# Simple factor to consider when choosing your ideal career/job



## PeterTheGreater (Jan 13, 2012)

To all young people considering which career path to choose, and to all those who are considering career change:

Always remember to find out what are the work hours and career progression, then assess whether you are willing to do that all your life, or at least for a big part of your life.

Most of the time, as you progress on the career ladder, you will be expected to work after hours and often you will have less time for yourself and/or your family. It will basically take up a huge amount of your daily time - it will become your life.

Also, would you still enjoy what you are considering to do even if that will mean having to survive company politics, unfriendly colleagues and sometimes abusive employers?

Of course, every individual employer/company/organization is different and they may have advantages and disadvantages that are unrelated to any of this, but all in all, there's one thing you might face regularly at work: stress.

So, in which career path would you be ready to take on any amount of stress possible?


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## Coffee Soap (Jun 25, 2012)

A relevant quote from smartprettyandawkward.com, "If you really love your major, you will stay up until 2am perfecting your essay. If you really love your work, you will be awake at 2am thinking of new ideas to bring to your boss. If you’re deciding to accept a new project, ask yourself: would I want to work on this at 2am? If the answer is yes, take it on."


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

Coffee Soap said:


> A relevant quote from smartprettyandawkward.com, "If you really love your major, you will stay up until 2am perfecting your essay. If you really love your work, you will be awake at 2am thinking of new ideas to bring to your boss. If you’re deciding to accept a new project, ask yourself: would I want to work on this at 2am? If the answer is yes, take it on."


That's dangerous for certain types...


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

Devin87 said:


> That's dangerous for certain types...


Why do you say that?


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## CrabbyPaws (Mar 5, 2012)

I think these are good questions to consider. Thank you.


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

MrShatter said:


> Why do you say that?


Just that some of us are a bit predisposed to obsession.


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## PeterTheGreater (Jan 13, 2012)

Devin87 said:


> That's dangerous for certain types...


It is dangerous for our health.

The occupational psychologists here will surely know that straining oneself doing the same thing throughout the day can be very unhealthy. Recent studies show that people who regularly work more than 9 hours a day are more likely to get lifestyle diseases (cardiac, circulation, respiratory, etc.).

So yes, I would think that if we take all this into account, there will be only very few things (let alone jobs/careers) for which we will be ready to sacrifice our own health (and, possibly, life) - and not just something we can imagine to enjoy.


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

I'm able to obsess over almost any job. I worked over 60 hours a week-- five 12.5 hour days-- all summer with the past few weeks being closer to 80 hours a week. My summer job mostly ended Labor Day (still open weekends through October) and I've been at home for the past two days. It's the first time I've had two consecutive days off since early June and I'm going insane. I go from being depressed and lethargic and not wanting to do anything to having waaaaaay too much energy and not being able to keep still. I'm a legit workaholic. I need to find a demanding job where I can work lots of hours fast. I don't know if I can make it more than another few days. At least Saturday and Sunday I'm working 10.5 hours each day.


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

You could also try asking: "what can't I live without?"


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## doublejm1 (Sep 2, 2012)

Writing is definitely my calling in life. It stokes my creativity and serves as the outlet through I channel my innermost thoughts.


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## PeterTheGreater (Jan 13, 2012)

Devin87 said:


> I'm able to obsess over almost any job. I worked over 60 hours a week-- five 12.5 hour days-- all summer with the past few weeks being closer to 80 hours a week. My summer job mostly ended Labor Day (still open weekends through October) and I've been at home for the past two days. It's the first time I've had two consecutive days off since early June and I'm going insane. I go from being depressed and lethargic and not wanting to do anything to having waaaaaay too much energy and not being able to keep still. I'm a legit workaholic. I need to find a demanding job where I can work lots of hours fast. I don't know if I can make it more than another few days. At least Saturday and Sunday I'm working 10.5 hours each day.


I am not trying to be critical, but at least raise some awareness:

How do you expect to build (or even think of) family and friendships?

Spend time with them?

Solve any problems that may arise?

Would you be happy to consider you might die before you get any of that?

I work 9 hours a day and I already have trouble finding time for my loved one. Not having time for our people can be quite harmful and, in the long run, give rise to modern relationship issues.

The rare exception to this I can imagine is if you work together with your loved one (e.g. you are business owners) and have no conflicting career interests with him/her.


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

PeterTheGreater said:


> I am not trying to be critical, but at least raise some awareness:
> 
> How do you expect to build (or even think of) family and friendships?
> 
> ...


All my friends are pretty much work friends, so when I'm not working I'm a lot more lonely than when I am and we all go out after work regularly. Right now my family consists of my actual family since I live with my parents and my three sisters and all three of my sisters work there, as well, although they don't work nearly the hours I do since none of them are management. At this point in my life I have no interest in a romantic relationship. So really on the interpersonal front, it's helping me. I'm a lot more social when I'm working that much than I am when I'm not.

Solving problems that arise is a bit of a problem sometimes, though. If it's an immediate, serious problem, they're usually ok with you coming in a little late to solve it, but other than that I usually try to think ahead and do things on my days off or early in the morning before work since I don't have to be there until 10.


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## PeterTheGreater (Jan 13, 2012)

Devin87 said:


> All my friends are pretty much work friends, so when I'm not working I'm a lot more lonely than when I am and we all go out after work regularly. Right now my family consists of my actual family since I live with my parents and my three sisters and all three of my sisters work there, as well, although they don't work nearly the hours I do since none of them are management. At this point in my life I have no interest in a romantic relationship. So really on the interpersonal front, it's helping me. I'm a lot more social when I'm working that much than I am when I'm not.
> 
> Solving problems that arise is a bit of a problem sometimes, though. If it's an immediate, serious problem, they're usually ok with you coming in a little late to solve it, but other than that I usually try to think ahead and do things on my days off or early in the morning before work since I don't have to be there until 10.


For anything else that may happen unplanned?
(even romantic - what if you do meet love, when you least expect it?) :kitteh:


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Here is another question to consider. I unfortunately failed to think of this one:
Will people pay you to do your work or will they think that you love it so much that you're willing to give away your time and talent for free?
People think that writers should be honored to do it for free.
No one ever thinks that plumbers should just donate their time out of the goodness of their hearts.


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## PeterTheGreater (Jan 13, 2012)

walking tourist said:


> Here is another question to consider. I unfortunately failed to think of this one:
> Will people pay you to do your work or will they think that you love it so much that you're willing to give away your time and talent for free?
> People think that writers should be honored to do it for free.
> No one ever thinks that plumbers should just donate their time out of the goodness of their hearts.


Also true.

There are many more factors in the real work environment than just enjoying something.

I believe it has to do with each person finding a suitable and sustainable mix of what they can do best and what fulfills their needs and opportunities in life.

According to our current economic system, we work in order to pay the bills, afford the lifestyle we wish - not _in order_ to enjoy the work itself.


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