For the Jobs That We Hate

To be honest, I’ve never wanted to become a celebrity, a famous musician, or an artist. Regardless of whether or not my classmates and I liked to, teachers encouraged us to be vocal only about what I call “commercial dreams.” For me, it has always been more meaningful to do what I like than what others consider interesting. However, I rarely received positive feedback from my teachers. While other students shared wishes like “to be a CEO of a corporation” or “to become a millionaire,” I've simply wanted to read and write.

Many of my classmates got into tech professions in college, even though they didn't like them or weren't inclined to them. When I've asked them why they had chosen these specialties, I was struck by the answers. They told me that technology is evolving day by day, and they had to choose a job that may bring them the biggest profit in the future.

It made me think a lot about modern priorities and values. It seems that today many of us are more driven by financial goals than by our inclinations. When I've talked with my peers, I've been noticing more and more their compromises with themselves. Their choice of career had nothing to do with interest but then it offered regular income and stability. Day by day, my peers are required to do things they consider dull to produce profit for their employers. Of course, there have always been people who are interested only in money, but I wonder how in only for a couple of decades have we become obsessed with financial prosperity.

Many of my acquaintances are in IT. It's ridiculous, but they've told me they hate it. The phrase, “I work in a start-up” may sound impressive, but in reality this job may not be so appealing. The main start-up workers' goal often is not to create a high-quality product, but to pump it out on the market as fast as possible, and then sell its prototype version to business angels. “Work on the product” usually doesn't include the implementation of employees’ views and ideas; they’re just the doers of tasks. Even in so-called "brainstorm sessions," designed to foster teamwork and creative vision, bosses have the final say in all matters.

It's difficult staying interested in a job you don’t like, let alone getting pleasure from it. When you're doing something you don't enjoy, you feel like you’re struggling with everything. The longer you do it, the more likely you’ll become annoyed by literally everything— not only bosses but also colleagues and tasks. Certainly, at some point you work out you do something wrong. However, at this point, you might find yourself sitting in the same office your entire life, attached to the workplace by a huge salary. All these things may sound terrifying, but most people are living like that day to day because a paycheck is too irresistible. In my point of view, it’s absolute madness.

In the workplace, many things can make you angry but if in general you like what you do, you won't be too disappointed. Anyone who broadcasts to the public that only money can make them happy, is lying. The CEOs are convinced that an incentive such as money is enough to motivate workers, but—hardly surprising—they’re wrong. While some sources state that financial success is truly enough for happiness, others believe that it’s not quite like that. It’s important not to idealise the role of money in our lives, even though this is becoming harder and harder to do in today’s consumer culture. Certainly, having finances is useful—at the very least, they help us not to worry about daily bills and overdue loans. For some, money somehow gives meaning to their lives—acquiring new stuff might be quite engaging. Nowadays, money seems to be a new trend or even a religion. It's crystal clear that today we don’t stop buying things even if we already have plenty.

Many factors propel the rise of commercial perception of life. First of all, all kinds of goods are now available to everyone, whereby you can buy anything in one click. Today we don’t use phones or wear t-shirts until they're worn out; instead, we simply buy a new one just because we want one. Secondly, advertisements have invaded all parts of our lives. We watch ads on our smartphones and smartwatches, not to mention the TV right in your living room. Today’s social media continue to show us a variety of appealing products, which then again increase our craving for shopping. We are buying and throwing away, and doing it again and again. Purchases are not about an actual need; they're only about our hankering.

Whenever you decide you want something and feel like you can no longer wait to fulfill your desire, remember about mass advertising and the propaganda of shopping. Today you can buy every kind of product imaginable, but do you really need it? People internalised the idea that money can give them everything, and made a profitable career synonymous with happiness. Meanwhile, this idea is not only superficial, but also harmful. Even though the average workday has been reduced in comparison with the past, we didn't start working less and having more free time.

Some of us in a way welcome the cages which we're building for ourselves. Many of us live with a state of mind that lets us think only of salaries and careers, not questioning anything else. This life may look pretty from the outside, but is that how it feels? I’m not sure. When we turn to dust, who’ll care about everything we own? I mean, life is a kind of short-lived anyway and by the time you figure out why so many people are unhappy with their jobs and yet they still work at them, it might be too late. So maybe try doing something you actually like?