Activity: Work, Motivation and Identity

I worked at the supermarket on the checkout and as a office administrator at an agency at the same time.  I was motivated to earn money.  I enjoyed using the money I earnt to go out with friends, buy the things I wanted and to live independently.  I did not feel like the job was a part of my identity at the time and was wholly focused on making money only.  But the skills I learnt from those jobs did go on to become a part of who I am now and how I conduct myself in the work place.

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1. What was the job?

My first adult job was working for a rubber stamp company, an entry level job.  My extrinsic motivation was purely money.  Exchanging my hours to get paid.  My intrinsic motivator at the time was to move up in the office space because I enjoyed the environment and wanted to learn more about the business.  I felt like that job defined my status rather than my identify.  I was still figuring who I was at the time.

My very first job as an adult was working at Farro Fresh in the grocery department. The extrinsic motivations was simply earning money to pay off debt and continued to be the hours of work as I returned to tertiary study and the coworkers. The intrinsic motivators were my interest in the store, and challenges as I became assistant manager. I felt this job helped with my identity formation as I continued to study Culinary Arts and in later jobs became promoted to managerial roles as I enjoy helping others achieve 

My first job was when I was 17, working as a receptionist. I actually enjoyed it for the first six months. I felt proud, grown-up, and loved getting a paycheck every week. Being part of a team and making new friends was great too. But then, as anyone who’s spent time in an office full of young women knows, things changed. The job got boring, the atmosphere turned toxic, and the pay was awful. I lost the motivation to get up and go to work, and my performance slipped. After going through five office jobs and four papers toward a business diploma, I realized I absolutely hated working in an office. It wasn’t until I found my passion at 31 that I truly loved my career—and it showed in my work. If I had stayed stuck doing what I thought I wanted, I probably would have been a withdrawn, angry person. Definitely not the fresh, upbeat version of me you see today! lol

The job was accounting clerk.

Intrinsic motivations were that I enjoyed learning the job for the first year, and it made me feel like I was good at something.  It felt good to help my partner and his family with their books, I definitely thought I was a bit clever!  I ended up hating the job though.

Extrinsic motivations were definitely money, although the pay was terrible.  

The job defined my identity for sure, it made me feel like I knew something and could be helpful.  I ended up doing the accounting work for our businesses for the nearly 40years.

1. What was the job?

Was as a pure commission-based door to door salesman, originally selling Berkeley Cinema cards.

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? 

I had moved out of home at 18 and was trading on the goodwill of family to survive. I needed money because I needed to pay my way. I also drank and smoked and had a partner we wanted to go out on the town. 

2. What were your intrinsic motivations?

Retroactively I can see that being outside for most of the day was an enormous intrinsic motivation. I felt clever and smart when I convinced someone to buy my product. 

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity?

The job reinforced my unhealthy belief that I was some mastermind people manipulator. 

1. Barista at McDonald's

2. I left school young, and I couldn't get into my beauty school because I was still too young. My motivations were to save money so it will be easier for me to survive when studying because I had to move towns to study.

3. I didn't have any with that job; I hated it.

4. I think it played on my self-worth; I felt ashamed at the time I had to work there.  Which is silly looking back, I was earning money for my future study.

1. What was the job?
My first job as an adult was working in a restaurant as a server.

2. What were your intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for working the job?
I was intrinsically motivated by the desire to experience working life, take on something different, and challenge myself in a new way. Extrinsically, I was motivated by the opportunity to earn my own income and gain some independence.

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity?
I don’t think the job defined my identity in any significant way. It was more about earning money of my own and trying something new, rather than shaping who I was as a person.

1. What was the job?

I had many part time jobs from the age of about 11 but my first property full time job was as a florist at the age of 17

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? 

Money was definitely a huge extrinsic motivator but also I didn’t want to be unemployed and doing nothing with my time

2. What were your intrinsic motivations?

I wanted a job where I could be creative and express myself with some form of art. I love connecting with people so this also was a motivator 

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? 
This job had a huge roll in crafting my identity as I was naturally good at it, and it empowered me to follow my passion. I had lovely but very tough bosses who pushed me out of my comfort zone to aim for promotions within my industry. I was able to create a career that also lead me to meet people that became life long friends. Furthermore it taught me to engage with people in many different stages of life and on many different occasions.

