My hope is that after about 15 years of experience I want to be gaining independence and freedom from my job, while maintaining a steady salary. I could be sitting a desk every working day for the rest of my life, but if I'm making good money and only at work 20 hours a week...that'd be ok with me.
I just got a job offer that is %67 of my current salary, but half the hours. I would barely be able to pay rent, but I'd have plenty of time to myself.
What's all this hippy crap about being fulfilled and having your heart in your job?
I go to work to get paid, not to feel fulfilled.
/troll
That being said, I'll absolutely NEVER work for a defense company or gov't accountable company again................they wouldn't pay what I'd have to get to do it.
z31maniac wrote: I go to work to get paid, not to feel fulfilled.
But what are you using your paycheck for? Your happiness I assume. Food, water, shelter, sex, entertainment.
For some us, happiness isn't a house or fancy cars, happiness is using our minds to solve problems, or interacting with other people, or maybe just being outside enjoying nature.
Whoa whoa whoa hold up. Where can i use my paycheck for sex?
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Whoa whoa whoa hold up. Where can i use my paycheck for sex?
There are certain streets you can drive down and there are some people who will gladly take your money and give you some sex (and maybe some other lovely things). 
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Whoa whoa whoa hold up. Where can i use my paycheck for sex?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Ranch
I am looking at possibly (hopefully) starting a job with a govt contractor as a safety engineer involved with regulation. Going to have to see how it is day to day, but I have to start somewhere. (been job hunting since August)
At some point, you may look at the job as one that is good enough so that you work to live and not live to work.
as for engineering, I wonder how many took up the degree since it was a higher paying carreer vs doing it because it's fun. I see far more of the former than the latter.
alfadriver wrote: as for engineering, I wonder how many took up the degree since it was a higher paying carreer vs doing it because it's fun. I see far more of the former than the latter.
I agree with this. I enjoy my job (when I am doing engineering) and as an added bonus even on a bad day, I still have the good feeling of I am helping to make sure miners go home to see their family at the end of their work shift.
Work sucks. That is why you get paid for it. The best thing you can do is live as inexpensively as possible so you have the flexibility to choose the least sucky job you come across.
I decided on engineering because I can crunch numbers, very much enjoy physics/dynamics, like to know how things work, and how to make them work better. Guess I figured I'd be doing more hands-on work than I find myself doing now.
After reading these replies it seems like the only obvious answer is we all pool our resources and talents to form a large national/multinational consulting firm.
PHeller wrote:z31maniac wrote: I go to work to get paid, not to feel fulfilled.But what are you using your paycheck for? Your happiness I assume. Food, water, shelter, sex, entertainment. For some us, happiness isn't a house or fancy cars, happiness is using our minds to solve problems, or interacting with other people, or maybe just being outside enjoying nature.
Of course my work is used to improve my quality of life away from work.
Work is the means to an end. I just never understood this whole "fulfillment, meaningful work" thing people talk about.
In reply to petegossett:
The answer to all clients' questions and requests will be 'Miata'. 
z31maniac wrote: Work is the means to an end. I just never understood this whole "fulfillment, meaningful work" thing people talk about.
I don't see why you can't enjoy work some. Admittedly I am young but still. Also my view on work is damn near anything beats mucking out hog barns or stripping tobacco. Done both and berkeley that.
In reply to 93EXCivic:
I like my job ok. I enjoy it to some degree. But it is just a means to an end. And I can't go back now. I need a fairly big salary to support my lifestyle. Looking back, I would have done it differently.
93EXCivic wrote:z31maniac wrote: Work is the means to an end. I just never understood this whole "fulfillment, meaningful work" thing people talk about.I don't see why you can't enjoy work some. Admittedly I am young but still. Also my view on work is damn near anything beats mucking out hog barns or stripping tobacco. Done both and berkeley that.
I don't read his response that you can't enjoy your job. I do read it as- don't let it take over your life, or at least use the job as a way to do other things if it's capable of paying the bills.
