This is way too much analysis for a simple conclusion: some jobs are satisfying, and some are not, and various factors are important in evaluating whether one's job is great, acceptable, or unacceptable.
The important thing to take out of the job satisfaction discussion is that if you enjoy doing the work (and that includes the social aspects, such as communicating with people you rely on and those who rely on you) and you are learning, you are probably doing fine. A four-legged coffee table, or eight-legged spider, metaphor isn't really necessary.
Stability, in my opinion, is overrated. The risk of losing one's career is rarely worth taking, but job volatility is, as long as it's fairly compensated, fine. I'd much rather have the job-vol of startups or finance than the long-term risk of career ruin involved in late-stage academia.
Comments
This is way too much analysis for a simple conclusion: some jobs are satisfying, and some are not, and various factors are important in evaluating whether one's job is great, acceptable, or unacceptable.
The important thing to take out of the job satisfaction discussion is that if you enjoy doing the work (and that includes the social aspects, such as communicating with people you rely on and those who rely on you) and you are learning, you are probably doing fine. A four-legged coffee table, or eight-legged spider, metaphor isn't really necessary.
Stability, in my opinion, is overrated. The risk of losing one's career is rarely worth taking, but job volatility is, as long as it's fairly compensated, fine. I'd much rather have the job-vol of startups or finance than the long-term risk of career ruin involved in late-stage academia.