[milf]

I'm just curious to see how many people actually find enjoyment in their profession. 'They' say that of all the possibilities in the world, make sure you do something you love. On the other hand, a friend's dad always claims that ALL jobs will eventually become tedious and more of a hassle, so the best bet would be to go where the money is. I guess that assumes money will make you happy.

My reason for this post is that I'm currently content --maybe even satisified-- with my job, but I'm not necessarily happy. The pay is good, my coworkers are all cool, and I'm in a situation that provides good job security, but I still occasionally dread coming in to work. You're probably saying, 'Oh, everyone will dread going to work now and then', which I agree with, but for me, I dread going to work because I feel like I'm wasting time. I feel like these are the years I should be doing what interests me. I sit in an office for 8-10 hours a day working with a computer. I can think of a hand full of things I'd much rather be doing, that'd I'd enjoy at least twice as much. I have other aspirations I'd like to persue, but I fear the chance of loosing everything I currently have. Make sense? Is this reasonable?

Is it the 'Quarter Life Crisis' where you feel suspended in mid air with no certain direction in your life?

So, I'm curious. Let me know what you do for a living (job title, company, salary if you don't mind, pros, cons) and whether or not you enjoy it. Also, if you don't enjoy your work/job/whatever, what would you rather be doing (work related)?

Thanks for listening. And thanks for any feedback.

[euchomai]

I have a great job! Motivational speaker, anti-drug/alcohol, good decisions for life. Mainly I speak to high school and college students. I have a team of 20 interns working under me, they are all in training. They do skits, play in our band and do a little one on one counseling. We teach that "Your decisions determine your destiny".

I am pretty much my own boss, I do answer to an accountability partner that also is involved in overlooking my finances. My wife is the office administrator and I know that I make a difference in the lives of people all over the world.

I am based in Oklahoma City and love living here, both my family and my wife's family live within an hours drive. My brother, who is also one of my closest friends, works in the same building as me as a private school teacher.

Salary is very nice and varies based on how many schools and such I speak in. My base is about double the Oklahoma average salary, so all works out well!

I read all of your guys posts, but rarely post myself. I am trying to get more involved here, but its hard to have an opinion on everything! Guess that makes me a "long time reader, not often poster"

[disco_stu]

Originally posted by euchomai:
I read all of your guys posts, but rarely post myself. I am trying to get more involved here, but its hard to have an opinion on everything! Guess that makes me a "long time reader, not often poster"

Ditto!

OK, I'm very content/happy with my life - great fianc�e, good health, great family, relatively secure financially (for the moment). The one thing in my life that asolutely sucks? Work.

I graduated college in 2000 and have worked as webmaster for two startup companies since. I hated every minute. My fianc�e and I just moved down to Florida (I'm from Boston, originally), and there's absolutely no technology sector down here. None. Which is fine, because I've realized that I just can't spend 40+ hours per week in a tiny little cubicle staring at a computer screen. So I'm going to Circuit City today for an interview. I need an income. And fast.

Bottom line: I have absolutely NO idea what I want to do with my professional life, and that drives me crazy.

It's very frustrating, but when I feel myself getting overwhelmed, I just try to remember that the positives (life, love, family) outweight the negatives (freaking work!).

[TheIceMan]

milf:
Thanks for your feedback in my post. I have posted my response there for you.

[chris v]

I own my own company, make a solid middle class living, and get to play with Macs all day. What could be better? Deadlines are a b*tch, but nothing's easy in life. We do what we do well, and our customers appreciate that. I take great pride in my work, too, which adds to it all being worth it at the end of the day.

CV

[milf]

It's very frustrating, but when I feel myself getting overwhelmed, I just try to remember that the positives (life, love, family) outweight the negatives (freaking work!).

I'm with you 100%. I love life and I love my life. I think about all the positive aspects of my life and am always greatful. The negatives are few and far between and nothing really worth mentioning. My work isn't even really a negative, it's just that I'm sure there are things I'd much rather be doing as far as a profession goes. I'm just not entirely sure what that is at the moment.

We do what we do well, and our customers appreciate that. I take great pride in my work, too, which adds to it all being worth it at the end of the day.

So many people can't say that about what they do. That's awesome that you can. Just out of curiosity, what exactly do you do with Macs? I mean what is your line of business? I'd like to eventually own my business, but I need to figure out what type of business I'd like to own, first.

