The Need To “Work”

One of the first questions people asked me when I was moving to Texas was what I was going to be doing for work. They would ask questions like, “who is your employer?” “Who do you want to work for?” “Do you have a job lined up?” While these questions didn’t bother me much at first, they soon became slight scratches against the chalkboard of my mind after hearing them repeated about 100 times.

Why is it that everyone attaches a new experience like moving out of state to a job? Is it because we are getting involved in more careers that are benefiting society and help the common man? Or is it because everyone wants to know if you have something lined up because if you don’t you will likely fall on your face?

While in a perfect world I would believe that everyone has a genuine interest in people following a career pathway that will lead to great personal satisfaction, I know that many people pick up jobs that they detest just so they can meet the status quo of having a job. On paper it makes a lot of sense to have a job lined up when you move out of state, I mean your bills are going to increase, your stress will likely skyrocket, and your financial responsibility will be taken for a ride on the world’s tallest roller coaster. It makes logical sense to take any job you can get your hands on (even before you move and see the job for yourself) in order to secure your place in the corporate workhorse.

If you have a passion for crunching numbers or working for major corporation on a daily basis, then by all means grab that job with Dell computers in accounting and come join me in Texas. Hell, I know that I would jump at the chance to work with major companies such as Whole Foods, Bioware, Dell’s marketing team, and others just because it appears be a extremely fun and interesting job that I would love to be a part of.  The question remains however, what if you can’t find a job right away, not in your home town or even in an exotic location you dream to live in? Should you stay at home and pout and keep pounding away on monster.com until your eyes bleed? Should you reformat your resume for the 100^th time in an effort to attract the attention of some new employer with the introduction of a light blue resume background instead of baby blue?

Let’s cut the shit and get serious for a moment. You and I both know that you don’t need anything but the will to make it work to do anything you want in life, and that undoubtedly includes moving out of your hometown and deciding whether or not you should take that crappy 9-5 job you know you are going to hate. You simply need to man up and make the decision that you don’t need to be tied to your job or work. After all, if all you are doing is “working a job” then you really don’t care about what you do to begin with. People who are passionate about what they do in life do not refer to their place of business as their “job” “work” or, “9-5”, they view it as their career or their passion in life.

What is the jist of this huge rant I have written? I wish I could smack you upside the head if you haven’t figured it out ;). Simply put, you need to make sure that you aren’t attached to your “job” or “work” and that you change your focus to what you are passionate and motivated about. Don’t fall into the trap that I see so many people living in, where their life and who they are is dictated by their job. Make living life to the highest kick ass degree possible your full time job, and in the meantime, seek out a career that will make you excited to get out of bed in the morning.

Cheers

Gabriel