If you’ve tried a variety of different jobs and career paths, and have yet to find your best fit work, you may find yourself in a position where you’re wondering…do all jobs suck?
This article is going to attempt to unpack that very question.
We’re going to look at the percentage of people that hate their jobs, why so many people hate their jobs, and attempt to answer the question of if all jobs really do suck.
Let’s dive in.
Contents
What Percent of People Hate Their Jobs?
A recent survey from the career website Zippia found that 50% of workers said that they dislike their jobs.
When you step back, that’s a fairly staggering number. Normal work day hours for most people are 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday for eight hours per day. That means that about half of your waking hours five days per week are spent at work.
Half of people hating half of how they spend their time is a shocking and disappointing number that reflects overall disengagement within the traditional workforce.
Why Do So Many People Hate Their Jobs?
There are a variety of reasons why people report to hate their jobs. Here are five of the top reasons that people report to hate their jobs, from the Zippia article referenced above and a CNBC article about a recent Gallup poll about the state of the workplace:
1. Unfair Pay
The top reason by a wide margin that was referenced in the Zippia article for people hating their jobs was unfair pay.
The wage gap between CEOs and employees has widened significantly over time, with CEO pay growing 1,460% since 1978 and establishing a 399:1 CEO vs. employee pay ratio.
Employees are certainly aware of the discrepancy in pay, which has led to a feeling that employees are simply working to make somebody else rich.
2. Overwork
Another common reason for people hating their jobs is feeling overworked. Particularly with the labor shortage of the pandemic, many people feel as if they’re being asked to give more and more without the upside of additional pay.
As two working parent households are becoming increasingly common to meet the rising cost of living, being forced to work extensive hours can be a drain on time with family and in community.
3. No Advancement
It’s important for people to feel like they’re working towards something. And if you’re stuck in the same job for years, without any growth or prospects for growth, it can be training and lead to people feeling disengaged in their jobs.
4. The Work Itself
Another common reason for disliking your job is not liking the work itself. Many people work just to make ends meet, and it can be difficult to monetize your interests or favorite skills.
So if you find yourself in a position where you really don’t enjoy the work that you’re doing yourself, it can be draining.
5. Your Boss
The final most common reason for disliking your job is having a bad boss.
A boss dictates a lot of your experience at work. They are a key driver of how appreciated and valued you feel at work, the type of communication you receive, the hours that you work for the company, etc.
And if you have an ineffective, or flat out toxic boss it can really make your overall at work pretty miserable.
Are You Actually Supposed to Enjoy Your Job?
In my view, you are supposed to enjoy your life. And your job/work is a one of the most important aspects to living a good life.
To that end, if you want to enjoy your life, I do think that you should enjoy your job and the work that you’re doing. If you don’t enjoy the job itself, then the job should at least enable you to enjoy your life and build the life that you want outside of the job.
If you don’t enjoy your job itself, and it is not enabling you to build the type of life that you want outside of work, then I think it’s time for you to step back, build a vision for the life that you want for yourself, and start working towards something better
Do All Jobs Suck?
No, all jobs do not suck. In fact, about 40% of people say that they like their jobs.
For me personally, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing some jobs that I’ve really enjoyed. For the jobs that I’ve enjoyed the most, it’s been the people and the environment that have made it so great.
For the really good jobs, I’ve had a good boss, colleagues that I really enjoyed working with, and a high performing team that put out good work for a successful company.
All of that to say is that there are good jobs out there.
If I could provide any advice, know the life that you want to build for yourself and how a job or career fits into that. From there, develop your career and skills in such a way that allows you to be picky and intentional about the jobs that you choose.
The more that you know what you want and put yourself in the driver’s seat of your job search, the more likely it is that you will find a job that does not suck.
Conclusion
Do all jobs suck? The answer is no, they do not.
However, the truth is that many jobs do suck for various different reasons.
So, do everything you can to establish a vision for what you want your life to look like. And try to find a job and career path that fits into what you’re trying to build.
