‘Why do I need to love my job?’

I’m a millennial but I don’t think what we do for work needs to fulfil our every desire

Do you know what it means to have a job you are passionate about? It means you never switch off. Ask your millennial friends about job satisfaction and they may tell you about the in-office barista and weekly social events but ask them about burnout and you’ll probably find that in equal measure. 

This Guardian article headlined, ‘Millennials want purpose over paychecks’  is six years old but the idea that millennials have a more emotionally-driven approach to how they make it rain (with money) still pervades. At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old woman (in my 30s), I feel like the satisfaction older generations had with working steadily at a job they got paid in and could afford them the lifestyle with which they could spend their free time enjoying hobbies, sounds like a more balanced way to be than our obsession with making our hobby our full-time job.

In Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic, she says that we can end up putting pressure on the thing we love, by expecting it to make money for us. This means it can sometimes stop becoming a hobby and begin to feel more like a headache. And then we lose the thrill of it all.

This more recent article on LinkedIn, titled: ‘Why Millennials are desperate for a career change’ suggests that a need for purpose, flexibility and growth are the reason most of my peers stay no longer than 2-3 years in any position. At the end [spoiler alert] there is some helpful advice for companies looking to keep their millennial employees for longer: Give them a meaningful, flexible work environment with room for growth and advancement, and they’ll perform. They’ll do wonders, and they’ll stick around.

And I read this and thought, Will they though?? The way we work has changed, pre-Pandemic but also much more since. There’s an expectation now that we all deserve better (potentially true) and that the next best job is just a swipe away ; just like Tinder and those who use/have used that (without the wedding stories) know how that pans out. In my many varied bios I’m described as a writer, a speaker, a model, an editor. It all sounds terribly creative and exciting but sometimes, oh what I wouldn’t give to be an Accountant with set hours, framework for everything and a straight path to financial gain. To be able to switch off when you leave the office is a luxury many of us creatives and arts professionals do not have. So why are millennials in all industries going after a 24/7 work mindset?

I used to work for a tech firm where they made all the meeting rooms look like rooms you’d have in your house. Included in the rooms (which must have cost a fortune in deco) was a swimming pool, a wine cellar and a library. We had a fully staffed cafe and bar and annual trips for staff to visit our US parent company. There were swings and silent breakout rooms and the sense that you could get everything you needed from the office. Which sounds great in theory but the silent message for me was whispered ever so subtly through the thrill of every incentive: ‘So why go home?’

Look, don’t get me wrong; as a creative, I do love to love my job. But that’s not the case for everyone and I have definitely experienced the downsides of being so tuned into my job that I can’t tune out - even when on holiday. 

I’m keen to know what you think though. Are we expecting too much from our jobs? I totally get that fulfilment is key for a balanced life but right now, I’m not convinced that seeking that from what would ordinarily be a 9-5 is going to make us any happier. 

Doll x

A bit about me...my full name is Tola-Doll Fisher (known to my friends as "Doll"). I’m head of brand for Woman Alive, a writer and model. In 2020, my first book Still Standing - 100 Lessons From An Unsuccessful Life was published by SPCK.

I want to inspire women (and men, but particularly women) through accessible faith and focus on finding joy despite not winning at life or being a "girl boss". Among other things, I am most proud of skiing in a bikini at the end of my ski season and being able to do dancer's pose in 5-inch heels. More from me…