Jacking in your job
Discussion
Arnold Cunningham said:
This is one of the things I've been wondering about.
I cast my net wide and found a couple of volunteer roles I really enjoyed and turned out I was pretty good at at a few of them. I've just started a job thats very similar to my favourite volunteer roles and I get paid! I thought lack of qualifications in my new industry would hold me back but I've persevered and its worked out
rog007 said:
If you intend on staying in employment, one thing to do is to reflect on how you got to this point to try and prevent repeating that mistake.
Good advice.I have reflected on this a lot over the years.
And yes, I made a series of decisions that led me to this point.
I have been fortunate (a double-edged sword really) to have mostly been paid reasonably well, but now feel stuck. Had I ended up without a decent income for an extended period, I would have been forced to try something different.
As time has gone on, it has felt more difficult to sacrifice what I have/take a risk.
I don't have expensive tastes and have no money worries (although I'm not wealthy enough to live off investments) , which is better than many people. I do have young children, so I have responsibilities.
Taking a punt on earning a lot less, even if it might be more enjoyable, seems foolhardy -and my wife wouldn't be happy.
Ps. I do save money every month, although investments and savings are looking very shakey at the moment.
Edited by Woodrow Wilson on Friday 25th March 10:17
Pit Pony said:
Vso?
20 years ago I really should have done something like that. Foolishly, and for various reasons that seemed important at the time, despite knowing that I didn't like what I did for work, I just kept plodding on and have continued to work in similar roles. I can't change that now, though.
Woodrow Wilson said:
Pit Pony said:
Vso?
20 years ago I really should have done something like that. Foolishly, and for various reasons that seemed important at the time, despite knowing that I didn't like what I did for work, I just kept plodding on and have continued to work in similar roles. I can't change that now, though.
Vidarr said:
Woodrow Wilson said:
Pit Pony said:
Vso?
20 years ago I really should have done something like that. Foolishly, and for various reasons that seemed important at the time, despite knowing that I didn't like what I did for work, I just kept plodding on and have continued to work in similar roles. I can't change that now, though.
Woodrow Wilson said:
Vidarr said:
Woodrow Wilson said:
Pit Pony said:
Vso?
20 years ago I really should have done something like that. Foolishly, and for various reasons that seemed important at the time, despite knowing that I didn't like what I did for work, I just kept plodding on and have continued to work in similar roles. I can't change that now, though.
Vidarr said:
Woodrow Wilson said:
Vidarr said:
Woodrow Wilson said:
Pit Pony said:
Vso?
20 years ago I really should have done something like that. Foolishly, and for various reasons that seemed important at the time, despite knowing that I didn't like what I did for work, I just kept plodding on and have continued to work in similar roles. I can't change that now, though.
Woodrow Wilson said:
Vidarr said:
Woodrow Wilson said:
Vidarr said:
Woodrow Wilson said:
Pit Pony said:
Vso?
20 years ago I really should have done something like that. Foolishly, and for various reasons that seemed important at the time, despite knowing that I didn't like what I did for work, I just kept plodding on and have continued to work in similar roles. I can't change that now, though.
I've been there and I have quit jobs that were bad for me. Being not happy at work, no matter the good pay, ends up with you being not happy outside work. It sucks the life from you.
If by "jacking in" you mean looking for another job that perhaps doesn't pay as much, as someone else pointed out you're already past that point. Careers are not linear no matter how much we expect them to be. Sometimes you have to side-step or even back-step to another path to find what works better for you.
If by "jacking in" you want to leave with nothing else to go to, that needs financial stability and understanding from the OH. If you can do it, fair play to you. It's very liberating.
[ I wasn't sure about posting the below as it's a bit me, me, me, but I've left it in case you can find unplanned wisdom in it
]
I'm no great expert. but I've learnt lessons the past few years :
I spent 30 years in one company, worked my way up without ever chasing promotion. The money became good but I worried I'd never have the balls to leave even knowing the job was getting harder. The decision was taken out of my hands. I was made redundant. My first emotion was relief.
Over the next 18 months I had 3 jobs, each of which quickly became horrid. The first was good money but I was constantly on edge. I snapped at the wife, shouted at the dog. I couldn't land another job but I knew I had to get out. The wife told me early on to leave before I had a heart-attack.
I'm into cars (obviously) and DIY. Now I work locally, part-time in a hardware store and I've never enjoyed work more. Job 1 gave me the financial stability to not worry about reduced hours and National Living Wage. Looking back, I should have taken the hint at the end of Job 1. I didn't but the message got through after the 3 nightmare jobs.
Fulfilment in your job is at least equally as important as the pay. Good luck in your search.
If by "jacking in" you mean looking for another job that perhaps doesn't pay as much, as someone else pointed out you're already past that point. Careers are not linear no matter how much we expect them to be. Sometimes you have to side-step or even back-step to another path to find what works better for you.
If by "jacking in" you want to leave with nothing else to go to, that needs financial stability and understanding from the OH. If you can do it, fair play to you. It's very liberating.
