choose a job you love essay

• November 8, 2023
• Education Advice

Passion vs Money: Should You Choose a Job You Love or One That Pays?

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Passion vs. money—this is an internal debate that everyone has at some point in their life. On one side, you probably hear parents, relatives, or even strangers telling you to be realistic and find a job that pays well . But on the other side, there are friends or even TED talks of successful people telling you that “following your passion is the secret of success.” And, only naturally, you feel confused and anxiously question whether you should follow your passion blindly with little chance to get money from it or choose a career that you don’t even like just because the job itself seems promising for your future.

But, even so, following your desires can leave a sense of well-being and happiness in everything you do. While there is no doubt that this is a question of opportunity and the hand you’ve been dealt with, following one’s passion seems more appealing to most.  However, how to know the line between when it’s unproductive to pursue a career you’re passionate about and a different (financially better) route?

Benefits of Choosing a Career You Love

In the world we live in today, money is definitely a powerful tool, but choosing to chase it often comes at the price of not being able to do something you love and look forward to every day.

This ancient dilemma is by no means black and white; there are many benefits to a dream job in the grey area. It is worth noting that should you choose to pursue your passion, workdays will seem less monotonous, and there won’t be a dull feeling washing over you when the alarm clock rings. The phrase, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” may seem like a washed-out cliche, but it does hold some truth in it.

In terms of higher motivation, doing the job more effortlessly and passionately, you can see how that sentence got so famous. It’s true that a day of work still remains a day of work, whether you like the job or not. However, the small factors in and around it do change and ultimately have an impact on our overall sense of self.

Career growth

Growth in a career is more probable when the job consists of things that motivate you. You won’t simply be finishing tasks and not thinking about them, nor waiting for the clock to strike five (if you’re doing a 9 to 5 job), so you can leave your workplace. It seems like a minor thing, but it plays a vital role in how far you go in your career. Hence you will be looking for more creative ways to do your job and spot details that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t put your heart into it.

Being passionate about work

Being passionate is directly linked to being productive. If it really is something you’re passionate about, there is a sense of being content with what you have accomplished during the work hours and beyond. The by-product of your work will be something you take pride in, and that will serve in giving you a reason to keep doing it.

Obviously, loving what you do brings in motivation because it is activated by your own desires rather than material gains. Oftentimes in life, we can find ourselves lacking the motivation to do anything, but if someone presents us with something we enjoy, it will possibly make us get out of bed and get working. HuffPost tells the tale of Richard Weinberg , a man who found that salsa was his passion at 49 years old. This discovery led to him participating in multiple dance categories, and it gave him a sense of purpose in his life.

Better health

How much you enjoy your job primarily affects your mental health, as doing something you don’t like on a daily will eventually start to consume you. On the other hand, doing something you enjoy waking up for in the morning can help you not only feel better but even get lost in the work if you’re having problems in other areas of your life. According to a study , the time spent engaging in our passions contributes to lower stress and our happiness. Your work can be some sort of an escape. And when it plays out like this, your productivity may increase due to the focus you shift on your job.

Pleasure in the work environment

It’s no secret that a career you’re passionate about will, in most cases, provide you with a more pleasurable work environment. Chances are that your coworkers will be like-minded, and besides the working part, you’ll have fun during the hours spent interacting with them. Even without that, there is comfort in spending time in a place that has intentions that coincide with yours.

Fulfillment

It goes without saying that you feel fulfilled when you work on something meaningful to you. And especially after achieving the end goal of it. Obstacles you find on your way won’t be as relevant because you will always find a creative way around them. We spend most of our days working, and that alone should be a reason to follow something that leaves us with a feeling of satisfaction during the hours we put in.

Disadvantages of Doing What You Love

As with anything in life, choosing to follow your dream has another side to the coin. While it can turn into something beautiful and life-changing, there’s also the possibility of not being in tune with the current market. Thus, either not allowing you to make a living out of it or make as much as you would ideally want.

According to Forbes , when we tell people to follow their passion, we assume they have one, which is not always the case. There are people whose passions change over time, and that is entirely normal. Plus, you can have interests that aren’t necessarily something you love but merely something you find appealing and intriguing that can also serve as a money-making career.

Now, although it is mostly a personal issue whether you choose to chase your dreams or focus on a career relevant to today’s market, here are some disadvantages of doing what you love.

Your passion might turn into a job

This is a big risk when you start pursuing your dream. We know that work can sometimes be stressful, and it may seem as if deadlines are hovering over our heads, and that treads dangerously close to turning us against our passion. At some point, your passion may not be something you do for yourself, but something that brings in the paycheck at the end of the month, and it can lose the shine it once had.

Another risk you will be taking is that your dream career does not have a promising job outlook . Sure, if your passion lies in IT or business , it is likely that you will be getting a steady salary out of something you enjoy doing. However, more times than not, people have passions that either don’t pay well or the industry is too big to penetrate, which can be problematic and discourage them from pursuing it.

Passions can change

Although this is not always the case, for many people, passions change over time, especially if they have roots in their early years. It’s by no means a bad thing, but it can intervene in your life if you have chosen to pursue your passion as a career. Because we are continually developing and learning new skills , it can be hard to say if your fascination with a certain field may fade over time, but to some, that’s just a risk worth taking.

Benefits of Choosing a Career with a High Salary

For some people, doing what they love and earning enough money for a normal life don’t go hand in hand. For others, it’s a matter of either not having a passion or growing out of a dream they once had. Consequently, these reasons make a high-paying career a valuable option. It is understood that without a steady income, it’s unlikely that passion will be the thing you want to follow.

Of course, following one’s dreams has the emotional rewards that a job that pays your bills is unlikely to offer, but if you aren’t able to afford rent or pay off your student debt, maybe it’s time to postpone your passion and focus on solutions. We’ve all heard that money can’t buy happiness, but is that phrase completely true?

There are many things money can’t buy, but sometimes having it can make many of our problems go away, which is why there’s a list of benefits to choosing a job that provides us with a high salary.

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The obvious one: money

As stated above, this is a prominent perk of choosing to seek a job that will pay you well. A study shows that money can be associated with happiness, but not in the way you’d think. The study shows that people making under $75,000 a year tend to have lower happiness levels. However, past that point, money doesn’t seem to have an effect on the human brain., Furthermore, having a steady income influences our mental and physical health. It is undoubtedly more comfortable knowing that you don’t have to worry about the price of something you like and how you will make ends meet from month to month.

People tend to respect those who are well off. Although it’s considered as an artificial way of gaining respect by some, most of the time, it works. Generally, a high income is associated with success, and we tend to respect successful people. In addition, there is a correlation between “important work” and high salaries, which leads us to think that only a high-paid job is respectable.

There is safety with high income, no doubt. You won’t have to worry about many things that take money to acquire. Plus, a high-earning career is oftentimes placed in a big industry that isn’t going anywhere, so you can find employment opportunities just about anywhere. Keeping your work away from monetary vulnerability is vital, especially when you have a family to take into consideration or other matters of importance to you.

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Disadvantages of Doing Work That Pays Well, But You Don’t Like

As good as money and safety sound, there is a downside to pursuing a career in a field you simply have no connection with. For starters, it will never feel as if you are close to living your dream unless, of course, that dream consists of a high-paying job that you don’t exactly like.

It’s hard to enjoy working in a place that doesn’t seem to motivate you to do the job well, and even when the working hours aren’t long, they are likely to seem so. When you’re stuck performing tasks you see no point in, you may lose focus on working on your skills and may feel lost in the job.

Most well-paying jobs can cast a lot of pressure, especially when it isn’t something you feel excited about, and that can have an impact on your view of life.

Long working hours

Jobs that offer a high payday often tend to go hand-in-hand with long working hours. Even when they don’t, to see that large number at the end of the month, you will probably have to put in a few extra hours, and that can be tiring. This is not always the case, but when it is, it can leave you little to no time to do anything else apart from work. A survey has found that executives and managers with smartphones—who are all well compensated—tend to spend 13.5 hours a workday interacting with work.

Usually, in the world of big money, there is a lot of competition and a lot of things changing rapidly. You have to constantly chase the next big thing and keep fighting for your position within the organization. However, this is not the case with every job, and maybe yours doesn’t really come with this downside. But for those it does, the pressure can oftentimes be overwhelming.

Not focusing on skills

Money-focused jobs are mostly concentrated on making the best out of the skills you already possess. Meanwhile, with a job you start out with because of your love for it, you will probably take time in developing and nurturing skills, like critical thinking , that can guarantee long-term success. Nevertheless, there are jobs out there that guarantee a good salary as well as skill training programs.

