Gen Zer achieves ‘dream lifestyle’ by getting job she ‘doesn’t love’
A Gen Z worker has called out a big lie young Aussies are constantly told before entering the workforce – and it could be limiting their salaries.
“Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
It’s a saying that everyone has heard at some point in their lives, whether from a parent, an overly enthusiastic school counsellor or someone claiming to be a career expert on social media.
But, is this age old saying actually realistic, especially in 2025?
Young Sydney woman, Simona, doesn’t think so, suggesting the people who spout this kind of idyllic rhetoric are likely doing so from an already privileged financial position.
The 24-year-old works in banking and recently shared her thoughts on the subject after returning from a lunch break, during which she was able to sneak in a quick swim at the beach and be back in time for her 1pm meeting.
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“This is my dream lifestyle and the only reason I can live like this is because I chose a job I am not passionate about,” Simona said in her TikTok video.
“The trade off here is, while I really enjoy my lifestyle, I love my weekends and I love my lunchtime swim in the ocean as it is getting warmer, I don’t necessarily love my job.”
There is often a narrative pushed, particularly online, that your Monday to Friday should be just as enjoyable as your weekend, but the 24-year-old said this just doesn’t feel plausible to her.
“I don’t know if that’s just a limiting belief and something I need to work on and be spiritual about. Or if it is just privileged people casting this spiritual layer over the fact they are just rich,” she said.
Simona, who has a background in organisational psychology, started her career in leadership development and consulting.
She found there was a narrative within this space that work should feel like your purpose and, in order to be successful you need to be really passionate about your job.
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However, in her experience, this type of narrative always seemed to be coming from people who “already had quite a lot of money”, she told news.com.au.
And, while she was in a job that she enjoyed, she was also being paid “sh*t all”, with no real prospects of that part of the job improving until much further down the line.
Then I saw some of my peers who had chosen jobs they weren’t necessarily passionate about, but afforded them a lifestyle that was something they were passionate about. And I was like, I think the grass actually is greener around that side,” she said.
So, Simona decided to make a change and it has now been over a year since she moved into the banking space, an area she “never in a million years” thought she would be working in.
While it’s not a career that is “super attractive to her” on paper, her quality of life has increased drastically.
Not only has her salary and her earning potential increased, so has her work life balance.
In her previous job, no one took lunch breaks, eating at their desks each day. If Simona ever did leave the office for lunch it was frowned upon.
Being her first job out of university, she thought this was normal. So, when she moved into her current role and realised the majority of her colleagues take an hour for lunch, or if not more, she was shocked.
She also works hybridly, with the company allowing employees to work from home on some days, so long as they are in the office at least 50 per cent of the time over a month.
It “really scares” her when she sees people online peddling unrealistic views about work to young people.
Simona noted it even happens within the corporate space, with so many videos going viral showing glamorising office life.
“You don’t really talk about how boring 90 per cent of your day looks like. If I was in uni watching those videos, I can definitely see how that would be misleading. I would feel like I was being sold something that was a lie,” she said.
“But then, at the same time, like I have a lot of friends who are full time influencers. I don’t necessarily think that’s sustainable, and that’s also being pushed.”
Ultimately, Simona doesn’t think work needs to be seen in such binary terms, noting that just because you may have a job that is not intrinsically motivating, it doesn’t mean you are going to be miserable or unfulfilled.
“You find ways to make life more bearable in office, and it’s all through forging good relationships, having fun and making jokes throughout the day,” the young worker said.
“I don’t think it has to be as deep as ‘this is my life’s purpose’, but I still do enjoy my day to day.”
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Originally published as Gen Zer achieves ‘dream lifestyle’ by getting job she ‘doesn’t love’
