Rennie Sloan, a contributor for Motto Magazine’s blog, published a post about I Hate Your Job yesterday. In it, she writes:
A friend of mine’s 23-year-old son started a web site called www.ihateyourjob.com - his motto is that he hates your job until you love it. The site is geared to help people tolerate, if not love, their jobs, and he pokes fun at the droll tedium of 9-5’ers while providing inspiration and resources to find a new job with a better quality of life.
He seemed a bit young to me to truly grasp this concept – don’t you have to be out there for a while before you understand the ways in which the last comment tossed out by an insufferable colleague during a meeting can fuel Google searches of how to earn a living selling sunscreen in a Tahitian hut?”
It’s a good question–one that I’d like to answer here.
The question is, to paraphrase, “Can such a young person appreciate the value of escaping the rat race without having spent many years inside of it?”
Me. I did.
Yes and no. I can be thankful for my good health without ever having had cancer, but a cancer survivor appreciates the day when they are cancer free more than I ever could. I can be thankful for a warm meal and a place to sleep, but not in the way someone who once was homeless can.
Of course, I’m not going to try to contract cancer or lose my home in order to better appreciate my good circumstances. In the same way, I don’t believe I’ll be missing out by avoiding an extended stay in a job that makes me miserable.
I worked at a job that was a poor fit for me for two years, and that was enough for me to realize that continuing in that direction would be a mistake. I just have to touch the hot stove, I don’t need to lean on it…
The Elephant in the Room
Since I started this blog, I’ve intentionally withheld my age for fear of a perceived lack of authority. A discussion with Rennie (the author of the Motto piece) last month has helped me to move past that now. So, for the record, yes–I’m 23 years old, and yes, what I have to say is relevant beyond novelty. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to learning more and helping others well into my mid-twenties ; )
By the way whatsyourmotto.com is truly a great site for work-life balance issues and the magazine is solid as well. Check it out!
If you enjoy reading this blog, why not tip the author?
22 responses so far ↓
1 Jason // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:14 am
Cat’s out of the bag!
I must say, I’m fairly surprised. I would have tacked on at least 5 more years; your writing style and wit is beyond your years, bravo.
This has also inspired a post, I think. Keep watching the skies! Err, rather, the feeds.
2 Heath // Sep 25, 2007 at 9:46 am
That’s more than okay–that’s a plus. If you taste the Kool-Aid and it’s bitter, then you’re smart to point it out to the rest of us. If however, you feel compelled to continue to drink it, as did those in my “older” generation, you actually develop a taste for it. You may not like it; it may kill you. But you dare not stop, because you fear thirst.
I think it takes someone who actively walked away from a bad job early to point out the insanity. Congratulations and thanks for being young enough to know better.
3 Naomi Dunford // Sep 25, 2007 at 11:19 am
HA! I love the “taste the Kool-aid” comment.
Chuck, I think you’re right on target with both your blog and your take on the situation because of your age. It has been well documented by very important people whose names I don’t remember that Gen Y is exploding with people who have no interest in the corporated drag. You’re in a unique position to be able to document this paradigm shift while it’s happening. Not from some academic “this is what those young people are doing” angle, but from a real, honest, and authentic one.
Keep up the good work. Your age will do nothing but help you. Besides, how are you going to make Top-40-Under-40 if you’re not actually under 40?
4 Tiffany // Sep 25, 2007 at 11:45 am
This is such an interesting issue - age, authority and experitse. I have had so many conversations with twentysomethings on this very issue - we have learned so much through observation that it sort of dilutes the value of work “experience” somewhat in our eyes, but at the same time, we’re afraid to simply say so.
5 Eben Carlson // Sep 25, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Hi Chuck,
You don’t need anything to have authority. Being alive makes you as much of one as you are ever going to be. Which is exactly one. The only difference between us, which sometimes age helps and sometimes it hampers–is whether or not we have the guts to live/admit/speak what we can see.