How to Decide Between a Job for Money vs. Passion

Choosing between money vs. passion is an ancient dilemma that troubles the minds of many people all over the world to this day. The stakes are pretty high as only a handful of people are fortunate enough to find a job that pays well and fulfills them. This is backed by research, too; According to a survey by Harris Interactive , only 20 percent of people across America feel passionate about their jobs. On the other hand, Pew Research Center found that about half (49%) of American employees are very satisfied with their job.

So, should you try and settle for a promising career without much passion, or should you risk it for a job that you love and fulfills you? Well, there is no simple yes or no answer to this question, and there are many important factors to consider before deciding between a job for money vs. passion. We will try to help you with this critical decision, so keep reading to learn how to choose between a job you love and career growth.

Making money vs. doing what you love: things to consider when choosing

Both of the options have a yin and yang, and sometimes deciding between the two can seem like mission impossible. But, that shouldn’t be the case, and it won’t be if you study your options closely and decide based on facts and feelings equally.

At the end of the day, isn’t your fulfillment and ability to say that you’re happy with your choices the most important thing?

However, it’s not that simple; there are many things to take into consideration when making such a big decision for the path in which you want your life to follow. You have to look at all sides carefully and then decide how and what you should be doing and do it.

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Earning potential

Before diving into a field of interest, you should consider the earning potential it offers. There is a chance that your passion has great pay on the menu as well. Yet, the time when you should consider putting your passion aside—not forgetting it—is when you know you won’t be able to afford it. If it keeps you from life’s necessities, then you can always opt for treating it as a hobby, giving it your free time of the day, and making money in another field.

What you want from life

This is honestly the most crucial element in your decision-making process. Maybe you want to turn your passion into a job you love, but there is a chance that you want to keep far away from responsibilities and only enjoy it in your leisure time. Neither of these is incorrect; it’s merely a point of view. Clearly, none of us are absolutely sure in what we want from our lives in every aspect of it, but having a slight idea might help you come to a conclusion with this dilemma.

Sometimes, you can do both

Doing both does not have one final meaning. It could be that your dream job just so happens to be a career that makes you more than enough money, or you follow passion at the same time as following a different work pathway. Maybe you get lucky and make money off of a passion that you thought would take you nowhere, or you happen to fall in love with a job that you didn’t feel strongly towards at first; the possibilities are endless.

Choosing between a beloved field or the one that will pay your bills can sometimes send you into a spiral of thoughts that is hard to get out of. However, it is a significant decision that will follow you for the most part of your life. When making this judgment, you should look into all the advantages and disadvantages that come with either one of the possibilities. From money and stability to happiness and fulfillment, these all play a role in this puzzle. But, most importantly, remember to listen to the logic and your heart simultaneously because they generally come up with the best verdict together.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Is it better to love your job or make more money.

The answer to this question definitely depends on your priorities and values. Some prioritize job satisfaction and fulfillment over a higher salary, while others prioritize financial stability and security. Ultimately, the answer will vary from person to person.

Is salary more important than passion?

There is no universal answer to whether salary is more important than passion. Your decision should be based on your individual circumstances, values, and goals. It’s important to strike a balance that aligns with your overall well-being and allows you to lead a fulfilling life.

Should I follow my career or passion?

It’s possible to find fulfillment and success by aligning your career with your passion, but it may require some creativity, perseverance, and adaptability. The key is to make a decision that aligns with your values, goals, and circumstances and that ultimately brings you satisfaction and happiness in the long run.

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Confucius: 'Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.'

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

The quote by Confucius, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life," encapsulates a profound truth about finding fulfillment in our professional pursuits. Essentially, it suggests that when we are passionate about what we do for a living, our work ceases to feel like a burden or obligation. Instead, it becomes an expression of our deepest desires and an opportunity for personal growth and self-actualization. This concept holds immense importance in a society where many individuals feel trapped in jobs that lack purpose and fail to nourish their souls.When we analyze Confucius' quote on a surface level, it speaks to the fundamental idea of finding joy and satisfaction in our work. It encourages us to seek out careers that align with our passions, values, and talents, rather than simply chasing financial security or societal expectations. By doing so, we embark on a path that merges our personal interests with our professional endeavors, creating a harmonious balance between work and personal life.However, to bring an unexpected philosophical concept into the limelight, let us dive deeper into the meaning behind Confucius' words. In doing so, we encounter the concept of "ikigai," a Japanese philosophy that centers around finding our life's purpose. Ikigai combines the elements of what we love, what the world needs, what we are good at, and what we can be paid for. This concept adds another layer of complexity to Confucius' quote, as it highlights the interconnectedness of our individual passions and the broader responsibilities we have towards society.While Confucius advises us to choose a job we love, ikigai reminds us to consider the bigger picture—the impact our work has on others and the world at large. It suggests that our true calling lies in finding a vocation that not only brings personal joy but also contributes positively to society. Consider, for instance, an individual who loves music: they may choose to become a musician, spreading happiness through their performances, or they may opt for music therapy, positively impacting people's lives through healing melodies.The divergence between Confucius' quote and the concept of ikigai lies in the focus of one's intentions. While Confucius emphasizes personal fulfillment, ikigai encompasses both personal and societal fulfillment. Therefore, combining these two philosophies allows us to view our professional choices through a holistic lens, ensuring that we not only find joy in our work but also make a meaningful contribution to the world.In conclusion, Confucius' timeless words remind us of the importance of choosing a job we love, as it transforms our work into a labor of love. However, when we introduce the concept of ikigai into the conversation, we expand our understanding of fulfillment to include the impact our work has on others. By integrating personal passions with societal responsibilities, we can uncover a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in our professional endeavors. Ultimately, by aligning our passions, abilities, and the needs of the world, we open the doors to a life where work is not a burden, but a source of joy, satisfaction, and profound fulfillment.

Confucius: 'Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.'

Confucius: 'the book salesman should be honored because he brings to our attention, as a rule, the very books we need most and neglect most.'.

Why 'Find A Job You Love And You'll Never Work A Day In Your Life' Is B.S.

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

“Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Ever since I entered the workforce about a decade ago, I’ve noticed versions of this expression on inspirational posters, mugs, online memes, laptop stickers and more. The phrase speaks to the idea that if you are passionate about your work, it won’t feel like a chore or a burden, but rather an enjoyable and fulfilling experience in which you want to take part.

This is all a nice idea, but even in a job you love, is it really possible to feel like you’re never working? I spoke to career coaches, psychologists and people who genuinely love their jobs to find out what they think about the expression and how it relates to the reality of work.

It makes sense why the phrase appeals to people.

“When so many people are stressed and burnt out by work, the idea that you could have a job that doesn’t ‘feel like work’ is incredibly appealing,” said Lauren Appio , a psychologist, executive coach and organizational consultant who specializes in mental health at work. “It’s aspirational and soothing for people who live in a culture like ours in the U.S., where there is little social safety net and people typically have to work very hard to make ends meet.”

Many people have very negative relationships with their work. Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report showed job dissatisfaction to be at an all-time high, along with staggering rates of unhappiness and disengagement.

“You hear about the ‘Sunday Scaries’ or a ‘case of the Mondays,’” said career strategist Ana Goehner . “Some people also believe that everyone hates their job. This expression gives people hope that finding a job they love makes their negative feelings about work go away.”

While people commonly attribute the quote to Confucius, there’s very little information regarding the origin of “find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day.” Some citations of the expression date back to the 1980s , but it seems to be even more prominent in the Etsy era of embroidered quote pillows and inspirational memes.

“I think this mantra is almost as millennial as ‘live, laugh, love,’” said Kate Kennedy , author of the upcoming book “One in a Millennial” and host of the “Be There in Five” podcast. “I’m not sure when it became widespread, but I remember hearing it a lot in the early 2010s, whether it was a product of being post-recession, the start-up boom, or being in peak ‘Shark Tank’ America.”

Having entered the workforce amid the economic downturn of the Great Recession, Kennedy believes many young people were made to feel lucky to have any job at all.

“There comes the point of burnout where a lot of the joy is sapped from the hobby when it becomes your meal ticket.” - Kate Kennedy

“That built-in sense of indebtedness to our employers normalized having a job you tolerated that paid the bills, so having a job you loved seemed like the most glamorous dream of all,” she said.

Meanwhile, technological advancements expanded our career options, with full-time bloggers, Instagram influencers and entrepreneurs monetizing their hobbies through e-commerce and other new sources of income. Social media compounded the shift, as we saw people “just like us” showing off their flexible schedules, financial success and other aspects of these new aspirational work lifestyles.

