Nigel 
August 4th, 2009
Ladders are what you make of them
Whether you’re planning a career or looking to move from an unsuitable job there’s likely to be something in this list worth bearing in mind:
How varied?
Some people need more variety than others, and some find their own variety in a job that looks repetitive. Recently I wondered what life was like for the Doctor giving me an ultra-sound scan. She said she never found her job boring, yet seemed to be stuck in a small cubicle operating a single machine all day. I guess everyone she checks is different, and the scanning part of the job must be rather like an ever-changing computer game.
Look beyond the superficial. Chat with people in that career. Don’t just listen to people who made a mistake choosing it. Who knows, you might be just the type of person who would revel in the work.
Alone/in a team
As a teacher I was isolated from my colleagues when teaching. This doesn’t suit everyone. However I was constrained by the Maths department and school policies because I was also part of a team. For me it was probably the right balance.
High/low responsibility
When we’re young it’s easy to think what really matters is rising up the chain of command, becoming more important, and of course earning more. Higher position brings greater responsibilities. For most of us there’s a limit to how much of this we can take. It’s good to avoid being promoted one rung higher than we can handle.
High/low profile
Some people work well behind the scenes. Others thrive in the limelight. In teaching I’ve had colleagues who no way would lead a morning assembly or take part in a show. In the classroom they felt in control, but with a sea of unknown faces staring at them? Forget it.
Indoors/outdoors
A runner I knew in the seventies followed his parents’ wishes when he left school. He got a ‘proper’ job with prospects. They promised to send him on courses but didn’t. It was an office job. He was happiest roaming the countryside on foot so after a lot of thinking he switched to a job with the Forestry Commission. It was mainly out of doors in all weathers. He loved it. As Genesis once said, he’d “rather be a countryman than a town man”.
Fixed/travelling
The son of a friend drives trucks up and down the country and thinks its the best job in the world. Me, I prefer to get to know my working environment and know where the staff room and refectory are. Although the occasional day somewhere else is nice.
Own boss/employed
This is like ‘high/low responsibility’ above. Do you like to have the full picture, be taking every aspect of the business into account, have many strands of work to monitor, be setting standards and objectives? Or do you prefer to know what it is you’re supposed to be doing and get on with it? Mind you there are bosses and bosses!
High/low risk
This could be physical risk, such as working on an oil rig or as a pathology lab technician, or it could be financial risk, such as setting up your own business or doing work like some kinds of selling which are paid by results. Some people thrive living on the edge, others prefer security.
Dealing directly with clients?
This links with high/low profile above. If something goes wrong are you the person your clients shout at? As a teacher I was partially buffered from dissatisfied parents by a Headmaster and a Head of Department. However I was face to face with the students themselves almost all the time and got their complaints first hand. Also got the odd bottle of wine and a nice card, and got to see how my efforts panned out.
Working with people or things?
One open morning at school a couple of past pupils turned up together, obviously still friends. I’d taken them mountaineering in Scotland a few summers earlier. One was an accountant spending most of his time alone doing paperwork. The other was an Art, Design and Technology teacher. One was far better paid than the other. One was far happier with life than the other. Guess.
Academic/practical
As a teacher I was having to concentrate hard most of the time, and often think stuff through carefully. Now I’m retired from teaching I can thoroughly enjoy helping build scenery or rig lighting for plays at my old school. I get lost in the simple manual work. It has it’s own challenges.
How much paperwork?
In teaching there’s marking, writing reports, marking, writing assessments, marking, writing to parents, and marking. I miss none of that, although it was an essential part of the job. (Something that made it clear I was no longer fit to teach was how little marking I had the strength to do in the last few years). Do you want to just get on with your job and have someone else do the paperwork, or do you like doing admin?
Serving people or making money?
A teacher’s pay is okay, but with a good degree from a good university I could have found something with much better financial prospects. Trouble was I wanted to be of direct benefit to people. I made the right choice. Had enough to live comfortably, and had a tremendously fulfilling career.
How much does the job pay?
This matters, but maybe not as much as you might think. The trick is to go with a lifestyle that matches your income rather than be ever unhappy because you’re constantly wanting more. They say multi-millionaires also keep wanting more. Research a few years ago (sorry, I don’t have a link) showed that full-time church ministers are not only one of the happiest working groups, but can also expect to live longer than most of us. And they typically work long hours for a salary that permits few luxuries.
oh, and:
Be careful you don’t spend your life struggling up the ladder only to find it is resting against the wrong wall. (Sorry, source unknown).
