for The Man any longer. Here’s to new beginnings!

The best jobs I’ve ever had were the ones where I got to work for myself. Three companies and counting…almost time to start the next one.

If you don’t like the path you are on, take a chance and try making a new one in a direction that no one has ever gone before. You’ll probably fail but even that will be fun.

Many times people find a safe haven in their occupation.

In these situations, being on the job, no matter what the job, it’s better than a chaotic home life, TGIF parties with lap dancers, or, taking the spouse to the opera.

When time spent off the job is overly stressful, creativity just ooozes like puss from a boil.

Jack’s two words, love and hate, are profound in a strange way–if you love one you’ll hate the other.

If you can love both, you may be freaky.

Do I love my job? Maybe. Do I like vacations and 3-day weekend trips to wherever the hell I want, and not ever having to worry how much “Market Price” or “AQ” is?…Absolutely.

You’re sitting with God having a drink and you’re asked, did your life’s work make a difference?

If you answer yes, not only should you have liked it you should express a great sense of gratitude.

I’m a very fortunate guy. I can answer without hesitation that my life’s work has made difference.

I’ve enjoyed it all… the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.

The brilliant and the horse’s ass, the saint and the sinner, the ups, downs and sideways.

L’Chaim.

I want to thank all you guys for some very interesting thoughts today.

Interesting Topic, most of my friends can’t hold jobs whether they like it or not. Something about motivation…

A job is just trading a persons skills for money (at least when ur on a 1099), if you don’t like the skills ur trading…go into a different trade or get some fresh skills!

after years of office dwelling i became a teacher and work/life has never been better! i feel sorry for the people hung up on money and status…that’s why work is so miserable…

In most cases I believe a person’s happiness in a job has less to do with the job than it does with their general propensity for happiness. If your entire life revolves around achieving some sort of ‘easy street’, or preparing to finally live at retirement, you’re bound to be disappointed.

For many younger workers, and older workers employed for long periods in a particular job, a lack of perspective is a real hindrance. You’ll probably not appreciate a decent job if you’ve never yet worked in a shitty one (or its been many years since the experience).

I see the same sort of people moving from one failed marriage to another, convinced that each early infatuation is the prelude to a new and continuously exciting life. Each new career becomes a sort of love affair.

As for myself, I generally enjoy my work. There are good days, and bad days, and that makes it real. The daily battle, with wins and losses, keeps me going. Smiting my enemies and fighting the good fight is energizing. I’ve been at it for decades, and I think I’m still learning and improving my game. Some of the satisfaction is just understanding organizational dynamics enough to be able to accurately predict outcomes. It’s also entertaining to watch bright young minds discover some of the same things I encountered so many years ago, and still manage to keep my mouth shut so as not to ruin their adventure.

I read your blog frequently but rarely comment, but this is a sit up , read and forward to others kind of posting. Amazingly perceptive

No. It pays well, but I don’t like it. I would prefer to be a minister, but it requires an expensive Master’s Degree and pays poorly. I suppose if I had felt that calling before I got married and had kids it would be something I could do.

I love work and that great bargaining unit called “free will”

I’ve driven forklifts,collected bills, managed a retail store at 20, waited cocktail tables, presented to the board(s),travelled to Europe and Latin America on someone else’s dime, played golf, dined and stayed at great places. Work has been a door to a life my lower-middle-class father never would have imagined and I am grateful.

I’ve managed to use the “free will” over all this time, finding new adventures, each better suited than the last. However, our economic time has pretty much eliminated the free will option as there just aren’t the opportunities to move today as was the case even a year ago.

My last move from a dying situation was a big drop in salary and status but to a solid company.

I am happy to have a means to make the mortgage, but the options for folks to move around just aren’t as avalable these days. That is my lament this Labor Day. I’ve always felt alternatives were plentiful before.

So taking advice from the brilliance of you Bing and your posters, I’m going to march in today with a better attitude…and see if things improve.

Happy Labor Day!

Do I like my job? Well, maybe not every minute of it, but overall–absolutely!

The way I see it, it is my ultimate decision to be happy with things…although the pharmaceutical industry would like me to believe there is such a thing as a Happy pill that makes the human experience more tolerable, my personal experience makes me conclude that happiness, in most cases, is a decision (much like love.)

