Do you look for value in your work?

[CyberPunk]

I have recently resigned from my adequate paying corporate trainer job. While I liked my job and position, the main reason I quit was due to lack of value I saw in my work. No matter how much I put in, it never seemed like helping the company, neither did the company take any real interest in my work. Every now and then I would receive a pat on the back, but it was more of an acknowledgement of 'you exist' than 'we appreciate your work.' Case in point, I would constantly take training sessions for development of our employees but hardly ever got recognition for it unless one day I asked my superior if there was any point in them because the management didn't acknowledge the training. It reached a point where I could no longer take my own work seriously.

Anyway, my question is would you quit a well paying job if you find you are not making any real difference? Should it actually matter to you if the job pays well enough?

I would like to know your thoughts.

 

[Akhilleus]

I think if you're not working for value, then you're in the wrong career. Are we talking a job, or are we talking your profession? Or both? Personally, for me it is both. Right now I'm still in school, studying Criminal Justice and Psychology. My plan right now is to get my undergrad for both, and then get my Masters in Counseling. I am going to go to the Police Academy once I graduate, but I am setting myself up for a different option too with the Psychology/Counselling degree. I really love working with kids, and so if Law Enforcement doesn't work out I plan to become a Pediatric Counselor. If Law Enforcement does work out, then one I am a police officer with a degree in CRJ and Pyschology...AND a Masters Degree in Counselling. What better than a Police Officer who knows how to be a counselor as well, especially in this day and age where there is such a focus on community policing. Then add on the fact that I'll be forced to retire at 50, I'll have a decent pension, and then I can still go into Counselling as a profession.

I can go so many different routes with my career. But the point is, I have to do something productive. I don't know if they'll ever be a more satisfying job than being a police officer, and just being out there in the community and supporting those people. Hopefully bringing a good name to law enforcement instead of the bad names we see in the media. But if I'm not doing that, then I'm helping kids. If I was stuck in some office job as a paper salesman or something for my entire life I think I would go nuts.

The last stage of life according to Erickson's theory is Integrity vs Despair, and whether you feel at the end of your life if you've had a fulfilling and successful run. It is dire that you put yourself in a position where you can make that happen, otherwise when you're 60 years old you're going to be living your life full of regret. Even if you're in your 40s, it isn't too late to change careers. They have online colleges now where you can continue to be at home and raise your family, while earning a degree.

I think it's extremely important for you to do what makes you happy. For me, it has nothing to do with money. It never has and it never will. I want to do what I think I'll have fun doing. I don't want to look at it as work or a job. I want to be excited to go in every day and do whatever it is I'm doing.

Even now while I'm in school, I have a part time job working with a company called i9 Sports. It's a youth sports organization that is designed to teach gets sportmanship, as well as the basics of the game. It's all about fun and is really against competitive attitudes. It's one of those everyone gets a trophy at the end sort of things, but that's alright for me. I'm out there playing ball with kids, teaching some of them the game for the first time, and even being a role model. So that is very fullfilling.

The college I go to, it's a private Christian school, and they pride themselves in all the volunteer work the students do. Although my Freshman year, they forced us to do service. Orientation weekend we all went out and pulled weeds at some park, and personally I hated it. It was worthless to me, because I really couldn't care less about grass in some park. Who does that help? I didn't get any fulfillment out of that whatsoever. I would have rather we got to choose what we did. Now though I volunteer four days a week with a local church organization, where I tutor and mentor kids from low income families. I do it for fun, and it's probably the joy of my life right now. To be honest it's probably 80% the reason why I plan to say there and get my Masters. Just working and being with those kids I think is going to end up being one of the highlights of my entire life. If when we die we get our own little Hall of Fame for all the big moments of our lives, I think my time with this program will have it's own room.

So no matter what it is I'm doing, it's always something fulfilling. If there's no value in it, I'm not going to do it. Unless you're Bill Gates or someone, nobody is going to remember you for how much money you had when you die. Instead it's going to be your accomplishments and goals. The lasting impressions you made on everyone you worked with. That is what's important. You're 29, you have plenty of time to do something really good. Take the opportunity now, so you're not regretting it whenever you're 60.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Anyway, my question is would you quit a well paying job if you find you are not making any real difference?

The work is the thing....and there are two primary considerations: whether you think the work has value......and whether the people who employ you think your work has value.

I can definitely understand leaving your current job if you feel you're not making a difference, yet, before you go, it might have been useful to talk to your employer and ask directly how they value you.

Should it actually matter to you if the job pays well enough?

