Are people getting fed up with the modern "career" world? Whatever happened to just having a "job"? (employee, consulting)

[KonaldDuth]

Let me preface this by saying that I like my job. I just want to comment on what I've been observing as a "young professional."

We hear a lot about how society gives women "unfair standards of beauty" by barraging them with pictures of super-thin models. I would submit that the same type of thing is happening in the career world. That is, Americans are being given unrealistic ideas about the role of their vocation in their life and self-esteem.

The following are a few of the phenomenons I've witnessed.

• Employees are supposed to feel proud of who they work for. The problem with this is that every career field is a pyramid structure where those who are competitive enough to be in the top 5% get to work at top-tier companies that they feel proud of and the other 95% has to work for low pay at boring companies. It's a recipe for dissatisfaction.
• Talk of "Average is over" or "No tolerance for C performers." In other words, there is no longer room for Dilbert-type people in the corporate world. The pudgy guy who works in a cubicle and does an average amount of work can no longer survive.
• You're supposed to "enjoy what you do for a living" or "live to work". There is no point in debunking this idea since it's complete nonsense. My ideal job would be a professional tennis player, but if I actually decided to pursue that career then I would make $0/year since no one would sponsor me and I couldn't any tournament prize money.
• Needing to "keep your skills up-to-date." I imagine that if you were a union worker in an auto plant in the 1950s or a blacksmith in the year 500 A.D., you didn't have to spend your free time outside of work learning more skills to stay competitive enough to be employed. What's worse is that today "staying competitive" often means paying for overpriced degrees or certifications.

[OhioToCO]

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

Let me preface this by saying that I like my job. I just want to comment on what I've been observing as a "young professional."

We hear a lot about how society gives women "unfair standards of beauty" by barraging them with pictures of super-thin models. I would submit that the same type of thing is happening in the career world. That is, Americans are being given unrealistic ideas about the role of their vocation in their life and self-esteem.

The following are a few of the phenomenons I've witnessed.

• Employees are supposed to feel proud of who they work for. The problem with this is that every career field is a pyramid structure where those who are competitive enough to be in the top 5% get to work at top-tier companies that they feel proud of and the other 95% has to work for low pay at boring companies. It's a recipe for dissatisfaction.
• Talk of "Average is over" or "No tolerance for C performers." In other words, there is no longer room for Dilbert-type people in the corporate world. The pudgy guy who works in a cubicle and does an average amount of work can no longer survive.
• You're supposed to "enjoy what you do for a living" or "live to work". There is no point in debunking this idea since it's complete nonsense. My ideal job would be a professional tennis player, but if I actually decided to pursue that career then I would make $0/year since no one would sponsor me and I couldn't any tournament prize money.
• Needing to "keep your skills up-to-date." I imagine that if you were a union worker in an auto plant in the 1950s or a blacksmith in the year 500 A.D., you didn't have to spend your free time outside of work learning more skills to stay competitive enough to be employed. What's worse is that today "staying competitive" often means paying for overpriced degrees or certifications.

Not sure if women and standards of beauty have anything to do with career expectations.

I don't agree with majority of what you said here is happening in modern "career world", and I also don't think that this remotely describes today's society expectations, but I will try to address what you wrote.

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

Employees are supposed to feel proud of who they work for.

I think you exaggerate the importance of this. You can be proud of who you work for regardless of whether or not your company is "boring" (who decides that anyway?). And you don't have to be proud of it to be successful. For most people not being embarrassed of their company is good enough. Personally, I worked for pretty "boring" companies by any standard, and was still proud that I was doing my work. I think my employers became "cooler" as I advanced in my career: as my skills and experience broadened/deepened, I was able to choose not only a place with good compensation, but also consider the nature of their business and choose the one that appealed to me.

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

Talk of "Average is over" or "No tolerance for C performers."

Well, hm, ok. In my industry C performers are usually bad news. So, this is important in my specific area, but maybe not so much in others? I feel like it's still possible to "get away" with an average amount of work, as long as it meets certain standard. What I find more and more is that standards of C performers are far below what companies have as their standard. Isn't businesses with high standard a good thing, in general? So "average" employees have to raise their bar, or they risk losing their job. There is nothing wrong with that.

