It's all worth it in the end...right?
Discussion
Working 2 jobs, average of 11hr days, then add in an extra 2hrs of commuting. Past week has had a few 18hr days @ my main job. Throw in the weekend job & that goes on to another 2 x 18hr days.
I'd like to think that being only 21, putting in the hard graft now will set me up nicely in the future. Work for a small firm, current MD will move on to our sister company next year. My current boss would probably take over as MD then me directly underneath as general manager of some description?
So effectively...The hard work will make it worth it in the end position/salarywise or am I wrong? Just thinking to myself especially considering the distinct lack of spare time to do much for myself. Only took my first 2 days worth of holidays the week before last, aint had a holiday since I started back in July, I seem to have a backlog of holidays which I need to take, but me being me, won't take them till the time is right & the business won't suffer as a result, so will plod along regardless.
Point is...It is all worth it right? Anyone been there & done that?
I'd like to think that being only 21, putting in the hard graft now will set me up nicely in the future. Work for a small firm, current MD will move on to our sister company next year. My current boss would probably take over as MD then me directly underneath as general manager of some description?
So effectively...The hard work will make it worth it in the end position/salarywise or am I wrong? Just thinking to myself especially considering the distinct lack of spare time to do much for myself. Only took my first 2 days worth of holidays the week before last, aint had a holiday since I started back in July, I seem to have a backlog of holidays which I need to take, but me being me, won't take them till the time is right & the business won't suffer as a result, so will plod along regardless.
Point is...It is all worth it right? Anyone been there & done that?
ironictwist said:
Point is...It is all worth it right?
I don't know these days. Previously I would have said at 21 go out enjoy yourself, drink with your mates, meet a nice lady etc but getting on the housing ladder is harder just to get on the first rung.
Depends what you want out of life. House wife and kids? work hard but the payoff has to be you get free time to enjoy it .
ironictwist said:
... aint had a holiday since I started back in July, I seem to have a backlog of holidays which I need to take,...
Gordon Bennet, you haven't had a holiday since July?? 
Ahhh, poor you, working TWO whole months without a holiday. I bet the psychological pressure must be gruelling. Is that the sound of massive compensation, from someone, somewhere, I can hear ringing?
King Herald said:
ironictwist said:
... aint had a holiday since I started back in July, I seem to have a backlog of holidays which I need to take,...
Gordon Bennet, you haven't had a holiday since July?? Ahhh, poor you, working TWO whole months without a holiday. I bet the psychological pressure must be gruelling. Is that the sound of massive compensation, from someone, somewhere, I can hear ringing?
ironictwist said:
Only took my first 2 days worth of holidays the week before last, aint had a holiday since I started back in July, I seem to have a backlog of holidays which I need to take, but me being me, won't take them till the time is right & the business won't suffer as a result, so will plod along regardless.
Point is...It is all worth it right? Anyone been there & done that?
depends if you're indispensable to the business or notPoint is...It is all worth it right? Anyone been there & done that?
at my first practise I had your attitude and only took 2 weeks out of 5 entitlement for 2 years - pretty much put work before everything else until I worked out I was being taken advantage of
after a fall out with the managing partner I told him to poke his job and managed to negotiate a better package with another practice (more holiday too!)
if you've not got yourself into a position where you are a valued asset, will affect the running of the business when you aren't about and can demand a higher salary than your peers then, unfortunately, you need to have a look at how you can make a change in your career
Edited by sleep envy on Friday 5th September 00:21
Yup, don't count on a business rewarding your hard work in the future. There's no such thing as a 'job for life' any more, and a company won't hesitate to let you go if it's in their best interests. Work on making yourself as indispensable as possible and you'll increase your 'value' to the company. By gaining experience and a wider range of skills, you'll make yourself more valuable to other potential employers as well.
ironictwist said:
...average of 11hr days...
Stop moaning, 11 hour days sound cushy to me.As mentioned your still very young, silly as it may seem sometimes others don’t have much faith in you because of this one simple fact.
