Do you have a work or a job?

I've been discussing this subject with a few friends for some time now. I am also pretty sure that this is not a technology market issue, but something that probably can be observed in other areas. I will spend a few minutes to get you the concept of it. So the main question that I want you to try to answer is " What's the difference between a work and a job ?". Well, in my opinion, a work can exist without a job, but the contrary is not true.

By definition:

Work - be engaged in physical or mental activity In order to achieve a purpose or a result.
Job - A paid position of regular employment.

If you focus in the definition ( I stole it from google definition) you will see that they are very different concepts, although we frequently use them as synonymous.

The point that I want to show here is the fact that some people have a work and some people have a job, and just like those two words are different, the people who have a work have a completely different activity from the people who have a job.
I came to all this conclusions based on my self-experience and the experience obtained talking with other friends about the subject. I already had both: the work and the job. This does not makes me exactly an expert, but allows me to use my own experience as ground to discuss this concepts.

When you have a job, you know it is a job. It's something you HAVE to do. It's painful and excruciating. You look at the clock all the time, and will use any excuse to go home early. You will skip work under any excuse. It's a shameful situation, and many times you will reaffirm to yourself that you have a work and not a job, but the reality is that you don't like what you do, and you would like to be somewhere else, doing something else.
I don't blame people who have a job. Many times they actually don't have an option. They need the job, and other people also depend on it. Some people just change when they find out that they are in a job and not in a work. It happened with me in the past, and took me a few months to do the move, but I was very fortunate to have the right conditions to do that.

Just like the job, the conscience of the work is quite clear. If you have a work, you know it. Also, if you have a work, probably most people knows it. You love to discuss what you have being doing (even with people who have no idea what's a snmp protocol). You don't mind working after hours. Sometimes you get involved in a project and you lose the notion of time. You smile often. You buy books related with your work subject. You usually go deep in the details to the point that other people will ask you to focus. It's a grace state.

Lately I had quite a rare opportunity. I had the chance to work in a place where almost everybody have a work, and I can tell you...it's amazing.
The environment is so good and so fertile that people tend to make office an extension of their homes. It's also normal to see people gathered together to work in activities that are related with the company, just for fun. I am not trying to sell you the image of my company as a perfect heaven (although it's very close to it), but really share the experience where you have the vast majority of people associated in a work, and not in a job. I wish I could put in this text all the wonders that I had the privilege to testify in that environment. Work is a powerful thing. But what makes work so powerful ?

After thinking a little bit about it, another word comes to my mind...passion.
If I could, I would change that definition from the beginning of the text.
Work - be passionate engaged in a physical or mental Activity in order to achieve a purpose or a result.

So, do you have a work or a job ?

so this is my second attempt...

But I think this time will work better.
I have far more motivation to do it right now (I am usually pissed) and this helps a lot to write.
I also will try to avoid the mistakes I did in my last attempts, like trying to focus in one thing. In this blog I intend to write about a lot of stuff, actually whatever it comes to my mind, and I will always be personal. In the last blog I was always trying to be neutral, and that's why it failed... It sucks to be neutral, at least to me. I like to take sides. Why ? No idea, but I've been like this my whole life. I understand that sometimes I am annoying, but I really don't give a damn.
Other thing is that my English is improving. I feel more comfortable to write a blog in English now. I guess it makes sense, once I am not in Brazil anymore.

If you end up reading this blog I will ask you two things.
First, English is not my native language, so take it easy.
Second, Do not get offended, like I said, this blog will reflect my ideas (that are always open for discussion). You are free to don't like me tho :)

Enjoy