Having a job, in these times, is better than needing a job…

I’m an academic researcher, and I really enjoy research — interviewing, writing, thinking, etc. But the mgmt is lousy. You’d think that the richest university in the world would be a great place to work; flexible deadlines, no pressure to produce anything with any function or is written in a halfway decent fashion, to be honest. Nope. Instead, it’s the new currency of egos, time, and a loathing of actual management practices. It’s like being locked in a bunker with gaggle of aging hippies. Wait — it’s not like that, it IS that. Arg.

The best line I ever heard about what one’s occupation, was in a bar in on a sunny island, when I asked the perosn sitting next to me what he did for a living. His reply:
” I am in inheritance!”

Where to do I apply?

p.s. – He seemed quite happy with his occupation!

Bing, I’m not sure if I like my job, but I love yours. Care to trade?

MW of Medford, what’s the old saying about academia? The fights are so vicious because the stakes are so small?

Jim, you don’t need a master’s degree to be a minister. Just the good book, and energy. I don’t recall jesus or the apostles having graduate degrees (in fact I don’t think they even went to Dead Sea Community College). Or find some gold sheets in a field with strange hieroglyphs, a talking salamander, or develop palm stigmata. It’s a wide-open field!

I really LOVE my job!

But, I must add, I’m retired.

Bing,
Valid thoughts!!…
Yes we are lucky that things are not all that bad in this part of the world so having a job and sustaining is not a big issue. Yes, if you work in MNC the global gale has it’s effect in the subcontinent.
As for me, Yes, I love my job ever since the first day back in 1985. Never felt that the job is bad. Yes, once in a while bad bosses come make life miserable.

Been lucky to have good bosses around 95% of these 25 years. So that also helps you to love your job.

Karthik
Bangalore, India.

I am 29 and work as a business systems analyst in an IT organization. I am so bored and have no motivation to excel in my job. I just feel that I am underutilized yet I have no desire to seek out more work from my team. I have done a lot of informational interviewing and research and realized that I want my career to me in Marketing and as a result, I have started my part-time MBA – a decision I am SO happy about.

Being an woman in IT has a aura of prestige for me. I have made a ton of money, bought a house, own designer clothes and shoes, have travelled, can afford anything I want – money is no issue for me in my current salary bracket. But is money enough? Is it worth being unhappy with my job? After all I do spend 40+ hours of my week doing it!

I recently decided to do something about my ’situation.’ I decided to resign from my job to pursue something more aligned with my marketing interests. I have an attitude that I can do anything – and I have proven that time and time again. Am I scared? Sure. I keep thinking that by leaving IT, I will take a big pay cut. But I guess I just need to have faith that it will all work itself out.

The CEO of my former company told me that once in his career, he took a pay cut to pursue something he loved. Because he loved it he did very well and (in time) his excellent performance and motivation brought him to an executive level officer role. So maybe we all need to me true to ourselves (yours truly included) and just go for what we want. Even if we don’t know exactly what that is, just a small desire might be enough to catapult our careers in the direction we want it to go.

By the way, my dream job is to start a clothing line and market my garments and brand. I LOVE to draw, sew and build relationships with clients. I have so many ideas that I can barely stand it. One day I will do it, but it certainly won’t pay the bills if I try to today.

Job? What job?

Is it too late to add a comment?

i’m an architect, still employed despite the lousy economy. salaries have been frozen, and i work long hours.

I’m 45 and have been working since age 14. This is the same job i’ve held for more than 4 years. Granted some jobs were McJobs to pay for school, but i’ve worked at a lot of dreadful architecture firms, and i’m really glad to be here – even if i’m the only person here most nights… I love the challenges (mostly), and i love that i’m always learning new things and having to master new skills. I love that i work somewhere the ‘gets’ my weird sense of humor and my messy desk.

That said, at times i wish i were more ‘important’ and held a higher position in the firm.

Then i remember that in the last 15 years, i’ve fought cancer twice, a shattered elbow, married a wonderful but difficult man, cared for my dying mother and then my dying dad…and maybe it’s ok that i’m a worker bee…

Do I like my job? It’s similar to asking whether I like my chair. A chair was not created by nature. It’s a product that is designed to keep me seated as best it could. It would never be perfect.
Is having a job natural to us? Is being happy about thing that nature did not initially intent natural?

The question is quite wrong. The jobs are made to make capital-owners rich and us sufficiently funded. You cannot love your job.

If you do, you cannot call it a job any more:)