Community > General Discussion

Topic: How much does your job say about you?
bhernandez Joined Sun 03/21/10 Posts: 14901	Tue 10/02/12 11:04 AM
What makes a career? I've worked for the same company for the past 8 years, which is a significant part of my life at my age. I can't say I'm passionate about it, though. then you just have a job. i think the majority of people just have jobs their entire lives. very few actually have careers. i think a career is when you're doing something you love. that's why you no longer call it simply a job.

singmesweet Joined Mon 07/28/08 Posts: 26661	Tue 10/02/12 11:16 AM Edited by singmesweet on Tue 10/02/12 11:18 AM
From Merriam-Webster: Definition of CAREER 1 a : speed in a course <ran at full career> b : course, passage 2 : encounter, charge 3 : a field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life <Washington's career as a soldier> 4 : a profession for which one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent calling <a career in medicine> <a career diplomat> then you just have a job. i think the majority of people just have jobs their entire lives. very few actually have careers. i think a career is when you're doing something you love. that's why you no longer call it simply a job. I think you can put a lot of effort into moving up in your job, which would turn into a career because of it, but not love it. Some may be very good at something and do well in life because of it, but not be incredibly passionate about it. While I've only been at the company for 8 years, from the definition I've posted above, it seems to fit the term career. Or at least the start of one. Though, at this point, I'd probably call it just a job.

bhernandez Joined Sun 03/21/10 Posts: 14901	Tue 10/02/12 11:32 AM
4 : a profession for which one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent calling <a career in medicine> <a career diplomat> if you're going to train for something and make it your permanent profession, i sure as hell hope you love it. otherwise i expect to see a bunch of miserable people. well wait. there are a bunch of miserable people. and notice how merriam-webster doesn't use the word job anywhere.

navygirl Joined Sat 06/02/07 Posts: 8118	Tue 10/02/12 11:34 AM
What makes a career? I've worked for the same company for the past 8 years, which is a significant part of my life at my age. I can't say I'm passionate about it, though. then you just have a job. i think the majority of people just have jobs their entire lives. very few actually have careers. i think a career is when you're doing something you love. that's why you no longer call it simply a job. Yes; this is why I called the military my career as I did something I loved. Now; I just have a job that I hate but I need it to pay the bills. Other than that; it means nothing to me.

andrewzooms Joined Fri 10/26/07 Posts: 2842	Tue 10/02/12 01:21 PM
A career is something with good pay, great benefits, stability, and a specialized skill.

andrewzooms Joined Fri 10/26/07 Posts: 2842	Tue 10/02/12 01:45 PM
Our career defines who we are. Yet I have not had a career so far in my life. Education, writing, and volunteer work is not the same as doing something I have a passion for. A person with a job is a positive in my book. I think so too. My career in the military definitely defined me as a person. When I left the military; my job has destroyed everything that made me a better person. I feel empty; lost, and damn useless sitting behind a desk. I no longer have a purpose in life or even a reason to get out of bed anymore. I am sorry it is the worst feeling in the world. Having a dreadful unfulfilled job.

s1owhand Joined Fri 05/18/07 Posts: 29437	Tue 10/02/12 02:01 PM
My job says "This is a damn fine handsome man with status, respect and probably very tight underwear..." j/k Actually I don't define myself by my career and my career doesn't define itself by me either. So it is mutual.

teadipper Joined Wed 10/19/11 Posts: 2732	Tue 10/02/12 02:26 PM
The economy sucks. People with Master's degree are applying to be Mc Donald's managers. What a person does for a living in a lot of cases right now, means nothing.

Torgo70 Joined Fri 06/27/08 Posts: 27387	Tue 10/02/12 02:29 PM
Our career defines who we are. Yet I have not had a career so far in my life. Education, writing, and volunteer work is not the same as doing something I have a passion for. A person with a job is a positive in my book. I think so too. My career in the military definitely defined me as a person. When I left the military; my job has destroyed everything that made me a better person. I feel empty; lost, and damn useless sitting behind a desk. I no longer have a purpose in life or even a reason to get out of bed anymore. I am sorry it is the worst feeling in the world. Having a dreadful unfulfilled job. Yes, that's obviously a far worse feeling than those who don't have jobs.

willing2 Joined Sun 06/08/08 Posts: 20221	Tue 10/02/12 02:34 PM
How long after meeting someone does the, what kind of work do you do, question come up? I find it kind of rude for the question to be on of the first few asked. Actions define the person.

inTyme Joined Sun 09/09/07 Posts: 47	Tue 10/02/12 02:35 PM
My life outside of work say more about who and what I like.

navygirl Joined Sat 06/02/07 Posts: 8118	Tue 10/02/12 02:43 PM
Our career defines who we are. Yet I have not had a career so far in my life. Education, writing, and volunteer work is not the same as doing something I have a passion for. A person with a job is a positive in my book. I think so too. My career in the military definitely defined me as a person. When I left the military; my job has destroyed everything that made me a better person. I feel empty; lost, and damn useless sitting behind a desk. I no longer have a purpose in life or even a reason to get out of bed anymore. I am sorry it is the worst feeling in the world. Having a dreadful unfulfilled job. Yes, that's obviously a far worse feeling than those who don't have jobs. Yep; especially when you can make more money collecting unemployment than actually working.

