Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Job Define Who You Are

A job can say a lot about who a person is. First of all, it is a good indicator of that person’s education level as you cannot have access to certain professions unless you hold a degree in that field. Secondly, a person’s job says a lot about tehri passion and ability. Not anyone can stand the sight of blood in order to become a doctor, just like not anyone can have sufficient patience to work as a teacher.

We normally judge someone according to what they do and draw conclusions such as: that person must be rich, or busy all the time or stressed, or even bored. There are countless ways in which our jobs describe who we are as they are our main pastime and the main factor that dictates how we live. However, we shouldn’t identify with our job title. Here are few reasons why.

Whenever someone asks us to tell them something about ourselves, in 90% of the cases we probably mention our job. If you don’t believe me, try test it on people you meet randomly. There are many reasons why we do so. Talking about our job is a neutral topic. It doesn’t allow others to intrude in our private life, and yet it allows them to know enough about us to get a pretty clear picture of how our life looks life.

Nonetheless, as the conversation with the inquisitive person progresses, you will gradually tell them more and more about yourself. From the formal job topic, you will probably end up talking about your hobbies, passions, things you like and dislike, opinions about politics, economy and art etc.

When you reach these subjects, you probably feel comfortable enough in that person’s company. Moreover, you feel the need to talk about those topics and stop focusing on your job. Why is that? Because your job is not your sole interest in life. In fact, it is a mere means of surviving in this world.

You are more than what you do those 8 hours/day in which you earn a living. You are a complex human being with passions, hopes, weaknesses and various skills that are not necessarily related to your work.

You are what you love doing and the persons you like to be surrounded by. No matter how interesting or rewarding your job is, the things you do in your personal life are those that give you more pleasure. Your hobbies, family and friends define you most than your work because they simply refer to you as a free person, not as a small piece in a big syste
m that is governed by economy, market tendencies and laws.

When you are at work, you fulfill your duty to the world by playing your small part in the big system that nurtures us. But when you are at home, you fulfill, or you should fulfill your duty to yourself by indulging in the things you like most.

Focusing solely on your job is not healthy and it might affect your relationships with your beloved ones. Even if you are extremely talented and genuinely passionate about your job, you should still have the power to see it as what it is: just a job.

So, next time somebody asks you to tell them a little bit about yourself (even if this will happen at a job interview … which is quite likely given the question), figure out what else defines you except for your work experience.