In terms of knowing that work blows–everyone knows that. And here’s an inside secret (from a 40 year-old) a lot of the people who huff and puff loudest about their passion and loving what they do are the most full of shit. Especially in the world of business blogging. There’s good money in being full of shit.
Watch their eyes and the tone of their voice–or the joy and flexibility in their writing. That’s the only clear indicator of enjoyment. Most adults are sold out or compromised in some manner, if you can tread a path that avoids that, then more power to you.
The main stumbling block right now is that people’s ability to imagine a better life/world/job has wildly surpassed our economy’s ability to provide.
As the market is nothing more than a concrete display of people’s desires, a significant lag between folks’ imagination and their reality means that there’s a hidden inefficiency, or brake, somewhere.
The inefficiency is fixed prices. And the only place we have fixed prices is in creative content–music, writing, movies, magazines, etc.–the exact field in which most people are interested in participating.
And, interestingly, the area that people get most excited about consuming regularly.
Once this inefficiency collapses, not only will the economy grow at a more rapid rate, but our ability to enjoyably participate in it will skyrocket as well.
If you’re interested in more details, saunter over to my blog. www.whiteg.com
Best,
Eben
6 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 25, 2007 at 2:27 pm
@Jason– Yep, it’s out of the bag. Thanks for your kind words. I’ll be watching the skies/feeds intently!
@Heath– That’s an interesting analogy. It seems reasonable that we become acclimated to our circumstances over time, job hate included. As for being young enough to know better, I think most of us know, regardless of age. What is lacking is freedom/courage to take action. My freedom level is very high compared to most, so it didn’t take much courage to walk away from my miserable job.
As a result, I am able to encourage and inform others whose situations require more risk and therefore more courage. The better I do with this blog, the easier it becomes for others to make a change in their lives and find a more rewarding way to make a living. In short, my youth has allowed me the freedom to jump–now it’s about helping others in more difficult situations to do the same.
@Naomi– I appreciate that, thank you. One of Rennie’s points to me was that my age is a differentiator from much of what is published on work-life balance, career advice, and even on my generation. Being different is not good in and of itself–what’s unique about you has to add interest or value. So long as I write intelligently and within my limits, that’s exactly what will happen.
@Tiffany– That is an interesting subject, I agree. I would say that anyone can claim authority on the theory of a subject so long as they are informed. That’s what I do here. When it comes to the execution and practice of that subject, that’s when your “resume” comes into play. I’m not very good at managing my time yet, but I’m working on it and getting better. With experience, I’ll have that under my belt.
I can listen to all the classical music in the world (experience), but unless I study counterpoint, I won’t be an authority on counterpoint.
@Eben– I really like your idea that authority stands on the validity of the ideas rather than the particular importance or weight of the possessor of the idea. We’re all just people. Let the ideas stand for themselves.
7 Ashley // Sep 25, 2007 at 2:49 pm
As a fellow 23-year old, you fooled me completely.
But you’re already way ahead of the game, so it’s certainly not a bad thing.
“I just have to touch the hot stove, I don’t need to lean on it…” - I really like this. That’s pretty much the point I’ve come to as well. I’m lucky that I don’t hate my job, I just know it’s not what drives me or what I want to do.
I guess I also have the freedom of age to my advantage. Thanks for all your help!
8 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 25, 2007 at 2:59 pm
@Ashley– Thank you. You know, I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t advertise my age for a while. I now know that people appreciate my writing if they don’t know where it’s coming from, so I can build off of that.
I’m really glad that you’ve found some of my writing here helpful. That’s always encouraging to hear.
9 elysa // Sep 25, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I think being young gives you plenty of authority. Like many twentysomethings you want something different that the way the work force is currently set up. It is usually the new comer that questions tradition.