[ I wasn't sure about posting the below as it's a bit me, me, me, but I've left it in case you can find unplanned wisdom in it
]I'm no great expert. but I've learnt lessons the past few years :
I spent 30 years in one company, worked my way up without ever chasing promotion. The money became good but I worried I'd never have the balls to leave even knowing the job was getting harder. The decision was taken out of my hands. I was made redundant. My first emotion was relief.
Over the next 18 months I had 3 jobs, each of which quickly became horrid. The first was good money but I was constantly on edge. I snapped at the wife, shouted at the dog. I couldn't land another job but I knew I had to get out. The wife told me early on to leave before I had a heart-attack.
I'm into cars (obviously) and DIY. Now I work locally, part-time in a hardware store and I've never enjoyed work more. Job 1 gave me the financial stability to not worry about reduced hours and National Living Wage. Looking back, I should have taken the hint at the end of Job 1. I didn't but the message got through after the 3 nightmare jobs.
Fulfilment in your job is at least equally as important as the pay. Good luck in your search.
Edited by DWDarkWheels on Friday 25th March 19:27
DWDarkWheels said:
I've been there and I have quit jobs that were bad for me. Being not happy at work, no matter the good pay, ends up with you being not happy outside work. It sucks the life from you.
The work is not stressful, it just seems almost entirely pointless and there is no sense of achievement or satisfaction whatsoever. It's a dull and unfulfilling rut that just sees me going through the motions, with a dose of cynicism, and is not allowing me to fulfill any sort of potential. Some people seem content to do the work (although fewer than it appears on the surface) , but I am definitely very different to almost all of my colleagues. Work has caused me to be unhappy outside of work in the past, but I have made an effort to have other things going on in my life, which has been successful.
I feel that I could be doing something far more useful, stimulating, satisfying, *taking some sense of pride in it* for 40+ hours per week -not just being paid a wage.
I requested dropping to a 3 day week recently. Sick to death of the idiots, the pointless training modules, the procedures, the meddling, the inability to do my job due to their policies.
No doubt it will be rejected so will narrow my options to stick it out or tell them to stick it.
I'm pretty sure within 4 months I'll be gone.
I've been planning to retire early for a while now but the finances took a bit of a battering this year.
At early 50's I've no plans to work again. My lifestyle is pretty frugal and I can live well on 12k a year.
No doubt it will be rejected so will narrow my options to stick it out or tell them to stick it.
I'm pretty sure within 4 months I'll be gone.
I've been planning to retire early for a while now but the finances took a bit of a battering this year.
At early 50's I've no plans to work again. My lifestyle is pretty frugal and I can live well on 12k a year.
Woodrow Wilson said:
The work is not stressful, it just seems almost entirely pointless and there is no sense of achievement or satisfaction whatsoever. It's a dull and unfulfilling rut that just sees me going through the motions, with a dose of cynicism, and is not allowing me to fulfill any sort of potential. Some people seem content to do the work (although fewer than it appears on the surface) , but I am definitely very different to almost all of my colleagues.
Work has caused me to be unhappy outside of work in the past, but I have made an effort to have other things going on in my life, which has been successful.
I feel that I could be doing something far more useful, stimulating, satisfying, *taking some sense of pride in it* for 40+ hours per week -not just being paid a wage.
That's more midlife crisis, what the fWork has caused me to be unhappy outside of work in the past, but I have made an effort to have other things going on in my life, which has been successful.
I feel that I could be doing something far more useful, stimulating, satisfying, *taking some sense of pride in it* for 40+ hours per week -not just being paid a wage.
king point of my life than I'm pissed off with the job. You know what? Gap years are wasted on the young..
Rather than put up with it, and try and squirrel money away, why not take a year off. Go back packing, walk LEJOG.
Rent out your house on Airbnb and f
k off to Mexico? Pit Pony said:
That's more midlife crisis, what the fking point of my life than I'm pissed off with the job.
You know what? Gap years are wasted on the young..
Rather than put up with it, and try and squirrel money away, why not take a year off. Go back packing, walk LEJOG.
Rent out your house on Airbnb and fk off to Mexico?
It's the job/work route that I took that is the issue and always has been. I have felt very stressed in the past, but my current job/workplace is particularly unsuitable and frustrating. king point of my life than I'm pissed off with the job. You know what? Gap years are wasted on the young..
Rather than put up with it, and try and squirrel money away, why not take a year off. Go back packing, walk LEJOG.
Rent out your house on Airbnb and f
k off to Mexico? If it is a mid-life crisis, it started in my early 20s.
A gap year travelling/doing activities really isn't an option with children at junior and high school.
Mr Spoon said:
I think once a person gets passed the how much they get paid stage, job satisfaction becomes such a huge part of the job that decisions will be made irrespective of the level of pay. Being valued and feeling you are adding value in my opinion keeps employees in positions.
Exactly. Which is not the case if employees are just treated as fairly generic project time-booking resources (on almost exclusively terrible projects), rather than utilised for what they are good at.Level of pay and comparisons with friends and peers was one of the reasons that I didn't make a change when I was younger.
Nowadays, I don't care if friends or peers earn twice or three times what I do, as I have enough, and just having more doesn't make people happier.
Edited by Woodrow Wilson on Sunday 27th March 09:41
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff