The Concept of Career and Defining Career

Quick introduction on this section on Career. I like to view my life in years, other than Annual Project, I have Annual Review to summarise my year, Annual Theme to sum up the recurring theme of the year, and an Annual Career Topic to learn about the work-life.

2016-17: The Concept of Career

2018: Work Life Balance

2019: Corporate Politics

2020: Job Change

The following is me going backwards to write about my 2016-17 learning: The Concept of Career.

***

I was fresh out of university and I already knew that I have a job. My studies were sponsored by a local Malaysian company and I had a 3-year bond to fulfill. So, even before final exams, I was already in contact with my employer-to-be to sort out my role with the company. Even during my one-month long graduation trip, I was also sorting out the process. I had two interviews and started working within a month. Safe to say, and to be honest, I never thought of any other options after university. Like a lot of people, I jumped straight into the workforce.

Source: Weforum.org, Pinterest

What is it so confusing about career?

I remembered I couldn't help but to ponder, there seems to be only one way of living - study, work, retire. Why do we need to work? Why can't we just enjoy life? Why do we need a career? What is a career? Why are we engaging in the rat race? Is that life? I talked to a senior colleague about this. I was taken aback when he said 'You need money, I don't get why are you complaining'. This article from Psychology Today summarises some of my concerns, on work driving life away.

I agreed with my senior colleague, but perhaps I needed some buy-in to the concept of career as this is something I would be spending the next 30 years on. I wanted to make sure I am not working for the sake of working. I needed to know my why, no matter how simple or counter-intuitive it is.

So how do I come to terms with working being my choice of living and what is my concept of career?

Firstly of course, it is common sense that we need to work in exchange for money, which in turn allow us to acquire essential items to survive, and then purchase additional products/services and pursue other lifestyle activities to enjoy and enhance our living, and of course in preparation for the later retired age when one is not able to work. Since I started work, my expenses were divided to savings and expenses, and I have expanded it to insurance and investments. Other than the necessity of food, I can now also afford some luxuries in life including beauty treatments, fitness membership and my travel trips! If I am subscribing to modern living, I need to work to be able to sustain the lifestyle.

Secondly on the concept of career, it gives me the drive and motivation to pursue something. You can say I am ambitious but I think I am actually more curious than ambitious. Even in 2016-17 when I worked, I enjoyed both professional and personal development that came from working. The skills, knowledge, experience from work and the people I met through working, are all invaluable. I accepted it as a way of living that I can grow and derive joy/happiness from.

However, why do I seem confused and against it when it's so simple and counter intuitive?

Firstly, I am not exactly one who accept things for the sake of it being the norm. At that point in life, I just felt that life seems like a preset. For a Malaysian, 6 years of kindergarten, 6 years of primary school, 5 years of high school, 4-6 years of pre-university and university, ~30 years of work, then the rest is retirement years. Quoting the World Economic Forum article, the study-work-retire stages just felt so rigid and I wasn't given a choice. But is there other better way? Yes, if one were to live off grid where you don't need money to survive, but realistically we all know that is not the case.

Secondly, at that point in life, I was and am still into alternative lifestyles - van life, tiny house, digital nomad, youtubers, influencers. It was the time when there was a boom in alternative lifestyles. These lifestyles are still money generating but very different from the mainstream working in an office. While I know it isn't for me, I somehow admire the freedom and the glamour life they show on social media. Whether it's sustainable, I think there are successful cases. (Well, I still have the dream of doing van life and/or tiny house though, while having an office job)

Images: Van life, digital nomad and influencer. Source: Wix

Conclusion

I believe and subscribe to the study-work-retirement is my way to live, but a better and bigger questions for me (and you) to figure out is, what is in work for you and how do you want to live it. It all depends on your overall life goals and interests, whether or not you want to be ambitious with your career, what industry and what profession, what will your lifestyle be. As for the how, it depends on the ambitious level. While I am fairly ambitious, I would like to think I am full of life and also one who quite believe (but haven't yet discovered much) in La Dolce Vita. It will be a topic I write the next time.

So I sorted out my basic agreement and definition of career. I remembered thinking I have the right attitude about building a career now, but I definitely needed the right foundation too. Hence the next annual learning comes.....