How often did I hear those words at circuit or district assemblies - that pioneering was the best job in the world? How often did I hear a fake job advert for pioneering where there was 100% job satisfaction working for the most powerful person in the universe and you'd get to travel the world and live forever...
I've done both jobs and would say that the job advert should more honestly read like this:
Secular Job
Salary: considerable salary allowing one to live a good lifestyle
Prospects: one may continue to earn more in the future
Development: study as part of a career part funded by my employer, becoming an all round professional
Working environment: beautiful location in secure modern offices surrounded by latest technology
Perks: pension, benefits package, insurance, some paid travel, car allowance, maternity
Holidays: 5 weeks plus bank holidays (and weekends goes without saying)
Skills/qualities required: qualifications, aptitude, experience, passion
Job satisfaction: delivering results utilising skills, general wellbeing, fun
Moving on: 3 months notice, friendly departure, welcome to keep in contact
Pioneering
Salary: zero
Prospects: damaging career prospects for every year in the job. Promise of living forever by untrustworthy source – proven to be false for over 100 years
Development: learning irrational and deceptive reasoning, becoming used to social embarrassment
Working environment: street selling in all weathers without any security or insurance encountering hostile rejection
Perks: must provide own car, insurance, petrol, be willing to drive those who opt out of this. Having a baby requires a change of working environment as doctors, consultants and nurses become new customers
Holidays: None, no evenings off, no late mornings
Skills required: no qualifications, no experience. The ability to follow dangerous and life threatening policies without question, judge others and believe women to be less important than men. Happy for everyone who disagrees with one’s employer to be destroyed. Those mentally diseased or with gangrene need not apply
Job satisfaction: guilt, unrequited hope, burn-out, boredom, depression, more guilt, frustration (every type!) and even more guilt
Moving on: immediate dismissal without reasonable appeal resulting in no more contact with family or friends
mmxiv