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Always choose the job you love, always, always. I can vouch for that - I left LA making decent money and now I make little writing all day, but I'm happier than I have ever been. I'm glad Passage had an impact on you, because I believe games can have all kinds of resonant effects on the people that play them. The first game I loved, for instance, affected my whole life and led me here. There you go...
@Colette:
May I ask what that game was? And I forgot to mention it in my article, but I've always felt that games can be art. A lot of games aren't art, but in my opinion a lot of movies aren't either...
Anyways, my dad has always said exactly what you are saying, to choose what I love to do.
May I ask what that game was? And I forgot to mention it in my article, but I've always felt that games can be art. A lot of games aren't art, but in my opinion a lot of movies aren't either...
Anyways, my dad has always said exactly what you are saying, to choose what I love to do.
Hm. Tough to say, always. As you said, compromise. I would rather do something I semi-love making good money than something I hate. Of course, you first need to know what you love. Even some things you love get boring. Personally, I'm going to do something which isn't repetitive that I make good money at(hopefully something with promotions available). But if it's just those two choices, definitely love. Nice Office Space quote, too.
I had a job that I loved doing more than the job I am doing now, the newer job has horrible hours but pays really well, and I've hated it. The only postive thing aoout it is that that hate pushed me into changing my life, and got me writing here on Destructoid as a way to pass time.
@Aether Wyrm:
I don't really semi-love anything. I'm a black or white kind of guy when it comes to things I enjoy. Either I'm really into it, or I'm not. I'm sure there are some things that I'm in-between on, but not when it comes to jobs really.
@Excremento:
Having bad hours makes a bad job even worse. Not only does it take up so much time, but it also inconveniences you overall. I hope you find something better!
I don't really semi-love anything. I'm a black or white kind of guy when it comes to things I enjoy. Either I'm really into it, or I'm not. I'm sure there are some things that I'm in-between on, but not when it comes to jobs really.
@Excremento:
Having bad hours makes a bad job even worse. Not only does it take up so much time, but it also inconveniences you overall. I hope you find something better!
I used to work as a manager in a call center. I made something like 15 bucks an hour. I fucking hated it. I came home drained. I fought with my girlfriend at the time. I cried before going in because I knew I had to decimate someones day and possibly life by firing them and cutting off their only means of income. I lived comfortably.
Now I work with the mentally handicapped and am barely scraping by money wise with 8 bucks an hour. And I haven't been happier. i get more time to game. I play on the computer and game at work. I play games with the guys I work with. It's amazing. While I'm only barely scraping by, Like I said. I've never felt more relaxed and at peace with my life. I live well now.
Now I work with the mentally handicapped and am barely scraping by money wise with 8 bucks an hour. And I haven't been happier. i get more time to game. I play on the computer and game at work. I play games with the guys I work with. It's amazing. While I'm only barely scraping by, Like I said. I've never felt more relaxed and at peace with my life. I live well now.
You're welcome, man. I love my job and I love my life and I have time for the things that are really important. What more could I ever ask for?
Personally, I'm disgusted that we spend eight hours per day (on average, sometimes more) doing something that we don't want to do just so we can afford to survive.
Haha...at first, I thought you were referring to sleep, and I took umbrage at that, because I love sleeping. But then I realized you meant eight hours of work per day.
You know, I’ve lately been thinking about this a lot as well. I’m 21 and a college student, and I’m majoring in chemical engineering. I remember that during my freshman year, professors in all the different engineering majors came to our class (trying to get us to join their major, of course). I remember the ChemE professor saying that chemical engineers have the highest average starting salary out of college (it’s still true today: $59,361 as of September). Subconsciously, that may have had an effect on my decision to pick ChemE, I can’t definitively say yes or no—though I would’ve likely picked it anyway, because I wanted to go into the pharmaceutical industry.
Lately, though, I’ve really been reconsidering. Frankly, I haven’t enjoyed much of my chemical engineering coursework, and ironically enough, it’s the humanities courses I’ve taken that have kept my GPA from tanking completely. Also, I’m taking a class on environmental politics, where we learned about how chemical and pharmaceutical companies are some of the worst offenders with respect to public health and the environment. So I have the same dilemma as you, and though I’d like to just say that I know I’d rather do something I love than slave away at a job I hate just for more money, life just isn’t that simple. Hell, I’m afraid to even bring this up with my parents, because I know they’ll immediately get on my case with stuff like “you’ve wasted four years of your life” and “you should’ve thought about this before you picked a damn major” and “that’s $160,000 down the drain, then” (I’m exaggerating; they’re not that nuts, but they certainly wouldn’t be happy if, all of a sudden, I just decided to go into American history or something after I graduated). *Sigh* I wish someone would just hand me a job and say, “You can get the best of both worlds here!”
