Work That Matters

Making the right salary is important. Sometimes, salaries reflect our basic needs, and other times,  they reflect our wants- in addition to our needs. For some, those wants take the form of a five-digit paycheck and 24/7 access to the company yacht. These are the types of salaries that are so sought after in our society. However, for others, those wants can take an entirely different form. Sometimes, salaries are less about the money and more about being involved in meaningful work that has a positive impact in the world. 

Non-profit organizations are not known for their enticing salaries, monetary bonuses, or filet mignon catered lunches. But then again, I'm fairly certain that most people who work for non-profits are not in it for the money. I'm no exception.  I graduated from college with degrees in business management and economic development- two fields of study that could have pulled me in completely opposite directions. If you had asked me what I wanted to do with my life eight years ago, I would have told you that I wanted to be a high powered manager working my way up the corporate ladder of a Fortune 500. I wanted keys to the company yacht. Ask me that same question today, and you'll get a different response. 

My outlook on work has shifted significantly over the years, as I've begun to more fully understand the impact that 40 or 50 hours a week for the rest of my life can have on the world. I'm certainly not opposed to a high salary, and I would never turn down an end-of-the-year bonus, but one of the things I have come to realize is that money isn't everything in a job. It's a means to an end. And for me, the end is not being a millionaire or having a corner office with a gold-dipped nameplate on my door. What matters more to me is that I am using my time and talent in a meaningful way. Call me a guilty idealist, but I feel a responsibility to contribute back to society through my work. I was born in the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. I fall into the category of 5% of the wealthiest individuals on earth. And you probably do too. So, comparatively speaking, we are unbelievably wealthy. 

As we know from Voltaire and Peter Parker's grandfather, "With great power comes great responsibility." In this world that we live in, money is power- and with it comes great responsibility. Since we possess so much of it compared to the majority of the world, we have a duty to use it responsibly. Part of using money responsibly is maximizing what we have, including positions we are fortunate enough to have secured. Work doesn't have to be glamorous to be meaningful. You don't have to work for international organizations or do cutting edge research to be doing profoundly necessary and important work. So, no matter what position you have, are you using it responsibly? Are you making a tangible difference in the world? 

If even the simplest jobs can be necessary and important when done well, certainly no one is too far away from work that matters. Are you making what you do matter? Are you positively impacting the people around you? I reject the notion that the best job is the highest paying job. Impact and attitude matter far more. So whether you work on Wall Street, Main Street, or no street at all, you can have the right salary if you feel fulfilled in what you do. And for me, fulfillment does not come in stacks of green bills.