On a sidenote - my mission statement is to write a mission statement one day when I figure out what the heck I am doing with my life, how bout that
10 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 25, 2007 at 4:04 pm
@elysa– Questioning tradition is a huge part of who I am, so you’ve hit the mark there. As for your mission statement, check out some of the responses we have received so far for inspiration. Knowing what you want to do with your life is optional–the real meat of it is knowing how you want to live.
11 Peggy // Sep 25, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Chuck…
While 23 might seem young to a 40 something….you are an old man to a 6 year
old
I am constantly learning things every day from the k-5th set that I teach every day.
I am not too old to learn and they are not too young to teach
Subsequently, your age does not really mean that much.
Keep up the good work.
12 Angela // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Age shmage. To quote the great modern voice Aaliyah, “Age ain’t nuttin but a number.” I learned my first “work sucks” lesson during my second shift of my first job when I was 15-years-old. By two weeks, I could have written a novel. Keep up the good work and no need to be self-conscious of your age.
13 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 25, 2007 at 9:43 pm
@Peggy– Great point. We all learn from each other based on how open we are to wisdom regardless of the package it is delivered in.
@Angela– Not only do I need to avoid self-consciousness, I think I could stand to think bigger and bolder. Thanks for the encouragement. By the way, I started Carson Palmer in my fantasy league over Tom Brady this past week. As long as Brady’s throwing to Moss, I think that’ll be the last time I do that. (Angela writes a blog on Boston and is a huge Pats fan…)
14 Jayne // Sep 26, 2007 at 5:36 am
That’s like saying that a person who has been in maximum security prison isn’t qualified to say it sucks.
The logic is flawed. If something sucks, it usually sucks from day one.
As a side note, I would judge you for being stupid but not for being young, and contrary to popular belief, those two things aren’t the same. I’m 37 now, which means I’ve seen more crazy in my life than I had when I was 20. But when I was 20, I still knew what crazy WAS.
15 Daniel Sitter, Idea Seller // Sep 26, 2007 at 10:46 am
Nice work Chuck. Don’t get hung-up on age; it’s perception and insight that matter!
16 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 27, 2007 at 10:35 am
@Jayne– Yep. If we had to experience everything fully in order to seek to avoid it, we’d probably all be expired by now…
@Daniel Sitter– Thanks!
17 Pam // Sep 27, 2007 at 1:11 pm
As a 37-year old who has been a 9-5′er (or more) since I was your age, I have gained both new insights and validation of my current perspectives from your site.
Experience always has value. But so does fresh insight. And in this case, I think not having been so indoctrined into the “this just is the way it is” perspective of those who have worked for someone else for long periods of time gives you an edge. You can get the rest of us to look outside the boxes we’re in and say “yeah, but does it REALLY have to be that way?”
I think you do a wonderful job here.
18 John // Oct 5, 2007 at 8:07 am
Nice work Chuck.Keep up the good work.
19 paul // Oct 15, 2007 at 9:27 am
Hi chuck
I agree with Rennie and think you should serve your time in “ihatemyjob-land” before you make such unrealistic claims. How can anyone individual possibly love work. I will come back to you in 25 years time when you have more sense and a better grasp of reality. HAHA!! Great post and fab site and you are obviously a quicker learner than me - it took me 5 years.
Keep up the good work.
Paul
20 Chuck Westbrook // Oct 15, 2007 at 2:29 pm
@Paul– Thank you very much. I really value the feedback I get from people who take the time to leave a comment and who read the site. Much appreciated!
21 Jamie // Oct 16, 2007 at 12:41 am
Hey Chuck,
All I have to say is I worked at a job I hated for 8 years from when I was 20 until I was 28. There are time when I feel like I’d give anything to get those years back, but they definitely taught me a lot about myself. Now I learned this at 28- if you’ve already figured it out by 23 then I say you’re ahead of the game.
Great site, keep it up!
22 Chuck Westbrook // Oct 16, 2007 at 11:15 am
@Jamie– Thanks! You know, I’m definitely making an effort not to get swept away in convention. We’ll see!
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