Career Peace

One of the major problems in the American workplace is job boredom. And while the job you have now may stress you to your limit, don’t be quick to wish for the opposite.

A job with absolutely no stress might be just as painful as one with too much. And it might leave you every bit as dissatisfied.

A job that doesn’t make good use of your skills can be nothing short of mind-numbing. Just ask Bruce Bartlett.

He held a high profile position at the U.S. Treasury Department: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Economic Policy. Sounds important. And it certainly paid well.

So you’d think Bruce Bartlett would have been pretty happy. But he wasn’t.

According to the Washington Post, even though Bartlett had his own secretary and supporting staff, he was bored out of his mind. Bartlett’s problem was that his job carried a very specific job description.

However, President Bush is so preoccupied with foreign policy (Iraq in particular) that economic policy just isn’t a concern at the White Hose. This leaves Bartlett and his staff with nothing to do.

According to the Post…

“There is a reason why prison is considered punishment,” Bartlett said, comparing it to his former job. “You may be in a gilded cage, but if you’re just forced to sit there for eight hours all day long, staring at the wall, it can be excruciating.”

On the other hand, a job that keeps you busy keeps your mind occupied. When a lot of things are happening in a short period of time, you begin to feel valued by your organization. Even though you may have too much job responsibility, your mind tells you how valued you are by your company.

So while you may dream of a career change where all you have to do all day is surf the net. But as the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. And it may not bring the peaceful and fulfilling worklife you seek.

Tags: Career Change