My Philosophy to a Decent Career

Angie
May 21, 2017
5 min read

Yes, here's me being controversial again. I did use the word ''decent'' because if you want success, it should come from all parts of your life. Truly successful people have gratitude and drive in all aspects of their lives, not just their careers. Here are a few thoughts on how you can have a decent career. Once again, a slight disclaimer, I've only been in the job market for 8 months so I am not a recruitment expert, nor am I educated on these matters. I simply have ideas I'd like to share.

Hard work

Having a good work ethic is what I pride myself on the most. I have always ''given my bestest'' in every job I was offered, every exam, or school work. We should always be striving to be the best versions of ourselves, even if that version can only get a C in an exam, or being a mediocre salesperson. At work we should work hard, but also work smart. The more time you spend on something does not equal how amazing it will be. We should not let our work engulf us. Sure, if you wanna leave a legacy behind, or if you want your kids to have a privileged upbringing, then being at the top of the game is a no-brainer.

But too many people nowadays get exploited. Too many of us are honest, hard-working and committed to employers who simply do not give a flying duck about us. Those employers will give you only a few pennies wage increase, or hardly appreciate your work. But when they do, it makes you even more motivated to sweat harder, and impress more. This sort of approach lacks in the morals and values of a harmonious society. Work hard, but be smart, because your next job opportunity could be the solution to your constant state of burn-out.

Having Perspective

A promotion at work will not seem as important if you are dealing with your or your family member's ill health. Getting a pay rise does not seem that important if all of a sudden you have to take time off to support a friend. Punctuality does not seem that important if getting to work in the first place was your goal for the day. It's okay to be human and let things affect us, otherwise we are just robots...perfect, happy, productive, professional and anything but vulnerable. We should not rely on our careers to make us happy. We should not rely on others to make us happy. We should only rely on ourselves. Happiness should be a bi-product of a balanced and high-quality life.

If I told you that tomorrow you will wake up living your dream life, you would be excited and think ''I'll finally be happy''.

But what if you found out that that happiness is superficial? What if that happiness didn't hold real value because A) you didn't work for it and B) your mind-set hasn't changed one bit. Now...that doesn't sound so happy, does it?

Talent

Talent is given to us as a pen and paper, but it's up to us if we want to write the book.

Talent is something you're naturally good at. It's unpolished potential, it's a gift, something that makes you unique, but it's up to you to decide whether you make that talent into something incredible! Hard work is not to be forgotten in this debate. Without hard work, talent is useless - merely an undeserved trophy you show someone as they tour your glass shelves. Talent can be anything though - enthusiasm, craving to expand your mind or simply being naturally a warm person. Being talented is only an advantage given to you at birth.

I could say I'm talented at art, because it comes easier to me than to others. I can paint the shadow, textures and highlights of the objects in front of me, from just pure observation. Without practise, I'm mediocre. With practise, I could be something. But the key is to use that potential and create something greater, so that you're not just called ''talented'' but ''skilled, intelligent, or insightful''.

Lack of ambition does not make you inferior

''What do you want to be when you're older?'' - we all get asked that, ever since nursery.

I used to get so excited about the idea of growing up, being an adult and doing something that a child can't do - such as being a chef for a high-end restaurant, being an astronaut, or solving crimes as a detective. When we are younger, it's easy and very comforting to know that the future is unknown, and that we can make anything possible. We can daydream of being a pop star, or working on a cruise ship, we can imagine how amazing and fun a job could be just from feeding off our limitless imagination. As adults though, we let our own insecurities make us fear the unknown - we have no parents to keep us stable and secure, all we have is ourselves.

To each their own

People that don't prioritise their career, are looked down upon. Surely that's the thing you can control the most in your life so why wouldn't you wanna be the best of the best? I personally don't want to prioritise my career - not because I'm not ambitious or driven, but because I'm ambitious and driven about other things such as my hobbies, personal development, making new connections and improving current relationships. And even if I wasn't ambitious, does it really matter if someone spends their whole life working in a low-paying job, if they don't feel the need to go work somewhere ''better''? Why are we becoming so critical of people and their decisions. We can all gain control of our lives if we chose so, so let someone work in retail, and don't judge them for not wanting to get promoted to that managerial position. You might be see it as settling, but if they are happy, let them be.

If however, someone is very career-driven, they might fall into the trap of neglecting other aspects of their lives such as love, family, friends, health, passions, hobbies, themselves even...We must be cautious to keep a healthy balance in our lives. In China, so many young office workers have stress-induced heart attacks - work too hard and too much, so the scale tips onto the stressful side. Then there is the trap of not caring enough about these things, where your quality of life may suffer hugely. I'm referring to people who complain about their lives, but never even consider making a change and taking responsibility of their own happiness and well-being.