Work... this might seem crazy

[Totalimmortal 0]

I have a serious question to all of you.

 

Do you love your job/career?

 

My answer: Yes. I anxiously await every night at 7PM ET when I can clock in and go out on the road. Every night. I am sad on nights off, I even come into work 2 hours early every day and leave an hour late, just so that I can get a little action every once in a while. Even when it's stressful, it's fun! I don't understand how something so dreadful for some people can be so enjoyable to me! buuuuuut here's where the interesting part comes in: Why would one do a long-term job/career if they didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine? I understand concerns about money, and I don't have to worry about that as much because I'm still somewhat dependant on my parents... But I'd live in my car if I had to to keep this job. I was wondering if anyone felt the same way about their jobs, and if theres anyone who hated theirs a lot. just wondering everyone's perspectives on their careers. Btw, for those who do not know, I am a police officer, my rank is a Patrolman (the lowest of the low). Btw, sooner or later I will post pics of me in my uniform or something so y'all can have a good little laugh. Take care all! Have fun and stay safe!

 

-Total

[Genenut 8]

I can say honestly, finances. I stuck with a job I hated because otherwise I couldnt feed my family (kids) at that point unless I took it. The area I live in is pretty rural and jobs are not exactly plentiful so you take what you can get and grin and bear it for as long as you can.

[Ankhanu 0]

Misery isn't worth a pay cheque. You've gotta like what you're doing or you'll be ground down to a miserable, bitter person from the weight of it... and money won't offset that misery.

 

Though I'm still a student (Masters level), I'm working in an area that I want for my long term career, and am essentially doing what that career will entail (and have had jobs within my area of education as well). I love designing sampling protocols... filed collection is great... even the monotonous aspects of processing and databasing can be fun... certainly there is beauty to be found in it. Even with mundane studies there is a certain amount of novelty to be found.

 

Now the trick will be finding somewhere to hire me to do it I applied for a near perfect job at the University of Calgary... but they didn't give me an interview (probably because I don't have the MSc yet, which was a requirement).

[Genenut 8]

Its different when you dont have kids to think of and provide for....

[myles 2]

I love to study, I would be a student forever if that's possible.

 

As to work, I always fulfill my responsibility, timely and adequately. But can't say I have put my passion on any of them. They are just a mean to an end I suppose. Neutral.

 

I won't stay in a job that is against my principle though, and I have enough capability to realize that. A little bit sad in a sense to look at it this way, but no regret for me.

 

Its different when you dont have kids to think of and provide for....

 

I agree with the statement.

 

We had this paper in high school asking us to imagine what our future kids would be like. The only paper I failed because I wrote the truth, I have decided that I'm unfit to be a father and I will not have any kid.

[erialc 2]

We had this paper in high school asking us to imagine what our future kids would be like. The only paper I failed because I wrote the truth, I have decided that I'm unfit to be a father and I will not have any kid.

 

hehe I thought I was the same for many years....things change and we never know what will happen

 

Its different when you dont have kids to think of and provide for....

 

Life can hard when we have kids, we end up making choices we would never imagine we would in our days of being principled and childless....hell everything changes LOL..heh that sounded wrong but I am hoping you know what I mean....we will consider crappy jobs just because it will pay for all the things our off spring need.

 

Misery isn't worth a pay cheque.

 

That I can also relate too all to painfully, for years with my ex we ran our own business and in the end it just killed us, emotionally,financially and in the end as a family. the reality hit, the pay (or lack of it and resulting stress) was causing too much real hardship.

 

 

And Total I can also now finally relate to how you feel once again and it's been a bloody long time in coming about loving your work! I am sooo happy for you and long long may that be the case for you! I recently went back to work and I absolutely love it, often work over and enjoy being there, thinking again, finally. Though I also know how damn lucky I am, I have 3 mouths not including mine to feed so it could have been a job I hated, more than hated just to provide the basics.

 

Good on you and I hope it lasts and lasts and lasts

[Knuckles 904]

If work is sooo much fun then why do they have to pay us to do it?

 

I do have to say I enjoy what I do (communications design/repair). It's a small company so you're basically involved in all aspects of the job from start to finish. I love talking with the customer, planning/designing, testing and building the systems. And most importantly that they work the way the customer wanted it to.

 

The only other job I can think of that I would interested in is maybe being an architect.

[Ankhanu 0]

Its different when you dont have kids to think of and provide for....

 

 

Not really. My wife and I have been scraping by with our daughter for the past six years... you do what you can. While sometimes you have to temporarily take a crappy job during lean times, when it comes to a long-term career, you really can't stick with something that you can't enjoy. In the end, it's worse for your family to have a miserable parent. Miserable parents = miserable kids.

[Silearth 6]

I have worked jobs that I hated--jobs that made me want to cry every day on my drive home.

