Why “Being Professional” Is Actually Holding You Back

I was known as the “breakdance guy” at work. And I hated it.

“Whoa, you’re a breakdancer?!”

At every job interview I’ve ever had, I’m always asked this question. Every. Damn. Time. It’s all the recruiter wants to talk about after noticing I was part of a breakdance club in college (on the bottom of my resume).

Never mind my professional experience. Forget the hours spent tailoring my resume and preparing my interview answers. And ignore the “career advice” I’ve been given about how employers don’t give two shits about anything outside of your professional experience.

The first time I attended a company-wide lunch in one of my previous jobs, I was ready to give my new colleagues a fantastic professional impression. That is, until my boss called out, “Tim! The founder really likes hip hop dancing. Show us a YouTube video of you dancing!” So much for a professional first impression…

Why “Being Professional” Is Actually Holding You Back

5 Practical Ways to Feel More Joy in Your Job

“Job” and “joy” have one letter between them, but for many they’re like chalk and cheese, oil and water, or snakes and mongooses.

And yet people do experience joy in their work. They’re the people who regale you with tales of how much they love what they do and make you feel bad because you don’t leap out of bed on a Monday morning.

Your mind might spring to the likes of Oprah and Richard Branson, but joyful work isn’t exclusively for the super-rich and super-successful. A high school teacher who loves helping kids develop their talents will find joy in his job. An art director will find joy through shaping a creative vision and seeing it come to life. And a bank clerk who loves people will find joy in her work when she treats customers like human beings instead of commodities.

Here are five ways to feel more joy in your work.

1. Don’t Be an Island

When you’re hating on your job, there’s a tendency to withdraw from the people you work with. You don’t chat with them because you don’t even want to be there. You don’t ask about them because you don’t care. And you don’t laugh with them because you just want to get your work done and get home.

Read Full Article: 5 Practical Ways to Feel More Joy in Your Job

How To Be Creative | Off Book | PBS Digital Studios

Creativity has always been essential for our cultural growth, but there are still many misconceptions about this elusive process. Not the left-brain/right-brain binary that we’ve come to believe, being creative is considerably more complex, and requires a nuanced understanding of ourself and others. Being a powerful creative person involves letting go of preconceived notions of what an artist is, and discovering and inventing new processes that yield great ideas. Most importantly, creators must push forward, whether the light bulb illuminates or not.

Featuring:
Julie Burstein, author http://www.julieburstein.com/
Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D. Cognitive Psychologist http://scottbarrykaufman.com/
Kirby Ferguson, filmmaker http://www.everythingisaremix.info
Ramsey Nasser, Computer Scientist http://nas.sr/