Do you have a job or do you have a career? If research is to be believed, the situation seems bleak. According to Deloitte’s Shift Index survey, 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs.
A job has become synonymous with drudgery, a drag; something you have – not want – to do, and it drains your energy. Having a passion for your work is energizing – something you look forward to, that you cannot wait to dive into to, and it makes you happy.
Job or a career
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
The biggest difference between a job and a career is that a job is what you work at in order to make money, while a career is working towards your goals and dreams – following that purpose and moving ahead in your journey.
You work a job when you have no idea what you should be doing with your life or when you are too lazy or too scared to follow your dreams. A job is voluntary torture traded for something of no real value: money (and you may disagree, of course!).
A career, on the other hand, is your life. It’s not just a job, it’s moving towards a reason for being through work, through creation.
A job can be just going to work to earn a paycheck. A career, on the other hand, is a journey that includes all your jobs, experiences, and training in the same field or career cluster.
A career can include many jobs, experiences, and education in the same field or career cluster. This means that your career is a journey of many steps.
Employee engagement
“One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” — Aristotle
According to a report released by Gallup, there are twice as many “actively disengaged” workers in the world as there are “engaged” workers who love their jobs.
Keith Ayers, author of “Engagement is Not Enough” provides business leaders with the tools they need to light a fire within the hearts and minds of their workforce and create a culture of continual improvement. Ayers places passion above profit on the Passion Pyramid—his step-by-step outline of the five basic needs every employee has:
- The need for respect: Everyone needs respect but they want it in different ways.
- The need to learn and grow: When people feel respected, they want to increase their contribution to the organization’s success.
- The need to be an “insider”: Beyond being respected is the knowledge that you are truly valued.
- The need to do meaningful work: People need to know that what they do matters to someone else—it is important.
- The need to be on a winning team: Nothing ignites passion in employees like the team spirit generated by the success of a high-performance team.
Making the transition from a job to a career
“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” — Oprah Winfrey
Beginning job seekers often must work hard for little money. It might take a few years to earn bigger paychecks and have more interesting job duties, but these lower-level jobs can lead to great opportunities.
People who want a career are always thinking about their long-term goals. They are thinking about what they can do now to make those goals happen in the future.
Think of your career journey as climbing a ladder. Each step of the ladder could be a job that gives you valuable experiences. At one job, you might pick up new skills. At another, you might gain a new interest.
The choices you make now will affect your future. All of your activities, volunteer work, and part-time jobs are steps on your career ladder.
Passionate employees understand the meaningfulness of what they do and how their role contributes to the purpose of the organization. Passionate customers will rave about their experience with the purpose-driven organization—and when that happens profitability takes care of itself.
To end, we leave you with some food for thought by quoting these inspiring lines by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs:
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
