I have to admit, though, I'm a bit cuious why you wouldn't rather find a job that you enjoy doing, versus finding a job that you'd rather spend very little time at? There's a lot to be said, self-esteem-wise for having work that you enjoy and getting paid for. I don't know why you'd bother getting a college degree if your "goal" is to just be one step above "bum" in life.
MUCH easier said than done. IMO, if you wait to find a job you really like, you'll be waiting a long time. Now that's not to say it can happen, just not very realistic.
the very nature of work makes it something i don't enjoy
I hear ya. If I had my choice, I wouldn't work at all. Where I'm at now, there are people still working and they are almost 70. I don't get it. Retire as soon as you can. Working blows. Enjoy life.
I treat my job as a job. It's NOT my life. I show up, do my thing, and go home. I don't take my work home with me and I don't take things personally that go on there. Honestly, I don't really care. It's a paycheck. I don't dread getting up every morning but I know that I only do it for the paycheck.
On a semi-tangent, people who talk about their job and work all the time drive me nuts. I rarely ask people about their jobs. One, because I really don't care and two, I think it's really shallow if you define yourself by your job unless it's something creative (musician, artist, etc) or you are bettering someone's life (like a doctor). If you just work for the man and sit in front of a screen all day (like I do), I really don't want to hear about it.
It's also baffles me how people get so upset over their workplace. Some of my friends have literally been in tears because of something that happens at work. It's really not worth it to put yourself through that.
I've had 3 different jobs in about six years (4 if you include selling cars but I don't really count that) and one thing I've learned is that as soon as you don't fear losing your job, the better off you'll be. Big companies and corps don't really care about the worker bees. In most cases, busting your hump for "da man" really won't matter.
Cynical? Perhaps but I like to think of it as just being realistic.