1. Waitressing

2. Money

3. Gaining independance

4. I knew at the time it was a means to a end, a way to get money to do the activities I wanted to.

1. What was the job? Looking back, I could hardly be called an adult, but it was my first job straight out of high school. I was a data entry administrator with The New Zealand Institute for Accountants, which I believe is now called something else.

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? Money

2. What were your intrinsic motivations? Purpose: finding my calling. Independence.

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? Zero, none, but it helped me see what I didn't want in my working career. I also observed the actual adults around me and distinctly remember thinking, I don't want to be an adult like this person or that person. Or, I really respected and admired the traits in others. I also learned a lot about being a full-time employee and the expectations, which led to many personal learnings.

1. What was the job? My first job was working for an architect/designer firm in Auckland City as an administrator.

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? Definitely the money. 

2. What were your intrinsic motivations? I loved working in the city and going shopping after work. I also enjoyed the people i worked with and finally felt like an adult.

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? I don't feel like it defined my identity, but it did provide the means to save and then travel overseas.

1. What was the job? Working in a jewellery shop when I was 15.

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? Money, seeing the pride from my parents, (as I was working for their friend) and we got shouted lunch.

2. What were your intrinsic motivations? It was a fun place to work, where I learnt new skills and gained confidence.

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? Not an awful lot, however I did make a few mistakes in the early days which was a huge lesson for me.

My first job was working as a waitress at a fancy restaurant - The Coachmens Inn

My extrinsic motivations was to earn money while I was studying

My intrinsic motivations was that I enjoyed working with people and my colleagues

The job did not define my identity but did teach me how to work under pressure and multitask.

1. McDonalds

2. Money

3. Independence and the ability to get other jobs afterwards if I did well there

4. I was in high school so not very much of my identity was tied to it because most people had either a food service job, retail or supermarket. Retail always seemed the 'coolest' though

I had various weekend jobs from the age of 14 but my first job as an adult at around 24 would be working as  a Nurse in Waikato Hospital, extrinsic motivations included the work hours as they were 9-5, mon-friday, the pay and the healthy work environment with senior nurses that were supportive. Intrinsic factors included working with kind co workers, living in a new city and gaining good experience  in nursing. It did feel like it defined my identity as a nurse but the job was in an ophthalmology outpatients clinic, and the role felt very clinical, very black or white in terms of treatment, so I left that job after 6 months and moved to Melbourne, working in an ophthalmology clinic did not feel like it suited my personality. 

1. What was the job?

Working at Columbus coffee shop at the age of 18

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? 

Get money so I could buy myself things 

2. What were your intrinsic motivations?

I've always wanted to work during my highscool years but wasn't allowed. I gained good social skills at that job. 

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? 

I personally wouldn't say that working at Columbus defined my identity, however it did give me great exposure to meeting new people and gaining confidence out of my comfort zone. 

1. What was the job?

My first job was maccas at 16

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? 

To make money and get out of the house

2. What were your intrinsic motivations?

Spending time with my sister (she was my manager) and meeting new people

3. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? 

I guess in some way this job confirmed that I like meeting new people but dont think it defined by identity cause I didnt last long at maccas hahah

1. What was the job?

I'm basing my first job around my first full time employment away from home, even though I was only 17.

it was on a thoroughbred breeding farm.

2. What were your extrinsic motivations for working the job? 

Getting away from home and my mother, and obviously money.

3. What were your intrinsic motivations?

I loved horses. This was a job to follow my passions.

4. To what extent did you feel like the job defined your identity? 

This was a huge defining moment for me. It gave me my first opportunity in my life to explore the world around me. It gave me so many life skills (including being able to understand an angry Irishman in full rant) and led me to study teaching, which was something I'd never considered as a profession. 

My first job as an adult was in customer service. I worked for the money and to gain experience, but I also enjoyed learning new skills, meeting different people, and feeling proud when I could help someone. The job didn't fully define who I was, but it did help me grow, become more confident, and learn how to handle real-world challenges, which made it an important part of my journey into adulthood.