In recent years, the term "bullshit job" has become part of the current problems of the world of work. The American anthropologist David Graeber had brought this word to the forefront and theorized this concept in 2018 in his book "Bullshit Jobs: A Theory".
According to him, a bullshit job is "a job so useless, absurd, even harmful, that even the employee cannot justify its existence, even though the 'contract' with his employer obliges him to claim that there is a purpose to his work."
This type of job is a real obstacle to the employee's fulfilment and his or her quest for meaning in his or her work. The anthropologist would even define the proportion of these bullshit jobs at more than 40% in our societies!
Then? Bullshit job or not bullshit job? This week, Meet My Job helps you see things more clearly!
1. You don't like to tell your friends about your work!
First of all, you've probably experienced this moment: you meet up with your closest friends for a night out at a restaurant or bar. After exchanging a few banalities and platitudes, you each start talking about your work, giving various details and speaking passionately.
When it's your turn, you're embarrassed: you try to talk about it as briefly as possible while remaining very evasive. You just want to move on to another topic!
If that's your reaction, you're probably doing a bullshit job!
You don't feel like your job is interesting and don't want to describe it to your friends. You're also afraid of complaining or looking ridiculous in front of your loved ones, who have more exciting jobs.
2. You feel like your job has no impact on the world.
This is a question that everyone frequently asks: does my job have an impact on the world? Will I leave a mark by the position I hold?
It's a thorny question that regularly tortures our minds. Nevertheless, it is possible to find the answer after further reflection and by digging deep within ourselves. To put it simply, our job inevitably has an impact, even a small one, on society.
However, if you find that your job really doesn't have the slightest impact on the world after your introspection, then you're probably doing a bullshit job.
3. Your missions have no coherence and do not bring anything concrete to the company.
Next, it's interesting to take stock of the missions you're doing. Ask yourself about their interests in the development of the company and the concrete added value.
Feeling like you're constantly going around in circles, losing your senses, not finding your place and constantly questioning yourself... If that's how you feel, it's most likely that you're doing a bullshit job!
When you have this type of job, the missions offered are only there to stir up the wind. They make you feel like you're doing something useful for the company. In short, they are a subtle pretext to bring you false legitimacy in the company.
In addition, to be sure, ask yourself whether the elimination of your job would have any repercussions on your business. Worse, this abolition would not be a bad thing for the company (savings on salary, fewer employees to manage, etc.)
Alas, if you answer in the negative, it's an additional sign that you're doing a bullshit job!
3. You have a lot of free time in your job!
You're at work and you've completed the assignments assigned to you. That's why you have free time to check your social networks, your personal emails, and even order online. It's a safe bet that you're doing a bullshit job. Indeed, if you twiddle your thumbs, you probably either don't have enough tasks, or these tasksare too trivial and easy.
In any case, if your working time is used for something other than carrying out your missions for the company, it is not a good sign.
Also, if you have time to do something else, it may mean that you are not sufficiently involved in the business. Indeed, you don't want to do other uninteresting missions. Exciting and rewarding missions should take up more of your time and motivate you to be more involved!
5. You're just not happy in your job!
Finally, if you're doing a bullshit job, chances are you're not happy at work. You dread the ringing of your alarm clock, you drag your feet to go to the office, you do your tasks nonchalantly...
You don't like your work and you make it signify by all these gestures. If your job isn't fulfilling you and is starting to weigh you down, take matters into your own hands!
Indeed, the consequences of this type of work can be disastrous: loss of interest, depression, bore-out...
So you don't have to stay for comfort and safety. An attractive salary and benefits in the company are appreciable but will never bring you the meaning you are looking for in your job!
In conclusion, if these clues speak to you and you respond positively to a majority, then you are suffering a bullshit job!
After this observation, you have two options: Decide to keep your job for practical and legitimate reasons. Just make sure that this job doesn't weigh you down too much and that your overall condition suffers!
Finally, you can quit your job and find another one, rest assured: there are plenty of other companies that will offer you a much more interesting and rewarding job!
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