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In Defense of a Boring Job

In Defense of a Boring Job

Why you should avoid fancy companies and get yourself a boring job

Giammarco Pacifico
July 31, 2024

It’s no secret that this newsletter is about building a fulfilling career by finding a job that fits your skills and ambition (if you are new here, Kickigai comes from the Japanese concept of Ikigai).

But today we are going in the opposite direction.

In this issue, I’ll do my best to convince you that what you truly need is a boring job.

Let’s start with stating the obvious: most of us choose a career very early on, sometimes during high school, based on what society respects the most.

That’s why people become lawyers doctors, engineers, and corporate executives. Not because they love it or because they have discovered a hidden passion.

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Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work in your life

A common feel-good sentence that you’ve heard countless times

Let’s see what’s wrong with that.

What are jobs people usually love?

Here are a few examples:

Designing games or being a professional gamer
Write for famous newspapers or blogs
Work at cool companies, like startups changing the world with new tech
Work for iconic figures like Elon Musk, Bill Gates or Warren Buffet

But are these jobs really the best ones?

First of all, these companies know they are very sought after and expect employees to go above and beyond to get and keep their jobs.

I’m talking about extra work, toxic management, delayed payments and so on.

Companies get away with it because they know there are hundreds (if not thousands) of people who would put up with such things just to get a chance at their “dream job”.

So turnover at these companies is huge. And it's not even considered a big issue because nobody keeps management in check and the endless line of applicants makes the problem look small.

The other thing to consider is that you probably won’t love your passion forever.

Most things are exciting when done on the side but when they become your primary daily focus and you spend 40+ hours a week, they lose the initial appeal and soon become a chore. Not to mention all the admin tasks, performance reviews and overhead responsibilities everybody has to do on top of their job.

The bottom line is that exciting jobs are not as glamorous as they look from the outside.

But what about boring jobs? They don't sound appealing either...

Here is what you get by working a “boring job”:

#1 Work-life perks

For example, you can go on extended lunches with your colleagues and working on the weekend is a big ask rather than something that’s expected.

You can take vacations and spend time with your family and friends without your phone buzzing every other minute and without feeling guilty for not working.

#2 Better optionality

Boring jobs are easier to get than jobs at exciting companies. No matter if you’re a fresh graduate or someone with 10 years of experience, when you’re looking for a new job more choices are always better.

#3 Better pay

Boring jobs at big companies pay better. This is true almost every time because of demand and supply: if too many people want to work at one company, the company can get away with lower offers and compensate with "prestige".

On the other hand, companies that don’t sound that appealing on paper usually have steady profitable businesses and can offer higher salaries to attract talent.

#4 Better culture

A boring company usually has a better culture and better management. Employees there understand that a job is something you do to make money while trying to enjoy the journey. Not something that defines your identity and your self-worth.

This usually means better working relationships, less unjustified stress, not as much office politics and no made-up deadlines.

#5 More supportive managers

Almost all managers at boring companies are content where they are so they are not prone to play games to climb the ladder, which means they are not intimidated by ambitious young people.

Instead in an exciting company, everyone is competing with their colleagues for a promotion and if you’re trying to advance your career, you are going to face a ton of pushback and challenges as soon as people see you as a threat.

Why does this happen?

In theory, managers should be promoted because of their skills in the roles they would be managing or even better because of their previous management experience.

Of course, favouritism, nepotism and bad decisions play a role (we are all humans after all) but they are not as prevalent as you might think.

Instead, the real reason why managers suck is the Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams:

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Companies tend to promote their least-competent employees to management roles where they are least likely to interfere with getting the job done

The Dilbert Principle

The key is that this does not happen immediately or voluntarily but it’s a slow process that unfolds over time, usually thanks to lateral moves within the organization.

For example: a mediocre software developer might be put in charge of onboarding and training new employees.

This sounds like good management because the person has been given tasks that are better suited to their skills. But if you take a step back, you can see how this can go very badly.

When a management position opens up, the mediocre developer has an advantage because they have a coding background and also know how to onboard people, which looks great for a potential manager.

They would then be in charge of the best developers in the company and voilà…this is how many managers are made.

On the other side of the spectrum, startups and exciting companies led by iconic figures become the dream for most employees but it turns out most founders and visionaries are terrible managers.

Their ambition and personality got the company off the ground but those skills are not what you need to manage a team of productive and satisfied employees. Too many times the so-called “Founder Syndrome” turns into toxic micromanagement where founders want to retain control and look for people who can replicate their work.

Founders also dismiss "boring functions" such as HR, invoice processing, facilities management and so on, even though they are essential to a good business and directly influence employees’ well-being.

Truth to be told, there are good managers and bad managers everywhere but if you're looking for good managers, chances are you'll find them at a big boring company where they'll have more experience, lower turnover and less to prove.

Do you still believe working at a fancy company is for you?

In the end, if you work for a paycheck, isn’t it wiser to optimise for the most money? And then using the money to enjoy life on your own terms?

If you liked this issue, share it with someone who hates a boring job.

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Better mRNA-loaded nanocarriers for targeted therapies (Materials Horizons)

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