“When I tell my friends I want to be a flight attendant, they just laugh at me (because it’s not a good job). They tell me that I should consider being a pilot instead.”
This is the statement a client made to me last week when I asked her if there is anything she really wants to do next in her career. This client has lived and worked overseas (in numerous countries), she lives to travel, she has worked in a “good job” in government here in Australia on and off for 10 years and she is now assessing her next career move.
What is a good job?
So….I’d love to know your thoughts. What is a “good job”? And more importantly, who decides what a good job is for you?
Is a good job about the work you deliver, the purpose you have, the joy it brings you, the flexibility it affords, the money you are paid, the contribution you make, the benefits it entails, or something else entirely? And how do you prioritise which of these are the most important?
From where I stand, there is no one correct answer on this.
A “good job” is different for every single person. Sadly however, the rule of thumb for a “good job” in our society is largely based around money. So, if you are paid a “good salary” then you have a “good job”.
Of course, with any job you have to prioritise what is most important to you and search for this accordingly. But at what point does the trade off for your own joy, happiness and health become worth it for the money? The Dalai Lama sums it up nicely, “….Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.”
A very close friend of mine recently calculated that she had worked a staggering 9 months of unpaid work in the last 12 months in her senior Manager role in a big corporate (when she added up the extra time she had given to her organisation). 9 MONTHS of her own precious time!
I see clients every day who are burnout, exhausted and suffering from a long list of medical issues as a result of choosing what society deems a “good job”. They come to me seeking a change, finding a career that gives them balance, purpose, meaning and yes still earning a decent income.
So, let me ask you again, what is a good job? And could being a flight attendant just be the most amazing job my client has ever had?
Do you want to chat to Suzanne about your next career move?
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