Work and Trade: Are we able to pursue a career in our area of interest?
Why do we work? We work to earn money, and in turn get the necessities we need for our daily lives. Or even, to get the material goods we desire. In this way, many find work a drudgery-working for the sake of it, as we are trapped in the vicious cycle to work to get what we want and need in our lives. There is no motivation to work (other than the need to). Some argued that if we are able to find a job we like, we are less likely to find working a chore. In our area of interests, we are motivated to work. However, how many are able to get a job they like?
In Singapore, due to its relatively limited resources and our government’s policies, our economy is more focused on the commerce sector and recently, in the science and technology. As a result, there are higher chances of finding a job in the commerce sector. Just take a walk in the Central Development District, majority are the skyscrapers of the banks. We need to work to survive. So will we go into an area where there are more jobs available or pursue our interest as, say, a curator where the need for such talent is in scarce demand? Hence the majority may end up in a job they do not like but have to accept in order to survive. I mentioned that the government is developing out science and technology sector, so presumably, there will be more jobs available too. However, for this sector, it is not so much of ‘learn as you do’ work like in the commerce. Knowledge is needed. Not everybody has the knowledge needed, and again, they will be forced to accept a job that they do not have an interest in.
In other countries, they may not face the limitations due to lack of resources as we do, but globalization has affected them too. As the global economy becomes more integrated, and countries become more specialized in an area, it is even more difficult to find a job that one is truly interested in. for example, in the poor African nations, they focus largely on their agriculture sector. It is almost impossible for one to get a job in other areas. Likewise, for developed nations like the US, much is focused on the knowledge-based economy, like technology. It is increasingly becoming more difficult to find a job in the manufacturing sector. It gets even worse when large corporations outsource jobs to reduce production costs. Layoffs became frequent. When one cannot even secure a job, how can he have the privilege to choose a job he is interested in? Many also critised that those in the poor nations are exploited. But they do not have a choice. If they do, will they be willing to settle for a low-paid manufacturing job? Thus, in a sense, globalization has also resulted in confining one to do a job we may not really like.
Even if one decided to pursue his own interests, despite how the economy is like, influence from his family may keep him from doing so. Typically, parents and relative will have a generalized idea on which jobs has a “better and more stable salary”. So as parents, they may want the child to go for such jobs to have “a better future”. An example would be that majority feel that getting a business degree is more useful that getting a, say, arts degree. A business degree will more probably secure a job as more emphasis is placed on the commerce sector. Hence, a student may opt for a degree programme that he does not really like. Also, when one is married with has a family, the problem of livelihood is more important that one’s interests. Bills have to be paid, bread is needed and the children needs education. One cannot easily neglect all these to pursue his own interests. Then, again, one is settling for a job that he may not like.
Thus, the economy and our environment do not allow us to pursue a job within our interests all the time. Then, what for we work? Because there is a need to. We are trapped in the cycle to work to survive, despite our misery.