Are professional jobs better than 'student' jobs

EdenHazard

Such as working in a supermarket, I find the work tedious and have an idealistic notion that real jobs are more intellectually rewarding and better for the soul as your job is actually engaging and not in the sense of in a shop where facing off is seen as the most important thing in the universe.. Also imagine the workplace is better in places like this as your skills are actually needed whereas in a supermarket you are just a body to fill in the numbers.

seamus

Well, yes, but it's all depending. Some people enjoy basic work because it doesn't challenge them, they can switch off during the day and use the evening to focus on things they enjoy. With a more challenging job comes more hours and more responsibilities and less opportunity to just switch off when you come home. I know of a guy in Dublin who's worked in a supermarket for nearly 20 years, and he's only in his mid-late 30's. He does a 9-5 job, nothing challenging, and spends the rest of his life living, breathing and sleeping motocross racing. I'm pretty sure he's fulfilled, even though his job is crap.

That said, a more "professional" job doesn't necessarily mean a more stimulating one. Sure, you may be doing something which requires more education, but if you're doing the same old thing day in and day out, then it's not challenging or rewarding, regardless of how difficult it is to master. If you get a desk job in some megacorporation, chances are you'll end up as a punchclock, working towards promotions and pay rises to do work that you grew bored of after your first year. Smaller companies are better because you feel like you matter, you make a difference, but in there you can outgrow the role and feel your potential is being held back by the size and limited resources of the company.

There's also a recent thread on After Hours discussing whether it's a good idea to work at something you really love. You may grow to hate it. Plenty of people manage to make a living working for themselves getting paid to do things they love. But plenty of others make a living doing something they once loved.

Mr. Loverman

I'm not sure I fully understand the question.

Are you asking if manual jobs are "worse" than intellect jobs?

In general, money and status are higher in intellect jobs. But this is obvious so I have a feeling I'm misunderstanding.

April O Neill

EdenHazard wrote: »

Such as working in a supermarket, I find the work tedious and have an idealistic notion that real jobs are more intellectually rewarding and better for the soul as your job is actually engaging and not in the sense of in a shop where facing off is seen as the most important thing in the universe.. Also imagine the workplace is better in places like this as your skills are actually needed whereas in a supermarket you are just a body to fill in the numbers.

Yes, there's more rewarding jobs. But IME, every job will teach you something, even just how to knuckle down and work with a variety of differing personalities. Because every single job has its tedious facets and pressured times when you just need to get the head down and work hard.

It depends I enjoyed waitressing when I was young, much more that my first professional job, but realistically the professional job paid better and had much more long term prospects, but it was never going to be as fun and responsibility free as the waitressing job.

I think every job unless you get to a very high level are much the same.

It is only when you get to the level that you can make decisions and are in control of your own day and work that it gets interesting.

Having said that I like my job and it is rewarding.

Mrs OBumble

Also, different jobs are best for different times in your life.

In my mid 40s now, I simply physically could not do a job now that involved standing all day - but I had no issue with it in my 20s. Maybe I could if I'd been doing it all the time, but 20 years sitting down to work has made me soft!

And yes I am sure .. had a 12-hour contract in a major UK retailer in 2010 .. exhausted and aching feet after even that.