When looking for jobs, I become overanalytical of the process (usually as a way of distracting myself from trying hard). I've realised that there are two types of profession, which I shall name 1) Maintaining Jobs and 2) Creative Jobs.
Most jobs are Maintaining Jobs. They exist only to keep everything running smoothly; to maintain the Status Quo. These are necessary tasks for the efficient functioning of society. My job is a Maintaining Job. It's administrating at a University, so that it continues to do what it's supposed to.
Creative Jobs are fairly self-explanatory. But they're not just artistic. they are any job that involves making an improvement to the world. This could be via creating a piece of art, but could equally be inventing a new product or method which makes things better (or faster, or brighter, or more satisfying).
Having a Maintaining Job is pretty depressing, because you're fighting a perennial battle against awkward reality. It's like painting the Forth Bridge. What you do doesn't really matter. Although it's vital to keep the human race alive, and keep society lubricated, it isn't exactly pushing the boundaries of human achievement.
A Creative Job, even a pretty mundane one (coming up with a new filing cabinet design, for example) is at least adding something to the world.
Of course, there are Creative Jobs that serve to aid Maintaining Jobs (Mr Filing Cabinet, inventing a new medical treatment) and Maintaining Jobs that support Creative ones (whoever makes sure Russell Brand doesn't die).
I suppose I prefer the idea of having a Creative Job, as I am primarily an individualist. I value solo inspiration above working in a collective for a common cause (which is why I'd be a shit Marxist - even though I could deal with the beard and cigars). As a Maintainer, you don't really live forever, you're just a cog. As a Creator, you get people to remember what you've done. I am an atheist, therefore there aren't many routes to immortality, so recording a novelty Christmas number one with Joey Barton and the monkey from Friends is a plausible one (sort of).
This discussion does depend, of course, on defining yourself by your job. I hate that idea. If you love your family and care for the people around you, what does it matter if you're working the check-outs at Asda, or discovering a cure for cancer? Unless someone in your family has cancer, I suppose. Or loves Asda-brand beans and could use the discount.
It doesn't really matter. When I'm at home, I don't think about work. But when I'm at work (as I am now) the idea of spending my time painting watercolours seems a hell of a lot more edifying than copy-and-pasting a website into a Word document (even though I'm rubbish at painting).
It really boils down to ideas. I love ideas. I think they're the most important things in society. But most people aren't so keen, and view them as the delusions of students and homosexuals and want everyone to keep their heads down, push on through, and not make any trouble.
Ideas are trouble. And, at the moment, I'm not causing any. Which is disheartening to say the least...
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