 

Why? Because I have a wife and four kids to take care of. The wife and I lived in a Ford Escort for 3 months in the early part of our marriage. I couldn't put the kids through that or make the wife live through it again.

 

My current job has it's ups and downs--more downs than ups these days, but there are rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds from time to time. And you just don't walk away from a job that gives you free healthcare with $5.00 co-pays. I shudder to think how much my week in the hospital would have cost me.

[Funkilicious 1]

While I enjoy my chosen career (Accountancy) I really do work to live, not live to work. I wouldn't say my working life is a passion that is left for many other interests that I hold.

[Totalimmortal 0]

interesting to see the replies so far... another question... do you think there is any way for you to change your thinking for you to better enjoy your jobs/career? even though I love it so much, every night I try to go home and either think of a new reason why I love my job, or something that I learned from the day. I try to make sure every day is better than the last. I feel like a more healthy person because of my thoughts... just thought I'd share that because I know everyone wants to feel better inside =P.

 

-Total

[gial 2]

I am in computer software development. I love doing it - and do some just for fun as well as working for pay. Deadlines and peak times are the best -- high pressure to get everything done as quickly as possible.

 

I love it!

[Genenut 8]

I would love my job , if the companies I deal with were not in the practice of trying to defraud , cheat and delay paying for what they are supposed to pay for. I spend HOURs just trying to get them to live up to thier end of our signed contracts. Maybe if the CEO and CFO would actually want to risk the temp bad press to take someof these companies to court my job would be better. But when I play by the rules (and some of them are federal laws) but the companies dont it gets very depressing ... theres just so much tiling at windmills that you can do before you get saddle sores and splinters in your hands.

[Spock 271]

Its different when you dont have kids to think of and provide for....

 

Agreed, or a mortgage to meet, etc. I used to work as a Senir Systems Analyst at the DOE in Washington, DC. After 3 years of 80+ hours weeks, I got a little burned out and quit the computer field entirely.

 

Three years later I was recovered enough to start "working" in my field again but if it ever came to working anywhere, doing anything or missing house payments and risk losing my house, I would work in McDonald's if I had to. The 3 years that I was out of the Computer field, I worked as a Customer Service Representative at Circuit City. All I wanted was a mindless job that paid the bills and didn't involve creative work with computers and that filled the bill nicely.

 

I now work as a lower level Computer consultant as my own boss and charge $75/hour for consulting ... when I work.

[Totalimmortal 0]

Well, this is work related - lol...

 

last night you all almost lost your Total!! lol, last night I was on foot patrol and was struck by a vehicle that dragged me about 30 feet. the car completely ran over my left foot. on the bright side, I guess some kind of higher power proved its existence because total came out of the ordeal without even a wrinkle on the uniform! I don't know how it managed to happen, but I was not even injured in the slightest bit. it's silly how someone is willing to try to kill someone over a 30 dollar parking ticket... (I didn't even give him the ticket!)... but now he's got all kinds of felony warrants out for him, and I went back to foot patrol about 5 mins after. amazing how life works out. (thank the higher powers for steel-toed boots). just thought I'd share my interesting night, will tell y'all when we get him. sadly, I couldn't even write him for criminal mischief because he didn't even tear my uniform pants or shirt. oh well, life goes on. gonna be in until 5 AM writing reports again lol! so take care all! miss bein on here every day! take care!!

 

-Total

 

ps. I promise to come home safe from work tonite.

[Spock 271]

... was struck by a vehicle that dragged me about 30 feet. ...

 

You probably didn't even get the tag number did you? Idiots like that need to be locked up on a reservation together where they can kill each other without endangering any of the rest of human kind.

[Totalimmortal 0]

You probably didn't even get the tag number did you? Idiots like that need to be locked up on a reservation together where they can kill each other without endangering any of the rest of human kind.

 

I actually did. one of my co-workers had given him a parking ticket and had all of the vehicle information down on the station's copy. all I had to do was radio in and get it. ;-) life is good sometimes!

 

-Total

[Spock 271]

I actually did. ...

 

So he's now in custody for attempted murder.

[Knuckles 904]

What a night Total....Luckily you're fine. So someone goes from a $30 ticket to at least attempted manslaughter. Really smart move there. I will never understand how some people think. I have several family members that are/were in the police and I hear stories like this all the time. You can never ever let your guard down. Again I'm so glad you're o.k.

[fRACTAL 0]

Some people are just crazy, what a maniac, good you're ok mate (life is wierd huh)

 

So someone goes from a $30 ticket to at least attempted manslaughter.

Isn't attempted manslaughter impossible (back me up here total )

After all manslaughter is unintentional so if it is attempted it = murder, right?

~Doom

[Genenut 8]

dont forget resisting arrest .... and its attempted manslaughter of a police officer (much tougher sentencing usually) so instead of $30 ticket probably 3-5 years in jail....

 

to quote bill engvall ... "here's your sign" (to the driver of the car)