To think being “passionate about your job” is just code for being exploited?

My grandboss is passionate about her/our job. She has written several books on the subject matter. Our employer does not pay ffor conferences or courses, so she took AL and paid herself to go to a conference in Denmark. She uses annual leave to go do speeches, lecture other organisations etc. At least she is paid director level salary. She does not expect passion from us, just for us to do our work.

Fine if climbing the pole is your bag but there are many of us who have no interest in that, we are happy to be in the position we’re in and do it well.

Yet we get the gobshites who exclaim that we should have ‘passion’ which means do the work of our managers on top of our day jobs in the hope of being like them one sunny day. My experience is that they assume we are in a state of great admiration and envy of their achievements and most certainly must want the same.

I have a good job, I’m well qualified, I keep up with my CPD and do it well. I have no interest in becoming a ‘leader’ and not doing the actual work of it.

I think you do have to watch out for those kinds of phrases in job descriptions, they don't always mean what they seem to mean.

I work in a sector which has traditionally been female dominated, and also is seen as a vocation by many. It's chronically underpaid because of those things.

I find the idea of meaning in work, which a pp mentioned, more useful. I think people are happier and better at work if they think it's meaningful. It doesn't have to be high end stuff or hero stuff either, I know people who are really invested in providing good user experience in IT systems and get a lot of satisfaction about doing it well. So they put real care into their jobs. That's the ideal.

Unfortunately there are lot of jobs that are basically meaningless. At one point i was interviewing for corporate type stuff, I was secretly praying that through no fault of my own I wouldn't get one, because they did not seem like they would have any meaningful outcome for anyone, except maybe cash in the shareholders pockets.

Depends on the job!

Some jobs might well be exciting and in your area of interest, so it's not like going to work at all (my husband was lucky like that, and now he's retired he still basically carries on regardless! Who was it who said 'Do a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life'?

But it's ridiculous to say you need to be passionate for most admin or business jobs. They are routine and require accuracy, commitment, efficiency, reliability, attention to detail, to be a good colleague etc....but not passion.

There was a thread about interviewing/recruiting recently and this very valid point was made there. It's insulting to go for a basic admin job and be asked to explain why you're passionate about it.

That wouldn’t be an employers definition of passionate I fear. It always translates into works stupid hours and can’t say no.

Agree, if you are passionate about a spreadsheet /data/ projects then you really need to get out more. I think if you are doing something of a helping profession maybe it’s slightly more acceptable?

I'm passionate about the subject matter of my job. It's niche and fairly technical and probably incredibly dry to 98% of people, but it appeals to me. Passion wasn't required by the job ad, but being passionate has led to 3 promotions in 5 years, several cash bonuses, and generally having a high degree of job satisfaction and motivation.

Commenting from the other side as I am currently reading applications for an entry level position in our team, paid living wage. The “passion” is off the scale 😂 As is the use of “incredible” and other such hyperbole. Having to dig through all this guff to find what skills and experience they actually have is taking some time, plus energy from me to keep a positive mindset and not roll my eyes.
Nowhere in the JD did I put anything about the need for such a passionate approach to the job.

I do enjoy my job, I'm a teacher in a nice school. I look forward to going back after the holidays. I have cheerful conversations with my pupils (teens), and it's rewarding when I help them understand my subject.

But to say I have a "passion" for it, would frankly be a bit gross... passion is what I feel for my husband.

Thinking about it, I am passionate about my job.

Once a month when I get paid. When I know they’ve done that, the passion goes for another 4 weeks.

It surprises me not one iota that you’re all passionate about that kind of work. It attracts a type.

That’s very nice for you. Just don’t expect everyone else to feel similarly. If you think you’re making a positive difference to the world, great, that’s a bonus for you, but not everyone can have a job like that. Why should passion be ‘celebrated’ - you’re lucky enough to enjoy your job, most people don’t have that advantage, or just feel indifferent. It’s a weird thing to expect of everyone else.

Well, but surely you can see some people don’t get paid by the hour?

Some people are “passionate” about their jobs because they happen to do something they love.

Speak for yourself. I work for what could be described as an environmental agency. A huge number of people work for us because they want to work where that they believe they are doing some good and making the world a better place. Its not well-paid compared to the private sector, but the last vacancy in my team had applicants from four continents, because people that work in this field ARE passionate and its not all about the money. All the people I work with have grown up on David Attenborough documentaries and the like and have made career choices to reflect such interests. Passion still exists and is to be celebrated.

I bloody well am 😂 I’m happy to work my socks off until the last second but not a minute extra. My ‘passion’ stops the moment I’m not getting paid anymore.

It just means ‘I’m not clockwatching’.

Most people are happy to do a job to the best of their ability and be paid for it. But wanting them to summon up ‘passion’ and huge enthusiasm for it is ridiculous. People will put on a good show and tell you what you want to hear, but internally roll their eyes. A job is a job. It’s a means to an end. We work to live, not live to work.

Passionate about work? Bumholes to that! I like my nhs admin job and I’m not looking elsewhere but loving it with a passion is a bit of a stretch.

On the other hand my dh has said he hates his job with a passion.

YABU. I bloody love my job. It allows me to work with clever, quirky people who mostly also love their jobs and I am always learning. It can be fast paced and and I often wake up thinking about work, but I certainly don't feel exploited as I usually work a pretty civilised 8:30 to 5:30, with a couple of days WFH and I am very well compensated.

The job is the job. I would much prefer to work with somebody interested. Someone that asks questions about what they do. Such as "Why? Is this the best way we can do this process, or could it be improved? If we change this, will it make it better or worse for our clients? " I make it very clear in the job description what is required. If you are going to complain about having to visit cities that you probably wouldn't choose for a weekend break, you are not going to get as much out of the job as someone that likes visiting new places. Its public service, I can't do anything about the pay or conditions, so why wouldn't I want someone that is passionate instead of soneone that couldn't give a shit about the job itself. A passionate person will make the most of the experiences and skills they receive, including within our agency (not going elsewhere as you said) and will have a rewarding career.

I'd be a damn sight more passionate if I'm being paid properly to deal with constant changes, travel and having to learn a hundred different skills at any given moment. Telling me that it'll probably be useful when I look for a job somewhere else without paying me the actual value of the skills, intellectual demands and time involved isn't particularly motivating.

I could be that passionate person - as long as the price is right.

I care about the money. Couldn’t give a toss how varied or not the week is, or travelling to unusual places I probably didn’t want to visit anyway, or learning skills you think will be useful for me but I have no interest in. What absolute hubris to frame it as being ‘rewarded’, as though you think you’re doing someone a favour and people should be tripping over themselves for the honour of working for you. The reward is the money, bugger the other nonsense.

I mean that’s why 90% of journalism is paid fuck all so I’d agree

"Being passionate" also translates as "How can anything outside of work possibly be more important ?" which will get levelled at women as they have to leave at 5 to pick up children.

I like after work drinks-and-a-curry with my colleagues. Someone pulls that together every few months or so but we are an eclectic bunch, we don’t talk about work and there’s usually a collection of wives/husbands/older kids that tag themselves in. Team leader can’t really hold his beer so we take it on turns to retrieve him when he’s got himself lost again (the rule is that he has to have his WhatsApp location activated). If any of the ‘passion’ wankers tried to include this in some kind of work place perk or team bonding tosspottery they’d kill it dead.