What is your ideal job?

[Animal]

Sadly, society has reached a point where many people don't take pride in their work. Companies are too big, employees are replaceable and products are cheap. Some of us may be working just to support ourselves, while resenting it.

Even the best jobs will cause some stress, but not all jobs are created equal. Ideally, work would make us feel like we're making a real difference in the world - no matter how localized it is - in a way that matters to us.

So, what work would you like to be doing? Do you have a plan to get there or is it a pipe dream?

[ledyanoy]

[Animal]

I had a career in music in my teens, specializing in singing - but then at age 16 I was struck with an illness which left me speaking in a whisper permanently. My entire life, since childhood, had built up to this singing career - but it was ruined.

I was left to figure out, first and foremost, how to express myself. Then, I had to find a way to support myself - even with gigantic medical bills that would continue to pile up indefinitely. I could no longer do anything I was good at, because the illness took not only my singing but also my speaking voice. Additionally, my health simply will not survive a full time job. I've had to quit jobs due to resurgence of illness.

For years I did all kinds of art freelance jobs and temporary hellhole jobs like waitressing. I knew all my life that in addition to music, I needed to write. I had clear visions for extensive series - but I sucked with words. I've spent the last decade trying to remedy that while also attempting to keep my head above water, financially and health-wise.

This past month my finances were crashing and I needed a part-time job. I decided I would only work at a store I could be proud of, whose clothes and atmosphere feel like 'me.' I can't stand the local mall - it's so big and ugly - but there was one store that stood out from the rest: Abercrombie and Fitch. Growing up, this store was known as 'jock clothes,' but when I went in, there were beautiful silk blouses, every shade of white.... it looked like my outfits in Erosia! Subtle, earthy, elegant, well fitted, sensual. On top of that the environment was dimly lit, the acoustics were excellent and the music was soothing. It was just so different from the other stores.

I read about the company and found that they were in line with my ethics. While other companies scrambled to meet public demands for inclusion and became increasingly indistinguishable, this company insisted on retaining its personal style. It suffered some law suits, but in the end, still retained its integrity. These days, everyone is forced to be the same, but Abercrombie adopted a more inclusive hiring policy while holding on to what is important: its aesthetic.

I had filled out many applications that week, and I had job offers coming in - but I held out. I needed to get the place I wanted most. Even if managing a store isn't my 'ideal career,' this specific store is an excellent side gig while working on writing. I had a great interview and got the job even with my whisper voice!! And the manager said she could work with the changes in my illness, provided I communicate clearly about my needs.

So I am really excited. I'm done with waitressing and computer crap that I hate doing. Instead I can go to work dressing in a way I enjoy and feeling good about what I'm selling. I'm starting Saturday

The first book in my series should be finished soon too! I know I've been saying that for years, but this is the time. And obviously, starting this website is a huge project too, which I'm thrilled about. So, things are looking up for the moment.

[ledyanoy]

[Animal]

Thank you <3

[ledyanoy]

A comment within a comment box! Loving this.

[Animal]

I know right?

[Melancholia]

I have two dream jobs...

Latin Teacher
I started taking Latin my freshman year of high school and became immediately obsessed with it. I absolutely love the language. Translation is like a romantic puzzle, piecing together the stories of an ancient culture. The Roman Empire is my absolute favorite part of history, and the Classical Era in general produced fantastic mythology. I also think Latin is invaluable in tandem with subjects like Math and English. It's a system of rules and endings where A + B = C and memorization is key. 60% of the English language is derived from Latin, so having it in your repertoire greatly improves your grasp of the English language.

Midwife - My brother and I were both homebirths
- My two children were homebirths, with my second I squatted and caught him, and unwrapped the cord from around his neck.
- My best friend is a midwife
- I've attended 3 births, one of which was an "unassisted" birth in which I caught the baby and unwrapped the cord from around his neck.
I get off on birth. After being at a birth I have a high unlike anything I've ever felt. I feel extremely passionate about women and birth rights, and have a desire to be involved in actively supporting and advocating for women in labor.

[Quindary]

My ideal job has big impact.

Sometimes, big impact takes surprising forms. The product of many companies is the tip of the iceberg - it is considered the all-important facet of their work, but it is supported by myriad processes that can get really tangled, especially the bigger the company. I suspect one of the biggest reasons dead-end jobs are still a norm is that the people working these jobs are supporting those types of convoluted processes that, at the end of the day, severely hold the company back.

I don't fully disdain the corporate environment. But I don't like this aspect of it. With the right attitude, even big companies, the types that currently put out menial jobs for menial wage, could shift toward much bigger and better things with their employees. It would improve their products and experience. But the bureaucracy, as ever, holds it all back.

I was picked for my current role in my current company for the passion the supervisor sensed in me to participate in projects and change. The role I occupy is that of a "Tier 2 Repair" agent, basically a bigger ape who fixes the mess made by all the other systems and people so an existing customer's services can start working again, because "Tier 2 Repair never forgets", "Tier 2 Repair knows everything". Tier 2 Repair agents are sometimes engaged by engineers, project managers, etc. to play specific roles in their projects - hence the supervisor got excited at my interest.

The supervisor was right about my inclinations, but when I first went into the role I did not have a vision befitting me. I was there to learn, but for awhile it became less of a stepping stone and more of a place to get by, work hard, scrimp and save, and "hopefully move up" to places I couldn't define until I could finally leave decades later to do my own thing. Or, if I got lucky and found someplace else I could work, to leave sooner. Maybe I could help make some difference while there from whatever corner I occupied, but I couldn't see through the muck. But I've been processing this and converging on a bigger view. The more I see and understand of the world around me, the more I feel not only that I want, but I must have a bigger hand and more latitude in fixing and optimizing it. I know my inclinations and I must follow them. If I don't, I am a waste.

So, I want impact. I have begun envisioning myself with the independence to pursue knowledge of whatever I must, on my own time and through my own process, and I go forward with the purpose to knit that knowledge together, to fix the interplay of the company's pieces until they finally sing in harmony and form a symphony. I can now finally, purposefully, start to exercise my power in the social world as well as the mental. And if I don't do it here, I will do it somewhere else. I know what I'm worth, and I won't accept less.

Then maybe when I'm 55 or so I'll drop out of the workforce and go back to study physics.