Economically speaking.....hell, yeah. Yet, during the working day, the job is the thing. A person who's sitting at her desk and twirling a pencil, thinking about her salary instead of doing what needs to be done to convince the company that they badly need her services, will eventually find the error of her ways.

In your case, there's really no accounting for what they thought (or if they thought) because you didn't mention an exit interview.

Not every employer has knowledgeable, enlightened managers, that's for sure......and if they simply accepted your resignation without even bothering to find out why you were leaving, you probably made the right move.

As to your original question; yes, valuing your own work is important.......yet, you know what's the worst?....Valuing your own work, doing it the best you can, making a difference........yet, finding out your employer isn't aware of it at all.

Now, that stinks.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

I look at it in a sense of there's only so many jobs out there I'm qualified to do, so I could moan about that fact or I can get qualified in something I find useful. Fortunately for me, even though I came out of school with shit qualifications, I lucked into a job with our council in i.t.

In my previous job at mcdonalds I hated it. I spent 5 years there earning minimum wage doing a job that was shit.

If somebody came back to me though and said ''Hey. I'll pay you One Hundred Thousand Pounds a year to work at Mcdonalds'' well fuck fulfilment man I need to get paid.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Why does "value" in your job matter when you can pursue a thousand things in your free time which make a huge difference in the world?

You need a job to earn a living. Do what you can make the most money doing. A job is a job, a means to live a decent quality of life from a material standpoint.....Whether it receives recognition or not, you are paid for your services, and thus take a spot many people would gladly trade you for.

You can do tons of things in the meantime or outside of work that make a huge difference in the world. Tons of the most important impacts to those in need are done either out of charity or by those who are paid little to nothing. In fact, if you work a job were you are highly paid, it frees you up to donate more and do more in general.


I always find it obtuse and dense when people are like "ugh, I need to quit this job, im just not making a difference in the world managing an enterprise rent-a-car depot"

Uh, do you never leave work? Hello?

 

[CyberPunk]

Why does "value" in your job matter when you can pursue a thousand things in your free time which make a huge difference in the world?

Why wouldn't it matter? I put 50 hours each week (60 including the time to commute to work). I work a 6 day schedule. If I am putting that much time in my work, I'll want it to matter. I'll want to have some sense of fulfilment. And I am not talking about charity or making difference to the lives of people, but making my work seem important in the grand scheme. I understand everyone has a role to play. But if that role is marginalized more and more, would you want to stick around?

I have spent over 5 years in this company. In fact, I got this job straight out of college. I've grown with this company. It's not a feeling built up overnight. So I don't think I am wrong if I want my work more fulfilling.

In your case, there's really no accounting for what they thought (or if they thought) because you didn't mention an exit interview.

Not every employer has knowledgeable, enlightened managers, that's for sure......and if they simply accepted your resignation without even bothering to find out why you were leaving, you probably made the right move.

My exit interview is pending as I am on notice; I have a few days left at this job. The fact that there was not much of an effort to retain me did bug me, but it also made me realize that may be it's time I moved on. Money is a very important factor, but sitting around, doing nothing meaningful and taking a paycheck bums me out. Maybe I can find my calling elsewhere, and if I realize I do not have it in me, I'll come back with my tails between the legs. We'll never know till we try.

It was also very disheartening to see my manager showing very little interest in talking to me. He talked once, gave me one day's time. When my mind didn't change much, he referred me to HR. He never ever talked about pros and cons of working here or elsewhere. It was like he was doing a formality. Sometimes, I feel I do understand where CM Punk comes from.

 

[ShinChan]

I cannot say much about you quiting your job because you werenot valued.... If you are economically independent then maybe you could leave.... I wouldnot have left even if i was independent.... Lots of guys yearn for a job whole time and never get it..... Only Lucky ones get especially in India... Moreover i can understand your work of 60 months should have been valued... But every little thing makes difference according to me... Now what i really want from a job is that I should enjoy doing it like a hobby.... Decent Pay also is required but you should enjoy your profession..... Unless i enjoy my work and get a deserving pay, i wouldnot leave it even if its not valued... If the company wasnot interested in you, it would not have kept you itself! and last thing i wanna say about value of work is my favorite quote told to me by my favorite english teacher!

"Intelligence is rarely found, more rarely valued"

Best of Luck for your future, buddy

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Why wouldn't it matter? I put 50 hours each week (60 including the time to commute to work). I work a 6 day schedule. If I am putting that much time in my work, I'll want it to matter.

It does matter. If you had no job, you would not be getting paid, which matters.