“It’s hard not to find other people’s lives and careers more desirable based on how they portray them online,” Kennedy said. “It’s almost like the volume of options and the frequency of seeing successful examples of exercising those options created a sense of ‘elsewhere’ for careers, where during the moments you are feeling job dissatisfaction, it’s hard not to idealize doing something else.”

But the reality is often detached from the ideal.

“It’s important to acknowledge that not everyone has the luxury of choosing a job they love,” said Elizabeth Pearson , a women’s career coach and author of “Career Confinement.” “For many people, their work is simply a means to an end, and they may not find much enjoyment or fulfillment in it. Additionally, even if you do love your job, there will still be times when it feels like work ― deadlines, difficult projects and long hours can all take a toll on your energy and motivation.”

Stressful situations, terrible bosses, difficult co-workers, economic downshifts and other obstacles can arise no matter how passionate you feel about your work. Thus, “find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” is, for most people, more of a feel-good statement than a feasible reality.

“I see this idea sold to service professionals: Work for yourself and do what you love,” Goehner said. “But few people discuss the challenges of building a business and performing tasks you dislike. Few people talk about the issues you face and all the learning involved. Doing what you enjoy should be the norm, but it’s still work. You are still trying to make a living.”

Even if you have the freedom to take a leap and monetize your hobby, it probably will still feel like work at times.

“There comes the point of burnout where a lot of the joy is sapped from the hobby when it becomes your meal ticket,” Kennedy said. “The biggest issue for me when I started a product-based business was not having access to capital to outsource or hire out many of the functions to get off the ground efficiently, so it all fell on me to figure out, which ended up with me working way more hours for a lot less money than I made in my corporate job.”

The job doesn’t magically feel like it’s not work once you’ve found a sustainable way to make a comfortable living, either.

“I absolutely love my job, and I’m still beat by the end of the day,” Appio said. “It requires deep, sustained focus and active emotional processing and regulation for hours at a time. Outside of my sessions, I also complete paperwork, manage all of my billing, marketing and communications with clients and colleagues, offer consults for prospective clients, develop and deliver trainings, and pursue continuing education.”

Any job comes with difficult days, including one that overall brings fulfillment and joy. And it’s normal to not always want to devote the required time and effort to the job.

“Even when you find work you love, jobs are temporary,” Goehner added. “In our current economy, you won’t likely spend your entire career with one company and do the same tasks. Even people who dedicate their lives to their careers may have tough days or perform tasks they dislike. You do what you enjoy, receive pay and hopefully get recognized for your efforts.”

What you ‘love’ doesn’t always translate to success or happiness.

“Telling others to ‘do what you love!’ is an oversimplification. Doing what you enjoy is not enough. Doing what you’re good at ― and being willing to stick with something, even when what was fun is no longer so fun ― can be just as important,” said Gorick Ng , a career adviser at Harvard University and author of “The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right.”

Consider whether you can leverage certain skills or expertise to succeed in your field.

“Maintaining the belief that work you love isn’t actually 'work’ can create shame for people who feel burnt out or overwhelmed by work that they do truly love. This is especially common in work like health care, mental health and education.” - Lauren Appio

“The expression doesn’t help people see possibilities based on where they are in their careers now,” Goehner said. “You can use your skills, gain new ones and find a workplace where you use 60-70% of the skills you enjoy. Sometimes, feeling a sense of expertise and having the freedom to share that at work can help you feel a sense of purpose or connection with your job.”

If you’re feeling drawn to a completely different path, give it a lot of thought and do your research. Ng emphasized that the idea of something is often more interesting than the thing itself.

“Would I like to be a musician? Sure! Can I sing to save my life? No!” he said. “And does singing the same song over and over again in a different city each week still sound fun when I haven’t been home for six months? I’m not so sure.”

“Your number one passion may not be a realistic career,” Goehner added. “I’d love to take care of baby pandas, but the likelihood of this happening is minimal. Also, what you love may not provide a decent living for yourself or your loved ones. It could be a source of income, but you may need to supplement it with another job. Love doesn’t always pay the bills.”

Additionally, consider how you feel about the business of the thing you love, not just the activity or hobby itself.

“It’s great to have a dream job, but it’s also important to remember that you may not like the day-to-day tasks associated with monetizing that dream,” Kennedy said. “I started a handmade business selling home decor where I hand-painted things, and I loved the category, I love working with my hands and being creative and I loved the idea of self-employment. But I didn’t spend most of my days doing an artist’s work ― I was mostly buried in things I was less passionate about, like shipping, fulfillment, customer service, and inventory management before I could afford help in those areas.”

Ng shared a time he met a talented photographer and asked if he wanted to pursue his art as a full-time career.

“His response surprised me,” Ng recalled. “He said, ‘I love taking photos, but I hate the business of taking photos. The minute I start relying on photography to pay the bills is the minute I’ll stop loving it.’ Be honest with yourself if you’re thinking of turning an interest into a career. Do you love the business of doing something as much as you love doing the thing itself? Not everyone will say yes to this question and that’s OK.”

The expression sets up workers for dissatisfaction and shame.

One problem with this idea about work? “It can keep people preoccupied with finding their ‘dream job’ and experiencing a chronic sense of dissatisfaction,” Appio said. “Because if your work feels like work ― as work does ― does that mean you’re doing something wrong?”

This fantasy of doing what you “love” and never feeling like you have to work can also lead to feelings of guilt or shame for those who don’t take a huge leap. This is especially true in the age of social media when we frequently see “creators” sharing all the highlights of their careers and few if any of the downsides.

“When I was in a corporate job, I wondered if I had ‘sold out’ or forwent meeting my potential by working in the corporate world,” Kennedy said. “Sometimes, it creates a fear that you actively chose to do something you don’t love when you could have followed your passion.”

There’s a sense of guilt for those who do make the choice to pursue a passion-based career.

“Maintaining the belief that work you love isn’t actually ‘work’ can create shame for people who feel burnt out or overwhelmed by work that they do truly love,” Appio said. “This is especially common in work like health care, mental health and education. Professionals in these areas may feel guilty or ‘ungrateful’ for experiencing compassion fatigue or needing a break.”

She also believes the “find a job you love and you’ll never work” expression can be used to further devalue creative or mission-driven work.

“If you love your job, people will often tell you that you ‘didn’t get into it for the money,’” Appio said. “But we all work to earn money, and even if we’d do our work for free in a different world, we all deserved to be paid well for the work we do.”

But it’s not completely off base.

“This is actually an expression that I believe in myself, and there have been moments where I lived it,” said career coach Jasmine Escalera . “The thing is, I do believe the expression needs to be tailored because it isn’t just about finding work you enjoy, but finding work that is connected to your purpose, to your passions and to your strengths.”

She believes a job that integrates the skills or tasks you’re particularly good at can make you feel inspired and as though you’re not working at all.

“The company culture is such an integral part of enjoying the work, as well,” Escalera said. “So I would say not just find a job you love, but find an environment that will let you be the most successful version of you, and you’ll never feel like you have to work a day in your life.”

Other experts offered their own rewrites of the expression.

“To make the expression accurate, I’d say, ‘Find a job you enjoy and that recognizes your efforts, and build time for hobbies and activities that bring purpose outside of work,’” Goehner said. “You are more than your job.”

“I’d tell people if they haven’t found a job they love, to find a job comprised of tasks they like and do what they love on the side,” Kennedy added. “Jobs are often more about the day-to-day than the broader industry or buzzwordy job description, and paying attention to the type of work you find engaging can be a good way to find job satisfaction within the confines of being employed by someone else.”

Whether you’ve monetized a hobby or simply work to pay the bills and seek greater purpose elsewhere, Ng noted that there is no objective right or wrong in your approach to your career, just a difference in personal choices and values.

If you do want to find meaning in work, however, he shared this rewrite: “Find something that brings you joy and purpose every day, and you’ll always have something to look forward to.”

“Ultimately, the idea that you should ‘find a job you love’ is a good one, but it’s not always realistic or feasible,” Pearson echoed. “Instead, it’s important to strive for a job that aligns with your values and provides some level of fulfillment, while also being realistic about the fact that work is still work, even if you love it.”

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Choose a Job You Love, and You Will Never Have To Work a Day in Your Life

Confucius? Arthur Szathmary? An Old-Timer? Janet Lambert-Moore? Harvey Mackay? Anonymous?

