Real jobs

2006-02-12 12:19 GMT

Occasionally I have noticed referring to things I'd love to do for living as "real jobs". Difference between a real job and a job nobody gives a damn is complex. It is not only the salary, because by doing shitty jobs or manual labour you can make a decent living. Hell, if you are trained plumber, you'll earn heaps of money and definetely more than an average guy with master's degree.

But living from the actual work you do or more specifically the time you spend on fixing things doesn't sound attractive. If you think about a car mechanic, he'll have to earn every cent by working his ass off. Money comes from fixing cars and every morning he will have to wake up and do it all over again. Same goes to being a security guard. There is no way in hell you can do lots of work and see how money starts to grow on its own.

For me real job is something you can be proud to tell people you are doing. It is scary to think how most of the people divide their jobs and personal lives in two separate boxes. Two parts with nothing to do with each other. Before industrialization this wasn't so. You could be a shoemaker, tailor or slave, but no matter what you did, your job was part of your identity. You worked as long as needed and rest of the time was spent in a guild house (if you were lucky enough to be a merchant or craftsman) with other men of your class, while still representing your profession.

Real job includes something the "McJobs" don't. Responsibility of yourself. For an average job welldone doesn't need anything else than obeying orders and playing by the book. McDonalds has an actual book about the size of the bible, where all rules and regulations are stated so, that even idiot can comprehend them and work efficiently. In real job worker can be part of the process, when decisions about things considering him are done. In real job worker can also take some leadership and organize things better, if they suck. In real job worker can see the results of his work.

Thank gods I have a real job again.

Joe

Something for further thought:

Max Weber: The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism
Eric Schlosser: Fast Food Nation