career

Career, Employment, and Subculture

by

Subcultures.  We're part of them.  We watch them come and go, persist and die.  We identify with them or avoid them.  We like certain bands, read certain books, play certain games.

We're usually aware of our subcultures when it comes to the "usual" – games, sports, religion, politics, even economics.  I'm wondering, as the results of the Great Recession stumble on, as the world alters, about what kinds of employment subcultures are evolving.

Think of it for a moment.  Your job experiences, your career experiences, define you as much as anything else.  There are people you relate to because of your career, and people you don't get – or are in danger of not getting.

Read more

In Defense of Boring Jobs

by

It's time to defend boring jobs.

Sure I want people to do the jobs that excite them.  I want people to have the kinds of careers that truly let them be themselves.  I want people to – let's face it – turn hobbies into lifelong occupations.

However there are times to do that boring job.  To work at that boring company.  In short, there are times to do things that aren't as exciting as your dream career – because they'll let you reach that career.

  • Perhaps that boring job lets you get valuable skills that you can use elsewhere.  In fact, maybe that job is one of the few jobs that lets you get those skills at all.
  • Those less-than-exciting jobs may let you have experiences that you'll rarely have anywhere else.  Perhaps you go to other countries, or work with technology that's not common.
  • That seemingly uninteresting job could let you make connections that you wouldn't anywhere else.
  • The mind-numbingly dull job you're facing can help you travel or relocate or get to know another area you may want to live.
  • The job you're suffering through may let you step up in your position to a level that would let you transfer your skills and knowledge to a more interesting job or company.

So, yes, we may face jobs that are boring.  But let's not knock them – sometimes that boring job is just what you need to get your more interesting career going.

– Steven Savage

Careers and Transitory Works: How to Step Up

by

I was watching Sym-Bionic Titan, Genndy Tartakovsky latest work, and it felt as if he was using it to experiment and stretch himself.  Of course this is the man whose done work for such beloved animation work as Dexter's Laboratory, the Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack.  He's a man of considerable talent, but this latest series felt as if he was creating something new, something to go a bit farther – to transition himself to an even more advanced set of skills and work.

"A transitional work" is what I christened it.  It inspired me to talk about the fact that many of us need do have works that let us change who we are and what we do in our careers.  It also gives me an excuse to go from giant robots to discussing your career – something I love to do.

Read more