Is there a Perfect Job?

Dari Jobstreet.com

Is your career in dead mode? Here are ways to accelerate your race to the top.

Do you wonder whether there is a better work life for you? As sociologist Max Weber put it, our modern dilemma is “Do we work to live or live to work?” Most of us would be nodding our heads now to admit that all this while, we have been living to work. Work and work and work.

The scenario of work life has changed much in the past years with the unpredictable economic times. With much restructuring in organisations -- big or small -- employees at all levels do not know where they belong anymore. Or, if they belong at all!

People are becoming disillusioned with not being able to relate to their work and the intensity is growing more than ever. Historically, we assume that organisations will take care of us. Unfortunately, some may have come to face the emerging work realities that cost us our jobs and turn our lives upside-down. People are unsure of their organisation’s plans. They fear layoffs and the global competition, wary of the unsettled economy and unclear of their future. People feel that the work they used to love has become drudgery. In the case of layoffs, they are doing twice as much as they were before but enjoying half as much. They are constantly frustrated, burnt out and fed up. But they are reluctant to talk to their management about these issues because these days, they feel lucky just to have a job. But they also talk about finding another job that they can do with their talents. In the meantime, they continue to feel trapped in the job they have and have no idea where to look elsewhere. That mythical Perfect Job is out there somewhere - but do we know what is it or how do we get it?

Most of the time, people settle for work that makes them mildly miserable day after day, month after month, and year after year. When they feel frustrated and burnt out, they bury their fear and their minds rationalise: “Hey, this is living! What can you expect these days?” Put it another way, drudgery is okay as long as it pays. Is it true?

What then is your perception of a perfect job?
Is it a big salary with a cosy office all for yourself with an unlimited travel to exotic places and lots of time off? And of course, no one to boss you around? Well, the truth is, such kind of perfect job does not exist. A job may be perfect to one but not to another. A perfect job is not about enjoyment. It is one that mirrors perfectly the person who holds it. You can find, invent or create that perfect job for yourself by working a process that links who you are with what you do. The process will provide guidelines to develop a clarity of your talents, passions and value - looking inside you and discovering what you do best, what you are interested in and the type of working environment that supports what you care about your work. Combine all these three criteria to develop a clear vision of the kind of work that connects who you are to what you do.

In this perfect job, you are applying your talents to an interest you are passionate about, in an environment that fits who you are and what you value. Take a look at the people who are passionate about their work, for example, our Prime Minister. He is energised by his work, truly passionate about it and always with his people at large. He is perfect for the job! As you can relate, a perfect job is not a standard of living. It is a state of mind and a state of being. It is a lifestyle rich with a purpose.

Finding your purpose in life
Find out what you want and why you want it. By discovering the answers to these questions, you are a step closer to knowing more about your purpose in life. The purpose is not a goal that you can reach, but a direction that sets the course of your life. Without a sense of purpose, it is like a ship without a rudder in the middle of the deep sea - lost and out of control.

So, how do you discover your purpose? Sometimes, it takes a crisis to rethink about your direction in life and it may take some time to find it. Some simple questions which can help you to discover your purpose are:

• What are my talents?
  • Skills that you enjoy expressing
  • Abilities that come naturally and that which you have been doing effortlessly
• What are you passionate about?
  • Activities which reflect deep and consistent interests
  • Issues which you would love to be more involved in
• In what environment do you feel comfortable/natural to you?
  • Ideal work environment that would be conducive for you to express your true talents and passions

Put all these together and envision the future and plan your first step now. Making a living is one thing, but making a lifestyle rich in purpose is another. Once you discover your purpose, it is easier for you to choose your real priorities and know what you are doing with your life.

I leave you with this quote from Edward Carpenter: “What is the good in life if its chief element, and that which must always be its chief element, is odious? No, the only true economy is to arrange so that your daily labour shall be itself a joy.”