Do you enjoy your job?

[DoggyDaddy]

Al Bundy?

There but for the Grace of God...

 

[mom45]

Today I don't like it.
My radio must have been on low, because I didn't hear the call for anyone that knew CPR.
Lights and sirens just took out a coworker of 19 years or so.

Very sorry to hear this, Act. I hope he will be okay!

 

[bmbutch]

I do Dimensional Engineering & love the investigation & countermeasure activities. The dog n pony shows & trying to dumb down the reports, I hate. Take good with the bad.

 

[actaeon277]

Very sorry to hear this, Act. I hope he will be okay!

Nope.
Didn't make it.
Suspected health problem, then fell into 480 vAC.

 

[mom45]

Nope.
Didn't make it.
Suspected health problem, then fell into 480 vAC.

 

[BE Mike]

I'm retired and like being my own boss (when the wife isn't around). I always enjoyed being out and about and hated working in an office (been there; done that). I enjoyed the work at my career, but I did have to work for some supervisors who were real jack wagons. That meant that while out and about, I was happy, but returning to the office wasn't as much fun. I also got pretty fed up with the system ( I think most gov't workers do after so many years).

 

[russc2542]

Keep in mind there's a difference between people that just wander from job to job and those that are truly dissatisfied. Currently I do billing, reporting, data analysis (more that I'm the data accumulator/hoarder so when people want to know what happened on x date at y place, I usually have the data or know where to get it), data quality checks, and complaints department for R&D facility management. As for my happiness, it ebbs and flows with the workload: ranges from bored to interesting...can't really say I'm excited about it tho. Before that...
Ran an engine test cell/dyno
same for emissions certification (much more boring than mechanical testing or software tuning)
Parts counter
dealership tech
chain store tech
tech for a show on tour in SE asia (yea, I was a roadie)
various tech theatre gigs
dealership porter, car deliverer, and hey-do-this.

on the side I do video games, auto-cross, motorcycles, and guns.

My dad was like that too; just kinda meandered around looking for what was interesting. That I know of: had a masters degree in music, worked as a salesperson of some kind around when I was born, then did screen printing with my grampa (artsy not commercial), then went to seminary (story stops there 'cause he passed away of semi-mysterious pneumonia-like illness that didn't respond to meds which didn't do any favors for my 10 year old self's theological development)

 

[rhino]

I went from school (BS and MS mechnical engineering) to taking a job as an environmental engineer with US EPA because the job market sucked, then went back to school, then got injured and was unable to work for close to 10 years, then couldn't even get an interview for any engineering jobs, then got hired as an adjunct instructor at Ivy Tech and taught physics, physical science, and math. Then I got Obamacared out of that job, and took a temp job scoring tests. Still couldn't get any interviews for engineering jobs and got told by recruiters who specialize in placing people from my alma mater that I wasn't going to be able to get an engineering job and they couldn't help me. Then the temp job scoring tests led to much a better temp job as an "online account specialist" assisting the account managers at a company that does testing services. The I got a full time job as an account manager on the same same team. The the company restructured and eventually got sold and I was the only account manager who stayed. Good to have a job, but the workload increased dramatically as did the number of hours I was required to clock every week. Pay did not increase. Again, good to have a job, but it was better before when I could share the load.

I wills say this: my current job sucks less than any other job I've had overall.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Nope.
Didn't make it.
Suspected health problem, then fell into 480 vAC.

Sorry to hear this, Act.
Condolences and peace to all who knew him.
May his memory be a lasting blessing.

Bill

 

[VERT]

I fall into the category of not liking my job much. I do like my employer and I think they take good care of the employees. I like the other employees that I work with daily. My office is not far from my house and close to the kids schools. My schedule allows enough flexibility that I can be involved with family and other non-employer activities. Being home every night allows my wife to have a career and because of that we can afford the lifestyle we want.

