Why a Permanent Job is Bad for You


You're young, keen and 21. You may have just left training college or university. You feel you could rule the world and you have the answers to all the unasked questions. On top of that, you have an interview coming up soon, a permanent job on the horizon offering good pay, good perks and pretty good prospects. All that money and security, what more could anyone want as a starter?

It is 15, maybe 20 years later and, yes, you did get that wonderful job which you had to accept, along with everything else that you found went with it: the perks, the pitfalls and the pension. You may be one of the lucky few who made it to the top and are reviewing your achievement and options from a great height, and with few regrets. Fantastic. More likely, you are staring at a blank wall in front of you, doodling vacantly on an equally blank page, bored stiff with the type of work you're doing which has long passed its done-by date, ruefully reminiscing on where it all went wrong.

What have you achieved, during that time, you wonder? Nothing much, is the plaintive cry. Wistfully, you dream of missed opportunities long since gone; of things you might have done with your life, could have done and definitely won't get done before you retire. At least you still have your dreams and your pension.

If only you had done this, or that, life would be so much better. But words are cheap and easy; just about the only things that are, these days, while actions are much harder. And time is flying by, much too fast for you to notice. As you already know, it's a very costly job you've got, not least for your ambitions and sense of achievement. However, there is one crumb of comfort left: you are not unique.


Foiled Ambitions
Millions of people are trapped in a continuous loop of foiled ambitions, crumpled hopes and fading dreams. Everywhere disillusioned staff cling precariously to delusions of enjoyment with fixed haunted smiles stuck fast to their faces, the consequence of hastily exchanging valuable talent for what looked like the key to eternal happiness - a permanent job where they never have to worry - and repenting at leisure ever since.

A job for life may offer security, good conditions, a pension and career development, to some extent, but you could pay a hefty price for it in the form of a loss of personal creativity and development, freedom of thought, individual choice and personal initiative. Any job which lasts longer than 7 years without diverging or changing is bad for both employer and worker. That is why some of the unhappiest workers are in permanents jobs, especially in the public services. Fear of unemployment and not being able to pay the relentless bills keep them stuck in a groove of demotivation which robs them of their sense of worth and their confidence. It can even make them physically ill - as shown by the high absentee rate for many organisations. This is not so surprising when one considers the deleterious effects of a lack of change and challenge.

Human beings need to be creative and to constantly strive for excellence if they are to attain personal fulfilment. That's how we grow and extend ourselves. Yet true creativity and job satisfaction are inversely related to any permanent post. The longer we are in situ, the less creative we are, the more we hang on to the traditional 'tried and tested' ways of doing things and the more dissatisfied and inward looking we become. The opportunities for personal growth gradually decrease as we learn the job and stay put, no longer intellectually or creatively challenged, but deathly afraid to do anything else in case we are found wanting. In fact the longer we are in any post the less worthy we believe we are of getting another job, which is rather strange considering our increased knowledge and experience.


New Initiatives and Enthusiasm
On the other side, employers need to take advantage of new innovations and ideas to compete within their markets. Continuous success depends upon monitoring rivals and recruiting new blood who will bring in fresh ideas, enthusiasm, new initiatives and vitality. Having the same employees forever might engender stability, loyalty, full commitment and experience but, more than likely, it also encourages stagnation, fear of change, 'yes' workers, fear of 'rocking the boat', and a lack of personal risk-taking to protect the mortgage payments.

Old unchanging habits also lead to entrenched stereotypes, an unhealthy emphasis on tradition for its own sake (in place of what is right and just), narrow self-reflection, reaction instead of proaction and a reluctance to allow for other points of view. Invariably, it is always difficult for an employee to give of his/her best if there is no regular incentive. Everything attached to a permanent job, apart from bonuses, is already decided. Only an intrinsic sense of pride in the work brings its own rewards. For many people, that soon proves inadequate, though none of this happens overnight. It is a stealthy process which creeps up on us long before we are even aware of it.

CLICK HERE to try the SUCCESS QUIZ on Elaine's Den - her personal website that deals with all her expertise in one place: DATING, AGEING, RELATIONSHIPS, CONFIDENCE and SUCCESS. You might even be surprised at the results. Do SIGN her guestbook and even leave a comment.

OR, Why not join in this week's TOPIC OF THE WEEK (Can Pupils Learn 'Britishness'?) and leave a comment. Your input would be welcomed.

There is a LOT to keep you occupied in the way of articles, quizzes, recommended books, and even simple fun and games when you're tired of the serious stuff! ENJOY!