Haha...at first, I thought you were referring to sleep, and I took umbrage at that, because I love sleeping. But then I realized you meant eight hours of work per day.
You know, I’ve lately been thinking about this a lot as well. I’m 21 and a college student, and I’m majoring in chemical engineering. I remember that during my freshman year, professors in all the different engineering majors came to our class (trying to get us to join their major, of course). I remember the ChemE professor saying that chemical engineers have the highest average starting salary out of college (it’s still true today: $59,361 as of September). Subconsciously, that may have had an effect on my decision to pick ChemE, I can’t definitively say yes or no—though I would’ve likely picked it anyway, because I wanted to go into the pharmaceutical industry.
Lately, though, I’ve really been reconsidering. Frankly, I haven’t enjoyed much of my chemical engineering coursework, and ironically enough, it’s the humanities courses I’ve taken that have kept my GPA from tanking completely. Also, I’m taking a class on environmental politics, where we learned about how chemical and pharmaceutical companies are some of the worst offenders with respect to public health and the environment. So I have the same dilemma as you, and though I’d like to just say that I know I’d rather do something I love than slave away at a job I hate just for more money, life just isn’t that simple. Hell, I’m afraid to even bring this up with my parents, because I know they’ll immediately get on my case with stuff like “you’ve wasted four years of your life” and “you should’ve thought about this before you picked a damn major” and “that’s $160,000 down the drain, then” (I’m exaggerating; they’re not that nuts, but they certainly wouldn’t be happy if, all of a sudden, I just decided to go into American history or something after I graduated). *Sigh* I wish someone would just hand me a job and say, “You can get the best of both worlds here!”
@BrOnXbOmBr21:
I know what you mean...that's why I haven't started college yet. I did for a short period but I realized I wasn't sure what I planned on doing yet so I stopped going. My fiancée's sister has changed majors multiple times, which definitely pissed off her parents. I believe she's a history major now who will be getting her bachelors soon, hopefully that is what she really wants. My fiancée is still trying to figure out what she wants to do.
I say go for what you want man...how far into the whole thing? If you're almost there, just finish it out then pursue what you want while making good money due to your degree. Hell, just having a degree will help get you a job in what you love even if it's completely unrelated just because people love degrees.
I know what you mean...that's why I haven't started college yet. I did for a short period but I realized I wasn't sure what I planned on doing yet so I stopped going. My fiancée's sister has changed majors multiple times, which definitely pissed off her parents. I believe she's a history major now who will be getting her bachelors soon, hopefully that is what she really wants. My fiancée is still trying to figure out what she wants to do.
I say go for what you want man...how far into the whole thing? If you're almost there, just finish it out then pursue what you want while making good money due to your degree. Hell, just having a degree will help get you a job in what you love even if it's completely unrelated just because people love degrees.
Yeah, I’m a senior, so it’s a bit late to change majors now :) I agree, though, and that’s pretty much my plan as of now...I’ll graduate, and then just work where I want to. Thanks for the advice, and best of luck with your efforts to enter the gaming industry.
I hate it when people share their ambitions and goals, because it serves to remind me that I'm almost thirty and haven't done anything. Oh, I'd like to go back to art-school, something that fell through back in the day for reasons beyond my control, but wanting to do something doesn't change all the responsibilities and obstacles I have keeping me from doing it right now.
So yeah, I'm both bitter and rather awed by how together you guys seem to have things. Good on you. You fuckers. :P
So yeah, I'm both bitter and rather awed by how together you guys seem to have things. Good on you. You fuckers. :P
@Cyberxion:
Trust me man, it's just a facade. I am far from having all my things together. Laziness really holds me back. I'm trying to fight it, but it's an uphill battle. You still have plenty of time even at thirty, though I understand your regret.
Trust me man, it's just a facade. I am far from having all my things together. Laziness really holds me back. I'm trying to fight it, but it's an uphill battle. You still have plenty of time even at thirty, though I understand your regret.
At least you have an idea of something you want to get into.
Someday I might figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Already 23 I have no idea...dang...