Dear Quote Investigator: I assist students in the selection of accurate and properly credited quotations for the school yearbook. One student would like to use a popular adage about career choice:

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

This statement is often attributed to the ancient Chinese sage Confucius, but the student considers this assertion anachronistic because job choice flexibility was sharply limited in the era of Confucius. Would you please explore this issue?

Quote Investigator: Researchers have found no substantive support for the claim that Confucius made this statement.

The earliest strong match located by QI was published in the “Princeton Alumni Weekly” in 1982 which quoted a Professor of Philosophy named Arthur Szathmary who employed the saying; however, Szathmary attributed the words to “an old-timer” who was not identified. Boldface has been added to excerpts: [1] 1982 October 6, Princeton Alumni Weekly, Article Title: Toshiko Takaezu, Article Author: Ann Woolfolk, Start Page 31, Quote Page 32, Column 1, Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New … Continue reading

An old-timer I knew used to tell his students: ‘Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’

The expression has sometimes been attributed to the entrepreneur and top-selling author Harvey Mackay who did use the adage in 1989 as shown in the citation given further below, but QI believes that he did not craft it.

This article presents a snapshot of current knowledge on this topic; and future research may uncover citations which antedate the 1982 passage above. QI suspects that earlier instances exist that use a different phrasing.

Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.

In the years after the death of Confucius circa 479 BC a compilation of his teachings and aphorisms was constructed which is now referred to as the “Analects”. One passage described the recommended actions of a benevolent ruler. The potentate should select tasks for his populace that are appropriate and constructive, and these proper choices should result in subjects who have no reason to be unhappy and complain: [2] 1861, The Chinese Classics with a Translation, Critical and Exegetical Notes, Prolegomena, and Copious Indexes by James Legge (London Missionary Society), Volume 1 of 7, Section: Confucian Analects, … Continue reading

Tsze-chang said, “What is meant by being beneficent without great expenditure?” The Master replied, “When the person in authority makes more beneficial to the people the things from which they naturally derive benefit;—is not this being beneficent without great expenditure? When he chooses the labours which are proper, and makes them labour on them, who will repine? When his desires are set on benevolent government, and he realizes it, who will accuse him of covetousness?

The above remark provided a weak match to the saying under investigation. The choices were being made by the ruler and not the jobseeker; in addition, the word love was not used. Nevertheless, QI includes this citation for the sake of completeness.

In 1982 a Princeton professor employed the saying and credited an unnamed teacher as mentioned previously:

In June 1985 the saying was printed as an epigraph to an article in the trade journal “Computerworld” by the journalist Glenn Rifkin who attributed the words to Confucius. This is the first linkage to the luminary known to QI : [3] 1985 June 3, Computerworld, Section: Update, Finding and keeping DP/MIS professionals by Glenn Rifkin, (Quotation appeared as epigraph for article), Quote Page 3, Column 1, Published by IDG … Continue reading

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. — Confucius

Also in 1985 a self-help guidebook titled “How to Start, Expand & Sell a Business” by James C. Comiskey was published, and the author described the saying as an “Oriental proverb”: [4] 1985, How to Start, Expand & Sell a Business: The Complete Guidebook for Entrepreneurs by James C. Comiskey, Chapter 2, Quote Page 25, Published by Venture Perspectives Press, San Jose, … Continue reading

As an Oriental proverb quite aptly states, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

In August 1986 a piece in “The Boston Globe” quoted an art teacher named Janet Lambert-Moore using an instance of the aphorism: [5] 1986 August 21, Boston Globe, Lowell: Where the Past Powers the Present by Tom Long, Quote Page 10, Boston, Massachusetts. (ProQuest)

The outgoing, former art instructor in the Dracut school system took time out from a poster of Ellis Island to explain her philosophy: “If you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life. I’m here most of the day. I probably could get a lot more accomplished without the interruptions.” She steps out of the way so two elderly tourists can take a look at her hand-watercolored prints. “But I like the contact.”

In February 1989 a book reviewer in “Jet” magazine employed the saying while analyzing the biography of a famous musician: [6] 1989 February 20, Jet, Volume 75, Number 20, Satchmo’s Jazz Genius Hits High Note in New Revealing Book On Him, Quote Page 31, Published by Johnson Publishing Company. (Google Books Full View) … Continue reading

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Confucius once said. If this is true, one of America’s giants of jazz, trumpeter/scat singer Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong never worked a day in his 40-year musical career.

In May 1989 the military newspaper “The Stars and Stripes” printed a short item that included a quotation from the motivational speaker Harvey Mackay: [7] 1989 May 4, The Stars and Stripes (European Stars and Stripes), Faces ‘N’ Places: Mustachioed Michael a Suspicious Shopper, Quote Page 12, Column 4, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. … Continue reading

A person is never too old to achieve success, said the 56-year-old Mackay , who will address the subject of aging in the new book. “I don’t believe in age,” he said. “Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. You find people like that at any age level. Age doesn’t limit people one-tenth of 1 percent.”

In conclusion, this saying was anonymous in the earliest citation in 1982 located by QI . The linkage to Confucius appears to be spurious. Harvey Mackay helped to popularize the adage, but he was not the originator.

Image Notes: Confucius image gouache on paper, circa 1770 via Wikimedia Commons. Avatars for professions from OpenClips on Pixabay. Images have been rearranged, clipped, and resized.

(Special thanks to top researcher Barry Popik for the research he performed on this topic which is presented on his website . Great thanks to Vic Goddard, Andrew Old, Nina Gilbert, and Kat Caverly whose inquiries led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Thanks to Brian Whatcott who helpfully pointed to the passage from Confucius containing the partial match. Thanks also to the Project Wombat discussants and the forum participants at the Straight Dope website.)

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News > Extract

‘Choose a Job You Love and You Will Never Have to Work a Day in Your Life’

This is an edited extract from The Motivation Hoax by James Adonis. 

Let’s put aside the first word of this enduring Confucian wisdom and focus instead on the core essence of its inaccuracy: the notion that a lovable job does not equate to hard work – or work at all, for that matter.

Actually, no, it would be remiss of us to overlook that first word, since it represents much of what’s wrong with this quotation. That word – choose – claims that people really do have a choice when selecting their job. It insinuates that those of us in jobs we hate, or jobs we mildly dislike, have intentionally chosen those career paths. One might even say that to be spoiled for career choice is a luxury of living in the West – which would be amusing, considering the origin of this quotation. Even among those living in the First World, though, a vast majority have little choice in the vocation they end up pursuing. It’s usually a selection between Ordinary, Crap and Shit – and sometimes just Crap and Shit. For reasons of poverty, lack of opportunity, limited intellect and other forms of non-self-inflicted disadvantage, the freedom to choose one’s career so that it generates this thing called ‘love’ is really only in the purview of the few.

It’s nice to imagine that choice is widely available – that we can choose to be a ballerina or a sports star, a carpenter or a writer, a teacher or a fashion designer – but the sad reality is we cannot. Most people are stuck with choosing between cleaning homes or cleaning offices, working in factories or working in call centres, driving cabs or driving trucks. The sort of choice to which Confucius referred has, more often than not, been unavailable to many workers. In many cases, the only choice they have is between working and not working at all.

But anyway. Let’s move on to the core issue, which is essentially the notion that a job you love is the ticket you need to a life in which work doesn’t really exact a toll. In order to articulate the inaccuracy of this quotation, it’s important to explain a term known as ‘employee engagement’, which is a better way to conceive of the ‘love’ an individual might feel at work.Employee engagement occurs when an employee is so switched on at work – so motivated, focused, interested and involved – they end up producing some of the best work imaginable for their employer. Engaged employees are almost always connected meaningfully to their organisation on three different levels:

• They exert greater physical effort in the work they do;
• They invest more of their cognitive capacity into their tasks;
• They feel emotionally linked to their boss, their colleagues, their employer and, yes, their job.

So when we talk about choosing a job you really love, the only construct we should be looking at is employee engagement, because it represents the most deeply infatuated of workplace-related loves. Which means that if you’re a devotee of Confucius’s quotation, you might assume you wouldn’t necessarily be ‘working’ if you happened to be engaged at work. But this isn’t true. For various reasons.

Even the most engaged employees experience periods of disengagement, during which the job they love is still very much, well, a job. 

