A Good Job Versus A Great Life - Is This A Fair Comparison?

A good job versus a great life is a never-ending discussion. Maybe it's not a fair comparison, but it's important to continue to focus on the way we lead our lives as technology, work,  economics, society, world events, and our own expectations continue to encroach on our well-being. We spend the majority of our productive time working and if we're not creating our version of a great life in the process then what are we doing?

Typical 24-Hour Day for Americans

According to the American Time Use Survey (June 2013), a typical day for a working person consists of 8.45 hours of sleep, 0.76 hours for personal care, 1.24 hours to eat and drink, 7.95 hours to work, 3.26 hours to watch TV, and 1.76 unclassified hours (commuting, random activities, etc).  For a total of: 8.45 + 0.76 + 1.24 + 1 + 7.95 + 3.26 + 1.76 = 23.42 hours. We repeat the pattern for 5 days per week totaling approximately 71% of the calendar week. If we’ve managed our time well during the week, then Saturday and Sunday are our leisure days (29%). Oh wait - we work on weekends too!

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Glassdoor's Employment Confidence Survey which focuses heavily on 'employee vacation realities' enlightened us further by focusing on our use of vacation time.  Most of us don't even pause long enough to take the vacation time which our good jobs provide. We often just power through. Even if we do take physical vacation time away from the office, we take our work along with us. Again I say - what are we doing?

• On average, employees took 51% of their eligible time off in the past 12 months
• Of employees who have ever taken vacation/paid time off, three in five (61%) report doing some work while on vacation
• Of employees who took vacation in the past 12 months, one in 10 (11%) report they used vacation/paid time off to interview for another job

Definitions of Good Job and Great Life

Driving to and fro daily is my introspection time. For years I contemplated the dilemma of having a good job versus having a great life. I finally concluded that this is a false comparison and it's up to me to create a great life powered by a great income. If you're comfortable with your arrangement, then proceed business as usual. If not, then redefining what a good job versus a great life means to you may be your next step. My definitions have changed slightly over the years, but the basics remain the same.


--> What is a Good Job?

The baseline of a good job typically includes an effective salary and benefits, company stability, interesting work, advancement potential, friendly co-workers, and solid leadership. No mention of working through weekends and vacation!


--> What is a Great Life?

A definition of a great life is a bit tougher to align, but there are some characteristics that virtually everyone can agree on - good health, perpetual income, happy family, great friends, purposeful actions, freedom, and fun times. Still nothing about working through weekends and vacation!

If one works all the time including weekends and vacation, then there might not be much room for health, family, friends, and fun - unless work is structured so that it includes all of these elements. If you're on a path where there is little overlap between a good job and a great life, then perhaps it's time to reevaluate your trajectory.

I get it - we all need an income to take care of ourselves. Our life phases and circumstances often dictate our choices. However, at each step along the way it's up to us to determine how and whether we create a great life or simply settle for a good one.

To kick life up a level from good to great at work and away from work, here's a hint - change and risk are involved.

Technology's Devastating Impact on Women's Jobs

March 8th, tomorrow, is International Women's Day - a day for celebration of women's accomplishments.  The official UN theme for this year is "Equality for Women is Progress for All".

Before diving into the details about the pending challenges regarding women's jobs, take a look at the International Women's Day Doodle video for this year. Celebrate and acknowledge outstanding women. Ah hem - that would be ALL women.

Technology's Devastating Impact on Women's Jobs

 
Topics like are never pleasant to examine, but looking away from them won't change reality. Awareness is the first step towards change, right? Since the changes and challenges are already in progress, it's time to determine next steps.

As I reviewed the recent Oxford study which concludes that 47 percent of US jobs may become computerized in 10 or 20 years, I wondered about impacted demographics like as gender, age, and race - with a sharp focus on women. A close look at data tracked by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2010 (the same year used in the study) shows how devastating the reality may be for women if a fundamental shift in skills doesn't occur.

According to our estimate, 47 percent of the total US employment is in the high risk category, meaning that associated occupations are potentially automatable some unspecified number of years, perhaps a decade or two.

The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerization?

 C. Frey, M. Osborne; Oxford University (September 2013

Why my focus on women in particular? Well - because women's productivity is the backbone of the global workforce - clocking 66% of all working hours on the planet. Simply put women's productivity drives global economies.

Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, and produce 50 percent of the food, yet earn only 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property. Whether the issue is improving education in the developing world, or fighting global climate change, or addressing nearly any other challenge we face, empowering women is a critical part of the equation.

Former President Bill Clinton 

Clinton Global Initiative (September 2009)

...The challenges to gender equality just got a whole lot more complicated.


Disruptive Technologies Are Disrupting Women's Jobs

Disruptive technologies will impact the most susceptible occupations in services, sales, administration, construction, and transportation. Most of these jobs are currently performed by women.

• Services jobs are being replaced by personal and household robots at a pace of 15% to 20% per year.
• Sales and related administration jobs are rapidly succumbing to automation and software advancements.
• Industrial robots may automate 15% to 25% of tasks associated with jobs in construction, maintenance, and manufacturing by 2025.

And on the story goes...


A straight-across look at the percentages by gender and job category show significant challenges for women who hold a majority of roles in sales, office, and services occupations. As if the flags weren't red enough in general, they are particularly red for women.

 

SALES-OFC - Sales and office occupations

SVCS - Services occupations

MGMT-PROF - Management, Professional, Related occupations

PROD-TX-MAT - Production, Transportation, Material Moving occupations

NR-CONST-MNT - Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance occupations

Now what? It's time to retool for the knowledge economy.