Job Satisfaction (1 Viewer)

[CapitalCitySaint]

On a side note....One co-worker is a stripper, she told me she used to make $1,000-$2,000 a day. She is older now, so I'm guessing that as soon as you hit a certain age, that gig sort of ends. Not recommending someone to work as a dancer, but it got me thinking...

In 2014 I went into a strip club down in the quarter somewhere with the group I was with. 2 of the group stayed, the rest of us left almost immediately. There was no age limit there LOL.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I often think about doing something kinda like this. Putting all my stuff in storage, shack up with my mom for awhile, save money (while paying her rent of course, it's not her job to house me for free), then for half the year or whatever, go shack up in another country and explore, come back to the US and shack up at my mom's and work a 6 month consulting gig, wash rinse repeat. Of course I couldn't live like that forever but it would be nice to do while I'm still young enough to really explore.

That’s not a bad idea.. of course it all depends on ur parental relationship; my mom is in sort of a senior housing situation, so not an option.. and if i tried living with my dad for half the year, you’d no doubt see me on the news as some guy who was facing prison time for murdering his father .

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I knew several concert dancers who would do nightclub to pay the bills
There was only about 25% of them who could turn off their brains/disassociate enough to do that work without damaging themselves
And not just with the obvious dehumanizing/objectifying; but similar to performers who are waiters, you’re early 20s, it’s midnight, you’re keyed up, you have $500 in your pocket (and you had zero when you got to work) -
Do you have the discipline to say ‘no, I have an audition/class tomorrow; I’m going home and putting all of this money in my sock drawer’
Believe it or not, many 20 year olds don’t have that discipline

I never could sing or dance.. but that age you mentioned is the exact age i was when i worked at a hotel a few steps off of Bourbon St as a bellman & concierge .. so yeah of course id make a few bucks hauling people’s luggage up to their rooms.. but the big money was selling tours; for example a family of four would come up to me in the lobby inquiring about a swamp tour.. i had my connection, id call and set up the tour, which circa 25 yrs ago ran $60 per person .. of that $60, $15 per person was required as a ‘deposit’.. that deposit was actually my commission.. so that $15 x 4 = $60 went directly into my pocket.. repeat that a few times per night , in addition to the other tours (Plantation tours, Cemetary tours, Steamboat Natchez dinner rides et al) and the $5 tips for hauling luggage, along with cab drivers who would give me a $5 cut of their $21 airport fare if i called them (there was one cab drivers named Fred who would give me $6) and end of the night I’d walk out typically with $350-$400 in my pocket.. in the mid/late 1990s when that actually wasnt an insignificant chunk of change….. of course, my shift was 3pm-11pm and when i got off of work i was 20 yrs old and i was exactly 16 steps off of BOURBON STREET……….. What could possibly go wrong ??

 

[0rion]

I often think about doing something kinda like this. Putting all my stuff in storage, shack up with my mom for awhile, save money (while paying her rent of course, it's not her job to house me for free), then for half the year or whatever, go shack up in another country and explore, come back to the US and shack up at my mom's and work a 6 month consulting gig, wash rinse repeat. Of course I couldn't live like that forever but it would be nice to do while I'm still young enough to really explore.

This is exactly why I encouraged our oldest son to stay with us as long as he wanted. He went to school for welding and became a union welder making pretty decent money but I told him I want him to have a nest egg so live here (rent free) and just stick money in his savings until he's tired of living here. He moved out a few months ago because he's dating and really had no place to take girls back to and was embarrassed to say he still lives with mom/dad. I get it....and he did get a nice nest egg built up so it was time. I had a couple talks with him about it prior to him moving out. I told him at some point he has to start his own life and leave this one behind....as much as I love him and will miss him he needs to do his own thing. He's 20 minutes from us so we still see him regularly so win/win so far.

 

[saintmdterps]

I have worked for 7 companies including my own.

I have worked at huge corporations and small companies.

I have worked in 23 states, been to 49 and lived (1 year min stay) in 18.

I used to develop and PM design-
build breweries. I built one in Hawaii. I got to mess with robots, cranes of every type, and build some of the biggest buildings in the world.

I get paid like a physician (pcp) and work from home. I fly all over the country and sometimes world and stay and eat on other people's dime.

I forking hate my job. And I think I am as happy as a person can be at work.

It isn't you. It's work and it's soul sucking.

