Who enjoys their job?
Discussion
I don't have a job, i have two totally different workplaces, one that leaves me at a desk for hours at a time and the other that leaves me stuck out on a corner of some old WW2 airfield for 9 - 14 hours at a time.
If you want to do either properly they cannot be considered jobs but a way of life.
I f
king love my life.
Yep, sometimes i could throw it all in and go build mud huts in the Congo or something but as a rule life is good.
If you want to do either properly they cannot be considered jobs but a way of life.
I f
king love my life.Yep, sometimes i could throw it all in and go build mud huts in the Congo or something but as a rule life is good.
tankplanker said:
I have worked in IT for ~20 years now. The technology has changed dramatically in that time but the people haven't. The actual hands on job I do is great and I have worked on some fantastic projects where my work has been in daily use by 10,000s of people.
There are some amazing people who work in IT that are an absolute pleasure to work with but the opposite is also true, and for some companies there are far more of the latter than the former. With the mass take up of outsourcing and offshoring due to companies seeking to treat IT as an overhead they'd rather not be paying for, more of the former seem to be around every year.
If IT had forced in a proper professional qualification like a Lawyer or an Accountant early enough then I'm convinced most of the problem would have been nipped in the bud.
That's been the general consensus for myself over the years, it's always seen as overhead. There are some amazing people who work in IT that are an absolute pleasure to work with but the opposite is also true, and for some companies there are far more of the latter than the former. With the mass take up of outsourcing and offshoring due to companies seeking to treat IT as an overhead they'd rather not be paying for, more of the former seem to be around every year.
If IT had forced in a proper professional qualification like a Lawyer or an Accountant early enough then I'm convinced most of the problem would have been nipped in the bud.
For my sins I really do enjoy IT but agree that there are certain individuals which makes your working life a nightmare. One comment I really dislike is how IT seems to earn to much, as usual IT will only be remembered for when something goes wrong.
Financial IT Consultant... Love my job.
I get the jobs that no-one else wants, they can't get them working and I come in and get the solution going... Colleagues sometimes don't like the fact I do this, but its what I do and why Im here.
The work is varied and at the moment Im no longer in the UK and I get to live in 2 countries and spend 50% of my time in each in APAC region.
OH is out here... Life is good, it will be a shame to give it up in 9 months, so I make the most of it now... This time last year I was aa specialist developer, now I run team on a cutting edge project.
I get the jobs that no-one else wants, they can't get them working and I come in and get the solution going... Colleagues sometimes don't like the fact I do this, but its what I do and why Im here.
The work is varied and at the moment Im no longer in the UK and I get to live in 2 countries and spend 50% of my time in each in APAC region.
OH is out here... Life is good, it will be a shame to give it up in 9 months, so I make the most of it now... This time last year I was aa specialist developer, now I run team on a cutting edge project.
steveT350C said:
Smiler. said:
OT but have you have any involvement at the robotic surgery theatres as St Mary's hospital, Paddington?
Hi Smiler, I have seen the Da Vinci being used a few years ago but no direct involvement. St Mary's was first Uk hospital to get one I believe.They have two theatres, only one of which was supposed to be robotic (if the inadvertent comment during a progress meeting is to be believed).
Love my job, fairly technical with a lot of responsibility, it's not perfect, as there just aren't enough people doing what I do, but it pays very well, 37 hours a week including traveling to/from work (I have to give 30 mins a day of my time for travelling), finish at 2 PM every Friday, great benefits, company car, and this year with 28 days annual leave, and (so far) 108 hours of Time off in Lieu earned, I'll have more time than I know what to do with (not complaining, and very grateful !)
rossw46 said:
Love my job, fairly technical with a lot of responsibility, it's not perfect, as there just aren't enough people doing what I do, but it pays very well, 37 hours a week including traveling to/from work (I have to give 30 mins a day of my time for travelling), finish at 2 PM every Friday, great benefits, company car, and this year with 28 days annual leave, and (so far) 108 hours of Time off in Lieu earned, I'll have more time than I know what to do with (not complaining, and very grateful !)
