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Show Me The Money: Canadians Don't Care About Doing What They Love

"Do what you love" may be "terrible advice."

When it comes to choosing a career, it’s money, not passion, that drives Canadians.

That’s the implication of a new poll from Angus-Reid, which asked 4,500 respondents what’s most important to them when it comes to job satisfaction.

Fifty-four per cent said pay and benefits; only 19 per cent said personal fulfillment, and 12 per cent said type of work.

Angus Reid says this might not be a bad thing.

The old saying “do what you love” may actually be “terrible advice that glorifies glamourous work and denigrates necessary jobs for which few people have a deep passion,” the study said.

“Luckily for Canadian workers, perhaps, personal fulfilment isn’t at the top of the list when it comes to factors driving their career satisfaction. A better saying for them might be Cuba Gooding Jr.’s mantra from 'Jerry Maguire': ‘Show me the money.’”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was jeered by a crowd of youth this week when he echoed Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s assertion that Canadians will have to adjust to changing careers — job “churn,” as Morneau called it.

But the new poll suggests many Canadians themselves would like to change careers. Nearly two-thirds — 63 per cent — said they are either “interested” or “very interested” in changing careers, their employer, or at least their job position.

That’s despite the fact that a vast majority of Canadians are satisfied with their work. Seventy-four per cent said they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their job.

Still, a significant share of employees are worried about the precarious work situation that Trudeau and Morneau highlighted with their comments.

Twenty-eight per cent said they are unsatisfied with the degree of job security they have.

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