The only folks who don't hate their jobs seem to be the ones for whom that job is a calling. I have worked with nurses who absolutely love their jobs, even if they don't always love the companies who pay them. The same can be said for some teachers, ministers, etc. Although the education field today is tough and likely to get tougher.

As a treating therapist I love my job and my patients. I just don't make anywhere near the money I made as a manager. As a therapy program manager, the job with my last employer was absolute misery. I've never hated a job as much as I hated that one and it was 100% corporate culture that ruined it.

If I can find a managerial position that splits the difference, I can handle it. There is one possible position locally that may fit the bill, we'll see. They seem to have a different corporate mindset.

If only I could turn my most satisfying hobbies into well-paying jobs I'd be drag racing or carpentry/home improvement. The drawbacks to those two is that you live on the road during racing season (there is also no money in it until you get to the top ranks), and any type of home improvement is hard on the body.

Anyway, good luck to all of us as we try to find some sense of satisfaction in today's corporate world.

 

[saintmdterps]

I often think about doing something kinda like this. Putting all my stuff in storage, shack up with my mom for awhile, save money (while paying her rent of course, it's not her job to house me for free), then for half the year or whatever, go shack up in another country and explore, come back to the US and shack up at my mom's and work a 6 month consulting gig, wash rinse repeat. Of course I couldn't live like that forever but it would be nice to do while I'm still young enough to really explore.

God, I envy your freedom to even consider that as an option. My daughter is only 12 and my son is battling addiction so hitting the road is not an option right now, and honestly won't be for some time.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

God, I envy your freedom to even consider that as an option. My daughter is only 12 and my son is battling addiction so hitting the road is not an option right now, and honestly won't be for some time.

I was maybe 10 years old and ‘50 ways to leave your lover’ came on the radio
Dad - sorta under his breath but loud enough to hear - so the song was BS that you couldn’t just do that
My 10 yr old brain is still processing what was said and left unsaid

 

[saintmdterps]

I was maybe 10 years old and ‘50 ways to leave your lover’ came on the radio
Dad - sorta under his breath but loud enough to hear - so the song was BS that you couldn’t just do that
My 10 yr old brain is still processing what was said and left unsaid

My dad was a WWII veteran and of the "tough guy" mindset. Life was hard and so you gritted your teeth and got through it. This took a toll on him, and by extension us as well.

What I learned from my dad in this regard is that many times being tough is both asking for help, and accepting help when it is offered, as well as being open to suggestions that aren't your own

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

My dad was a WWII veteran and of the "tough guy" mindset. Life was hard and so you gritted your teeth and got through it. This took a toll an him, and by extension us as well.

What I learned from my dad in this regard is that many times being tough is both asking for help, and accepting help when it is offered, as well as being open to suggestions that aren't your own

My dad was adopted by a woman who didn’t wants kids and a man who died in WW2 and never set eyes on the child he adopted
Dad was raised alone by my grandmother (and extended family) for about 10 years until she remarried (to a truly great guy)
So dad hardly had any positive modeling - seemingly the main focus of his parenting philosophy was ‘don’t make my mother’s mistakes’
(in a bizarre was my father and my wife are very similar)

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I was maybe 10 years old and ‘50 ways to leave your lover’ came on the radio
Dad - sorta under his breath but loud enough to hear - so the song was BS that you couldn’t just do that
My 10 yr old brain is still processing what was said and left unsaid

Was it the slipping out the back, Jack or the hopping on the bus, Gus that he found to be unrealistic ?


Actually im guessing it was the ability to ‘get yourself free .’

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Was it the slipping out the back, Jack or the hopping on the bus, Gus that he found to be unrealistic ?


Actually im guessing it was the ability to ‘get yourself free .’

Paul Simon was probably our biggest music bond

Years later on one of my last nights home before leaving for NY; he, my uncle and I were having a few sips and ‘slip slidin away’ came on and he got a faraway stare on the ‘father/son’ stanza and said ‘you’ll never know what that line means until you have a kid of your own’
Dang if he wasn’t right

 

[Booker]

Paul Simon was probably our biggest music bond

Years later on one of my last nights home before leaving for NY; he, my uncle and I were having a few sips and ‘slip slidin away’ came on and he got a faraway stare on the ‘father/son’ stanza and said ‘you’ll never know what that line means until you have a kid of your own’
Dang if he wasn’t right

Music and football. Sometimes…actually many times…those were the only things we could share and appreciate in common.

