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[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest community6seasons]

Some people derive their identity or sense of self through their work. 

[Yourbiggestfan]

I think it's generally something you can spend your life doing and climbing the ladder higher every few years. You don't need one but I personally need a goal or something lofty to strive for instead of just clocking in and out every day. You can still have a job you enjoy that gives you a sense of satisfaction but I think a career is the opportunity for promotions.

[Guest]

I think a career is really security. 

 

The growing trend, are people switching careers every 7 years or so on average. 

 

Being chained to an unfulfilling career for life to me isn't a goal one should reach for. 

 

Kind of like my city. It's a government hub. You get a federal government job here, and are viewed as one who has made it. 

 

Cushy job. High salary. Generous pension and vacation time. 

 

Benefits through the ying yang. Security. 

 

This as a result would make it very appealing to someone. I can see why I was congratulated, when I secured a federal government job at a very cushy downtown office.

 

I hated it. Cubicle all day. Zero challenge. Zero workload. I am built for fast paced. This was dreadful.

 

However, some loved it. Got paid handsomely to do it. In that view, why wouldn't you go for a career you loved and got paid a lot to do it. 

 

If you make enough money to live very comfortably and retire young, doing something you enjoy, is the only instance I understand why one would seek one. 

 

Bouncing from shit job to shit job making crap salary as a result would be confusing to me in terms of why one would prefer subjecting themselves to that instead.

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest]

3 hours ago, Jade Cross said:

Not to be a downer but this is something I cant really believe because Ive seen its total opposite throughout my years repeatedly.

A career is a sense of security. It's why people seek them.

 

Benefits, high pay, security. The room for growth, is icing on the cake.

 

Otherwise, people would not go through the trouble of advancing their certifications to get one, and would just stick to low wage shit jobs. 

 

A career provides a person with the illusion of security. 

 

Reality, is unless you pick a stable industry to seek your career in, your risk of losing your job is a gamble at best. Same with the education you get. Both of those moves are amongst the first business moves a student will make in a career. Investment in your growth. 

 

I remember a lot of my peers going for technology jobs in its infancy. 

 

It was the go to job here. 

 

I had considered it (pay was ridiculously high, for little to no actual technical skills for many posts), but did research on job prospects and the job seemed unstable.

 

Salary was high, but I could get an equally high salary, with seniority as a city bus driver which was far more stable. Hours in the latter were horrible.

 

My hunch was right. Thousands in my city were laid off, years later with little time to brace for impact as several technology giants in my city fell. 

 

Some of my friends went out west in Canada in the oil boom's peak in that part of the country. Same short sighted views. 

 

High pay, but insanely unstable industry. Cities like Dubai are models for oil meccas, in their using the oil money to grow their cities with the awareness that oil is an insanely temporary and volatile commodity.

 

Detroit is a stark reminder of how business works.

 

Once a booming economy which was the pulse of major car brands such as GMC to where many of those jobs went to where labor is cheaper.

 

Sears. Target in Canada, to name a few who also left thousands of people out in the dark.

 

The 767 airliner was seen as the king of the skies. The bigger they come the harder they fall. 

 

Investing in a career in retail is a gamble, especially when you see how much of a real estate graveyard the industry now is.

 

Point am making is a career is safe, if you go to the right industry. 

 

This is on you to research the market (for long term viability), job prospects, median salary, etc. 

 

Even with this, it's still not fool proof, but then is more of a calculated risk than an outright gamble.

 

People go to careers for the security, high pay and room for advancement. 

 

What boggles my mind is the sheer debt people are okay living under once in a career. How few have 3-4 months worth of bill payments and expenses worth saved up.

 

Go to a great career and you can even throw in work life balance, which is critical for many. 

 

Why work 3 jobs, when you can earn enough to work one and save more?

 

A career of things are planned out well, trumps a basic low wage job any day of the week. 

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest]

53 minutes ago, Jade Cross said:

Admitedly, holding down several medium jobs takes its toll (speaking from experience) but in a place where no job is safe, thats a better option than gamling everything on 1 job.

I can't speak for your market, but mine is very stable in several industries that aren't going anywhere. 

 

So you're right. It depends on the market. Some markets are so bad, your approach is the only way.

 

Heck fast food jobs are the only way in some, for people with high education. 

 

In ours, a career is the smart move. If you're in a federal government job, you're easily making 60 - 100k per year, with benefits and a gluttonous pension. 

 

Since we don't have Donald Trump, your jobs are guaranteed for Christmas. Yes. I went there. 

 

I had considered nursing. Several hospitals here, were undergoing growth and had an aging nurse workforce. Jobs would be a dime a dozen 3 years post graduation. 