Let’s begin with what’s perhaps the most obvious: that no one actually loves their job all of the time. No job is ever that perfect. This means that even the best and most lovable of jobs will contain experiences you absolutely love and experiences you seriously loathe. And as the most credible of research tells us, this usually happens not just once in a while but every day, perhaps from hour to hour or even minute to minute. That’s why diary studies are especially instructive when we’re seeking to understand the fluctuating nature of employee engagement. Since engagement is a relatively recent addition to the management lexicon, only about two dozen studies have been conducted in relation to the way it fluctuates throughout the workday. And a summary of these studies has concluded that it ‘fluctuates significantly’. There are many reasons why. Sometimes, employees may have a lot of support from their colleagues; other times not at all. At one moment they might have a sense they’re adequately balancing work and life; at other moments they might feel it’s all getting out of control. At certain points during the day, their leader might be caring and attentive, while at other times that same leader may be neglectful and inconsiderate. There are dozens of other factors that could also trigger states of engagement or disengagement.

 The old Confucian quotation, which, while well intentioned, is evidently mistaken. It might be more aptly reworded as:

‘Have a Job You Love, and You Will Still Have to Work Most Days in Your Life.’

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The New York Times

The learning network | do you think you will have a career that you love.

Do You Think You Will Have a Career That You Love?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

• See All Student Opinion »

Many students, when seeking career advice from a guidance counselor or teacher, will be told, “Do what you love.” But that isn’t a realistic option for many, if not most, of us. And it may not always be what’s best for our families and communities either, if not ourselves.

Do you think you will have a career that you love? Is that the most important quality you’ll look for in a job?

In the Opinionator essay “A Life Beyond ‘Do What You Love,’ ” Gordon Marino writes:

Student advisees often come to my office, rubbing their hands together, furrowing their brows and asking me to walk along with them as they ponder life after graduation. Just the other day, a sophomore made an appointment because he was worrying about whether he should become a doctor or a philosophy professor. A few minutes later, he nervously confessed that he had also thought of giving stand-up comedy a whirl. As an occupational counselor, my kneejerk reaction has always been, “What are you most passionate about?” Sometimes I‘d even go into a sermonette about how it is important to distinguish between what we think we are supposed to love and what we really love. But is “do what you love” wisdom or malarkey? In a much discussed article in Jacobin magazine early this year, the writer Miya Tokumitsu argued that the “do what you love” ethos so ubiquitous in our culture is in fact elitist because it degrades work that is not done from love. It also ignores the idea that work itself possesses an inherent value, and most importantly, severs the traditional connection between work, talent and duty. When I am off campus and informally counseling economically challenged kids in Northfield, Minn., a city of about 20,000, the theme is not “do what you love.” Many of them are used to delivering papers at 5 a.m., slinging shingles all day or loading trucks all night. They are accustomed to doing whatever they need to do to help out their families. For them, the notion of doing what you love or find meaningful is not the idea that comes first to mind; nor should it. We put our heads together and consider, “What are you best at doing?” or “What job would most improve your family’s prospects?” Maybe being licensed as a welder or electrician? Maybe the military? Passion and meaning may enter into the mix of our chats with the understanding that they sharpen your focus and make you more successful.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us …

— Do you think you will have a career that you love? Is that the most important quality you’ll look for in a job?

— Or do you think providing for your family or making enough money will trump your desire to enjoy your job?

— Are there other motivations that will help guide what kind of career you have — such as working toward social justice or following your religious beliefs?

— Do you have particular talents or skills that you think you should put to good use?

— What career or job do you think you will have when you get older?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name . For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

I think I will have a career I love or else I would not accept it. It is important that you be happy with your job to be able to do it well and stress and anger free.

i think that i will have a career that i love because i want to wake up and not dread the day to come, i want to look forward to each and every day.

I personally think it is one of the more important things to look for a job. No matter what you do in life you will need money to do what you need to do and what you want to do. You will need to find a job that you can make money from and that job could be a job you may want to do. You would at least look forward to the next weekday and say it is worth working for the company.

I think I would have my career love. I love to cut hair and do make up. When I graduate from high school I would love to study cosmology .

In order to get the career job I love, I have to work my way up to that position.

I think doing the things that I love won’t make me a good living in my life, because what I love is shotput. I would like to do something with it later on, but I wouldn’t make it my full career. I think that I will have a career that I like or that I will learn to love my job that I get, I think it’s more important to gain a living, but if you hate your job a lot, I don’t think it’s worth it.

I love to sing, and I love to act, but when someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up I try to think of more dependable jobs that provide money, safety, and are helpful. I do not think I’ll end up doing something I love, because not everybody can have the fun job. We need janitors, we need accountants, we need a wide variety of jobs to be done, and if I don’t do them, I don’t think anyone else would choose to do them either. It is very important to look for a job you love, but that is not a choice for us to all make. We have to prioritize and go from there.

Do you think you will have a career that you love? Is that the most important quality you’ll look for in a job? Yes, I love my career. Yes followed by the money.

Or do you think providing for your family or making enough money will trump your desire to enjoy your job? As of now, I am my family, I am trying to do everything I can to keep it that way until I’m married! Even though money is an important aspect of life, I took a pay cut (about six thousand annually) to do a job that I loved, and I’m super glad that I did because happiness is priceless (things broke people say lol) but seriously I love what I do and until I had to answer this question and every pay day I never really think about that extra six thousand….thanks Michael Gonchac)

Are there other motivations that will help guide what kind of career you have — such as working toward social justice or following your religious beliefs? In my case I am motivated by helping others, so its easy for me to do, especially when it comes to achieving a goal, and goals tend to be more motivating and worthwhile to achieve when its doing something that you love.

Do you have particular talents or skills that you think you should put to good use? I think I should put my life coaching skills into use more, I do it on occasion for family and close friends, random strangers and sometimes even myself during breakdown situations. Also I can have old basketball skills I can put to use, I used to go to, host, volunteer, help, basketball camps all the time, I can still dribble and demonstrate a passing drill so I think I can coach or do a skills camp, were going to have to get someone else to help with the shooting part of the camp, still working on that three.

What career or job do you think you will have when you get older? When I get older I want travel to different states giving speeches, doing shows, and signing books.

Finding a career that is enjoyable will be the most productive in the work force. If a person does not enjoy what he or she is doing, the work make be average or put off until the last minute. Money, however, is another factor. Having a job that has financial benefits provides to the family. Before picking a career students should look into what careers fall into topics they enjoy. With college coming soon, I have to start thinking about what I wish to do with the rest of my life. I have always excelled in mathematics and am thinking about careers dealing with math. I have been looking at being an account and hopefully will be able to become a successful one at that.

In my opinion, everyone should pursue the career they love. the most influential people in my life are passionate about their jobs and they all have inspired me to pursue what I love, broadcasting. Every career comes with its own set of challenges, there is no way to avoid those boring college classes or horrible jobs and assignments as you climb the ladder in your career, so why not go into a career you love, the hard work will pay off in the end because you will be doing something you love. When it comes to being indecisive, it is all about self confidence and being comfortable with your skills and talents. I was in the same place as the sophomore mentioned in the article, I did not know what I wanted to do, but once I started taking electives that seemed interesting, I was exposed to fields and ideas that I love and would never have found on my own time.

Although it is important to always be happy with what you do, sometimes that option is not practical. I have many interests and passions, but my choices are narrowed based on what careers are realistic to pursue. Although I love playing the piano and performing in front of an audience, very few people are successful as professional pianists and have to dedicate much time to practicing and rehearsing. I admire those who leap for the stars and chase their goals, but I admit that I am not courageous enough. Instead, I will most likely follow a different path, but one I still would be happy to do. This does not mean that I have to abandon what I love. I can still continue playing the piano on the side, while making a living in a separate field that I enjoy. In today’s world, it is extremely difficult to “do what you love”, but that doesn’t mean you have to do something that you hate. You have to decide if you are willing to give up a successful, fortunate lifestyle for one that has a greater chance of failing. It is important to maintain the delicate balance of reaching for the stars and keeping yourself grounded.

I have always been passionate about science, and I can only see myself having a career in that field. Whether I am researching in a lab, or working directly with a patient, I think that I would be content with a job in the medical industry. Due to the fact that I am so interested by science, I would benefit myself, my family, and society if I were to become a neurologist or geneticist. Money would have to play a small role in my decision because everyone needs to eat, but overall, choosing a job that challenges me and uses my abilities to help others is the main goal. Knowing that my work has meaning and that I am contributing to the happiness or health of others is certainly enough to make me happy with my career.

I hope that I will have a career that I love because it is one of the most important qualities I look for in a job. I think that providing for my family will trump my desire to enjoy my job. Being able to know you’ve made someone’s life a little better is what guides me to what career I will choose in the future. A skill that I could put to good use would be my ability to listen. When I get older, I think I will have a career in the medical field, possibly a nurse.