 

[Booker]

I wish i could offer some advice but im in year 26 with my company and really cant say anything bad. Sure we have had upper management folks come n go, some i got on well with others not so much, but i do enjoy what i do, im really good at it, and i dont know that i would want to do anything else.I do know from reading your post ( and others over the years ) how lucky i am to not be working for a large, institution/corporation. I think that would have ruined my experience early on.

Yeah, I hit 25 years at my job in October, came in pretty much entry level and am now in a Director position.

I can’t say that I love what I do — if they weren’t paying me I wouldn’t be doing it. But I don’t hate it and I’m pretty good at it, and I work for a great company. Plus, the stability of working at the same place for so long has been a true blessing while raising a family.

Not to say there haven’t been ups and downs (likewise that often reflected leadership at the time) but there’s never been anything so severe to push me out the door, and likewise nothing so attractive from the outside as to give up what I’ve got.

 

[Bleu Raeder]

I have never felt more uninspired in my entire life career wise.

I think this sums it up for many, myself included.

There are so many good responses here echoing what I think and experience. My only twist is what my health issues cost (and continue to in some ways, but I am currently cancer-free and cannot complain unless it is about the overall state of healthcare in this country which is another thing altogether). When we moved to the Northeast and purchased a home here, it only solidified that I would have to work well into my 70s to maintain our current lifestyle, which is nice but not outrageous. It is uninspiring.

I have always loved what I do and even took a step back from management a few years ago to be more hands-on. It was an improvement, but my company has been gently guiding me toward management with certain assignments and projects. As I have moved in that direction, I've become more disinterested (I haven't let that affect my performance) and easily bored.

I do keep my eyes out for other opportunities that better align with things I love doing but, outside of moving to Florida or California, there is not much available - if at all.

I know there is no advice @CapitalCitySaint I can really offer outside of what others have given you. I just wanted you to know there are many in the boat with you and I hope that, somehow, helps.

 

[BarBar]

Oh man this thread is so appropriate for me right now.

At age 35 I was pretty much burned out from 10 years as a 911 dispatcher. So my wife and I downsized our house so I could quit work and go back to school to finish my bachelor's degree in Engineering. I was a nerdy smart math kid in high school, but super lazy and undisciplined, so I flunked out of college the first go round.

At age 40 I graduated with my degree. I felt like I could take on the world and do/learn anything.

I was job hunting during the height of COVID. I was lucky to get any job at all, but I got a job at a small engineering firm making GPS satellite receivers. Interesting stuff. I had to take a REALLY low salary
Less than I made at 911. Everyone had a hiring freeze...it was this or nothing.

Except this company was running some kind of ponzi scheme. I was the only engineer on staff and they never gave me any work. I just sat there doing nothing. So I also learned nothing, and actively started to lose skills because I wasn't using them. Finally, after 6 or 7 months paychecks stopped coming and they revealed to us the company was bankrupt, but not closing. I started job hunting immediately. It took 5 months to find something else.

The 2nd job I got is where I still work. The salary is still really low....about the same as I made at 911.

I asked for more money last year...they said no. Actually, I asked for a performance review. All positive...all good we are glad to have you....etc. so THEN I asked for more money. Suddenly, they say I make tons of mistakes and cost the company a lot of extra money to fix my mistakes...etc. funny, no one ever mentioned a specific mistake to me and still hasn't. No raise given. So I still make a COVID salary years after COVID. They made me feel incredibly small and dumb...now I question my abilities and have lost all confidence. I have so stagnated here....i am not learning anything because I perform the same basic level tasks over and over for years now. Unfortunately I am too old to pivot again to another career. I have to make this work...we put all our eggs in this basket.

So, now I am job searching again, looking for a better work environment where I can learn a proper engineering skillset. I have a degree and 4 years experience and can't even get any interviews after over 40 job applications. Yet everyone is supposedly hiring and there is a shortage of engineers. Someone somewhere is lying.

Also, I hate engineering as much as I did 911. It's just the workplace....it's miserable. We aren't meant to sit at a desk for 8 hours and stare at a computer screen. I would rather do anything else, really.

At this point I am totally disillusioned with professional life. It feels like there is no path forward and each time I make more money, everything on the planet increases in price so I don't actually get anywhere. I feel like I made a huge mistake and should have stuck it out at 911. I could have retired in another 10 years with full benefits.


Honestly my favorite job ever was as a dog poop scooper. You get to be outside....and most of the dogs are out and you get to pet them, play with them, give treatos during your work. Unfortunately the salary smells as bad as the sheet.