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Maybe I'm just a cynical douche, but am I the only one here who never really felt he had a "calling" toward any respectable job? A lot of my friends grew up knowing from day 1 that they were passionate about science and would become the world's greatest engineer or doctor. The same is true for other fields.
I on the other hand never really cared about one thing SO much that I could spend the rest of my life doing it and nothing else. I knew that I wasn't a mathematician, so engineering/applied math careers were out; I didn't have the attention span to memorize each muscle in the body, so medicine was out. I enjoy finance/accounting is theory, but in practice, this area is incredibly superficial (all about shaking hands and networking rather than using analysis) and unstimulating intellectually (lots of data entry, paperwork, and other mindless bull**** one has to deal with).
The only thing I'm legitimately passionate about is economic development or doing policy work related to social issues such as poverty, education, etc. Problem with this, however, is that I'd probably need more schooling (I already have a bachelors in business and will have a masters in accounting on top of that) and the jobs don't pay well enough to justify potentially going in debt, especially when there's no guarantee that what I actually end up doing is any better. Perhaps my problem is that I got exposed to what I enjoyed more. Growing up, I never had exposure to public policy (basically, the paths were engineering, medicine, business, or you're a loser) or social sciences and I feel at this point it's basically too late to even consider these interests.
I feel so hollow every day doing mindless work just to make someone richer, when I'd rather use my finance knowledge to reform issues I care about, but at this point, it just seems like there's no turning back. The fact that education is so expensive and that I basically have to work these boring corporate jobs to have any leisure entertainment anymore.
That's why I'm wondering if anyone has ever felt like me. Has no true "passion" or can't pursue their passion due to lack of practicality and how do you all go about getting through the days? I'm only 22, but I can't imagine waking up for the next 40+ years hating my life and my job this much. I should be grateful that I'm reasonably intelligent enough to secure at the very least an upper middle class lifestyle (not trying to be arrogant, but I am confident in myself and my credentials for this much) and that I have a job for now as well as an acceptance to a good program, but I just feel so empty not being able to do something I care about day in and day out.
I used to feel like I had a "calling." But, after trying for years and years to make it happen and it never did, I just reconciled myself to the fact that my true calling was only a dream. I discovered (for myself, anyway) that if the calling isn't realistically feasible for your lifestyle, then it won't happen. I would have had to make A LOT of sacrifices that, at the time, I wasn't willing to make because it would have hurt my family. However, looking back and seeing how things have turned out for me, it probably wouldn't have hurt my family as much as I thought it would have. It wouldn't have been a permanent change for me and everyone involved would have been able to deal with it just fine.
I wouldn't feel too bad. There are people much older than you who haven't found their true calling. I'm 27 and I'm in the same predicament as you. The fact of the matter is that there aren't enough jobs in the world to fulfill everyone's fantasy career. My dream job would be as a general manager of a sports team, preferably in the NHL. But c'mon...I've never played a day of professional hockey in my life and most people in the management roles in professional sports have played at one time in their life, even if they weren't very good at it (just look at Billy Beane).
The key to keeping one's sanity in your not-so-dream job is to find challenges in the daily work. I like to find new ways to stay organized. I recently developed a new virtualized system to keep track of the projects I'm working on, where as before I used this antiquated folder rack system. It might not sound like much, but I was pretty proud of myself.
I've heard some terrible things about accounting. I don't know much about the field, but maybe it would also be a decent idea to check into other business fields. Maybe finance would be more your thing. Also, don't hesitate to volunteer your free time on the things that you are passionate about. There are plenty of non-profit orgs that could use your help cleaning up poor neighborhoods or helping the needy. As many have said here in the past, you don't have to love your job, you just have to be able to bear it. Use your free time to pursue your passions. Mine happens to be cycling, so I do a lot of that on the weekends.
I think too many people (especially younger people) tend to think that we are all supposed to find jobs we love. We are raised to believe we have a "calling" based on our talents and interests.
What I have discovered is that most people don't love their jobs nor do they have a true calling. The way I look at it, if you can find a job that you don't hate going to and that pays the bills, you are doing OK. People get caught up in all the hoopla about "callings" and loving their careers, but at the end of the day, careers are still work for the vast majority of people.
I think too many people (especially younger people) tend to think that we are all supposed to find jobs we love. We are raised to believe we have a "calling" based on our talents and interests.
What I have discovered is that most people don't love their jobs nor do they have a true calling. The way I look at it, if you can find a job that you don't hate going to and that pays the bills, you are doing OK. People get caught up in all the hoopla about "callings" and loving their careers, but at the end of the day, careers are still work for the vast majority of people.
IMHO, a career is defined by something you studied for, either at college or a training-type facility. A job is defined as something you don't particularly care about doing, but go to each day to make money to pay the bills. If you actually LIKE your job, then that's a plus in your favor.
I wouldn't feel too bad. There are people much older than you who haven't found their true calling. I'm 27 and I'm in the same predicament as you. The fact of the matter is that there aren't enough jobs in the world to fulfill everyone's fantasy career. My dream job would be as a general manager of a sports team, preferably in the NHL. But c'mon...I've never played a day of professional hockey in my life and most people in the management roles in professional sports have played at one time in their life, even if they weren't very good at it (just look at Billy Beane).
The key to keeping one's sanity in your not-so-dream job is to find challenges in the daily work. I like to find new ways to stay organized. I recently developed a new virtualized system to keep track of the projects I'm working on, where as before I used this antiquated folder rack system. It might not sound like much, but I was pretty proud of myself.
I've heard some terrible things about accounting. I don't know much about the field, but maybe it would also be a decent idea to check into other business fields. Maybe finance would be more your thing. Also, don't hesitate to volunteer your free time on the things that you are passionate about. There are plenty of non-profit orgs that could use your help cleaning up poor neighborhoods or helping the needy. As many have said here in the past, you don't have to love your job, you just have to be able to bear it. Use your free time to pursue your passions. Mine happens to be cycling, so I do a lot of that on the weekends.
It's not so much acconuting that sucks. I actually miss the fact that the work in practice isn't as technical as it was in school (now a comp does everything for you basically). I hated journal entries, but so much of work in accounting and finance revolve around creating reports for people and hardly using any brainpower. That's really what kills me: the lack of any sort of stimulation. Hell, even in engineering, people say that their work isn't as intellectually challenging as it was in college, and engineering is infinitely more technical than any business field.
I understand the point about having a job I can "bear", but work makes so much of our waking lives that it's hard to hate your job completely too if you know what I mean? Maybe I'll enjoy it more after getting my masters and being in a better company, but it seems like most people in business hate their jobs (this includes bankers and consultants who have the "sexy" jobs as well).
IMHO, a career is defined by something you studied for, either at college or a training-type facility. A job is defined as something you don't particularly care about doing, but go to each day to make money to pay the bills. If you actually LIKE your job, then that's a plus in your favor.
By that definition, my position is in my career, but my job is still one that I don't particularly care about doing so that I can pay my bills and have money for the other things in life. I don't hate it nor am I passionate about it. It can be moderately interesting at times, but it is still work.
A better way to put what I was getting at is that most people aren't going to find a "calling" to the extent that they will love going to work. Society tells us this is how it should be, but I really don't think this is how things pan out for most people. Most of us work to live, rather than live to work.
I've heard about it and it sounded interesting, but I couldn't find a ton of info on it. Are you one by any chance?
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