I would like to have a career I love

I think that I will have a career I love. If I don’t love the job I get I won’t be able to get up to work at a job I don’t enjoy.

No, I do not think I’ll find a job I will enjoy. Every time I find a job that I like my parents do not like the job that I choose. However, if I got a job and there we’re problems in that job I would quit it even though they paid a high salary.

I believe that I will have the career that I love because I don’t believe in giving up on my dreams

As a incoming freshman of Laguardia high school many people assume I will have a carreer in the arts, but in actuality I would prefer to work on genetic engineering or cross-breeding animals. I always aspired to be the first to create a brand new innovation. That’s the carreer I would love. <3

I think I would have a career that I love. I dint think anyone should put up with something you don’t love for the rest of your life. Might as we’ll be happy with what you wanna do.

I think I will have a career I love. This is one of the most important traits of a job. If you can’t like the job you have then there is no point to doing since you won’t have the mindset of wanting to try your best.

I would Ike to have a cereer that I like because it is what I understand and I know what I am doing

I believe I will have a great career that I’ll enjoy no matter what it is

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Job — Discussion on How to Find the Job You Love

Discussion on How to Find The Job You Love

• Categories: Job

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

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Should You Choose Your Passion Over a Paycheck?

• Utkarsh Amitabh

Four questions to ask yourself before you decide.

Deciding to take your side hustle full time or thinking about starting one is not an easy choice, especially if you’re stuck in a job and you feel you should stay simply because you’re lucky to have one right now.

• Utkarsh Amitabh was working a full time job and balancing his side hustle, Network Capital until recently. In June this year, he decided to take a risk on his passion project and quit his job.
• In this personal essay, Utkarsh shares how he went about making the decision and highlights the questions you need to weigh in on: 1) Is my passion project solving a problem? 2) Does my product actually work? 3) Have I reached at least 1,000 customers, or can I? 4) Do I really have the skills and resources required to manage a business right now ?

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

When are people most likely to quit their job?

• Utkarsh Amitabh  is the founder of  Network Capital,  one of the world’s largest career intelligence communities that serves as a partner to Government of India’s Atal Innovation Mission. Utkarsh graduated with an MBA from INSEAD Business School. He is a TED speaker, Chevening Fellow at University of Oxford and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper who represented the community at the Annual Meeting in Davos. He previously worked at  Microsoft and helped build India’s first smart village which was recognized in the Prime Minister’s Book of Pioneering Innovations. His new book  The Seductive Illusion of Hard Work   has gone on to become a global best-seller. He also writes for  Mint ,  Economic Times , and  World Economic Forum .

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• Passion VS Money: What To Choose In Your Career

Featured in:

Choosing between career growth and money earning is an ancient dilemma that still troubles the minds of employees all over the globe.

The stakes are high as only a handful of lucky professionals immediately manage to find a job that fulfills both requirements.

According to the report, less than half of employees in the US feel satisfied with their jobs, while only 20% of them feel very passionate about it.

This stat might as well show that most people still prefer substantial compensations over career opportunities, but there are other studies to consider here, too.

For instance, experts say that happiness does increase with wealth, but the correlation peaks at earning $75 thousand per year.

The threshold for life satisfaction varies around the world , from $35 thousand in the Caribbean to $125 thousand in New Zealand. After that, people face the point of no return where more money does not contribute to the overall feeling of self-esteem, confidence, or happiness.

There is obviously no secret formula that can tell you how to behave and what type of job to pursue. What we can do, however, is to analyze each aspect of the topic.

We will try to come up with enough inputs to help you with the decision, so keep reading to learn how to choose between a well-paid job and career growth.

PROS AND CONS OF TARGETING A HIGH SALARY

First of all, we need to explain what it means to build a career gradually and what is money making.

When we are talking about career growth, we are discussing individuals who are ready to earn less in order to invest in their skill development and network, which in turn helps them to earn much more later on.

On the other side, money making is all about earning more here and now, while skills development and networking come second.

But if you want to see the big picture, you need to understand each one of these career paths separately.

The first thing in this process is to figure out the pros and cons of earning a lot of money, so let’s open the discussion with the benefits of targeting a high salary:

• Money : The biggest benefit is quite obvious – you get to earn a lot of money straight away. You can shop everything you need (and even more than that), buy a house, and pay for all other things you might consider relevant at a given moment.
• Safety : Needless to say, professionals who instantly earn a substantial amount of money feel much safer than their (financially) less successful peers. You don’t have to worry about market crashes, sudden changes in company management, or any other short-term issue for that matter.
• Respect : Although this benefit seems a little artificial, the fact remains that people tend to respect well-off individuals, particularly if they are both young and wealthy. It can make you proud and socially satisfied, which is never a bad thing.
• Save for a rainy day : The money you are able to accumulate guarantees peace of mind. No matter what happens with your job, you can move on smoothly. After all, once you’ve made enough money, perhaps you could even start doing something completely different.

You’ve seen the advantages of money earning, but the story has its downsides as well. Let’s take a look:

• Underdevelopment : If you immediately start chasing the big money, you won’t be able to develop those much-needed skills that guarantee long-term success.
• Lack of professional connections : Being stuck at one job for a long time eliminates diversity from your professional life. There will be no network of colleagues and professional acquaintances to support you later on throughout career.
• Working hours : A well-paid job does not come for free. On the contrary, you probably have to earn your money by investing some extra hours in your work. This usually causes time management issues, which is something you will have to deal with.
• Competition : Individuals with highly profitable entry positions must be prepared to keep fighting for their titles. The competition in the business universe is severe, particularly if your current salary goes way above the industry average.
• Pressure : Do you often feel pressure at work? Are you constantly chasing goals and targets? Welcome to the world of big money! If you want to become Mr. Big immediately, get ready for the never-ending influx of pressure and tension.
• Health issues : With so much activity and pressure in your business life, it’s not surprising to see a lot of successful professionals dealing with health issues. It begins with minor problems such as sleep disorders, but it might end up much worse if you can’t find a way out of the magic circle.

PROS AND CONS OF DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

The coin always has two sides, so it’s time to flip it and analyze the pros and cons of doing the job you love.

As always, we start with the list of advantages:

• Career growth : Of course, the first benefit is very tangible – you become better and smarter every day, slowly building a stairway to a much more attractive job.
• Networking : Unlike instant money earning, career building is all about making friends and forming a wide network of professional connections . In such circumstances, finding a new and more profitable job in the future becomes much simpler.
• Learning : As a passionate employee, you are glad to keep learning and improving your skills. You don’t satisfy for the average, but rather try to master every single aspect of your job. It will make you a genuine industry expert.
• Confidence : As you keep working and improving, you will be boosting self-confidence. It always feels good when you are aware of your skills and know that you can successfully compete or collaborate with other professionals in your niche.
• Health : If money making is causing headaches, the job you love is doing exactly the opposite. You don’t feel pressure and don’t hate going to work early in the morning, which is the basic precondition for staying healthy in the long run.
• Pleasure : There is nothing better than finding your ideal working environment . If you really like what you are doing, you are willing to give your best and achieve the highest level of personal productivity.

Now let’s take a look at the disadvantages of choosing professional growth over money.

• Earn less : Passionate workers aren’t always able to make a lot of money. You might be struggling to make ends meet in the beginning, which is a huge disadvantage. While this is a just a temporary disadvantage, it can be very awkward for individuals who are constantly in need for more money.
• Hard to relax: Career building is an exciting process, but it doesn’t give you time to rest or relax. You always have to brainstorm, follow the latest industry trends, talk to people, and do all it takes to craft your professional path properly.
• Fail to meet expectations: When you are young, you have a bag full of hopes and dreams. However, the truth is that most of our dreams fail to materialize. You might discover that your colleagues don’t share the same values or that the company is completely profit-oriented. This might stop you from learning because they expect you to do one thing only.
• Your passion disappears: If you realize that your job is not the role you were hoping for, your passion to work and contribute could disappear easily. In such circumstances, it is always better to visit the Resumes Planet and find a few extra options just in case you want to try new things in a career.

CAREER GROWTH OR MONEY MAKING: 10 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING A DECISION

You’ve seen the lists of pros and cons, but it’s probably not enough to help you make a final decision. Choosing a fancy job title over paycheck or vice versa is almost impossible if you don’t take more elements into the calculation.

This is why we prepared for you a list of 10 things you need to consider before taking any further steps. Without further ado, let’s see our top recommendations:

1. Determine priorities

You can take two different paths, so which one will it be? It’s much easier to make a decision if you carefully determine priorities.

