Are you happy with your current occupation?

[debbierlus]

Curious as to the people on this board who are happy with their current employment status (be it self-employed or on a payroll)!

[bmbmd]

1. Too old to do anything else-

resigned to my fate. Twelve years left.

[Double T]

6. The ONLY time you are ever TOO old is when you stop breathing......

permanently!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. A friend of mine once phrased that a little differently...

...same principle, though:

"How do you know if you've accomplished what you were put here to do? Are you still BREATHING?"

I'm going out with my BOOTS on, man.

:patriot:

[skids]

2. How about an option for those who are unemployed...

...we're not a small group, ya know... :spank:

[debbierlus]

10. Done!

[acmavm]

3. Graduated with honors with a degree as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.

Currently I'm taking order and billing them for a company that sell polyurethan foam.

Guess which one I picked.

[Jazz2006]

29. Hmmm. Just a hunch, but....

#4?

Sorry to hear that you haven't yet found the kind of employment you're looking for, but GOOD LUCK - and don't give up!

[Callalily]

4. I truly LOVE what I do

Sometimes I have to pinch myself (literally) to make sure it's all real. I'm not exaggerating here. Two weeks ago, I met some incredible people that I wouldn't have met if I didn't have this job. Additionally, now this may sound hokey, but our cause is far reaching, and impacts people's lives for the better forever.

[Jazz2006]

30. That doesn't sound hokey at all.

It sounds TERRIFIC!

:toast:

[MrModerate]

5. Yep:

Reasonable pay and (for these days) good benefits, creative work, status as a subject matter expert, lots of international travel, and (for these days), pretty stable employment.

One luxury being that my spouse can afford to stay at home and be available as a full-time parent.

Better'n I expected at this stage in my life, actually.

[mike_c]

8. I'll be in debt for the rest of my life-- student loans for 10 yrs...

...of higher ed-- but it was worth it. No regrets. My work is sometimes frustrating, just like everyones, but I can't imagine doing anything else for a living. ESPECIALLY at the end of spring semester with the summer looming ahead.... :woohoo:

[Hissyspit]

9. I'm very disappointed with the occupation in Iraq AND Afghanistan

I think we should occupy New Zealand and Lichtenstein instead.

[jillan]

11. I work in Corporate Amerika

I used to love my job.
I haven't had a raise in 2 years. But the CEO surprisingly has broke all records.
No - it's not the oil industry, but the next big pig out there.

I am sticking it to them right now, and then I will make some decisions as to my future.

[debbierlus]

12. Any encouraging words from the lucky ones who are happy in their work?

HOW did you achieve it? What did you have to sacrifice? How long did it take to get there? Your advice for others?

[Jazz2006]

32. Words of encouragement.

Mine would be, "Don't think it's ever too late to change careers if you really want to work in a different field and/or you aspire to a particular career."

How achieved & what was sacrificed: In my case, I left a reasonably well paying job that I liked because I really wanted to practice law and thought I'd be good at it. Although it meant a drastic change at that stage of my life - age 34 - (i.e. giving up the income from my job and going into debt, adjusting to going "back to school" after many years in the workforce, and then trying to balance law school & study with home, daughter, family and financial obligations, it was so worth it in the end.

How long did it take: Three years of law school, four months of bar admission courses, one year of articling, before being called to the bar. I was fortunate in being hired as a summer student at a law firm in second and third years and then the firm paid for the bar admission courses and paid my salary while I was doing those courses so the financial stress was alleviated for me fairly early on. After that, they offered me an articling position, followed by an associate position, so I was very lucky in that I never had to do any strenuous job searching.

My advice for others: Follow your dreams, even though it is a tough haul sometimes. And even if this sounds a bit hokey, I put a lot of stock in it: "Anything you can conceive and believe, you can achieve."

[mike_c]

37. 10 years of higher ed, a research Ph.D., and a lifetime of debt....

Seriously. But I would do it all again in a minute. I can't imagine not doing what I do now (academic science).

[B Calm]

13. I don't mind want I do. It's the cheap wages my dysfunctional

control freak boss wants to pay me that has me upset!

[bullimiami]

14. i like what I do. and i feel lucky to be paid for doing it.

between 1 and 2 really because I probably wouldnt do it for free because there are so many other things that interest me that I dont have enough time for.

[Warpy]

15. I loved being a nurse when I first started

but managed care and for-profit hospital administration have ruined it completely.

Even if my back healed tomorrow, I'd still be out of it.

[bmbmd]

27. Bingo!

And, as you have probably noticed, medical people are "persona non grata" around here. Have to say a word about JCHA, lawyers, insurance companies, workman's comp, etc.

[mike_c]

38. "medical people are persona non grata around here..?"

That's a surprise to me, although I'm not a "medical person."

[Blue_In_AK]

16. I like what I do...

After 25 years working as a legal secretary/paralegal, I'm now working at home preparing court transcripts, and I really love it. I get to keep my own hours, hardly ever have to drive anywhere, and I don't have to deal with any obnoxious attorneys. The cases I do are mostly either grand juries or trial transcripts for criminal appeals, so it's really interesting work. After all those years of the 8:00 to 5:00 grind and the usual law office stress and tension, I feel like I'm being rewarded finally.

The only thing I'd like better is if I made enough money with my photos that I wouldn't have to type at all, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

[Solo_in_MD]

17. I am happy with what I do, but not my personal situation

Making excellent money, but when the family returned to CA, I stayed here because of the $. Two households, a tax mess, but I get back every 6 weeks or so, generally by adding on to a biz trip. Contract was supposed to be over in a few months, but it looks like it will be extended. Hard to walk away from what is paying for college for my kids.

[mike_c]

39. ouch, that sucks....

That would be hard.

[guinivere]

18. I like what I do, I make an okay hourly.

I am getting too old for landscaping though. And my home situation will change pretty quick here, so I need a full time, year round position in an area that is mostly tourism based. I feel tired old and screwed.





on edit ---
Sorry to dump on ya'll.

[debbierlus]

21. You aren't dumping -

These are tough economic times.

[CTyankee]

19. I am semi-retired

Since I got out of the full time rat race my health has been better and I've lost weight due to having more time to exercise and don't have the stress that made me overeat.

I like my 15 hour a week job because I am not stuck in an office all day and I don't work on Fridays at all.

My Social Security is high because I retired at my highest salary level. I have inherited my mother's estate entirely and now spend a lot of time on how the money is invested (but I'm not complaining). My part time job salary pays for my travel, which is expensive. I am going to Europe yearly while I am still fit enough to enjoy it. I take several smaller trips also: Martha's Vineyard, Door County, WI (where we have a summer house), St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands, this year), California to see my little grandson.

Once I slow down on the travel (I like to travel "well") I'll prolly give up the part time job. But for now the money is useful.

But I don't spend money lavishly on clothes and I have an older, paid for car. My house is nice but not luxurious. We clip coupons and shop sales.

Happiness truly is "wanting what you've got, not getting what you want."

[sproutster]

20. I chose Yes, I love...

The sad part is I will be outsourced. So it really doesn't matter, now, does it?

[tigereye]

22. I do mental health work with kids

I am never bored, I am always learning new things, I use my education in my field, I really like the kids and usually feel that what I do is helpful. I will never be well off, but I can usually look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day and feel that what I do has meaning.

[av8rdave]

23. I'm a pilot with major, bankrupt airline

Any questions?

[skygazer]

24. I chose the second option

I do like what I do but it comes with a decent load of stress and headache and it's not something I love. Sometimes I'm surprised I even like it - I work retail which can be major hell but I'm blessed to work with a store-full of lunatics who make going in rather fun.

[Jazz2006]

25. I love what I do...

I voted for number 1 but I'm really somewhere between 1 and 2 because although I wouldn't do it full time without being paid (bills, daughter about to start university, etc.), I'd sure do it for less money. I make up for that by taking pro bono cases as well.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Nikia]

26. Quality assurance isn't a good occupation for me

I think that even if I worked at a better comapny that would be true. You get no glory and all the blame. If there are any other QAs out there who don't see it this way, let me know though.

[no name no slogan]

28. I work in IT for the government

in an agency whose job it is to make sure people have enough food to eat, a safe place to live, medical care, etc. Working in government has its plusses and minuses, but I really enjoy what I do for the most part.

I get paid substantially lower than what I would get paid in the private sector, but I have excellent job security and very good benefits, so the trade-off is worth it.

[Deja Q]

31. Don't count on it. :(

You see, I also work in government. Not the same location as you, mind you, but we almost always do the "We will copy what the State does" routine. So if it's happening to us, you can bet your sweet bippy it's happening in your neck of the woods too.

The pay is low, stress is high, opportunities for growth are nil, management is... bizarre...

Yes, the benefits are there. And Lord knows I've needed them and it's not getting any better.

They (the politicians who are thicker than their milkshakes) also say our pay is too high. :wtf:

And don't feel secure for one moment. If you see them trying to put in virtualization, remote terminal services, and thin clients... count your blessings. If they shift typical IT-related duties to other departments (application support, web page creation, reports creation, et cetera), be afraid. If they give you a review and put in some strange reasonings as to why you're getting a hit on your review (not taking initiative (which for me is an unmitigated lie), not a team player (most IT folks are independent workers) and so on), be very damn afraid. (managers in other departments, who value me highly, have now told me to start looking.)

[no name no slogan]

34. Actually, my division has been getting MORE responsibility

WE are the ones who are getting things shifted to it (reports, web site maintenance, app support, etc.) because they've finally discovered that it's cheaper and easier for the IT support division in the department to take care of their business than it is to outsource it.

In fact, we have several major projects in the works (all of which have been funded) and opportunities are expanding. My own business unit will probably double in size the next biennium, in fact. The creation of a statewide Office of Enterprise Technology and state level CIO has also been beneficial for us, too-- there are more opportunities and more chances for additional training than ever before.

In fact, they recently overhauled management in my division, and now we're finally getting the attention we've needed after several years of benign neglect. We're getting our servers, our software and our development tools without any question now-- and a lot quicker than it used to happen.

I know many counties are in rough shape due to the uncertainty of state budgets and uncertain local revenues. But at the state level things are actually okay. And legislators are finally starting to realize that government costs money-- and we need to pay for it somehow.

[Deja Q]

35. Cool. Best of wishes to you in the future.

I know my fate.

[Broken_Hero]

33. basically

unemployed. I'm a sub teacher, and i usually get about 5-8 days worth of work a month. It sucks, good thing my wife brings home the BIG CHEESE!...meaning, she earns enough to support us...:)

[misanthrope]

36. I like what I do...

...I don't always like those for whom I do it.