navygirl Joined Sat 06/02/07 Posts: 8118	Tue 10/02/12 02:43 PM
Our career defines who we are. Yet I have not had a career so far in my life. Education, writing, and volunteer work is not the same as doing something I have a passion for. A person with a job is a positive in my book. I think so too. My career in the military definitely defined me as a person. When I left the military; my job has destroyed everything that made me a better person. I feel empty; lost, and damn useless sitting behind a desk. I no longer have a purpose in life or even a reason to get out of bed anymore. I am sorry it is the worst feeling in the world. Having a dreadful unfulfilled job. Yep; makes me sick to my stomach even coming in on a daily basis and the pay is crap as well.

willing2 Joined Sun 06/08/08 Posts: 20221	Tue 10/02/12 02:45 PM
Yep; especially when you can make more money collecting unemployment than actually working. I get called all kinds of names when I say stuff like that. Thanks for posting it first.

navygirl Joined Sat 06/02/07 Posts: 8118	Tue 10/02/12 02:48 PM Edited by navygirl on Tue 10/02/12 02:48 PM
Yep; especially when you can make more money collecting unemployment than actually working. I get called all kinds of names when I say stuff like that. Thanks for posting it first. Sadly; its true. You get about $16.00 hourly non taxable to be unemployed; yet most jobs only offer about $12.00 an hour before taxes. Doesn't make sense to me.

msharmony Joined Mon 08/31/09 Posts: 61041	Tue 10/02/12 02:50 PM
Our career defines who we are. Yet I have not had a career so far in my life. Education, writing, and volunteer work is not the same as doing something I have a passion for. A person with a job is a positive in my book. I think so too. My career in the military definitely defined me as a person. When I left the military; my job has destroyed everything that made me a better person. I feel empty; lost, and damn useless sitting behind a desk. I no longer have a purpose in life or even a reason to get out of bed anymore. I am sorry it is the worst feeling in the world. Having a dreadful unfulfilled job. Yes, that's obviously a far worse feeling than those who don't have jobs. Yep; especially when you can make more money collecting unemployment than actually working. as it should be,, its supposed to be a sustenance while one looks for work, not a punishment ID say having no job on unemployment and having an unfulfilling job that pays squat,, are on equal par of terrible 'feelings'...

willing2 Joined Sun 06/08/08 Posts: 20221	Tue 10/02/12 02:59 PM
Yep; especially when you can make more money collecting unemployment than actually working. I get called all kinds of names when I say stuff like that. Thanks for posting it first. Sadly; its true. You get about $16.00 hourly non taxable to be unemployed; yet most jobs only offer about $12.00 an hour before taxes. Doesn't make sense to me. What makes sense to ethical folks is, a job you do well builds character. If a person came in and told me the reason they had been unemployed for a number of years because they didn't like the opportunities out there, their resume/application would hit the trash. They have no work ethic or the type of character I'd be interested in.

MeChrissy2 Joined Sat 12/13/08 Posts: 10155	Tue 10/02/12 03:02 PM
My job doesn't say anything about me. How I do it speaks volumes.

navygirl Joined Sat 06/02/07 Posts: 8118	Tue 10/02/12 03:08 PM
Yep; especially when you can make more money collecting unemployment than actually working. I get called all kinds of names when I say stuff like that. Thanks for posting it first. Sadly; its true. You get about $16.00 hourly non taxable to be unemployed; yet most jobs only offer about $12.00 an hour before taxes. Doesn't make sense to me. What makes sense to ethical folks is, a job you do well builds character. If a person came in and told me the reason they had been unemployed for a number of years because they didn't like the opportunities out there, their resume/application would hit the trash. They have no work ethic or the type of character I'd be interested in. I have to agree with that. I took this job out of desperation. Its easy to do well as its mindless. I can do it in my sleep but most times I simply have nothing to do; so I have been working on searching for a new job and tweaking my resume. At least; that represents some sort of challenge.

PacificStar48 Joined Tue 10/02/07 Posts: 13764	Tue 10/02/12 03:10 PM
How long after meeting someone does the, what kind of work do you do, question come up? I find it kind of rude for the question to be on of the first few asked. Actions define the person. See I don't get this attitude at all. Your job is a choice. It is not the only choice but if you do it then somewhere along the lines it meets your needs. It well may be that it pays your bills but how is that a bad thing. Yesh some people just want to be offended. Yes I would agree if you asked someone how much they made at their job that would be rude. Unless someone is your business partner or soon to be mate you have no need to know their income. Most people at least attempt to be in a career area they like. That is influenced by family or the area they have lived one time or another. Something. I just don't buy you hate everything about your job if you do it day after day for very long. People do what works for them and change what does not work for them.