 

I chose the business route, as it gave me an easy in to a federal job, RCMP, police, sales etc. Essentially some of the easiest available jobs in our market. 

 

As long as you have a plan and vision, a career is relatively safe and a quicker way to save money.

 

Slave work for pennies, isn't what I graduated college for. 

 

I'd rather go in debt starting my own business using my time on employment insurance and using government grants for business to grow it. 

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest]

52 minutes ago, Jade Cross said:

I dont work in any federal field so Im afraid I dont get the Trump joke.

He is using the current government shut down to gain leverage for concessions on a border wall. This is costing some federal employees wages, and some are working unpaid. 

 

Federal government jobs are typically seen as cushy, until this administration took over. 

 

Moral? Treat any job as one you could lose, and manage your money wisely, accordingly. 

 

58 minutes ago, Jade Cross said:

Business here, well they cost an arm and two legs.

Business will be expensive anywhere in western society.

 

Want low cost business, open one in a third world country. Costs are much lower. 

 

I.E opening a hotel in Thailand would set you back 300k or way less. 

 

20k to open a cafe in such a country. 

 

My cousin opened a distribution business in China. Fraction of the costs to do so in the US, where he is from. 

 

You're looking at millions in this part of the world. 

 

My best friend has a brilliant business idea. He couldn't afford to do it, so secured investments. 

 

Vision is part of it. Balls, and an almost delusional mindstate is the other. Most quit after a setback.

 

Entrepreneurs have this insanity that if they know it will work, are willing to go at it for a very long time. 

 

If you are risk averse, entrepreneurship is not a wise move.

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Sally]

I find it patronizing to talk about "low-wage shit jobs", because of the sometimes-unspoken-but-understood attitude that the holders of those jobs are somehow lesser humans than those who aspire to or have "careers". 

 

There are many reasons why people hold their own particular jobs.  Those reasons are personal, and as such should not be criticized by people outside the particular job-holder.   If someone is not harming other humans or other species, they deserve the same respect as anyone else, no matter how they earn money.     

[Guest]

They are called low wage shit jobs, because those working in them are paid low wages and mostly feel their jobs are shit.

 

Interview a factory worker making minimum wage about how much they love their jobs. On whether they would want their kids in their shoes.

 

They know their jobs are horrible, but also know they don't have a choice but to earn a living.

 

They are called shit jobs for a reason.

 

Seeing such an employee as less than human, is based on that persons projections. I am eluding to the job, and as such the statement is rather accurate.

 

Parents working such jobs, work their butts off to give their kids a chance an education, so that they can have a better life. 

 

Someone treating someone different because of what they do for a living, has more to do with that person than those simply doing their jobs.

 

Just a thought.

[Sally]

Perspektiv, I've talked with factory workers.  I once was a factory worker.  Most of them don't  feel their jobs are shit, because they aren't.  

 

But please, let's not make this a long conversation just because I said something that didn't agree with what you said.  People do have different opinions and different experiences.  

[Guest]

51 minutes ago, Sally said:

Perspektiv, I've talked with factory workers.  I once was a factory worker.  Most of them don't  feel their jobs are shit, because they aren't.  

 

But please, let's not make this a long conversation just because I said something that didn't agree with what you said.  People do have different opinions and different experiences.  

Has nothing to do with the disagreement. 

 

Has everything to do with some jobs out there are menial and are by design very low skill and have high turnover.

 

This is reflected in the pay. There is also a reason why some factories retain talent, and some cannot. A factory job itself inheritely, isn't menial based on it being a factory job.

 

I have worked high pay high skilled factory jobs, just like I worked low pay menial factory jobs right out of high school. Type of factory or menial job being eluded to. A Nike factory vs a Nissan factory are two highly different types of factories. The pay, the conditions, the skills required.

 

I made my point clear in the type. 

 

There is a reason for this. 

 

Everyone experiences things different, sure. But a fast food joint is deemed a menial job. Its low skill. High turnover. It's by design. If you could pay staff less, most would. 

 

One employee can love the job and want to do it for life. General consensus, is this is a get by type of job that if you can, you get out of asap. 

 

Sure in one country a job at McDonalds is more glorious. 

 

I get it. There is tons of gray area to explore. We could explore this further, if desired.

 

However am eluding to menial work in western society only. 

[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

Used to be that you could leave school and start in a 'job for life' but , apart from that being boring, it's no longer possible. 

Specific skills in Engineering/mining/steelworking/car assembly are all things of the past now, with far fewer opportunities in manufacturing here.