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

[*]You're supposed to "enjoy what you do for a living" or "live to work".

I do software and information system consulting. It is a horrible job for someone who doesn't enjoy what they do - you can literally go nuts. But we certainly don't live to work. Perhaps, other places you don't have to enjoy your work. It's certainly not a prerequisite for every single modern job.

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

Needing to "keep your skills up-to-date." I imagine that if you were a union worker in an auto plant in the 1950s or a blacksmith in the year 500 A.D., you didn't have to spend your free time outside of work learning more skills to stay competitive enough to be employed.

Well, here is what I find is the root of your complaint. It's not 1950s anymore or 500 A.D., and no amount of complaining will make it so. Keep up with the times, or risk being left behind.

[Hemlock140]

I have been working since I was 14, but in the corporate world since 1975. I don't see any difference at all from then to now as far as your complaints. The late 1970s and 1980s were a time of tremendous with the change from mainframes and COBOL to PCs, and that has just continued to mobile devices. Careers have always been careers, if anything, people now hop around and change jobs a lot more often that back when they stayed 30-40 years at the same place.

[aliss2]

Well, yeah, keeping skills up to date can suck, but then again, you're using an online forum instead of writing with a quill pen, so there's always a price to pay for technological progress. I'm quite glad to have received a dental crown with modern equipment last week by a skilled dentist instead of the old fashioned whisky 'n' knock-em-out!

[jman07]

Because more people are gong to college and work hard for their jobs that require degrees. Most of the unskilled factory jobs have been outsourced or lost to technology.

[fishbrains]

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

[*]Employees are supposed to feel proud of who they work for.

Sure, but that isn't equal to being n the top 5%. I work in higher ed, and have worked at one Ivy, plus a couple of universities that everybody has heard of. I currently work at a place that is a small regional institution. I really like my employer, I am proud of what I do, and I have no interest in going back to the top tier research institutions.

[*]Talk of "Average is over" or "No tolerance for C performers."

Empty words really. This isn't Lake Woebegone, where everybody is above average. The reality is that most people are average, and always will be. That is the definition of average. Yes, we all want top notch performers, but the reality is that most companies will have some stars, and most aren't.

[*]You're supposed to "enjoy what you do for a living" or "live to work".

That really a personal decision, isn't it? Nobody cares if you like your job, and there is nothing stopping you from chasing the money at a job you hate.

[*]Needing to "keep your skills up-to-date."

In some fields this is true, but it has always been the case. There are many opportunities out there for additional training, and many companies will pay for it.

It's possible that there is more pressure to do this now than in the past, but you can't turn back the clock.

[jnojr]

The common theme with self-pitying threads like this is, "I can't seem to get ahead, it's someone else's fault, why should I have to work hard and succeed, I think the fruits of success are handed to other people, why not me too?" Moaning on the Internet has never helped anyone. Even if it makes them feel better for a minute, they're actually worse off, because their belief in the validity of their emotions is reinforced.

Don't worry about "them". Worry about you.

[matisse12]

OP, I think the posing of your question 'Whatever happened to just having a job?" offers some interesting insight.

I understand what you are saying and I think it has value as an insight into the 'modern career world.'

One reason I would think is that there are not enough jobs for everyone and not enough jobs that pay well or at a livable wage - so there is more competition for the fewer jobs - and employers can expect more and demand more from employees.

[Caltovegas]

The old days are gone. People need to work their job and have a side business on the side to build wealth. Company loyalty towards the employee can only be seen in history books.

[Nov3]

Wasn't til I hit my 40's til I learned to have true passion in my career. Made me pursue further skills. It was an "option" that just flowed as I progressed. Fast forward... I'm in a "job" now that has zero incentive to increase pay or move up the illusional Corp ladder. What it does have.. Is my enthusiasm to show up, be glad I have a good team, and leave each day .. With a "well done" attitude. I've gladly stopped risking the future race of one upping...just plum tickled to see others scramble to be "marked" for great potential. I'll fade out of the work place... And feel none the worse for knowing.. All the technology or education in the world can't replace LIVING LIFE, which I do every day.