Would you rather ...Do work that challenges and interests you with colleagues you get on with, only because you have to.orLess challenging more mundane work with great colleagues that you could actually call friends?

Friends. 100% of the time. That's why I'll never be a management consultant...

Option A. It's too painful to work with friends, family, children or animals. Better to have a fulfilling job so that when I go home I'm in a good mood and more fun to be around for my real friends and family.

Easy question: work with friends,because you have (1) lots of fun and (2) as being a consultant you'll just up-sell the project into more interesting areas's (3) you will do nr 2 because you enjoy you're work.

I would prefer challenging work that is the only way for you to grow as professional. If there is nothing to learn in a job you get stagnant at one level, which is not good for any professional.Friends are good, but learning in your job is more important.

"Friends are good, but learning in your job is more important."you must be very lonely.

Er, other way around...?

Putting friends before work (whilst at work) only leads to problems in both your career and your personal life.Doing a challenging and interesting job, you are more likely to make friends than doing a boring job that makes you switch off mentally.This is a separate question to that of work-life balance. You can prefer to do a challenging, interesting job whilst you are at work, but also prefer to not spend more than 40 hours a week at work.

Despite what they might try and brainwash you into believing, people at work for the most part aren't your "friends". Would you really socialise with these people out of hours if you didn't have to? If they move on to another job, do you think you will stay in touch and go on social events together? How many people are you still in touch with from previous jobs/firms?However, there does need to be mutual respect and some degree of getting along. You can't spend 5 days a week working with gits.

Career over friends wins all the time. if you don't believe me, stick around in the same place for long enough with the same people and see what happens.Try remaining best friends with someone who gets promoted over you.Come on guys, reality check please.