“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
This quote from Steve Jobs truly inspires me to work not just to acquire basic needs but also to find meaning in it. While some prioritize the financial gains that they could get when finding a job, I’m more focused on how my job will improve me. Will this job make me grow in terms of how I see things, act on given situations, interact with different people, decide on various alternatives, and manage people? For me, it’s easier to find a well-paying job than to find a company that will let you discover and learn at your own pace with the help of your support team.
However, the unemployment rate in the Philippines shot to a record of 17.7 percent in April 2020 due to the pandemic. When I watch television, I always see people complaining about their life status as the government’s financial aid is not enough to cover their daily expenses. As one of the concepts in the right to work, the government has direct responsibility to employ its citizens. But since not everyone can be a government employee, the government is also seeking the help of private companies.
Concerning the government’s role in providing work as a means to live, I remember our President’s promise to end contractualization. It is a worthy goal to ensure job security. Though this aim may also cause unemployment, I can see it as a way to have a stable job, wherein the due process at work will be applied. As I have learned in Business Ethics, employees, if given a chance, will surely choose a permanent job than on a one year or less employment. But since employees need a job to survive, they desperately accept a temporary job offer. It is frustrating to know that the end of contractualization is not happening because businesses use it to minimize human resource costs.
In reality, not all of us are privileged to finish our studies, making it difficult for others to find a job satisfying both economic benefits and moral rights. So for me, going back to the inspirational quote of Steve jobs, whatever job we have right now, as long as we see the value on it, we still have to be grateful. But if we think that our current job affects your physical, mental, spiritual and moral health, then don’t settle for less. We are into this world to find our purpose and not allow others to disregard our identity, including what we value and what we believe in.
As a graduate student, through my co-students and professors, I realize how lucky I am to be allowed not only to learn but also to serve. I too am fortunate that this subject will enable me to gauge what is happening around me because usually, I’m just focused on myself and the closest people in my life. I have started to reflect and see things on a deeper level, which makes me aware of the need to be a more concerned citizen. So to whoever reading this column, I hope you also find time to give yourself a break and reflect on how you can have an impact on someone’s life.
The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. This article is part of her blog, a requirement of the course, Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics, and CSR.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.