Do you really like your job? If so, why do you and is it your true calling card? If not, why not and can you do something about it?

I am now retired from my primary job. When I was working I used to tell those who asked "Do you like your job?" that I don't have to do my job, I GET to do my job. I used to arrive very early and leave quite late. It was interesting, challenging, socially relevant, environmentally important, and touched the lives of millions of people. And, It was fun! I got to work with many enthusiastic experts, got to put together some great organizations and now get to see the fruits of these efforts and the platform it created for the next major step in the industry I worked in.....While I held many positions in the industry, my favorite was General Manager for high speed train service development.

Try to get a job in an area at least close to what you are interested in, have passion for and find enjoyment in learning about. I started my career in the aviation industry, and while I have had minor involvement with that area, later found myself moving into the rail industry - the interest in transportation has always been the major interest in making my career decisions.....and I sill love it!

Loving and having passion for a career will not make it easy. It takes many personal sacrifices but it also may give you opportunities that you perhaps had not envisioned. Prepare for those and be ready to take advantage of them when they present themselves.

And it takes TIME! I was always frustrated because I couldn't get ahead fast enough for me. A very wise person told me, " your time will come when you are ready for it." It's still good advice.

The work you chose may not always be exactly what you want, where you want and you may have to be flexible but perseverance and enthusiasm, keeping in the general direction of your passion will take you a long way. If you're going to move ahead in your career, it will take a lifetime of learning.....the money follows.

You're going to spend a large portion of your life in the workplace. If you spend it doing a job where you're simply trading time for money....it's going to be a lot of really long days. I hope this helps.....Regards, Don Knapik

Hi,
Good question...you have good answers above about liking their jobs. I will offer a different perspective, I like my company regardless of the job I do and I feel very fortunate not only to have a job but to work for a company that I really like and respect.

I spent 15+ years working for Dell and now I work for a company that bought the software part of Dell called Quest Software. I think it is not only important to like your job but to like who you are working for...hope this helps, good luck!

I loved my job. I was a teacher, had a passion for it and felt there was no profession more noble. Many people get into jobs cause they don't know what they want. It's important to find that out and explore what interests and passions you have. If money is really important to you then you should find fields that pay adult, but really more important to consider is what you want to spend your time doing 8 hours a day for perhaps 50 years. You mm at find out when you are in a job that you'd rather do something else and there's nothing wrong with changing professions if that happens. It's important not to get trapped in owing a lot of money, being trapped by your life style, so perhaps you can't afford to change professions. Think about it carefully, live within what your lifestyle can afford and either continue our go into something else....and you can do that if you don't trap yourself with stuff Good luck to you

I am retired now, so I really like my "job".

I have had jobs that I loved and jobs that I had to force myself to go to work every day. Just remember that wherever you work, you need to perform at your best level all the time. The job that I hated, I still did to the best of my ability. This helped as I was able to "post" for another job in that same firm and got it because of my performance. The new assignment was much better than the one I left, and I enjoyed it.

You can also change employers if you end up working in a job that you don't enjoy. But you should still perform to your highest level even if you know you are going to leave. You would be surprised how word gets around sometimes. I was able to change employers once based on the recommendation of someone at the new firm who had worked with me on a project ten years earlier that we both disliked, but he remembered my performance in a crappy job and was able to put in a good word to the person who ended up picking me over other applicants.