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FINDING CAREER BLISS

By: Aya V. Jallorina

(Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 3, 2006)

Have you ever wondered if you really love your job?  Do you feel you have discovered your true calling being in that job?  Is that the right job for you or do you feel like a misfit being there?

My motto has always been:  "Ask not what your job can do for you."  Maybe you'll balk at my stark admission.  For one, it doesn't sound so nice.  It's like being so self-centered, right?  My friend Liza, wife of a minister in a fundamentalist church, has advised me to try to work uncomplainingly, to try to work uncomplainingly, to try to ignore any evidence that I'm not being compensated well, despite being overworked and stressed out.  I'm always grateful for her advice, but of course, I could be defiant.

Actually, my gauge is simple:  Am I happy with what I'm doing?  Because if not, I don't hesitate to take back my resume and flee.  Forget security of tenure.

Or maybe because I'm an avid Confucius follower:  "Choose work you love and you will never have to work a day in your life."  If we don't enjoy what we're doing, how can we be good at it?

So I ask, are you happy with your job?  Is it worth keeping?

It took my sister Incar five years as a documentation clerk in a large shipping company before she finally resigned last week (Nov. 15).  My mother was appalled, "Paano ka na? (What will happen to you?)  And why did you not just wait for December para may Christmas bonus ka?

But my sister showed no remorse.  She said job stress was killing her.  "The minute I get to work, I felt like I was being punished in jail.  Work, work, work, I couldn't relax.  And my boss is so bagsik (strict)!  Di ko na kaya (I cannot take it anymore)."

I asked her why she didn't quit earlier, "Gotta make a living, sis.  I thought I'll earn and save.  What I've accumulated over the years is a huge pile of credit card debt instead,"  she lamented.  "Instead of making a living, I feel like dying--of stress, of demand letters coming from those credit card companies."

Underemployment is the problem, not unemployment.

Raymond, a friend who works in a printing company says his job pays enough to support him.  But he is always in debt and isn't ashamed to admit it.

Raymond is categorically an underemployed individual.  And there are thousands in the country's labor force who are underemployed.  Raymond's salary has never been enough to pay his living expenses.  A bottom-peso  job may seem like a means of scraping by, but it's really a noose that's slowly tightening.  A low-paying job may make sense if you're living with you parents or a working spouse.  Otherwise, underemployment ties up precious time you could be using to gain skills or look for a better job.  In the book, "Your Money or Your Life,"  authors Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin suggest that you add up all the money you spend on work clothes, restaurant lunches, transportation, entertainment and so on.  You'll be surprised to find you are actually spending more money to hold down your job than how much you earned in salary.  What to do?  Get out of the underemployment circle.  Don't be reluctant to let go of that "bait" (your measly pay check).  Go back to school, get a master's degree, then start a new job search.

Don't get stuck in a job that doesn't challenge you.

A friend of mine, a court employee for 10 years now, brags she gets paid doing absolutely nothing.  Sounds enviable?  Wrong.

We humans enjoy life most when we're meeting challenges in whatever we do.  As if life weren't problematic enough, we invent hi-tech games, climb mountains, solve crossword puzzles.  Of course, a life of overwhelming difficulty can be draining and the same holds true in a job that gives off too much stress and risk.  But it's just as bad to be stuck in a job that doesn't challenge you.

FIND YOUR PASSION

If you're stuck in a job you are not passionate about, then it's like you are being poisoned.  Detoxify yourself.  Identify what you really love doing.  Having many interests may confuse you towards the right career path.  Again, the gauge is simple:  As long as you're doing something you enjoy, you're on the right track.  After you've detoxified, you'll be ready to dig a little for your heart's desires.  These hints may help discover your passions:

• What do you love to do during idle time?

• When you're in a bookstore or library, which sections draw your attention?

• In school, what were some of the topics you choose to write a paper on?

• What do you daydream most of the time?

• Vaguely discontented, slightly unfulfilled but you need that job and can't quit?

There are a number of reasons why an employee, though aware she is in an imperfect job, can't quit.  Here are some common reasons:

• Finding a new job is difficult these days.  It's easier to stay where I am.

• This job is a pain, but it's a necessary step to a long-term career plan.

• The thought of changing career scares me.  What if I don't get hired again?

• This is a "transition" job, one that pays the bills while I search--and wait--for the right offer.

• All jobs suck.  This is probably as good as it gets.

• I can't quit this job.  I'm afraid I'll starve to death if I don't get a job replacement ASAP.

Evidently, fear is what is keeping you struck in your imperfect job.  Your true self--the part of you that is destined for a fulfilling career--does not operate on fear.  It runs on enjoyment, fascination and vision.  Being fascinated in your job is comforting enough.  If fear is keeping you from quitting, you're actually not in a job--you're in a hostage situation.  Muster up the courage to leave now, even if you think finding a job is difficult these days.  Soon, you'll be happy you did because a better career awaits you.

Personally, I know I have found career bliss when I've stopped dreading getting up on the first day of the working week; when instead of crooning, "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down"  I announced to my unbelieving 12-year-old son Shaq, "Thank God it's Monday!"