What do you want out of a career?

[KazeCraven]

I'd have put weights in the poll (rate low or high priority) if I could, but I can't.

So what is it that you really want in, and out of, a career? Are you content with just a way to support yourself that isn't distasteful/mindless? Does it need to be important? Would you agree with the statement "follow your heart" or "do what you love"?

Also, other interesting questions: do you think that people probably ought to be seeking something in particular out of a career (for their own happiness or other reasons)? Do you think people often make big mistakes regarding what they think they want out of a career?

ETA: sorry for delay, poll is up now.

 

[Phoenix Down]

Well....
Influence (over the future of humankind)
Clout (within my field)
To blow shit up (nuff said)
Considerable Resources
Federal and Private funding
Plenty of freedom

Some money would be nice too.


See?... Doesn't that just SEEM badass?

 

[basic]

Maybe I've been lucky in my life. At a very young age I discovered "what I love to do," or what I'm naturally good at, which is graphic design and other kinds of design in general. I've always found it strange that many people DON'T peruse their passions, or even stranger, don't have passions. I believe that what you do for a living should also be fulfilling to you. Sure, there are times when we have to settle for a job that isn't fulfilling, but we should always return to our passions.

What I want in a career is something that will constantly keep my mind engaged. I always need to be excited about something new and fresh. I need to always be thinking and solving a problem. Being engaged is rewarding to me and makes me happy. I want to contribute good ideas to the world.

What I want out of a career is perspective. About human nature, about life.

 

[invisible]

it's important to me to be doing something that is interesting to me and also that i believe makes the world a better place in a meaningful way that outweighs the way it makes the world a worse place. if my passion doesn't work out for me that will be enough!

 

[Odyne]

So what is it that you really want in, and out of, a career?

I want success and accomplishment. I want financial security, as well as a sense of self-gratification. I want to say that this is what I am, and I am good at it.

Are you content with just a way to support yourself that isn't distasteful/mindless?

No, I want a career that constantly presents me with new challenges. I absolutely love to learn new things, and I find the best way to learn, is to actually be in the mindset and try something new. I found that problem-solving is something I crave/do most of the time.

Does it need to be important?

Important as in social status? Not necessarily. Important as in beneficial to others? Absolutely.

Would you agree with the statement "follow your heart" or "do what you love"?

I would agree to "follow your heart" as in seek a career that provides what you need from life. Weather it's fun, love, creativity, accomplishment, money, etc.

I am not sure with "do what you love", because that sometimes isn't always possible. Sometimes you have responsibilities towards yourself and towards a certain lifestyle that you don't get to choose, but you try to make the best decision possible with whatever means you have.

I realize that the two answers contradict each other, but that's cause my choices were very contradicting.

Also, other interesting questions:

Do you think that people probably ought to be seeking something in particular out of a career (for their own happiness or other reasons)?

We all have our reasons for whatever choices we make. I don't think that those choices should be dictated by anyone but ourselves.

Do you think people often make big mistakes regarding what they think they want out of a career?

I think so, I mean we often make big mistakes regarding anything in life, and choosing a career can definitely be one of them.

 

[TinyBubbles]

just enough money to sustain myself, invest in the future (pay off all debts, etc.) and travel around occasionally. i couldn't care less about "status", and i help people in other ways.

 

[Gaze]

So what is it that you really want in, and out of, a career?
- satisfaction - sense of appreciation for what i do - want to know it counts, that's it's really helping someone.


Are you content with just a way to support yourself that isn't distasteful/mindless? Does it need to be important?
- If it's mindless, it's much harder to deal with. I'd probably have to continually psyche myself up to handle it if bills, clothing, shelter, etc. depended on it. Of course, i'd like it to be relevant, but not necessarily "important" just for the sake of being important.


Would you agree with the statement "follow your heart" or "do what you love"?
- If you can afford to do what you love, then why not go for it. But it's not always realistic to follow your heart. My heart can be very idealistic and impractical, which means it's not a good idea to follow it unconditionally.


Also, other interesting questions: do you think that people probably ought to be seeking something in particular out of a career (for their own happiness or other reasons)?
- It depends, doesn't it? I'm sure many people would rather seek something for their own happiness, but they may not have that luxury. Rather, they have to sacrifice that dream job in order to make ends meet. When you have people depending on you, you can't always do what you want. In many cases, you have to do what you need to do whether or not it's the best thing for you.


Do you think people often make big mistakes regarding what they think they want out of a career?
- Yeah, we may think we know what's right for us, assuming we think we know ourselves, and later find out that we're not fitted to an area as we thought we were.

 

[freybell]

I know this isn't really what the thread is asking... but I;m pretty sure I want to be an English teacher.

I need to do something that I enjoy--and I love teaching and helping others see things in a new way.

I wouldn't be happy if I had a career that I was in no way connected to...

BUT I'm a little concerned that an English teacher won't give me enough money to pay off my growing educational debt.

 

[Girish]

I am learning web developing field .

 

[DoveAlexa]

ABSOLUTE POWER

 

[Gaze]

job stability . . . although that's seems like a fairytale lately.

 

[bamf]

job stability . . . although that's seems like a fairytale lately.

Take up a job being unemployed, and you'll never be out of work.

 

[Barnabas]

I want to follow God

 

[Lerxst]

I want to follow God

I want to follow Buddha... same difference I suppose.

 

[IndigoSensor]

Fufillment, Excitement, and Fun. In that order. Oh, and enough money to live of course.

 

[bagelriffic]

moneys a big motivator, along with a chance to grow learn and be challenged. it's also a nice benefit if your job allows you to travel and see different places, that way you don't havta pay for it $

 

[Nixie]

I vote for the doesn't suck and you can support yourself situation. Career tends to be the kind or type of job you end up doing, rather than the job itself. You can't have a career without a job but you can have a job without a career. You can have a job in your career which you find rewarding and blah, blah, blah but it can suck like no tomorrow. There is crap at any job you take (politics, sucky people, boring repetative garbage that has to be done THIS INSTANT and the list goes on and on) and sometimes the only thing that keeps you working at one particular place rather than looking elsewhere is that you know the crap at your current job while leaving and going somewhere else means you have to learn the crap all over again.

Jobs and to a certain degree careers are just like other relationships they take effort and work. Sometimes I really love my job and every day is a joy and other times??? NOT SO MUCH. But hey, that's life and you deal with life on life's terms or you end up disillusioned and unhappy.

 

[Sesquipedalian]

I vote for the doesn't suck and you can support yourself situation. Career tends to be the kind or type of job you end up doing, rather than the job itself. You can't have a career without a job but you can have a job without a career. You can have a job in your career which you find rewarding and blah, blah, blah but it can suck like no tomorrow. There is crap at any job you take (politics, sucky people, boring repetative garbage that has to be done THIS INSTANT and the list goes on and on) and sometimes the only thing that keeps you working at one particular place rather than looking elsewhere is that you know the crap at your current job while leaving and going somewhere else means you have to learn the crap all over again.

Jobs and to a certain degree careers are just like other relationships they take effort and work. Sometimes I really love my job and every day is a joy and other times??? NOT SO MUCH. But hey, that's life and you deal with life on life's terms or you end up disillusioned and unhappy.

I'm sort of with you on this one. I have a few choices...

What my heart wants: Pursue my passion and be poor, overworked, underpaid for a long time if not forever: Photography

What I'm doing: Working hard in medical IT, moving up in company, surpassing everyone's expectations of me, keep getting raises, store the money away and invest it. Hope I can retire young to end this ongoing loop of stress and mundanity as soon as possible.

I could do nursing too, I'm a registered nurse, but I really dislike nursing in practice. IT is a fair balance, I think. I work with electronic medical record, financial, and inventory software and work with vendors to create customizations for that software in order to meet the wants/needs of our various departments.

It's such an ISTJ job... ...but we live in an S world.

The only sad side effect of doing things as I do them is that it doesn't feed me at all. This job only drains me. When I shoot photography and get to watch those photos go from great to exceptional in post-processing... It really fills me up.

 

[laurie]

In order of importance:
1. Enjoyment/passion
2. Creativity
3. Money
4. Not too much pressure

My current job has none of these >> (well, money - but not very much)

 

[Saru Inc]

no idea.