So why do I not like my job? It is boring and doesn't offer much challenge. There is also no opportunity to advance within the company or really to even better myself. I don't blame my employer because I think they want the same things I want. But there are two problems. 1) There are larger organizations that push their agendas upon us. I have reservations if these other organizations share the core values of our local company. 2) We are limited by our customer base.

 

[Bill of Rights]

To all who have responded thus far:

Thank you. I considered what she was saying on the phone (reference my OP) as being "the way things are" first. Then I asked INGO, and you have not disappointed me; I found that there is a mixture. I then considered what Burl said, that perhaps this was due to attitude. I think perhaps he is on to something here. After consideration, I think perhaps the job dissatisfaction that she spoke of in her husband was displayed to their children, and as the old bit of prose says, "Children learn what they live". At this point, I think they saw that a man grows up, goes to work, and is dissatisfied with his job, and that, then, is what they did also.

Perhaps this is a lesson for us all to consider.

As for me, I am a paramedic of 30 years (finish #30 in August). I am also a registered nurse, as of this year, and work in an E.R. I have had days where I disliked my employer, my coworkers, or my working conditions, but I have always loved what I do. I hold people's lives in my hands. I have the ability to touch those lives and perhaps give them reason to fight to continue living. I have the opportunity to help in their hour of need, and remember that even if what they are experiencing is routine for me, it is an emergency to them. It is an honor and a pleasure to serve in this way. I don't have piles of money, but I am wealthy in the ways that actually count.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Please don't let this post end your doing so; I just didn't want to make the OP and then disappear and make it seem I didn't care about the responses. I've read each and every one.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[jamil]

Yep. I like my job. After being laid off and having my job go to Mexico, I read a book from a programmer called, My Job Went to India and All I Got Was this Lousy Book. In it something stuck with me that Chad Fowler said. Find an occupation that you wouldn't mind doing if you didn't have to earn a living. So I retooled for a different career and it's worked out quite well.

If I hit the lottery, I'd probably still quit my job. But I can't imagine that I'd never write code again.

 

[rhino]

I think I need to start writing. Or maybe doing a podcast.

It's wrong for me to withhold all that is rhino from the world outside of INGO!

 

[lovemachine]

I think I need to start writing. Or maybe doing a podcast.

It's wrong for me to withhold all that is rhino from the world outside of INGO!

This is a scary thought.

 

[rhino]

This is a scary thought.

Or is it?

 

[jamil]

This is a scary thought.

Only if he writes with a bladed instrument.

 

[Tryin']

Primary job: Medical Gas Systems Estimator. The pay is ok, I am out of the elements, and it taxes my mind. It is all mental work though, and I like a certain element of manual labor. Co-workers are good to terrible.

Secondary: Reserve Police Officer. Awesome job; good mental exercise, just enough physicality to keep things interesting, widely varied workload. Downside: not much.

Tertiary job: Tree service. I love cutting trees. I have been doing it part time for 3 years and we are big enough to have our own crane which means we get some REALLY cool jobs. Again, no real downside other than the elements.

If I could make enough money at the second two to cover the first, I wouldn't look back.

 

[Alpo]

Yeah, I love it.

RETIRED. I still do a bit of this and that when I want to for people I want to help. But it's great not having to do anything at all.

 

[Bigtanker]

I think I need to start writing. Or maybe doing a podcast.

It's wrong for me to withhold all that is rhino from the world outside of INGO!

This ain't you?

 

[actaeon277]

Yep. I like my job. After being laid off and having my job go to Mexico, I read a book from a programmer called, My Job Went to India and All I Got Was this Lousy Book. In it something stuck with me that Chad Fowler said. Find an occupation that you wouldn't mind doing if you didn't have to earn a living. So I retooled for a different career and it's worked out quite well.

If I hit the lottery, I'd probably still quit my job. But I can't imagine that I'd never write code again.

There would be a lot of jobs not getting done if everyone did that.