ETA: 2,275 posts in 18 months, can't have been working that hard
.Edited by speedy_thrills on Friday 5th September 00:47
Been there, did that a while back. 12 hour days on top of a 3 hour commute and it took its toll in lots of subtle (and sometimes very obvious) ways. I would not do it again by choice. Work life balance is not some cliched thing dreamed up by hippies (well maybe it was...) but most people, most of the time need to be able to balance between the two in such a way that work is not a chore and that family/life/social functions do not become a 'memory'!
Can you think of a sensible exit strategy?
Can you think of a sensible exit strategy?
Depends if you are enjoying it or not. By the sounds of it you are finding it a struggle (as would anybody). There is no point in running yourself to the ground just because you MIGHT get a job. At 21 you should be having an awesome time, I don't think you should take your career that seriously at that age. So my advice...go smoke crack.
Don't confuse 'long hours' and 'working hard' with the 'road to success'. Plenty of people got to the top through sheer hard graft. But plenty also got there by thinking smart, changing things for the better and often by enthusing some bright young thing to put in all those hours that are required
I was spending £400 a month on alcohol, pulling birds, and generally pissing my life away at your age.
Looking back I think what a waste, but then thinking if I hadn't done it, well I'd have missed out on a fantastic time of my life when I could do it! It'll never come round again... and the memories are fantastic too! I wouldn't do it differently
Depends what you want from life. You don't have to work your arse off to do quite well though... the best jobs are fun and rewarding and pay well enough, and you don't have to work all hours or get stressed out.
If you will work under someone else, for someone elses business/wealth, then don't take it too seriously, or spend your life building their castle! Just take the money and take the holidays, leave when you should at the end of the day if you have done a hard days work already, and leave it at that! Go home and enjoy life and turn off the work side of things.
Logic suggests you should put all this time, effort and enthusiasm into your own business though, and reap all the rewards, rather than lining the pockets of someone else, who probably had a whale of a time at your age and is glad they did!
Be that person, in the future, who owns his own business, getting young people to work their arses off for you and line your pockets!
That is, if THAT is where you want to be.
Dave
Looking back I think what a waste, but then thinking if I hadn't done it, well I'd have missed out on a fantastic time of my life when I could do it! It'll never come round again... and the memories are fantastic too! I wouldn't do it differently
Depends what you want from life. You don't have to work your arse off to do quite well though... the best jobs are fun and rewarding and pay well enough, and you don't have to work all hours or get stressed out.
If you will work under someone else, for someone elses business/wealth, then don't take it too seriously, or spend your life building their castle! Just take the money and take the holidays, leave when you should at the end of the day if you have done a hard days work already, and leave it at that! Go home and enjoy life and turn off the work side of things.
Logic suggests you should put all this time, effort and enthusiasm into your own business though, and reap all the rewards, rather than lining the pockets of someone else, who probably had a whale of a time at your age and is glad they did!
Be that person, in the future, who owns his own business, getting young people to work their arses off for you and line your pockets!
That is, if THAT is where you want to be.
Dave
Edited by Mr Whippy on Friday 5th September 01:14
matt uk said:
Don't confuse 'long hours' and 'working hard' with the 'road to success'. Plenty of people got to the top through sheer hard graft. But plenty also got there by thinking smart, changing things for the better and often by enthusing some bright young thing to put in all those hours that are required
I'm confident in my skills. I don't want to move into management and face a load of paperwork and scheduling tasks. I've always made it clear from the outset in any company I've worked for that I have no loyalty. If they even think about pissing me off in any way I'll be out the door to their competitors within minutes....and I have a lot of very good contacts who think very highly of me. Like I say, I would hate to move into management because it would mean boredom and allowing my skills to slide....I get paid more than my immediate managers...and I work less hours than they do. I simply don't do overtime. Everyone else does. But f
k it, I do the work of 3 people to a much higher level of quality on a daily basis. Being good at what you do is one thing. Knowing you're good at what you do is another. Having the balls and sheer arrogance to let them know it is yet another Thats what pays. Assuming they agree with you Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff