top of page
Search

Productivity in Movies for Dream Job Inspo

  • Writer: Jules Robinson
    Jules Robinson
  • Mar 4, 2019
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 5, 2019

Let's not beat around any bushes here, some of us might be in career ruts. It happens. We graduate uni *cough* fiveyearsago *cough*, we neglect to use what relevant resources we might have had and wind up doing the kind of jobs teenagers get in their summer holidays IT HAPPENS TO US ALL.


So what do we do when we're feeling the work-related blues and can't seem to find the inspiration to carry on the unrelenting, seemingly endless, at times degrading and potentially worthless job hunt? Why, turn to film of course!


I haven't done a list because this isn't *that* kind of piece but if you must know, if you absolutely HAVE to have a number because the only conceivable way to ingest content is though a countdown then it's 5. I talk about 5 movies.



(500) Days of Summer (2009)


Main character Tom can't go thirty seconds without blurting out how much he ruddy loves architecture. It's just his favourite thing and ohmygod I would love a job as an architect like can you even imagine I just love buildings so much lol! But, as with many of us- myself included, Tom is more talk than action and never really seems to put time and effort into his dreams other than his hobby of assuming the girl he's seeing definitely thinks he's awesome enough to completely change her views on relationships.


But, having had a good old 'up yours' served to him from Cupid, Tom finally manages to get his act together post-break up and clears some space on his wall to make room for architectural drawings and plans (and, metaphorically, clears space in his mind, right guys?). Tom actually starts doing some bloody work and secures himself a job interview. NICE.



Big (1988)


Tom Hank's Josh manages to get an admin job in a lucrative toy company whilst literally having the brain of a 12-year-old. During his FIRST DAY Josh inputs data so efficiently, a colleague has to tell him to cool his jets and make the, no doubt well-paying, job look harder than it actually is. Not only this but Josh manages to buddy up with only the effing CEO through his positive, creative outlook and ideas. Okay, so technically he ends up losing the job because his 12-year-old body and school life beckons but what a positive message; that it's our playful sides and inner-children that inspire our bosses to excel our careers to that of 'professionally mucking around'. Inspiration INDEED.



Empire Records (1995)


What is a workplace without mega awesome colleagues to work with? You know the ones, the guys who just 'get your vibe', the kind of people you can honestly claim would 'actually, like, genuinely be your mates outside of work too'. If it's Job Squad Goals you're after look no further than Empire Records. A chilled, trendy team of kids who don't seem to actually DO anything but all have a good old time of 'running' a record shop each day. My only gripe would be that the girls in the gang don't like each other much which is so *rolls eyes* but with a boss like Joe who can't seem to fathom that bad behaviour requires punishment to the point where he LITERALLY HIRES A SHOPLIFTER, relaxed work environments never looked more appealing.



The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Often cited as 'ultimate career goal movie watching' by... someone I assume, I'm here to say that The Devil Wears Prada is actually a bit of a minx and should be held at arms length when assessing for inspo standards. Andy, bizarrely, doesn't actually have any interest in fashion but desperately wants to be a journalist because reasons. Not a journalist for anything specific but 'a journalist' and so she applies for a job as an assistant at a fashion magazine. Andy has some pretty good credentials which she reels off to Meryl Streep's nonplussed hand-waving but it's a mini speech about being different and a hard worker that miraculously gets her a job. I mean, good on her and everything but this movie makes many left-field choices with Andy. Like having her realise that duh, her job should never come before her boyfriend and yeah, fashion is a cruel, harsh industry that saps the personality from everybody but also Andy reeeeeeaally wants to work in it now. For some reason. Don't get me wrong, the film's a hoot but Andy having little-to-no interest or knowledge of the industry she gets thrown into might actually counteract any uplifting you might seek for your career-hunting woes. Because often a job DOES go to someone who might have better credentials but less passion. It's not like Andy invested her spare time and energy into a harshly competitive industry. She didn't exactly spend her down-time, instead of relaxing, attempting to write articles off her own back in a loose and entertaining format, completely unprompted, just for the hell of it, just because she loved it THAT MUCH. Anyway.



Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)


Bit of a curve ball here but the Gene Wilder classic (and it HAS to be the Gene Wilder version) is less an example of finding the right job and more a display of pure, magical luck. Charlie finds a coin in the gutter (ooooo it's all shiny and full of promise) and then his chocolate bar reveals a Golden Ticket (ooo more shiny) and all he has to do is manage to not die/become maimed throughout the factory tour and his unadulterated pureness of heart is rewarded by receiving the chocolate factory and ownership of a mega confectionery company. This film is to be used as a talisman for good luck and wealth plus you get to see Gene Wilder go from Crazed Loon to Creepy Loon to Angry Tomato Head to Loving Father- Figure in what, I still maintain, to be some of his best acting. Not to mention the movie has perhaps one of the best final lines ever- "But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who got everything he ever wanted... He lived happily ever after."


 

Comentários

© 2023 By Remi Foster. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page