[milf]

PS - I need to find a profession that incorporates photography, cooking, and travel, and still allows for time to pursue other interests.

Any suggestions!?!

[:XI:]

Originally posted by milf:
PS - I need to find a profession that incorporates photography, cooking, and travel, and still allows for time to pursue other interests.

Any suggestions!?!

Make one of those coffee table books on International Cuisine, travel to the place cook the food, photograph it, fly somewhere else.

Bill the publisher!

back to the topic:

I work in a factory. I make windows. The plastic ones (uPVC). It sucks. The money's ok for now. The people are mostly good. It's only temporary. So I'm not too bothered right now. Long term? my goal is to work as an animator.

[::maroma::]

I'm happy with where I'm at right now in my life, but I know I can find a better job. I work for a large company, and it gets pretty political here, which really bogs me down. I want to work for a smaller Graphic Design Firm so that there's much less of this big business BS.

Anyways, the grass is always greener. My Dad always tells me, whatever it is you decide to do in life, do it well.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by disco_stu:
Ditto!

Bottom line: I have absolutely NO idea what I want to do with my professional life, and that drives me crazy.

Don't feel bad, you're still young and will probably have a few twists and turns before all is said and done. I'm 33, got in to tech in my late 20's and am now underemployed (have a job .. but not in tech since last year and the time gap only makes it harder). I also have NO idea what to do with my professional life ... keep pursuing tech ? or start with something new (again). I haven't been this insecure (emotionally AND financially) in YEARS and it really tearing my guts up.

A year ago I would have said to follow your loves and principles ... now I'm almost ready to say that you should find a stable profession and just try to have as much enjoyment outside of work as you possibly can.

[Footy]

Well... I've tossed around changing professions as too. Thing is we get so caught up in the stability of our jobs. It's scary to even consider leaving one job for another since an uncertain future can instill so much fear. I have to hand it to those of you that can make such a move.

I don't even have a lot of room for complaint. I have a great job working for a local city government that pays very well. I'm outside just about everyday of the year and work with a bunch of great guys.

Still... There are other things I'd like to do.

As someone has already pointed out... "It's always greener on the other side."

-Footy

[Nonsuch]

I love my job. Creatively stimulating, decent money, great people, enough bumps and jolts to keep everything from becoming routine ... and I just got a new Mac to work on.

[Shaddim]

Let's see... I fix Macs during the day (which I love), and I write and do illustration work most evenings, and I'm not far away from my Ph.D in Theology/Comparative studies. Then I'll teach. Writing while teaching at a university has always been my career dream.

Yeah, I'm happy with where I'm at in that area of my life. I'm content, but I'm not satisfied. I'll probably never be "satisfied".

[Apple Pro Underwear]

graphic designer - specializing in production


i found the perfect job that suits my personality perfectly. i also found a office with cool, funny people.

for now, as a young dude, i'm feeling good. but eventually i'll have to leave and find a better job and leave this place. gotta grow.

[alpha rays max]

I do some menagerie of website design and back-end programming for a Virginia state government agency. It's got its pros and cons.

It's part-time and very flexible. I've been working there since 1997 and am just finishing up my undergraduate work this coming year (a year behind, actually)... so it works around my school schedule quite well.

The pay is decent, although maybe not for the kind of work they have me doing, but considering I'm 22 and in school still, $13/hr isn't too bad. Beats retail, anyhow.

The vast majority of my experience is in IT/web but I really don't enjoy it that much anymore. I'm working toward my paramedic certifications so hopefully I will be doing that full time for a career soon. Emergency medicine is really what gets me going and makes me look forward to work.

So, yeah, sometimes I feel like I'm at that quarter-life crisis stage too... but I guess a lot of it is just accepting that it happens to most people and that you have to find a good balance between being practical and being happy... sometimes those things coincide, sometimes they remain seperate. The bottom line is to make sure you have both in your life one way or another. And to recognise what makes you happy, of course.

[Too Artificial]

I'm 31, almost 32, and work for a large corporation, I've worked there 9 out of the last 10 years and I can't wait to leave. I'm tired of dealing with the politics and other corporate world BS. I'm also tired of working in technology. It was fun 5 years ago, now it's a pain. On top of it all, I commute 85 miles roundtrip, everyday.

So what am I going to do about it?