Someday I might figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Already 23 I have no idea...dang...
I think I can understand you. I'm 21, studying a career I like but I think is going to drive me nowhere and stucked in a small dutch city improving my english.
The fact is I'm pretty sure that in two years I will not living thanks to my career. But what can I do? I really don't know but I hope I can find out soon. Meanwhile I will write about videogames and study about cinema and radio... the future can wait at least one more day.
The fact is I'm pretty sure that in two years I will not living thanks to my career. But what can I do? I really don't know but I hope I can find out soon. Meanwhile I will write about videogames and study about cinema and radio... the future can wait at least one more day.
@Gorgoncete:
Care to elaborate? How would you not be living thanks to your career? Your post was very mysterious!
Care to elaborate? How would you not be living thanks to your career? Your post was very mysterious!
I'm in college myself. I hate the fact myself that I didn't really start thinking (at least not in-depth) about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I changed my mind so much. Eventually I just figured that since I liked science and math, I wanted to just get a job that possibly utilized that knowledge while making a lot of money without having to do a lot of work. My mother suggested being a Pharmacist and I decided to go with it.
Here I am now, in Pharmacy school 4 years later. I'm 21 and I can't say I hate my job (I work as an intern at the moment). Sometimes I love my job, sometimes I hate it. I think that seems to be how it works when you deal with the general public. I remember my first government-taxed job working in a theater. Though I had similar experiences, I still very much enjoyed the perks and people I worked with. I think I can say the same thing about where I work at now as well. I love the people I work with and get along relatively well.
I think I'm relatively lucky because I've yet to have a job that I truly 'hated'. It seems more like I've either been at the right place at the right time, or was just lucky enough to make the right choices. I'm afraid if I go on too long my mind will start to wander, but I think it's sad that most people aren't satisfied with their jobs in general.
Here I am now, in Pharmacy school 4 years later. I'm 21 and I can't say I hate my job (I work as an intern at the moment). Sometimes I love my job, sometimes I hate it. I think that seems to be how it works when you deal with the general public. I remember my first government-taxed job working in a theater. Though I had similar experiences, I still very much enjoyed the perks and people I worked with. I think I can say the same thing about where I work at now as well. I love the people I work with and get along relatively well.
I think I'm relatively lucky because I've yet to have a job that I truly 'hated'. It seems more like I've either been at the right place at the right time, or was just lucky enough to make the right choices. I'm afraid if I go on too long my mind will start to wander, but I think it's sad that most people aren't satisfied with their jobs in general.
Well, I sort of had an epiphany today.
See, for the longest time I wanted to be an artist. I love drawing, and have a bit of self-taught talent. Thing is though, I'm not quite as into it as I used to be, and got to questioning whether or not it was something I could see myself doing as a job. I couldn't really answer that definitively.
I'm still sort of into the idea, but in thinking about it, I realized that I really love writing, and think that I'm gonna take some courses to brush up on all the things I forgot since I was in school, as well as to learn some of the things I never bothered to pay attention to back when the idea of writing for a living had never crossed my mind.
Yeah, I know I've got some studying to do, but man, I think it would be so fucking cool. Hell, even if I never make anything of it, I think it would be rad just to have done something with my life.
So yeah, this all got me thinking, and I appreciate it. I guess I'm grateful to the game for bringing up the subject too. Yeah...
See, for the longest time I wanted to be an artist. I love drawing, and have a bit of self-taught talent. Thing is though, I'm not quite as into it as I used to be, and got to questioning whether or not it was something I could see myself doing as a job. I couldn't really answer that definitively.
I'm still sort of into the idea, but in thinking about it, I realized that I really love writing, and think that I'm gonna take some courses to brush up on all the things I forgot since I was in school, as well as to learn some of the things I never bothered to pay attention to back when the idea of writing for a living had never crossed my mind.
Yeah, I know I've got some studying to do, but man, I think it would be so fucking cool. Hell, even if I never make anything of it, I think it would be rad just to have done something with my life.
So yeah, this all got me thinking, and I appreciate it. I guess I'm grateful to the game for bringing up the subject too. Yeah...
I've always considered people who really hate their jobs to be sad losers, because the only one who can do anything about it is YOU, if you hate your job, QUIT
I know its doesn't always seem that easy, but in the end it just IS...
