Perfect job?
Just musing on what factors would be in my perfect job - and which ones might be different for other people.
- Enough income to live on. Really, this is the baseline. If it's not paying the bills, there's no point in it.
- Predictability, in all aspects. I want to know that next week and next month are going to be similar enough to this one that I can make plans around it. Spontaneous difference is only OK if it's in an area I don't mind, or have prepared for. It also applies to co-workers and management, in that I'd much rather work with or for someone who was grumpy or annoying every day than someone who seemed to be randomly switching between 100 different personalities without a clutch.
- Not horribly against my (admittedly minimal) moral code. I'll audit tax returns and euthanise puppies all day, but I draw the line at deliberately annoying the shit out of people who have done nothing to deserve it, or misleading people just to turn a buck. This is why I don't tend to look for jobs in televangelism, telemarketing, phonescamming, and phishing, and why I am ultra-cautious about anything involving marketing, politics, sales, religion, advertising, and product evangelism.
- Being proportionally rewarded, either time-wise or via pay bonus, for production rate. If I can produce top-quality widgets at five times the speed of the average worker, I want to be paid five times the average rate or only have to work one day a week. Otherwise, I may as well just hire myself out as a contracting firm which can guarantee five person-weeks of work per week, and make five times the contracting rate.
- Minimal travel time between home and work. I'd actually prefer FIFO to a ninety-minute commute. Telecommuting or something involving a home office is perfect.
- No dress code or uniform. I know what looks good on me, and what needs minimal upkeep, and I'd like to be able to wear that all the time. I don't mind accessories - name badge, corporate or hi-viz vest, etc, but fifty-plus hours a week in a suit and tie needs to die.
- Being able to set my own hours. I work best when I'm not being interrupted, and a job which I can do 99% outside of normal business hours is fantastic for scheduling.
- Working in an industry I actually have an interest in. It's a bonus, sure, but if I could get all the other stuff, I'd probably be willing to give this one a miss.
- Enough income to live on. Really, this is the baseline. If it's not paying the bills, there's no point in it.
- Predictability, in all aspects. I want to know that next week and next month are going to be similar enough to this one that I can make plans around it. Spontaneous difference is only OK if it's in an area I don't mind, or have prepared for. It also applies to co-workers and management, in that I'd much rather work with or for someone who was grumpy or annoying every day than someone who seemed to be randomly switching between 100 different personalities without a clutch.
- Not horribly against my (admittedly minimal) moral code. I'll audit tax returns and euthanise puppies all day, but I draw the line at deliberately annoying the shit out of people who have done nothing to deserve it, or misleading people just to turn a buck. This is why I don't tend to look for jobs in televangelism, telemarketing, phonescamming, and phishing, and why I am ultra-cautious about anything involving marketing, politics, sales, religion, advertising, and product evangelism.
- Being proportionally rewarded, either time-wise or via pay bonus, for production rate. If I can produce top-quality widgets at five times the speed of the average worker, I want to be paid five times the average rate or only have to work one day a week. Otherwise, I may as well just hire myself out as a contracting firm which can guarantee five person-weeks of work per week, and make five times the contracting rate.
- Minimal travel time between home and work. I'd actually prefer FIFO to a ninety-minute commute. Telecommuting or something involving a home office is perfect.
- No dress code or uniform. I know what looks good on me, and what needs minimal upkeep, and I'd like to be able to wear that all the time. I don't mind accessories - name badge, corporate or hi-viz vest, etc, but fifty-plus hours a week in a suit and tie needs to die.
- Being able to set my own hours. I work best when I'm not being interrupted, and a job which I can do 99% outside of normal business hours is fantastic for scheduling.
- Working in an industry I actually have an interest in. It's a bonus, sure, but if I could get all the other stuff, I'd probably be willing to give this one a miss.