 

When I started Nursing there was still the attitude that 'it's a vocation not a career' and yet it was far more professional then than it is now, (this is the UK I'm talking about), because now it has become an over bureaucratic 'job' masquerading as a 'profession'.

If any Nurse takes a career break for family/health reasons and it's longer than a maternity leave, no matter the level of their skill/experience. they're back to the bottom.

 

On the above alone, I think that now it's better to think of all work as just a job. My recent floor manager had that pointed out to her suddenly last month. after saying 'this company is my life- I've worked here 20 years' -she was unceremoniously made redundant (after her job was advertised the week before they told her).

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, chandrakirti said:

On the above alone, I think that now it's better to think of all work as just a job. 

They are all called job. Socially however, are perceived differently.

 

In some societies, you can even bring shame to your family based on what you do.

 

Sure, ideally I agree with your point.

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Karst]

I don't think it matters much how many jobs you have over your lifetime, just as long as you can provide for your basic needs, contribute something to society, and not harm anyone else.  If you can benefit yourself and others with your work, satisfaction generally follows.

[Guest]

A high pay career is sought after, so you're not working like a slave then dying. 

 

It keeps in mind that some appreciate a work life balance, and would want to make enough to where they can easily put a significant portion of their money aside.

 

Essentially having your money work for you, vs going through life with a poor man's mindstate and having to work for it. 

 

Some people are happy with the latter, but many would prefer the high pay less hours if it were available. 

 

Why struggle and eat garbage food, when you could financially be in a situation where all your food is fresh and organic and you can afford a trainer or to actually have significant free time?

 

There is definitely a reasoning for it. 

 

If you have the skills to earn 200k a year but won't because the job may disappear, to me that doesn't make any sense.

 

Especially if the quality of life and job are the same as your current job. 

 

At 200k, you can keep the same lifestyle and save millions by the time you retire. Invest wisely, and that amount is far superior. 

 

People can do as they please at the end of the day, but working far harder for the same cash sounds like a poor investment of ones time.

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest]

200k salary.

 

If you haven't met a person making more than 28k a year, your market is horrific if this the norm.

 

75k per year is our annual average salary.

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest]

Fack. You guys need to appreciate your nurses more. That is a brutal salary for that line of work.

 

If that was an entry salary in my neck of the woods, people would seek work elsewhere. 

 

That salary here, is more in line with a PSW if they can't find a government run nursing home (insanely cushy job for that line of work).

 

Private firms here are notorious for horrific salaries, and overworking staff. 

 

A few of my friends were in that line of work, which made me appreciate the ones who took care of my mother, tenfold. 

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Guest Jetsun Milarepa]

Workers rights have been quietly eroded for a couple of decades here now. Loads of employers won't allow union membership, most unions have no teeth due to changes in the law that weren't challenged and there are the 'gig economy' jobs that guarantee no basic working hours at all. 

 

As someone who left full time career in Nursing and at a middle management level, I was earning a decent wage, but it was recently pointed out to me that in today's currency value it would have been £45K. The responsibility level was horrendous (think- being bleeped out to work on your day off (in the middle of taking your old mum to have her hair cut)...

I now work in a place where someone said to me 'eww! I couldn't do work like that!'

[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Karst]

In my opinion, as far as income goes, there is no reason whatsoever for a person to be paid more money than they need to take care of themself and their family.  Once your basic needs are satisfied and you can afford the occasional extra comfort, more money won't make you happier.

When a person has too much money, it corrupts them on an individual level, and divides the society they live in.

 

That said, there are plenty of jobs where workers should be paid significantly more.  We tend to undervalue manual labor, but not everyone can do hard physical tasks, so people who can deserve more recognition.

[Guest]

16 hours ago, Perspektiv said:

200k salary.

 

If you haven't met a person making more than 28k a year, your market is horrific if this the norm.

 

75k per year is our annual average salary.

I'm working on a 4 year degree to earn 38k a year hopefully, I  only know one person who makes 70k a year and that's a network admin for a huge chain company. Most everyone else is in the 20k-30k range. A couple 50ks, but that's pretty good pay. Actually... outside of tech work, only jobs I know that earn that much require PhDs. My last job earned $10k a year, considered "full time" by the employer. 

 

But, yeah, careers are skilled jobs that let you advance. It doesn't matter if it's 1 job, or you have to move around some to keep in the field. A freelance web designer is in a career, even though his "job" may change contract by contract. 

 

Personally, I don't see how people do 2-3 min wage jobs working 80+ hours a week and no days off, no ability to do anything but go work, go sleep, go work, go sleep. I'd die. 

[Lord Jade Cross]

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