I've started working in the wood-industry when I was 13 (while being a student off course), then changed to installing networks for companies when I was 18 and studying in Mechelen, then when I turned 20 I started working for a movie theather to pay for my college-costs, in between I've done about a million other one-day-assignments (being the only gamer in a family of 4 kids is NOT easy...) all just to earn money...
Now I've got a really stressy job ( managing several thousands of IT-systems for Toyota HQ in Europe ) BUT I love it and I earn a nice living of it, plus I get a raise every 6 months I can keep up here... ( average time before burnout @ Toyota Europe Operations = 6 months, most people quit before they make it to 3 months or get fired for messing up and I'm here already 2.5 years :p )
If I would HAVE to do a job i hate, they better pay me like crazy to do it... my time is limited and like any limited editions, its fucking expensive :-) ( allthough I will go through the most crazy shit for my pay, 12 hour shifts without as much as a moment to go to the toilet or smoke a sigaret, answering 4 phones and a cellphone to get the mainframes back online or whatever business-critical problem we get are sadly no exception...)
Luckily tonight's a bit calm so I can spend my time on dtoid...
I know its doesn't always seem that easy, but in the end it just IS...
I've started working in the wood-industry when I was 13 (while being a student off course), then changed to installing networks for companies when I was 18 and studying in Mechelen, then when I turned 20 I started working for a movie theather to pay for my college-costs, in between I've done about a million other one-day-assignments (being the only gamer in a family of 4 kids is NOT easy...) all just to earn money...
Now I've got a really stressy job ( managing several thousands of IT-systems for Toyota HQ in Europe ) BUT I love it and I earn a nice living of it, plus I get a raise every 6 months I can keep up here... ( average time before burnout @ Toyota Europe Operations = 6 months, most people quit before they make it to 3 months or get fired for messing up and I'm here already 2.5 years :p )
If I would HAVE to do a job i hate, they better pay me like crazy to do it... my time is limited and like any limited editions, its fucking expensive :-) ( allthough I will go through the most crazy shit for my pay, 12 hour shifts without as much as a moment to go to the toilet or smoke a sigaret, answering 4 phones and a cellphone to get the mainframes back online or whatever business-critical problem we get are sadly no exception...)
Luckily tonight's a bit calm so I can spend my time on dtoid...
2 things...I wish you nothing but luck in pursuit to be a writer.
I think about the question you asked, and I would have to say...depends. I'm not trying to cop-out. If I could work a shit job, but make big bucks, like big-I-can-retire-and-chill-at-40 money I would say that I would do something I hated for 15 years. Knowing that I would be able to retire at a young enough age that I could do the things I want is increadible incentive. But tomorrow is never guaranteed.
Now if I could make a decent living doing something I loved, and not be on the wrong side of the poverty line there is a big incentive.
I'm just typing what I'm thinking and trying to get to the point...If I could do something I loved and be comfortable (not wealthy, but not poor) I'd have to go that route. Just for the fact that I would probably die the day after I retire...
Seriously though....Good luck with the writing...
I think about the question you asked, and I would have to say...depends. I'm not trying to cop-out. If I could work a shit job, but make big bucks, like big-I-can-retire-and-chill-at-40 money I would say that I would do something I hated for 15 years. Knowing that I would be able to retire at a young enough age that I could do the things I want is increadible incentive. But tomorrow is never guaranteed.
Now if I could make a decent living doing something I loved, and not be on the wrong side of the poverty line there is a big incentive.
I'm just typing what I'm thinking and trying to get to the point...If I could do something I loved and be comfortable (not wealthy, but not poor) I'd have to go that route. Just for the fact that I would probably die the day after I retire...
Seriously though....Good luck with the writing...
@Ocified-Xboxer:
But what if you died before 40 in some freak accident? You wasted your life working and weren't really able to enjoy it since you never made it to that point. Plus you're now much older and used up your youth. It's kind of a gamble really.
I'm really confused right now because since I wrote this I had a pretty serious tragedy occur. I still plan on doing this but I haven't been feeling motivated since I've just been kind of down. I need to get back on the horse but I don't feel well...
But what if you died before 40 in some freak accident? You wasted your life working and weren't really able to enjoy it since you never made it to that point. Plus you're now much older and used up your youth. It's kind of a gamble really.
I'm really confused right now because since I wrote this I had a pretty serious tragedy occur. I still plan on doing this but I haven't been feeling motivated since I've just been kind of down. I need to get back on the horse but I don't feel well...