Some people are in a desperate need for money, so their choice is obvious.

On the other side, a salary may not be your primary motive for the time being. In this case, you should probably test a few jobs that could really keep you going.

If you can distinguish between priorities this way, the right answer will come to you quickly.

2. Motivation

Motivation is yet another detail to be considered here. Some people can’t work if they are not motivated and don’t share the organizational values, beliefs, and vision.

However, others recognize money making as the only motive in their professional lives.

Think about it for a while and ask yourself a simple question: What motivates me to get up in the morning and work hard?

Just be honest and you will be able to solve the mystery.

3. Location

The first two indicators are pretty much subjective and irrational, but this one is all about logic and strategic planning. Your salary and financial demands change drastically from region to region.

According to the 2019 Cost of Living Calculator, New York City is 171.5% more expensive than Cleveland.

What does it tell you? Well, it means that you can afford to chase an ideal career opportunity in Cleveland, while New York City forces you to earn more money.

It’s a tangible distinction that you have to consider while brainstorming about your career.

4. Age group

In general, it’s much easier to test different things and gain new skills when you are young.

As a student or a fresh college graduate, you can volunteer or join many internship programs to learn how different industries, companies, and organizations function.

This should give you enough inputs to make the final decision effortlessly.

However, people who are past their prime should definitely put salary atop of their priorities because there is no time to waste anymore.

After all, it is more important to secure a decent living for your family than to chase rainbows.

5. Do you have children?

Speaking of families, you must also think about your kids. How old are they? How much do you plan to invest in their education and training?

Can you afford to travel with your family? All these questions are very important because you probably want to provide kids with quality life experiences.

But if you are single and don’t plan to raise children, you are pretty much free to do anything you like.

6. Unemployment

Dreaming big is okay, but only if you can afford it. We all probably know that one person who is unemployed for months already, but still seems to live perfectly fine.

However, it’s not something you want to brag about. Unless you have some hidden source of funding, we strongly recommend you to take any job and start earning money immediately.

You can always quit when you find a better position that allows you to network and gain practical skills, but you do have to make a living before something extraordinary pops up.

7. Friends and family

We mentioned the “friends and family” factor several times already, but we have to discuss it one more time.

These are the people who are closest to you, so don’t be afraid of asking for their opinions. You might as well be too biased to think through it clearly, while your friends or relatives can take the necessary distance before answering your questions.

They will be honest and probably point out the ups and downs of pursuing each one of the two options.

8. Consider long-term goals

If none of the previous suggestions works for you, then you could think about the long-term goals. How do you see yourself in 10 or 15 years?

Earning big in the first few years is okay, but only if you don’t need money in the long-term perspective.

However, it’s hard to imagine someone who doesn’t require a substantial budget, which is why career growth sounds like a more reasonable solution to most people.

9. Do you know what you want?

This is a common mistake among young professionals: they don’t know what they want, but they hate the idea of working for money exclusively. Although it sounds like a huge dilemma, it really doesn’t have to be.

Namely, it’s always better to do something and earn money straight away than to avoid responsibility until you finally figure out the priorities.

You can use this period of life to save some money aside and then start looking for a new job that will give you enough opportunities to grow and develop.

10. Trust your instincts

The last tip on our list may seem a little vague, but it’s often the best one. If you are unable to solve the mystery and decide what to do, you should trust your instincts.

Sometimes you won’t be able to give a logical answer to all those career issues, but your sixth sense will tell you what to do. Make sure to follow it and you probably won’t be mistaken.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. It’s an old saying you’ve probably heard a thousand times before, but is it really the truth? Is job satisfaction enough to compensate you for a lower starting salary?

The answer to this question depends on so many variables, but we tried to give you a hand by discussing all aspects of the story.

After everything we’ve said here, the only reasonable conclusion is that each person has to make a decision alone.

There is no secret formula that can solve this equation, so you have to think about the things that make you happy and fulfilled. Be honest with yourself and you will learn how to make a balance between career growth and financial compensations.

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How Liking Your Job Will Help You Succeed

November 17, 2023

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How "Liking" Your Job Will Help You Succeed

Steve Jobs stood in front of the 2005 Stanford graduating class and said, “"the only way to do great work is to love what you do," but how does enjoying your work really lead to success in the workplace?

Being happy at work and loving what you do is an overall productivity booster and enhances performance. People who enjoy their jobs are more likely to be optimistic, motivated, learn faster, make fewer mistakes, and better business decisions.

Positivity is Pertinent to Success

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a distinguished Hungarian psychologist, being able to enjoy your work is the main factor in getting into a state of flow.

Flow: The experience you have when you are “in the zone”. You feel fully focused, creative, and ideas are flowing freely.

This means that every time you are given a task and view it negatively, this mindset is already making it harder for you to complete your work. Doing work you love is energizing and creates a positive feedback loop that fuels productivity. Your passion for the work energizes you and vice versa, giving you more fuel to put towards success. The trick is figuring out how to make yourself love your work - even the most tedious of tasks.

Csikszentmihalyi discovered that once you take on a task with a positive mindset and think of the benefits you can reap from completing this project, your work is more likely to happen in a steady, concentrated flow. Being in this state of mind means you will be highly focused and fully absorbed in the task at hand, just as you would be while doing something you really enjoy. Being able to fully devote yourself to a task and give it your all will make you more productive and knowledgeable, leading you towards success at work.

The ability to complete work you don’t enjoy with enthusiasm is hard enough, let alone being the best at it. Without the passion or drive it just doesn’t come naturally. People are more confident at tasks that are more natural and seem to flow. This pertains to anything from writing emails, speaking to large groups, or even creating a presentation. Use a positive mindset to find your drive and build confidence in yourself. If you feel confident and secure with the work you are producing, you will be able to complete it to your fullest potential. Without this overall positive mindset, confidence is lacking and can lead to second-guessing yourself and becoming inefficient.

Passion not only drives you to enjoy your work, but helps in overcoming obstacles in the workplace as well. Anytime you hit a bump in the road or begin to doubt your abilities, remember the positive effects of the work you are doing. This persistence will lead to quality work that elevates you and brings you that much closer to your next goal. Use that drive and motivation as fuel towards your next checkpoint to success.

Finding Passion for Everyday Tasks

An overall positive and passionate mindset can be difficult to enact while completing tedious assignments. To change the way you think, you must also change the way you work. Find the significance in your efforts, live the vision of your organization, work with your colleagues, and in turn you can encourage positive change and take one step closer to success.

Every company has a mission or vision that they work to achieve. Whether it’s clothing the homeless or creating happy, loyal customers while keeping costs down for the organization, raising your significance by working towards the common goal will keep you on the path towards success. By seeing your part in the big picture and realizing your worth, positivity and passion come naturally.

Along with realizing your own worth, knowing your team’s abilities is just as important. According to Paul A. O’Keefe, assistant professor of psychology at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, working with your colleagues helps foster interest in work and create enthusiasm. In a study conducted by O’Keefe, it was found that those working with a partner reported greater interest in the subject and a stronger desire to master it. In other words, utilize your co-workers for motivation. Brainstorm, collaborate, and discuss to instill interest and drive in your work.

As you become more connected with your workplace and coworkers, begin to encourage positive change around you by asking yourself, “what can I do to improve this?” Immersing yourself in your work will help cultivate a passion for your duties. Add this passion on top of taking personal responsibility for making your company more successful, and your engagement will increase greatly, along with your job satisfaction.

The mindset you choose to take on when working is very important. Be conscious of the benefits you are creating for yourself and think positively. In turn, work will become more enjoyable and easier to master on the road to success.

Understanding human behavior is more than the basis of psychology – it is an essential component of virtually every business and organization. The USC  online aster of Science in Applied Psychology degree  prepares professionals to excel in the fields of consumer and organizational psychology.

Liking Work Really Matters How Loving Your Job Helps You Succeed Having a passion for your work may be overrated as a key to success

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Which is the key to happiness: High salary or job satisfaction?

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I don’t know one person who doesn’t want or need more money. Whether it’s for a new car, a holiday or just to pay off those credit cards – people would always appreciate some extra pennies in their pockets. However, is having a job that pays really well but offers not much else really the key to long term overall happiness?

It’s an age old question, and everyone is different. The term ‘happiness’ is defined many different ways to various people. To some, happiness is simply having a roof over your head and food on your table. To others (and probably many others) happiness comes with having nice things such as technology, nice clothes, cars etc. To afford the finer things in life, we usually want a high salary – but at what point does job satisfaction take a back seat to accommodate for a mammoth salary? And is it possible to have the best of both worlds?