And I am not talking about charity or making difference to the lives of people, but making my work seem important in the grand scheme.

So you don't REALLY want your work to matter, you are just upset you don't get more individual recognition.

Allow me to let you in on something.....Get used to it. The majority of jobs DONT matter beyond performing their function in the process(whatever process said company specializes in)

I understand everyone has a role to play. But if that role is marginalized more and more, would you want to stick around?

Is my paycheck being affected? No? Then fucking right I would. People generally aren't walking out their front door and tripping into jobs these days.

So I don't think I am wrong if I want my work more fulfilling.

I guess not, but it doesn't make much business sense if you aren't going to find equal or better payment. Otherwise, you are letting your ego and vanity hurt your bank account.

For the majority of earth, a job is a job, man. You want fulfillment, put on a bake sale to benefit abused women and children shelters.

 

[jmt225]

Cyberpunk, do you have a wife or any kids?

If not, then I can pretty much guarantee that's the emptiness you feel in your life. It has nothing do with "changing the World" or anything like that; it has everything to do with, "Why the fuck am I busting my hump for nothing other than myself?"

Now, if you do have a wife and/or kids, then you're being incredibly selfish and taking a huge chance quitting this job because you don't find any "value" in it as far as "changing the World" goes or whatever.

A man's ultimate purpose in life is to help provide for a woman and kids. Yes, there are cases where extraordinary men and women have special intelligence or some kind of ability where they're able to make positive changes to the World through their work, but that's a very small part of humanity. If you're not apart of that, you have nothing to feel bad about. There are other small things you can do to make an impact. Giving food to the homeless, adopting a dog, giving time/money to a charity you trust, religion, whatever. Don't take a job for granted though. If you hate it, then that's a fair reason to quit, but don't lie to yourself thinking it's only because you feel like it doesn't make enough of an impact on the World. That doesn't matter at all when it comes to a job. All that matters is if the job is enough to keep a roof over your head, put clothes on your back, and food on the table. If it does that, and you actually don't hate going there every day, then consider yourself very fortunate and don't take it for granted.

 

[CyberPunk]

Cyberpunk, do you have a wife or any kids?

If not, then I can pretty much guarantee that's the emptiness you feel in your life. It has nothing do with "changing the World" or anything like that; it has everything to do with, "Why the fuck am I busting my hump for nothing other than myself?"

Now, if you do have a wife and/or kids, then you're being incredibly selfish and taking a huge chance quitting this job because you don't find any "value" in it as far as "changing the World" goes or whatever.

A man's ultimate purpose in life is to help provide for a woman and kids. Yes, there are cases where extraordinary men and women have special intelligence or some kind of ability where they're able to make positive changes to the World through their work, but that's a very small part of humanity. If you're not apart of that, you have nothing to feel bad about. There are other small things you can do to make an impact. Giving food to the homeless, adopting a dog, giving time/money to a charity you trust, religion, whatever. Don't take a job for granted though. If you hate it, then that's a fair reason to quit, but don't lie to yourself thinking it's only because you feel like it doesn't make enough of an impact on the World. That doesn't matter at all when it comes to a job. All that matters is if the job is enough to keep a roof over your head, put clothes on your back, and food on the table. If it does that, and you actually don't hate going there every day, then consider yourself very fortunate and don't take it for granted.

You could say that me being not married or having kids has contributed to my decision of quitting. But at some point I would be married. My girlfriend and I are planning for our future and at some point in next 2 years, there's a high probability I'll be married. That means this is the only time I can take a risk.

I never said anything about changing world. I am not looking to change the world; I am not in that kind of position. I am talking about what value my company puts in my work. I am planning to establish my own training firm in future, and as I said, if I have it in me, I'll succeed; otherwise, I'll simply have to bite the bullet and find another job for me. Fortunately, I have saved up during this time which would help me stay afloat while I venture out on the next phase of my career.

And yes, I do agree with you that if I had been married and had kids, I wouldn't have taken this decision because my family would always come first for me. It's just that I have the opportunity now, and I want to see if I can do something with that opportunity.

Is my paycheck being affected? No? Then fucking right I would. People generally aren't walking out their front door and tripping into jobs these days.

But my paycheck IS affected. Yes, I get the salary I am promised, but the value they put in my job directly affects my appraisal. A simple example, I am one of the lesser paid people who are on equivalent positions in other departments. Why does that happen? It's simply is the reflection of companies views on the value of my work. More money goes the departments generating revenue and because I or my department are not directly related to revenue generation, the budget is lesser for our department.

