In the past few weeks, I've had a number of conversations with colleagues, friends, and others about why they work and how work is situated in their lives. I've received some great input - and developed some lines of research for the larger book project - but I've also realized that I need to come up with some better, more targeted questions to stimulate reflection. The big question - why do you work - is, well, too big. So here are 5 more narrowly tailored questions that could provoke discussion:
1. What do you like about your current work?
2. What do you dislike?
3. What would someone have to offer you to leave your current work/job and take up another position or kind of work?
4. Do you have any hobbies and would you want to turn your hobby into a job? (Some follow up questions: What's stopping you? If it's a question of money, how much would you give up to pursue your passion?)
5. What kind of work do you do?
If readers of this blog would post their answers, I'd appreciate the help. You can post anonymously, but I'd like to know what kind of work you do. I'm also open to suggestions about other questions that should be asked in thinking about work and its place and function in life.
Just copy and paste the questions into your comment and respond away.
(Not to worry, these aren't my only questions. Just a few starters) .
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
8 comments:
1. I work in a family business, so i feel like im contributing to the well-being of my family by directly putting effort into my job and not simply as a wage-earner.
2. My work is very much self-motivated, and when that motivation or direction is missing some days, it makes it difficult to be productive
3. The chance to get paid better and the chance to do something I love.
4. I would like to turn a hobby into a job and plan to do so in the relatively near future (6 months-ish)
5. I work alot with excel on production-line costing and pricing for a furniture manufacturer/retailer (in-house business consulting essentially).
1. What do you like about your current work?
The wages, and not a lot else, this is down to the employer rather than the profession I hope.
2. What do you dislike?
I dislike the fact that so many of my colleges back stab and undermine me to further their own careers, all the while smiling as they do it.
3. What would someone have to offer you to leave your current work/job and take up another position or kind of work?
The best incentive would be more holidays.
The second would be a more diverse and interesting working environment.
The Third would be more money because money equals freedom (unfortunately).
4. Do you have any hobbies and would you want to turn your hobby into a job? (Some follow up questions: What's stopping you? If it's a question of money, how much would you give up to pursue your passion?)
I love mountain biking and can still put younger men to shame. I would love to become a professional mountain bike guide. However, people generally do not have the free time to provide a fulltime stable market for my ambition. I have also considered a cycle shop, but raising the collateral to get started is difficult. As long as I could feed myself and pay the mortgage I would happily give up the extra money that my current profession offers.
5. What kind of work do you do?
I am an architectural technologist (building design) who was made redundant in June 2008
1. What do you like about your current work?
Hi, Dan.
I like the autonomy. I like the fact that I can pursue questions that interest me, in my own way, on pretty much my own schedule. I like the fact that the work is not completely market-driven (the profit motive doesn’t rule my day). I think the thing I like best about it is that I continue to learn.
2. What do you dislike?
The isolation.
3. What would someone have to offer you to leave your current work/job and take up another position or kind of work?
A similar position at a place where I would feel more connected to people: both intellectually (so a better department, and in particular stronger in my field) and also in my personal life (a university on the East Coast, ideally, or at least in a more cosmopolitan city).
4. Do you have any hobbies and would you want to turn your hobby into a job? (Some follow up questions: What's stopping you? If it's a question of money, how much would you give up to pursue your passion?)
Not any more. There was a time when I wanted to write fiction for a living. But I do feel passionate about the writing I do now, so it doesn’t seem like a big concession. To have pursued fiction writing I would have needed financial stability. I have kids and would not have given up things like health insurance, the ability to live a middle class life style (for them more so than for me, but I like all that too).
5. What kind of work do you do?
I’m an academic (political theorist, tenured, Washington University in St. Louis).
1. What do you like about your current work?
To be 100% honest it is the vacations - I think it is the only thing that keeps me here. I earn 1.25 days per month worked (15 days per year) which increases the longer I work here) plus 2 weeks paid at Christmas. Other than that, the other good thing is the fact that I leave it all behind at 5:00 although I think that is something I have trained myself to do and would be that way regardless of the job.
2. What do you dislike?
I work in cube city. There are approximately 40 people in one room and the noise is overwhelming. I think I would be more tollerant of the noise if it was work related but sadly I have to hear every little detail of co-workers' lives.
