[btbuildem]

If you work at a for-profit corporation, your job will be pointless, because the only reason it exists is to generate profits. It's as simple as that.

We all need to make a living, so pick something you're reasonably good at, absolutely do not invest yourself emotionally into it, and use the proceeds to do what you really want to do. Exploit your employer every chance you get, because that is their default approach towards you.

[no_wizard]

I truly would be working on software in my spare time (and I do!) even if it was not my career. So it is possible to have both a job that is fulfilling and provides.

I don't take for granted that this is not common, but it is possible. I can earnestly say I like what I do

[specproc]

As someone who spent a past life doing reporting and compliance for non-profits, I assure you meaningless work exists outside the private sector.

[BitwiseFool]

>"If you work at a for-profit corporation, your job will be pointless, because the only reason it exists is to generate profits. It's as simple as that."

I certainly understand and can empathize with being jaded about corporate greed, but I don't follow your reasoning on this one. It implies the only jobs that are not pointless are those that don't generate profit?

[Sohcahtoa82]

I think they're implying that the job is pointless to the worker.

[slothtrop]

I don't think a worker's sentiments about a job are contingent on rationalization that the job's end result is useful/justified.

If you pressed a red button all day knowing that it would provide value or save lives, it would still "feel" meaningless.

[BobbyJo]

Profit being pointless is a weird take. You realize that generating profit generally means people are willing to forgo other things in order to obtain good or services you're providing, right?

If anything, I see profit as a signal that what I'm doing isn't pointless, by virtue of people willingness to pay for it.

[slothtrop]

This is circular reasoning. The only reason it "generates profits" is that it satisfies a demand, from the public.

[_gfwu]

I agree in most of your comment except that it's an overly pessimistic take, in my view. You can still get jobs outside the corporate/capitalism driven Sodom that aren't soul-crushingly pointless and boring.