I guess not, but it doesn't make much business sense if you aren't going to find equal or better payment. Otherwise, you are letting your ego and vanity hurt your bank account.

For the majority of earth, a job is a job, man. You want fulfillment, put on a bake sale to benefit abused women and children shelters.

See, I understand a definite source of income is required for living. Am I scared about the step I've taken? Damn right I am. But if you knew you could do more with your career, wouldn't you want to take that chance? Or would you continue sitting at the same desk every day wondering what it could have been?

 

[Mighty NorCal]

You could say that me being not married or having kids has contributed to my decision of quitting.

Now we are getting down to it.

But my paycheck IS affected. Yes, I get the salary I am promised, but the value they put in my job directly affects my appraisal. A simple example, I am one of the lesser paid people who are on equivalent positions in other departments. Why does that happen? It's simply is the reflection of companies views on the value of my work. More money goes the departments generating revenue and because I or my department are not directly related to revenue generation, the budget is lesser for our department

Well see, this is a horse of a different color, as we peel back the layers of what is REALLY going on here.


Yes, people of equivalent positions in areas which generate more revenue for the company are going to get more budget allocated to them. That's pretty much universal. Glad to clear that up for you.

NOW we are speaking my language though. If you can see the writing on the wall for your bottom line here, then go make something happen for yourself before you have a wife and responsibilities.




I am not saying working a job were you click your heels on the way out the door isn't a wonderful thing to aspire to, its just very rare, especially in situations were you can work towards comfort financially. Don't let your feelings dictate coming and going, and ESPECIALLY don't get into the habit of doing that, when you have big responsibilities coming your way.


Do the best you can for yourself financially, and someday.....someday, you will be able to dictate your terms without having to worry or be scared at all.

 

[Coco]

Do you look for value in your work?

Yes. Monetary value.

To expand on my spam-section response, I get where you're coming from. You're going to spend a good chunk of your life at work. You want to feel it matters. You want to feel respected and validated by your peers. It's natural. And I have the same impulses. But when push comes to shove, life's about getting out of bed every day and doing the work. At I've come to terms with that.

That being said, I try to look at good character as its own sort of reward. Do I work hard and get along famously with my coworkers without any expectation of reward or return? I try to. I think there's something to be said of putting in a good effort and exhibiting a positive attitude and that it'll lead to good things down the road. Even if you don't value your work now, developing good work ethic is nothing to scoff at. You'll need it in any of those "worthwhile" endeavours you choose to pursue. Take pride in yourself.

Even if fortune isn't in your favour down the road, you can't control luck. All you can control is your input.

So I suppose if you're looking for value in your work, I'm suggesting you seek value in a job well done.

I've been drinking. Apologies.

 

[Navi]

I have recently resigned from my adequate paying corporate trainer job. While I liked my job and position, the main reason I quit was due to lack of value I saw in my work. No matter how much I put in, it never seemed like helping the company, neither did the company take any real interest in my work. Every now and then I would receive a pat on the back, but it was more of an acknowledgement of 'you exist' than 'we appreciate your work.' Case in point, I would constantly take training sessions for development of our employees but hardly ever got recognition for it unless one day I asked my superior if there was any point in them because the management didn't acknowledge the training. It reached a point where I could no longer take my own work seriously.

Anyway, my question is would you quit a well paying job if you find you are not making any real difference? Should it actually matter to you if the job pays well enough?

I would like to know your thoughts.

You might also be looking for recognition is all the wrong places. Sometimes you have to look within yourself to find it. If you are getting up each morning, travelling to work and doing a good job there no reason to think you have no value to the company.

Some people work for years in jobs where they go nowhere, does that mean they are horrible employees? No just the fact that they are still employed means something. In this day and age with less jobs being available, and more people looking for those jobs, just having one is in some places an achievement. If it's a good paying job then more power to you.

I'm a manager where I work, and I personally don't have time to run around and pat everyone on the head telling them they are doing a good job. As adults they also don't need that re-enforcement. I've told them all that they will be left alone to do their jobs, if I have to call them into the office then that's something they don't want. Thankfully that's something that happens rarely. Micro-management isn't one of my strong suits, and I hate managers that practice it.

It might be a cultural difference between us, but I feel I'm a valued employee.. I get my paycheck every two weeks and that tells me they like me, if they didn't I wouldn't be getting one. I hope for your sake there is a lot of jobs available in your area, I know there isn't here, and people that have them usually try to find one before they quit. It's always easier to find another job when you already have one.