3. What would someone have to offer you to leave your current work/job and take up another position or kind of work?
Job security, minimum 3 weeks vacation per year and equal or more pay to what I am currently earning. Since I work to live, I want a chance to do thel ive part.
4. Do you have any hobbies and would you want to turn your hobby into a job? (Some follow up questions: What's stopping you? If it's a question of money, how much would you give up to pursue your passion?)
I would love this!! The thing stopping me is financial security. As a single person, I am obviously the only income earner therefore I rely entirely on my income. If I don't work, I don't eat.
5. What kind of work do you do?
Official title is Manager, Faculty Governance and Curriculum which is just a fancy way of saying administrator. I am responsible for the administration of our Faculty Council and several of its sub-committees, the admin of graduate level curriculum and the admin of undergraduate scholarships.
1. my clients
2. the head of my department; gossipy environment; un-necessary paperwork; "nepotism"
3. a department head who listens, is open to new ideas in order to re-structure/ update the information being given out. They should take responsibility/ownership of their own ideas/words instead of always enforcing minute, inconsequential suggestions/protocol because "someone else" is "unhappy".
4. My hobby turned into my career. Now my hobby has a negative association/attachment in my mind because of an unhealthy work place situation. I no longer have a hobby I enjoy or pursue...just a job.
5. High school art teacher.
1. What do you like about your current work?
As I stumbled into the job after a period of unemployment the pay cheque was the most redeeming factor. I realise I was quite lucky to land in a team of interesting and stimulating colleagues; days are usually not dull. Plus the nature of the projects on which I am involved is quite interesting. One cannot really ask for more than Stimulating work + stimulating colleagues.
2. What do you dislike?
The fact I don't think this is what I want to pursue as a career.
3. What would someone have to offer you to leave your current work/job and take up another position or kind of work?
Not necessarily more money. If it were something in line with what I think I want to do long-term, that would sufficient an incentive.
4. Do you have any hobbies and would you want to turn your hobby into a job? (Some follow up questions: What's stopping you? If it's a question of money, how much would you give up to pursue your passion?)
Cooking is a hobby I have always wondered whether I would pursue more professionally. Although it could be an interesting intellectual challenge, there are many reasons I give myself for not pursuing it, including the bad hours, pay cut, plus I don't really feel like retraining and starting from zero. In sum, a mixture of potential financial and status costs and laziness are the obstacles.
5. What kind of work do you do?
Policy analysis in the federal public service and pseudo academia (adjunct teaching and some research on the side!).
1. What do you like about your current work?
What I like most about it is that I feel my current work has an interesting balance between social elements (i.e. conferences, meetings and correspondence) as well as research elements. I particularly like that I have an opportunity for self-direction and well as a positive and supportive work environment.
2. What do you dislike?
The subject matter – by this I mean that, although I find the experience to be of intrinsic worth, I really don’t care about the topics around which work is focused (families, immigration, and socio-economic issues). The people with whom I work, although all well educated, appear at times unwilling to step beyond their ‘intellectual comfort zone,’ which can be frustrating as we’re charged with the task of thinking about “Big and Bold Ideas.” Furthermore, I often dislike the process and outcomes of my work, as they both strike me to be painfully superficial (paired with the fact that the ability to pander to the lowest common denominator appears to be a virtue).
3. What would someone have to offer you to leave your current work/job and take up another position or kind of work?
The same type of work, that being one that involves analysis and research, but in an area of interest.
4. Do you have any hobbies and would you want to turn your hobby into a job? (Some follow up questions: What's stopping you? If it's a question of money, how much would you give up to pursue your passion?)
Yes, I would love to pursue issues that are of interest to me, such as international affairs, conflict & security, humanitarian intervention, human rights, international & constitutional law. What is stopping me is primarily experience and my limited schedule, as I am still in school.
5. What kind of work do you do?
I do policy analysis and strategic planning. This type of work involves research, critical analysis, policy writing as well as outreach with academic and international policy forums.
1.I like caring for people
2.I dislike the 12 hour shifts
3.Someone would have to offer me a posh position in a clinic rather than hospital work
4.I would love to write, ie. novel or blogger with benefits, but what is stopping me is my commitment to nursing, and the fact that everybody and their dog wants to write or has a blog
5.I am a nurse (student)
Hope some of this was helpful.
Post a Comment