Smug because you love your job? Idealising your career can backfire - leading to burnout and guilt, experts warn

The saying goes, if you find a job you love you’ll never work a day in your life.

But an expert has now warned that this can backfire – and the seemingly innocent idea of loving your work can take on a moral edge.

Mijeong Kwon, assistant professor of management at Rice University in Texas, said the dream of enjoying your career has become compulsive for many.

‘Working for money, prestige or family obligation starts to look less admirable, even suspect,’ she wrote on The Conversation.

She was part of a team who surveyed 1,200 employees and found that those who worked for the love of their job were likely to believe everyone else should, too.

These people were more likely to see other motives, such as working for pay or recognition, as morally inferior.

‘At first glance, treating love for work as a virtue seems to offer nothing but benefits,’ she said. 

‘If a job's mission or day-to-day tasks are personally meaningful, you may persist through challenges, because quitting could feel like betraying an ideal.

‘But this virtue can also backfire. When intrinsic motivation becomes a moral duty rather than a joy, you may feel guilty for not constantly loving your work.

‘Emotions that are normal in any job, such as boredom, fatigue or disengagement, can prompt feelings of moral failure and self-blame. Over time, this pressure can contribute to burnout if you stay in unsustainable roles out of guilt.’

She warned that by idealising your ‘dream job’ when applying, you may overlook security, stability and other life needs.

This unrealistic standard could also lead you to leave a job too soon when reality disappoints or initial passion fades.

It can also cause tension and division between colleagues.

‘While inspiring on the surface, this approach can alienate employees who work for more pragmatic reasons,’ she added.

‘Over time, I would argue, this can breed tension and conflict, as some team members are celebrated as “true believers” and others are quietly marginalized.

‘Expressing love for one’s work becomes a kind of commodity – one more way to get ahead.

‘In a culture where “do what you love” has become a moral commandment, remembering that it’s not the be-all, end-all reason to work may be the most moral stance of all.’

A previous study has found that people who hate their job but can’t bring themselves to leave are too ‘embedded’ in their careers.

Dr Oscar Holmes IV, an assistant professor of management at the Rutgers School of Business-Camden, said bosses often exploit the situation to make them stay.

The study said miserable workers value the perks and community aspect of work over their happiness, and sometimes put the group's interest above their own.