Earlier today I overheard a bunch of kids (and when I say “kids” I mean people in their twenties or younger) discussing the pros and cons of working at a utility company versus a contractor or consulting firm. They looked rather new and probably were interns… I couldn’t help but laugh / chuckle at their conversation.
Why? Because they were comparing the pros and cons of the benefits and monetary compensation offered between various companies. I’m not saying that the benefits offered or the monetary compensation isn’t important… but I guess I just never saw that as a deciding factor in where I would work.
I understand the desire to obtain material wealth or be financially free so there are minimal worries or cares, but at the same time… money can also be argued to be the basis for greed, power, lust, etc. I don’t know, I guess that’s just me.
I faintly remember mentioning a while ago about how I try not to let me end goal in life to be about financial gain, because by doing so I end up inadvertently restricting my growth as an individual. To me by focusing on the learning and expanding the knowledge horizons then the financial wealth will come as a consequence… in a lot of ways this change in focus is how I measure the merit and success of other individuals.
One could argue that it is hard for me to understand considering the industry I am in and the income I gain, but at the same time… there was a time I made less than half and still managed to live a very full life. So maybe I understand things a little bit differently. Saving is fine and dandy and all… and I do save, but I also believe in enjoying the little pleasures in live because you never know when you’ll never get a chance to enjoy them anymore.
Everything in moderation… but I digress…
Kids These Days: I was laughing because I have lived with the knowledge of the utility company for most of my life and learned about the company itself via proxy in several different avenues. To me benefits and money is fleeting, but knowledge is not… so I tend to focus more on what can I learn versus how much can I make.
When working for a utility company I find that it is very easy to stay pigeon holed in the company, what you learn may not be transferable elsewhere. However, when working for a consulting / contracting firm there are more opportunities to expand the horizons and learning the varying nuances from a variety of different companies. The environments are very different, as well as the expectations but it’s largely dependent on one’s priorities in life.
Most of the people I know from various avenues in life tend to keep themselves in one corner of the universe and in some ways neglect everything else. Those that I truly consider friends know that there is more to life than the career and find ways to expand their horizons either via the avenues given to them or by breaking through the glass box. Open mindedness… understanding… because knowledge is the true power, the more you know the more you can understand what everybody else is thinking and/or doing.
Then again… I’m just a little girl in a big bad world… so what do I know?