Say you are a very good engineer, but just don't like it over travelling. So do the best you can so that you CAN travel. For most here, work so you can race. Some- engineer while you race, too. Me- I've kind of grown tired of working on cars, so I have not touched any of my stuff for just about a year now. But we travel, I garden, we eat nice stuff, etc. Work is a means to be able to do that.
(I do like my job, though)
I used to be addicted to my job. It was weird. It was hard, I worked crazy hours (did 54 straight one time), but because of the people around me and the thought of opportunity to contribute to something bigger, it was addicting. In 5 years we grew a company from $14M to over $200M in revenue.
Then it all went wrong. Big corporate took over, reorganized, created "utilization", and got rid of most of the management (one way or another). Now, that company is just a shell and is in corporate bizarre-o world filled with politics, non-decisions, and TPS reports.
I would like to get back to something that I can feel like a part of, not just a company I work for... which is why I think I need to work for myself.
Belushi's advice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepFO4psgKE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Otto and alfa nailed it.
I don't dislike my job, it's OK, I work with people that know what they are doing and I'm good at what I do, we all can just kind of hum along without too much trouble.
I don't LOVE my job like "OMG I SO excited to go to WORK this morning YAY!!!!!"
My wife on the other hand LOVES her job (she's a hairstylist). With the off long day, or crappy client like everyone has, she really LOVES her job.
JohnInKansas wrote: I I currently sit at a desk. For 40 hours a week. I try to get out on the shop floor for 5-10 minutes a day, but I'm swamped with crap to do at my desk, so it doesn't always happen. Been working this position for a year now, and I've gained 20 pounds, my blood pressure has gone up, BMI is up, motivation at home is down, and my back hurts like crazy from this office chair. My coworkers are utterly uninspiring; if working here for 30 years means you turn out like these guys, I'm getting out. The pay and benefits are good though.
You need to join a gym and start an excercise routine.
Is it weird that I have been self employed for almost 8 years and feel the same way many of ya'll do?
I have a seasonal Business.. Which I love (Christmas Lighting), but the rest of the year seems a waste...
I am almost to the point of 'looking for a job" for some adventure and change of pace... I make enough of a living these days it just keeps me comfortable.. What hell is wrong with me.. I made more damn money when I was hungry!!!!
I must fix this... Today!!!!
Maybe I will turn up the volume on the Lighting thing and really start seeking some commercial work or something along those lines so I can work the business I love all year.. Or... dang I dunno...
I gota do sumptin..
If everyone loved their work, there would be no accountants. Meh, that's why they call it work.
I admire people who can walk away from it all and build a better life. I'm not one of those people. At the end of the day, the money and security outweigh my desire to do something else.
My answer? Don't let your job define who you are. Okay, at least to the extent you can. Do other things on your time that you find fufilling and fun. I'd wager there are peopel I autocross with who don't know what I do for a living. To them, I'm an "autocross guy".
It's not a perfect solution, but it is something. I do my best.
I made a similar post a while ago asking about operating construction vehicles. Good thing I stayed away from that, construction crashed hard around here about the same time...
Due to various circumstances I ended up going to college and training for a job I had never considered up to that point. All the ability tests, etc. I had taken in high school pointed me another direction entirely.
Graduated and got a job figuring I would do it for ~5 years till I could afford to get into what I wanted to do. Turned out I sort of liked the job and was good at it.
Every 3-4 years I would say "I'm getting out and doing something else.", but I never did. The job was secure and paid decently. Paid well enough that I could engage in whatever hobby took my fancy (Cars, Guns, Photography). The job also gave me enough time to enjoy my hobbies and even have some hobby related or other part-time jobs to earn hobby money.
I viewed my job as the means to an end. It wasn't the most exciting but I was good enough at it to recieve a number of awards and it allowed me to do the things I wanted to.
Wow...guess I'm not alone! Thanks for the advice everyone. At least I know I'm not the only one in this position and that helps. I have been working on a business plan (it's been a few years in the making).
Also some good racing stuff is coming up, so hopefully that will lead to something as well. We'll see!
Phil
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