Do you need to love your job?

[JennGruden]

I was talking to a friend the other day about her jobs. She's had several over the last few years in a kind of longer process of midlife reinvention. She's smart and passionate and does tonnes of volunteer activities, but she hasn't found a good fit professionally.

So we were talking about whether you have to love your job. On the one hand, obviously not - many of us just plain have to earn a living. But it does seem like there's an expectation that if you're truly successful, you'll love your job. So my friend keeps looking.

What do you think?

[Charlotte]

I don't think you need to love your job. It helps if you don't actively hate it, but especially in today's day and age, it doesn't matter if you love your job. If you say anything negative about your job, all you'll hear is, "You're lucky you have a job! People would kill for it."

I think the question is, is it unrealistic to expect to find a job you love? There are tons of things I'd love to do as a job, but I can't realistically do them because I would be living with one foot on the streets, struggling to make ends meet.

If you have a balance between doing what you need to do to survive and having a job you enjoy most of the time, I think you've got it made!

[sarmstrong]

No, I don't believe you need to love your job. I'm sure there are some lucky people out there that really do love their jobs. The rest of us are lucky if we at least like our job, or are just happy to even have a job.

I'm just back into the full time work force after being home with my two children for the last 14 years and working part time as a house cleaner for the last 10yrs. I didn't necessarily like my house cleaning job all the time but I didnt mind it either and there were definite benefits. I was home in the morning to get my kids off to school and home when they got home from school. I also kept one day a week to myself to do errands, meet my girlfriends for lunch or volunteer at school.

Now that I'm back in the full time work force...I miss my house cleaning job and the hours. I had a hard time finding anyone to hire me with 10 yrs. of house cleaning on my resume even though I had kept up my computer skills. I found a job as a receptionist and I don't like it. Been there, done that when I first got out of college. But it's okay for now. The people are fun, I'm earning more money than house cleaning and I've got benefits. It was a good stepping stone back into the work force and I'm doing just fine. I'm at a point of acceptance in my life. Sometimes you have to accept the good with the bad. I miss being home when my kids get home and I have no time to exercise but my husband and I are taking them to Orlando for our first ever March break trip.

[JChandler]

This may be because I'm a career consultant but I believe strongly that loving your job is important for career success. People who hate their jobs are more apt to take time off work, may struggle with depression and often develop illnesses that can be attributed to the stress of being on a job they dislike.

There have been studies that have concluded that those who found work they loved were far more more successful than those that were working solely to make money. So, speaking from my own experience working with individuals over the last thirteen years, I would say it is certainly better to love your job for personal and professional reasons.

The problem is that most people take more time in researching and buying things they love; the right car, the right home, the right outfit. Investing up front in understanding what the right job is for your personality, interest and skills can make loving your job far more likely.

I say, loving your job makes it and you far more interesting!



Jennifer Chandler

[SilverAndGrace]

This is certainly a question I have struggled with for the past several years. I agree with Jennifer that not liking your job can lead to a sad and sorry state of affairs in terms of your spiritual health. My poor husband had to take me to work each morning in tears.

In the end, I requested a demotion (do you know how hard it is to get demoted even when you ask for it?!) from manager in a large government organization back to team leader. After 13 years of trying out different types of roles, I realize this is the best fit for me, and I am much happier for it.

However, it is still not creatively stimulating enough for me, so I make sure I always have projects on the go outside of work to fulfill that side of me. If I didn't, I know I would be back to heading off to work each morning in tears.

So, back to the question. Do you need to love your job? Not love, no. But like? Definitely. And it has to fit your values and personal style. Otherwise, keep looking. It may mean a pay cut, but for us it meant not doing much travelling. Giving up a week or so of vacation for 220 satisfying work days? So worth it.