Jobby
Here’s a term I created while attending a polo match today:
Job·by (j
b
)
n. pl. job·bies
- An activity that is performed, either in exchange for payment or on a non-profit capacity, in lieu of a regular occupation and approached vicariously, without serious consideration of profit or success.
[Conjunction of job and hobby]
Commonly held by members of upper-class families, jobbies are activities that have all the trappings of a real job including a stated objective (making profit, fundraising, lobbying, etc.), a certain routine and schedule, and responsibilities towards others, without the emotional stake that a real job involves.
In opposition to real employment, jobby-holders truly care neither for the money they make nor their level of success. They know they need to be employed, in order to be accepted amongst their peers and in order to hold on to that trust fund, but they either haven’t really found what they really want to do, don’t want to risk it all doing it, are too lazy to try or have tried and failed. So they take on a jobby — a real job that they approach as if it were a hobby. Getting fired is either not a concern or not an option (Dad owns the company?).
Jobby-holders frequently chide others in the organization for their anal adherence to deadlines, their constant anxiety over the organization’s success, their concern when the paycheck comes in a few days late and their lack of ability to relax. When they have subordinates, they frequently prefer to engage them as their friend rather than their boss. They put most of their efforts into creating a fun, stress-free work environment for their peers and employees. They like being liked. Jobby-holders measure their success by how many smiles they put on people’s faces every day. Jobby-holders are fun people to know.