Well, I'm pretty far along in my attempt to open a health/fitness/wellness center in my town. It's scary at times because there is so much to learn, but it seems there are a lot of great people in the industry who are willing to help. The thing I really like about it is that we will have so many opportunities to help people. Whether it's helping someone lose weight, or doing fundraising for charity, there are many chances to do so many good things.

Wish me luck, we're beginning a serious push for financing in the next 3-4 weeks.

[scaught]

i dont know what i want to do with my life.

i dont think doing work will ever make me happy, no matter who is calling the shots.

as long as im selling my soul to some entity or another for a price, i dont think im going to be satisfied.

the glass is HALF EMPTY I SAID!!

[suprz]

dude, your name scares me

[simonjames]

Nope - hate my job and the company lies big time

For example - there is a policy in place regarding pay rises and bonuses - these are linked directly to evaluations and reviews. The better the evaluation the better the pay rise and bonus.

Well, our review period for the year just finished and I got the top score - because I worked hard and did unpaid overtime.

By the policy I should have gotten a 6% pay rise and a 15% bonus but the word from the new upper management is that we're overpaid and so this year we're getting nothing!

No bonus - no pay rise

guess this equates to "no overtime" - hate people who go back on their word.

[chris v]

Originally posted by milf:



So many people can't say that about what they do. That's awesome that you can. Just out of curiosity, what exactly do you do with Macs? I mean what is your line of business? I'd like to eventually own my business, but I need to figure out what type of business I'd like to own, first.

We print t-shirts, and specialize in 4 color process work. No one in the entire state can touch our quality with a stick. I use my Mac at work largely for Photoshop, to set up files to print, but also all the other crud that goes along with owning a small business-- email web design, surfing MacNN during lunch, etc.

CV

[wdlove]

I like nursing because it gives me a chance to help people. You can really make a ghange in a person's life. It is a great feeling when a patient says thank you!

[chris v]

Originally posted by wdlove:
I like nursing because it gives me a chance to help people. You can really make a ghange in a person's life. It is a great feeling when a patient says thank you!

Doing something of substance to help others during our brief stint here on Earth should be of itself the best reward. My hat's off to anyone who can hack it in the nursing profession. Keep it up!

CV

Originally posted by wdlove:
I like nursing because it gives me a chance to help people. You can really make a ghange in a person's life. It is a great feeling when a patient says thank you!

Hear! Hear!

Nursing, police, and teaching have got to be the most underappreciated professions out there. I admire anyone who does them in the face of low wages, long hours, and lack of proper respect. These people are far more important than corporate execs, lawyers, and entertainers that all get paid much more than they do.

BTW, I am none of those. I do product testing on optical networking products. Right now I am happy to have a job, but wish to do product development instead of testing.

[ism]

Mechanical Engineering: It sucketh greatly

What's most annoying is that it is preventing my from fulfilling the life, love, family side of things because I just cannot find a job near my girlfriend and (her) little girl.

The amount of hatred I hold for engineering is quite amazing.

[Mastrap]

I love what I am doing. Always have done.
I started out as a designer. Became an art director, then a Creative Director. Details here

Then, until a year ago, I was the European Director of TV for a company that is part of the Y&R group, an international advertising agency.

Now I am building my own business with a friend. A lot less money, a lot more personal fulfilment. Watch this space for announcements

[ckohler]

I really love my job and consider myself very lucky to have been at the right place at the right time doing the right thing.

In the very early days of the public Internet, BBSes were staring to go down all over town and being the computer geek I am, I wanted to figure out how to build pages on this new "Web" thing I'd heard about. So on the weekends I would sneek into the college computer lab nearby and teach myself how to build primitive websites.

A few years later after a lot of practice, I put in a resume at our city's only ISP at the time and floored them with my knowledge of HTML. I've worked as a web developer here ever since building web portals, commercial sites intranets and web apps. I think getting in early on the ground floor, being talented enough and working in a medium sized city has helped me to keep a job I love for so long.

[Arkham_c]

I don't care much for my current job, but I like my choice of career. I am a software developer. With the downturn in the economy, I don't have the freedom to quit my job and get a better one right now, but when the economy picks up I'm gone. In the interim, I'm getting paid quite well to write boring software.

I love writing code. I work all day, come home, and after my wife and kids go to bed, I write more code for fun.

I've had 4 jobs since college (7 years), and all of them save the current one entailed fun work at first. When I look for a job, I look for a place where I can learn new things, improve my resume, and have a path of advancement. Probably a good set of criteria for a job in any profession.