Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tells us that there is no such thing as a bad job. I suppose if that means employment is always better than unemployment then this is true. But there are plenty of lousy, soul-destroying, back-breaking jobs, many of which we fill in this country with temporary foreign workers and new immigrqants. Mr. Flaherty pointed out his Joe (Jim?) jobs in an earlier day but he was on his way to other more fulfilling and lucrative employment.
Our daughter Jocelyn just got her contract with the Toronto International Film Festival to work as a graphic designer. It is a dream job for her, because she has a uniiversity degree in film and a college diploma in design. But she did a 14-week internship at TIFF first, and she wasn't paid. Every weekend she worked as a waitress and she was exhausted. When she announced that she was leaving the restaurant the "lifers" congratulated her for moving beyond the low-paying, physically demanding work which may be their only option.
No doubt the 2000 GM workers who could lose their jobs in the next few months would like to speak with Mr. Flaherty about his "no bad jobs" comment.
Many of us do feel that the work we do is a gift from God and the so-called Protestant work ethic upholds the practical and spiritual value of meaningful work.
*LOVE* my job. First time in my life that a an undertaking and I 'clicked,' and I knew I was in the right spot. I consider myself fortunate and am grateful in this respect.
ReplyDeleteI am also grateful for every job that got me here. Those include: quality control at Leer, Corp. (testing head rests in Buicks); changing tundishes and furnace linings in a steel mill, janitorial duties at local rinks, landscaping, and more babysitting and lawn cutting than you can imagine.
I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a bad job ... especially if you can turn that job into funding for an education which can then, in turn, get you a better job.
I'm with Ian. I love my job, but I didn't get to this place without working my way up to it.
ReplyDeleteI look at my kids. One of them just started his 1st job this past weekend. 5 hours of lawn cutting on a Saturday seemed like a big deal, but he sure liked the pay when he was done. Not bad for a 13 year old. I was almost overwhelmed with pride when after he was shown what he had to do, and was offered the job. He extended his hand and said "Thank you for the oppertunity" No prompting from me at all. What a great kid!
There is no such thing as a bad job, as long as you are using it to work towards a better one.
I agree with Ian that there is no such thing as a bad job, especially for younger workers. These lower paying jobs are stepping stones to something better and provide the $ for the education to get there. Our daughters babysat, dog walked, delivered newspapers, prepared food, catered, waitressed, worked in nursing homes and retail, took the census, tutored, and all to add to their university fund. Some of those jobs were more interesting than others, some were menial and physically challenging but nothing got in the way of the end result, an education to prepare them for full time employment in a more meaningful position. We recently stayed at a hotel that provided a complimentary breakfast. The lady who worked in the breakfast area was very pleasant and helpful, she chatted with everyone and made a point of including each child coaxing a smile out of every one of them. I thought this is a person who has turned a not so fun job into the best she can make it, she definitely put her all into it. I made a point of telling the manager on the front desk she was a great ambassador for the chain and should be given the employee of the year award.
ReplyDeleteLove my job and am thankful for it.
ReplyDeleteI had some interesting jobs as a teen, including selling dog licences door-to-door during the summer. Talk about a thankless job, especially with angry customers who would threaten to turn their pitbull on me. I would have the last laugh, when I returned with the bylaw officer so they could get their fine!
It's refreshing to hear of people who enjoy their work. Not only is it good for you, it has to be good for those you work with and for.
ReplyDeleteI will press the issue a bit though. sjd's comment "as long as you are using it to work toward a better one" seems to hit the nail on the head from my standpoint. I too worked jobs which moved me toward a better goal but many are spinning their wheels these days.
What about the thousands of teachers college grads who are wondering if they will ever be employed in their chosen profession? We have a number of college/university grads who are earnestly searching for work and deeply in debt.
To come back to daughter Jocelyn, when she was waitressing she knew that many of the servers did not want to do this work, especially those who were older. Her manager never affirmed anyone's work to their face, although she heard that she was considered a dependable employee. Now she is working in an environment with lots of deadlines but plenty of civility.
Thanks to all of you! Great food for thought.
It's one thing to have a "joe job" on the way to something better, as you earn money to go to school or wait for a job you're trained for.
ReplyDeleteBut it's another to have a job you can't leave with hours or commuting time that make your life or family life difficult, impacts on your physical or mental health, where the pay is low and where your supervisor doesn't give positive feed back or show appreciation. Yes there are bad jobs.
David, my response to your comment "What about the thousands of teachers college grads who are wondering if they will ever be employed in their chosen profession? We have a number of college/university grads who are earnestly searching for work and deeply in debt." would be patience is a virtue and also a reality... these grads were not guaranteed a teaching position right out of the program and yes they may have to wait a year or even two before they are on the list to supply teach but there are other jobs in the meantime and eventually they will be teachers and will pay off their debt. Many grads have gone off to other countries to teach ESL and have made the best of it, these students did not have a sense of entitlement to a full time position right out of school, it is all baby steps like anything else that is worth while waiting for. I have a job that gives me great satisfaction but it didn't happen over night, there were many ups and downs along the way and my husband pumped gas in his thirties in between mechanic positions but like he said it was a paying job and just a bump in the road.
ReplyDeletedmy, just had to let you know, that teachers graduating today can wait up to 5 years or more to get on the supply list and then do supply for 3-4 years before they get anything permanent. We have 3 teachers at our school who have been supplying for more than 5 years! They've had LTOs (Long Term Occassionals) which have lasted a year, but each September then it is the same thing over again, apply, apply, apply. We had a .6 permanent position available at our school and received over 800 applicants. When I saw the pile of resumes (many were online as well) I felt sorry for these young people.
ReplyDeleteOnto the topic, there are some bad jobs out there, but in my experience they can also build character.
Interesting observations and exchanges. Thanks all.
ReplyDeleteI think we are on the same page about the value of hard work and that drudgery is a fine motivator for higher aspirations!
I'm not convinced that all jobs are good jobs. I also think that those of us who are Boomers may be sweating in a few years when the young people who are underemployed and working in low-paying jobs are shouldering the responsibility of financing our pensions.
I also believe that there should be dignity and purpose in work and that there should be the opportunity for restorative rest from our labours -- read the first chapters of Genesis.