Is life to short to stay at the same place?

[The Lukas]

I was thinking (as you do) of most the people I work with. Some have been with the company for well over 10 years, some over 25 years. Also, that most the people I grew up with still live in the same area and have little aspiration to move on and see a little of what the world has to offer.

Myself? Well, yes I've been working here for just over 3 years and finding it pretty uninspiring but keep at it with a view to do something exciting possibly next year.

How long does it take you to get bored with a current situation/job/area/country/people? Is life too long to do the same thing for X amount of time? Is life too short to not experience everything you really want? Do insecurities get in the way of making full use of opportunities that come? Are people actually happy with their current situation or is it an illusion?

[Puggit]

My working career to date:

5 months
3 years
3 years
5 months
18 months
12 months
3 years
5 months and counting

I have a successful career and earn good money - and without the hassle of being a manager.

[Davi]

It took me a good few months to get bored with my current profession / job. Unfortunately that was about 9 years ago and I've still yet to get off my arse and do something about it.

If you feel less than happy somewhere, do something about it, asap, or you end up like me, listless and defeated.

[Adenauer]

The Lukas said:

Do insecurities get in the way of making full use of opportunities that come?

With me, it's that^^

In my late 20s I had a great job that paid very well for my age, it involved frequent global travel shadowing my main customer (a senior buyer for Ford), meals in the best places, staying in the best hotels, renting the best cars. My company car was always the Ford buyer's 6 month old car which my company would buy from him and pass to me, (a fully expensed Cosworth Saphire 4x4 wasn't to be sniffed at at the age of 27).

I did this for a number of years and got used to the lifestyle and all that came with it. I rented a converted Chapel near Bath to live in by myself and entertain the wimmins in, had the car, and also had the Credit Card bills to match, but 40K per year 20 odd years ago still wasn't enough for me so the cards were pretty much maxed out, madness.

Then one day I went into work and was sat down and told that the company's going tits up and I'm being made redunadant, as of, err, now. Everything went, and I mean everything, then the CC people came chasing. I went from relative luxury to living on my mate and his wife's sofabed in his living room for 6 months whilst looking for a new job. Eventually I found a job as a sales rep, 14K per year and an Astra diesel estate.

That was an experience I NEVER want to go through again, and hence I have now been in my current job since before Noah built his pretend Ark, and I will hopefully continue to be in it until I am in a position of never having to work again.

[SuperBaaaad]

I work at a Marketing Agency. In agency land, the average employee shelf life is 2 years, proven by employee churn and dates on people's CV's applying.

I've always worked by the mantra of: "Only work somewhere whilst you're getting 'something' out of it' - whether that be job satisfaction, learning, career development, big pay-rises/bonuses etc".

If you're not getting anything from your job other than your standard monthly paycheque, then LEAVE.

If you're looking for inspiration, watch this video by Sir Digby Jones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCw1eFT5ssQ

[tonyvid]

Where I work, we have a lot of long servers - my 2 guys both have over 40 years and I have 31 now. I think that will be a real rarity in jobs to come from now on.

There are real dangers of staying in one place for a long time - lack of ambition, tied to staying because of pension benefits, lower pay then if you constantly moved, institutionalised! The plus points are the relative security and also finding a job that fulfils you, not everyone wants to be, or could be, the next MD.

[10 Pence Short]

Adenauer said:

The Lukas said:

Do insecurities get in the way of making full use of opportunities that come?

With me, it's that^^

In my late 20s I had a great job that paid very well for my age, it involved frequent global travel shadowing my main customer (a senior buyer for Ford), meals in the best places, staying in the best hotels, renting the best cars. My company car was always the Ford buyer's 6 month old car which my company would buy from him and pass to me, (a fully expensed Cosworth Saphire 4x4 wasn't to be sniffed at at the age of 27).

I did this for a number of years and got used to the lifestyle and all that came with it. I rented a converted Chapel near Bath to live in by myself and entertain the wimmins in, had the car, and also had the Credit Card bills to match, but 40K per year 20 odd years ago still wasn't enough for me so the cards were pretty much maxed out, madness.

Then one day I went into work and was sat down and told that the company's going tits up and I'm being made redunadant, as of, err, now. Everything went, and I mean everything, then the CC people came chasing. I went from relative luxury to living on my mate and his wife's sofabed in his living room for 6 months whilst looking for a new job. Eventually I found a job as a sales rep, 14K per year and an Astra diesel estate.

That was an experience I NEVER want to go through again, and hence I have now been in my current job since before Noah built his pretend Ark, and I will hopefully continue to be in it until I am in a position of never having to work again.

I had a similar situation. Early 20s, earning more than I could really spend day-to-day in a comfort bubble. Circumstances of my own making put an end to that but, in reality, I'm far happier in my work now than I ever was before, even though I'm still not yet earning at the level I was 10 years ago.

Had I not been forced to change, I'd probably have stayed where I was and would probably now be regretting it.

[Republik]

It depends on the company. If there is a clear ladder to climb then I'd stay with that company and work my way up. Unfortunaly I work for a company where I've seen no progression in 4 years and there isn't any scope for promotion until my boss retires. I'm stuck here though, as there don't seem to be any Architectural vacancies in Manchester.

[The Lukas]

SuperBaaaad said:

If you're not getting anything from your job other than your standard monthly paycheque, then LEAVE.

That's exactly my situation. I'm drawing up a few plans, but need to get motivated and actually do it. Spring next year is my deadline

I'm scared of doing nothing with my life because I see it all around me

Nobody spotted my spelling mistake in the title. Excelent.

[Engineer1]

Get applying now, stay too long and you end up struggling to move you get too comfortable, you can end up too niche in your skills etc. If you start looking and applying now then if it takes a while you are one step closer, if it happens quick then you move early, wait and your idea job may be advertised and filled while you decide what to do.

[Adenauer]

What, the to instead of the too? Yes, I did

Excellent wasn't really all that either, was it?

Edited by Adenauer on Wednesday 15th September 12:08

[burriana]

Yes we did... it's just too early in the day to bother pointing it out

[The Lukas]

I did open this thread for more generalisation. At some point I personally would like to live and work in another country. I'd also like to change my career direction completely. And travel.

Some chap once said that every few years; it does you good to have a total change. Not sure who he is though...

[Acehood]

too

[The Lukas]

[JB!]

since i left school at 16 i have had 5 employers, including my current one, where i've been for 3 years. I'm 22.

Still not 100% that this is what i want in life.

[Moose.]

Yes life is too short! If you're not happy, change! Worst that can happen is that it doesn't work out and you go back to what you know.

Took me 4 years in a reasonably paid IT job to realise it wasn't what I wanted out of life. Took me a further 3.5 years of training to get my commercial pilots licence, whilst keeping my IT job. Then nearly another year of job hunting before I found my perfect job. I've been living out in Indonesia as a pilot ever since, travelling all over SE Asia and getting paid for it! Best thing I ever did

Do something now, as otherwise you'll get to 50 and always wonder, "what if?"...

Edited by Moose. on Wednesday 15th September 13:23

[S1MMA]

Puggit said:

My working career to date:

5 months
3 years
3 years
5 months
18 months
12 months
3 years
5 months and counting

I have a successful career and earn good money - and without the hassle of being a manager.

Mx5?

[shibby!]

Plenty folk i know make an effort to move every 2 -3 years or so. Generally within the same type of industry but each time leaving to learn something new.

It obviously helps when you leave and make more money!

[richardxjr]

Yes, life is too short BUT it's worth remembering right now that you don't start accumulating redundancy rights until 12mths service, and you won't get any redundancy payment until 24mths service.