That sounds like a great job, excellent balance of working and personal time. Used to do 30 min daily commute but now has nearly quadrupled and that's not including my official 9-6 working hours.I sit in an office full of other people but nobody speaks to each other except for good mornings, we don't do goodnights at the end of the day.
All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
CaptainSlow said:
I sit in an office full of other people but nobody speaks to each other except for good mornings, we don't do goodnights at the end of the day.
All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
GCHQ? MI6?All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
I realise you couldn't possibly confirm or deny that. But the description is just the right amount of dull and detailed to stop anyone asking any further questions.
Nope!
Im over paid for what I do, which I dont mind. I also have a windowless office, Im often the only one in but when the others turn up they are very disruptive and 2 are borderline alcoholics. Never had an appraisal in 2 years, no chance of real promotion, my job title could go up but the job would be the same. The industry is dull, I dont have enough to do, it goes on. I enjoy pay days and my easy working hours but Im desperate to work in a proper company.
Im over paid for what I do, which I dont mind. I also have a windowless office, Im often the only one in but when the others turn up they are very disruptive and 2 are borderline alcoholics. Never had an appraisal in 2 years, no chance of real promotion, my job title could go up but the job would be the same. The industry is dull, I dont have enough to do, it goes on. I enjoy pay days and my easy working hours but Im desperate to work in a proper company.
talksthetorque said:
CaptainSlow said:
I sit in an office full of other people but nobody speaks to each other except for good mornings, we don't do goodnights at the end of the day.
All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
GCHQ? MI6?All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
I realise you couldn't possibly confirm or deny that. But the description is just the right amount of dull and detailed to stop anyone asking any further questions.
Thanks for making me aware that I'm doing the dull job others use as a cover.
CaptainSlow said:
I sit in an office full of other people but nobody speaks to each other except for good mornings, we don't do goodnights at the end of the day.
All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
No human interaction whilst earning a salary? Dream job!!!All communication and contact with the outside world is via email or conference call. We all sit looking at laptops with our telephone headphones on. My work is dictated by an online list of documents or transactions to review and approve. Lunch is a sandwich at my desk.
I enjoy my job most of the time. Politics can be a bit of a pain plus there is a lot of pressure involved and hours can be quite long. I'm an academic (chemistry/environmental sciences- my username might provide a clue to the exact topic I work in...).
My days can be very varied, but in this sector the variations depends on the individual. It is possible to drift along (I don't, I get bored without variety).
One day I could have meetings with potential clients (private companies) who I could end up doing consultancy for or putting together an R&D project which I'll then manage. That could be delivered by a research student or by a member of staff. I meet officials from countries outside the EU who are looking to develop their own infrastructure, so come to me for guidance and advice. This could result in consultancy, R&D or me putting together a training programme for them, and then delivering it (this part takes me all over the world).
Other days could be meeting with students to support their research projects; meeting other colleagues to design new courses; travelling to sites to see if I can develop work with a company. Or I'm doing interviews with trade magazines and sometimes even the national press. I have quite a low teaching load, but manage courses and modules (which take up a lot of time). I probably have around 50-60 hours a year of contact time through lectures and seminars (sounds low, but preparation time can be extensive).
Then there are days I am just in my office, which will be spent reading the latest publications and news, writing proposals/bids and writing publications of my own. The pressure is on for us to win funding, so this comes in the form of private companies and/or government agencies paying for us to do work for them or it can be competitive tendering. We also bid for work from the UK research councils and the EU (for now!). Currently my work is funded about a third each from private companies, UK research councils and the EU.
From publications and involvement in major projects I try to raise my profile, which in turn leads to invitations to talk at conferences, further work etc. The cycle then continues, hopefully with funding and publications growing each time.
All of the above can be long hours (standard week is 50 hours, plus some more at the weekend). Can also mean several nights away each month, travelling to conferences or taking part in project meetings across Europe. On a plus side I get to see some amazing places on my travels, I'm in control of the work I want to do (if I have an idea and can find funding for it then I can do it, as long as it's legal!) and it pays reasonable money. Opportunities for progression are there if successful in securing funding and maintaining a strong publication record (also as 'impact').
My days can be very varied, but in this sector the variations depends on the individual. It is possible to drift along (I don't, I get bored without variety).
One day I could have meetings with potential clients (private companies) who I could end up doing consultancy for or putting together an R&D project which I'll then manage. That could be delivered by a research student or by a member of staff. I meet officials from countries outside the EU who are looking to develop their own infrastructure, so come to me for guidance and advice. This could result in consultancy, R&D or me putting together a training programme for them, and then delivering it (this part takes me all over the world).
Other days could be meeting with students to support their research projects; meeting other colleagues to design new courses; travelling to sites to see if I can develop work with a company. Or I'm doing interviews with trade magazines and sometimes even the national press. I have quite a low teaching load, but manage courses and modules (which take up a lot of time). I probably have around 50-60 hours a year of contact time through lectures and seminars (sounds low, but preparation time can be extensive).
Then there are days I am just in my office, which will be spent reading the latest publications and news, writing proposals/bids and writing publications of my own. The pressure is on for us to win funding, so this comes in the form of private companies and/or government agencies paying for us to do work for them or it can be competitive tendering. We also bid for work from the UK research councils and the EU (for now!). Currently my work is funded about a third each from private companies, UK research councils and the EU.
From publications and involvement in major projects I try to raise my profile, which in turn leads to invitations to talk at conferences, further work etc. The cycle then continues, hopefully with funding and publications growing each time.
All of the above can be long hours (standard week is 50 hours, plus some more at the weekend). Can also mean several nights away each month, travelling to conferences or taking part in project meetings across Europe. On a plus side I get to see some amazing places on my travels, I'm in control of the work I want to do (if I have an idea and can find funding for it then I can do it, as long as it's legal!) and it pays reasonable money. Opportunities for progression are there if successful in securing funding and maintaining a strong publication record (also as 'impact').
I love my job/career.
I'm very fortunate to be well paid to travel the world with a great crew on a great boat and I only work 6 months of the year. I get to spend alot of time in the Caribbean, the Med, the Middle East etc... Any downtime I get i'm off exploring, going runs around exclusive addresses on the south coast of France, eating in nice restaurants or laying on a beach in St Barths in the middle of December.
I do enjoy the actual job as well as the lifestyle - lots of teamwork, lots of new, high end equipment to learn about and maintain. I feel myself growing and getting better at my job every trip. Good bosses who are highly skilled and experienced and hence respectable.
Of course it has its moments - tiresome onboard politics, stressful periods, late nights and early mornings, lots of airports and some long flights. It also means I spend 6 months a year away from home which can get tough - missing weddings, birthdays etc... but nothing that's made me even consider looking for a job at home just yet...
I'm very fortunate to be well paid to travel the world with a great crew on a great boat and I only work 6 months of the year. I get to spend alot of time in the Caribbean, the Med, the Middle East etc... Any downtime I get i'm off exploring, going runs around exclusive addresses on the south coast of France, eating in nice restaurants or laying on a beach in St Barths in the middle of December.
I do enjoy the actual job as well as the lifestyle - lots of teamwork, lots of new, high end equipment to learn about and maintain. I feel myself growing and getting better at my job every trip. Good bosses who are highly skilled and experienced and hence respectable.
Of course it has its moments - tiresome onboard politics, stressful periods, late nights and early mornings, lots of airports and some long flights. It also means I spend 6 months a year away from home which can get tough - missing weddings, birthdays etc... but nothing that's made me even consider looking for a job at home just yet...
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