I quit a job about two weeks, as I just didn't know if I would choose to work there. I decided to go work for another company, pay is slightly less, but its more relaxful and is in line with my education. My problem is this, i honestly can't believe people spend 50 years of their lives working. To me it doesn't make sense, I have always struggled to belive that one should find a job where you feel you are able to overachieve and do what you wish. I honestly dont think it is possible anymore, when we goto jobs, we are treated like robots, do this, do that.. I have been to jobs, [i work in government], where if you do something extra, people think your an idiot for taking iniative. I know I am young, 23 now, but whats your take on this.. - Is there really a thing called Job Satisfaction?
My take? No. Other smart (according to my standard at least, I guess great minds think alike ) people's take? No. Other not so smart or careless people's take? Maybe. The point is: work is about interacting with other people in a common environment. You take it or you leave it. So the question is not really if job satisfaction exists, but what job satisfaction is for you
i think it traces back to the purpose of life itself. since we were born we were told what to do in life by our parents, our teachers, our priest, etc. at no point does the normal guy stop and ask himself "what am I doing?". why? because media doesn't want you to do that. govt doesn't want you to do that. the new world order is this: work, get paid, spend. that's it. however, when we lose our reason of being, our body and our mind develop diseases. some of them deadly.
The premise is simple. Do something you like and try to find a way to get paid for doing it. The most amazing (to me anyways) example I came across was the fellow who liked to read. He got a job as a chauffeur. He would drive his boss around and of course was expected to wait for hours. Which he did and read. You are young and in this adventure for job satisfaction it is very possibly you will not be compensated properly (doing what you like), at first, but the fact you mentioned "initiative" leads me to believe you won't be at the bottom of the payscale for long.
Work is just a notch above incarceration. I hated work from day1 and once I discovered the world of trading, I dropped work like a bad habit... eventually the bosses noticed and they fired me which is your best outcome for work IMO WIN, that stands for Work Is Nonprofit, what you want to do is work up all your business ideas, develope your trading skills and use the trading to fund all your business ideas. That way you can break into any small business arena you want and stay as long as you want... and you will have no boss saying "shut off that computer and get to work".... I met a guy at lunch yesterday that had retired after 40 years with the same company, a company with a reputation for being lousey to work for... he had little to say about the entire career, it all probably was zombie-life, do this, do that, get your annual review... it seemed like he was struggling with the idea that it all meant not a damned thing.... he sucked down a whole pitcher of beer and ate nothing.... probably that is how he got through the torture of work so long, numb as a rock...
these questions about what is meaningful and exciting to do for a living come about because times are cushy and we live in a bloated economy, so people have the luxury of generally pursuing what is 'rewarding' to them during a depression these are not as pressing concerns as much as "how the hell can I feed myself and my family in these dire times??"
"during a depression these are not as pressing concerns as much as "how the hell can I feed myself and my family in these dire times??"" Excellent point. Imo, because of the social safety nets, entitlements and really, not having to worry how are we going to heat our home or feed our family has led to an increase in certain categories of crimes (random, stalking- physical and cyber, serial, -- who has time for this if they had to grow potatoes to eat?) that are the result of being idle and having nothing to do, too meet our basic needs.