I had an interview yesterday - nothing out of the ordinary as it was organised as a chit chat session to get to know who's coming in. One of the questions asked was: What do you look for in a job?
I guess in the last 2 years, I've been asked this questions many times. This time, I've never been more sure of what I wanted.
I told the interviewer that I wanted fulfillment. I wanted a sense of accomplishment, and to constantly be challenged. Good lines for an interview, but I really did mean it. I rattled off a list of examples of projects I had done and people I interacted with that illustrate how this gave me such a high that nothing else really mattered. She looked surprised that I didn't mention money.
To a certain extent, any job has to give you enough to get by. If one lives in moderation (I hear chuckles out there! Stop it!), money does not become too much of an issue. Yes, we do have to 'get there' in terms of a decent salary, but 'there' is not an endless journey. After a while, you realise that all the money in the world doesn't matter if you're not fulfilled.
The way I see it, the more passionate you are about your work, the better you do at it. Enthusiasm and passion goes a long way in making you try harder and do better. It's hard for people who are assessing you to miss this trait. All these factors add up - and more often than not, you end up being rewarded more (monetary or otherwise). Those who are successful usually don't start out to make money. They believe in what they do, or at the very least, like it very much. Or so I've been told.
The trick is to create those conditions that enable you to be passionate about your work. I was told that a lot has to do with communication, setting expectations, keeping your eyes open for opportunities and having a positive attitude. The lady I spoke to spent the last 9 years in consulting - the last 3 years as a consulting manager. Her tip: Take hold of your own destiny and chart your own path.
Posted by Najah Nasseri at 2003年06月27日 09:25 | TrackBackWas applying for a job the other day and dalam application form tu they asked the very same question.I couldnt figure out what to say and so put that on hold.Emm...now, can i quote what u said? :)
Posted by: Lolyta at 2003年06月27日 13:10Hmm.. interviews! Arrghh the Horror!! Well not actually. I must say there was this one interview that really surprised even myself. Went for it out of pure fun and boredom at the office. Wanted to test out the power of the mind technique i just read from a great book by Brian Tracy. Imagined how i wanted it to be, went in, got interviewed and ended up interviewing the interviewer! I even managed to get her to get the right job i wanted and left her so puzzled as to what had happened. It was as if i had pulled off a Jedi mind trick on her or something. Poor girl.
Point is, you do and should chart your own path, you should be doing something that you are passionate about, you should enjoy and be rewarded for it too as it fuels you and justifies the hard work you put into doing something you enjoy. If you can't find a job, hey create a job. It's all in the mind.
After crossing a few industries and seeing so many of my gruntled friends working 9-5 aimlessly in no direction, low on motivation, bored with live and envious of others chasing their dreams, i come to a conclusive question for them. Why bother with what you are unhappy doing? Why are they stuck? Why can't they aproach their life in such positive optimism and "Just Do It!". Just imagine it done and you will get there.
Quite true to say that in the course of chasing this, the road is a bumpy ride and a lot of sacrifices need to be made but it's all worth it. Really it is. The stress you get is a healthy stress due to being busy out of passion and excitement. The big money? Ain't even important but then again you will need some and wish you had more. You will discover real friends. Your 9-5 friends might be earning more now but your value increases at an exponential rate. Look back at your life. Do a comparison in the richness experienced in the last 6 months between a 9-5 person and someone chasing their dream. The rewards will come and the rewards will multiply exponentially too.. but we all have to persevere for now.
Got to taste the salt before we can appreciate the sweet right? :D
Posted by: johan at 2003年06月27日 14:48Good post bi... and Johan good advice too... cheers mate! err who's ccsbgroup? ;)
Posted by: Sharizal Shaarani at 2003年06月27日 15:57Good point.
I'm in a career path that doesn't pay as well as others - my friends tell me constantly to quit and get a job which would commensurate with my qualifications [and therefore earn the appropriate amount of money]; but I can't see myself doing anything else and still be happy.
Like you said, if you learn to live moderately, it's not so bad. You might not be able to afford all life's luxuries, but sometimes don't you just reach a plateau where it doesn't really matter?
I love the autonomy of being an academic; the freedom of expression, the research opportunities, not to mention the free time I have to explore my other interests. I moonlight a lot and have different side projects all the time - can't imagine what my life would be like if I had a normal 9-5 job which required me to stay back until 1am.
My only way up - being given the opportunity to just do research - and not teach :)
Posted by: idlan at 2003年06月27日 19:31