Various factors come in to the debate of job satisfaction vs high salary. At first, the answer to overall happiness seems to be fairly obvious: Get a job that you love and work your way up to earning a lot. However, there are other factors to consider. For example, what stage are you at currently in your life? If you don’t have responsibilities back at home such as children then you might be more open to working long hours for a high earning job. If you’ve just moved in with your partner you’re going to want to spend more time at home considering how much you’ll be spending on bills and rent/mortgage. Another factor to consider is where you work. In cities like London, Paris and New York, a five to six-figure salary will be enough to cover the cost of living. After putting away savings, paying bills and other costs – how much do you have left over to spend on yourself? And is this an amount you’d be happy with?

We spend approximately a third of our lives at work. We want to be happy while we’re there. If you can’t seem to get yourself out of bed in the morning because you dread the job so much, generally speaking it’s not going to get much better further down the road. Everyone has both ups and downs in their jobs – but if you’re having more downs than ups, is the higher salary actually worth it? As Jim Blasingame says on Forbes , “If you can’t be happy without money and [material] stuff, you aren’t likely to be happy with it”. This is speaking with the assumption that a higher paying salary means misery – it really doesn’t. A lot of people who have higher salaries can’t get enough of their jobs.

Age is another element of the job satisfaction vs. high salary debate. Stereotypically speaking, if you’re younger then you’re more likely to tolerate working more hours for slightly less money (with the hope of career advancement on the cards and general job satisfaction). If you have a job with a good amount of accountability then you deserve the higher wage. What actually is ‘job satisfaction’? Things such as progression and career advancement, good training, great colleagues, decent perks and job security all come under that ‘satisfaction’ umbrella.

Another thing you should think about if you’re doing some self-evaluation right now is why you applied for the job you currently have in the first place. Was it because of the wage or the role/responsibilities? If it was both, have those stances changed now if you’ve been in your job for a while?

Happiness tends to be achieved depending on the attitude of the person seeking it. If you can go to work and laugh, have fun and find joy in the work you do, then you have basic career happiness right there. If you’re emotionally suffering at your job every day, then no amount of money in the world will ever make you content. Maybe it’s time for you to break up with your job for good – here are the signs that you should. 

Related links

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“Choose a Job You Love, and You Will Never Have to Work a Day in Your Life” – Confucius

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Have you ever heard of this famous sentence by Confucius: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”? I have been wondering whether it applies to current trends of choosing job among the youth nowadays or not.

Presently, there’s a sad fact that many young people have no idea about what they are going to do in the future. Doing what they want has never been much of a factor. It’s more like what they’re expected to do.The first criteria for picking a position is whether this job is hot or not, how about the salary…? But I was wondering what the standard is to categorize that this job is humble and that job is noble. Based on education levels? Earned money? or popularity?

Almost our parents take a normal job. It is an obvious fact that we need to accept. To be respective. Not to be shameful. If everyone is successful businessman, who will be sanitation worker . If every person is software engineer, who will work on the factory floor. Most of us are normal person. But it cannot prevent us from growing up everyday. Because there is always the highest level for each normal work. We need another outlook. There is no trivial dream. We have studied to do what we love the best way so that we can earn money and popularity as much as possible, worthily and proudly!

To sum up, the goal which we need to pursue is doing the job we love. It’s the secret of success and happiness . So let’s find out your greatest dream, it’s is lying on the bottom of your heart, as a volcano waiting for being awaken.

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After leaving school or university, young people should choose a job or career that they love, rather than one that pays the best salary. to what extent do you agree with this statement, after leaving school or university, young people should choose a job or career they love, rather than one that pays the best salary. to what extent do you agree with this statement, after leaving school or university, young people should choose a job or career that they love, rather than one that pays the best salary. to what extent do you agree with this statement, after leaving school or university, young people should choose a job or career that they love, rather than one that pays the best salary. to what extent do you agree with this statement.

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More From Forbes

The case for letting employees choose their own job titles.

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One of the primary benefits of allowing employees to choose their own job titles is the potential ... [+] for increased job satisfaction and motivation

Allowing employees to choose their own job titles may seem unconventional, but this approach can offer several benefits to both the employees and the organization.

Empowering employees with the freedom to define their roles can enhance motivation, creativity, and job satisfaction. Here are four benefits of letting employees choose their own job titles, along with one potential concern to consider.

1. Increased Job Satisfaction And Motivation

One of the primary benefits of allowing employees to choose their own job titles is the potential for increased job satisfaction and motivation. When employees have the autonomy to define their roles, they feel a greater sense of ownership and control over their work. This empowerment can lead to higher levels of engagement and commitment to the organization. Personalizing their job titles allows employees to express their individuality and align their roles with their personal and professional identities.

Personalized job titles can also reflect an employee’s unique strengths and contributions, making them feel more valued and appreciated. This recognition can boost morale and drive individuals to perform at their best. For example, an employee who excels in creative thinking might choose a title that highlights this skill, such as “Innovation Specialist,” which can further motivate them to bring new ideas to the table. By allowing employees to choose titles that resonate with their skills and aspirations, companies can create a more motivated and satisfied workforce.

2. Enhanced Creativity And Innovation

Another significant advantage of letting employees choose their own job titles is the enhancement of creativity and innovation. Creative job titles can inspire employees to think outside the box and approach their work with a fresh perspective. This flexibility encourages innovation by allowing employees to break free from traditional role constraints and explore new ideas and solutions. For instance, an employee with the title “Digital Pioneer” might feel more empowered to experiment with new technologies and digital strategies.

Furthermore, unique job titles can stimulate discussions and curiosity both within the organization and externally. When employees are excited about their roles and titles, they are more likely to share their ideas and collaborate with others, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation. This environment can lead to the development of novel products, services, and processes that drive the company forward. By creating an atmosphere that values creative expression, companies can unlock their employees’ full potential.

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‘house of the dragon’ season 2, episode 2 recap and review: ‘i love you brother’, disney forced to reveal unequal pay on star wars show ‘the acolyte’, 3. improved employee branding and identity.

Allowing employees to choose their own job titles can significantly improve personal branding and professional identity. Customized titles enable employees to highlight their expertise and specializations, making it easier for them to market themselves within the organization and to external stakeholders. This can be particularly beneficial in client-facing roles or industries where personal branding is crucial, such as sales, marketing, and consulting.

A well-chosen job title can help employees stand out and differentiate themselves in the job market. It can also align with their career goals and personal brand, enhancing their overall professional image. For example, a marketing professional might choose the title “Brand Strategist” to emphasize their focus on developing brand identities. By supporting employees in crafting titles that reflect their unique value propositions, companies can help them build stronger professional identities and enhance their career development. This, in turn, can lead to greater job satisfaction and loyalty.

4. Attraction And Retention Of Top Talent

Giving employees the freedom to choose their own job titles can also be an attractive perk for potential hires. In today’s competitive job market, candidates are looking for workplaces that offer flexibility, autonomy, and opportunities for personal growth. Allowing employees to define their roles and titles can make an organization more appealing to top talent. This approach demonstrates that the company values individuality and is open to innovative practices.

This approach can also improve employee retention by creating a more personalized and engaging work experience. When employees feel that their roles are tailored to their strengths and interests, they are more likely to stay with the company long-term. This personalized approach can reduce turnover rates and help the organization retain its best performers. Additionally, a culture that supports autonomy and self-expression can lead to higher levels of employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Potential Concern: Lack of Standardization And Clarity

While there are many benefits to letting employees choose their own job titles, there is also a potential concern regarding the lack of standardization and clarity. Customized job titles can sometimes create confusion both within the organization and externally. Without a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, it can be challenging to coordinate efforts and ensure effective communication. This lack of clarity can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies.

To mitigate this concern, it’s important to establish guidelines and frameworks for creating job titles. Ensuring that titles accurately reflect the individual’s role and responsibilities can help maintain clarity and consistency. Additionally, providing context and explanations for unique titles can help others understand the employee’s function within the organization. Regular reviews and adjustments to job titles can also ensure they remain relevant and clear as roles evolve.

Allowing employees to choose their own job titles can bring numerous benefits, including increased job satisfaction, enhanced creativity, improved personal branding, and better attraction and retention of talent. However, it’s essential to balance these advantages with the need for standardization and clarity.

By carefully considering these factors and implementing appropriate guidelines, organizations can create a flexible and empowering work environment that supports both individual and organizational success. Embracing this innovative approach can lead to a more motivated, creative, and satisfied workforce, driving the company toward greater achievements.

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