The Perfect Job

What’s your perfect job? 

It all depends, I suppose, on what you consider perfect.  Nothing, of course, is perfect; everything is flawed in some way.  When it comes to a job, there are so many facets to consider that it would be hard to describe what perfection might be. 

Despite its flaws, I had what I considered the perfect job.  It had almost everything I could have wanted in a job – flexible hours, a great work environment, fun work and it was a time of personal growth.  What it lacked was an opportunity to have a say in how the business was run, and a hefty paycheque.  There wasn’t even a decent paycheque.  Yet it was the perfect job.

A number of years ago I fulfilled a longtime dream by taking lessons in stained glass.  Turned out I am pretty good at it, and I was hired by my instructor to work part-time in her studio.  It was great.  I made whatever I wanted in stained glass.  I could order glass I wanted to use but which we didn’t carry so my pieces were somewhat distinctive.  I followed whatever pattern caught my interest, then went on to create my own patterns.  I found my creative outlet and reveled in it whenever I was at “work”. 

Regular customers and I used to joke about what a horrible job I had, working in a small, hot studio, but we all knew that I had the greatest job in the world – I could make stained glass all day long, provided I also took care of customers in the studio.  That was great, too - I could help other people with their projects and help them pick out glass – it seems I also have a decent eye for colour and how it can be used in a stained glass panel.  (I confess to a personal preference for using very little in the way of coloured glass for my own pieces – I love putting together different textures of clear glass and then adding splashes of colour.)  That job allowed me to work at something I became passionate about.

For awhile, I even made money from the pieces I created – my work was for sale not only in the studio where I worked, but in several stores and galleries around the Golden Horseshoe.  I even had repeat customers for my panels.  It felt wonderful to know that my creativity was not only being indulged, but appreciated.  And paid.

It all came to an end when the recession hit a couple of years ago and people stopped buying unnecessary things like stained glass.  I was the biggest expense for the studio, so I was out the door. 

It’s been a couple of years now since that perfect job came to an end.  I’ve moved on to a full-time office job doing something totally different, but creative in its own way.  I love my job, but I can’t say I consider it the perfect job. 

Do most people get to work at their dream jobs, their perfect jobs?  I hope so.  Loving your job is great; having your perfect job is the best.