The Great Resignation, an economic trend where many employees voluntarily quit their jobs, has become more prevalent in the US since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lack of opportunities for career advancement, low pay and feeling disrespected are the top reasons why Americans quit their jobs in 2021, a survey by Pew Research found. But many, like a number of my acquaintances, are riding the wave to pursue their passions, seeking more fulfilling work.
A friend told me once that you know you are in the right career when you feel excited about going to work every day, and I believe in this. I’ve been working in communications, marketing and brand-building for more than a decade now and love what I do.
As I look back, I remember the exact moment I fell in love with the field. As a child, I looked forward to every commercial break on television. I even had video tapes of commercials that I recorded and played for my own amusement. I was intrigued by advertisements and their ability to influence our choices. I’m grateful to have pursued that as my career.
But not all of us are fortunate enough to pursue our passion as our jobs. For example, my acquaintance works as a lawyer, but his passion is in baking and bringing people together over delicious meals. While his job pays him really well, he doesn’t find it joyful. To stop himself from feeling miserable, he opened a bakery and, as a result, found balance and the fulfilment he’s been searching for.
So, what do we do if our jobs aren’t as fulfilling as we want them to be? Do we quit? No. Quitting without having a Plan B to fall back to is not the wisest choice, especially if you have bills to pay and a lifestyle to sustain.
But what you can do is dedicate time to pursue your passion, something as little as an hour a day. If you enjoy writing, start a page on online publishing platform Medium, and build on it by contributing to publications.
When a relative of mine found her well-paying job to be miserable, she started a small business on the side. The joy she found from it reflected positively on her job. In fact, several studies reveal how pursuing something you are passionate about outside work is beneficial to both your personal and professional life.
To retain employees and increase job satisfaction, employers can also encourage their teams to pursue their passions.
For example, Adobe offers employees who have been with the company at least five years, four weeks of paid leave to pursue projects of passion. Other organisations like Google offer fellowships that allow employees paid leave to work for non-profit organisations. Some form of support no matter how small, like providing two-week paid leave every year for projects of passion, could resonate greatly with employees and reflect positively on their productivity and job satisfaction.
Another way an organisation could support their employees’ pursuit of their passion is by offering them mentorship and guidance. For example, if you have an employee in your IT department who loves baking, a member from your sales or social media team could mentor them on how to profit from their project. This could be in the form of an in-organisation mentorship programme, where knowledge is exchanged within the team members, and could be a place where management is inspired to execute new ideas that their employees could manage.
The perfect job can be made possible, and employers could help in offering it, so that they and their employees are fulfilled.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi.
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UAE salary guide 2022
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Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner: Equilateral, Andrea Atzeni, Charles Hills
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: New Trails, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Mnasek, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: D’bai, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Summer Romance, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
