The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Grid on October 19, 2016, 01:15:29 AM
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I'd just like to know who here currently enjoys their line of work.
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I love my job! I teach in a tiny school, I pretty much do things my way, and I put my entire paycheck into my retirement account.
I'll retire in a few years when I'm actually retirement age, and I'll get me knees replaced then.
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I work for a great company, make interesting stuff, and enjoy the work to the point that it could easily be a hobby... but the mere fact that a job is an obligation precludes literally any job from being good enough to keep after FI.
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For the most part, I actually enjoy my work as a Surgical RN.
One of the things I like best about it: it's a very physical job. On my feet all day, running & moving heavy equipment, instrument trays & patients. (I truly disliked my desk jobs, sitting all day, attached to a phone & computer drove me nuts!) Now I'm constantly on the move, helping patients, surgeons & anesthesia. Keeps my brain busy too.
Right now my job is only "meh."
The hours are getting in the way of extended travel/ camping we'd like to do. The good thing is, there are many different flexible work options: full-time, part-time, per diem, agency, travel nursing....
I like it enough to keep doing this job for quite a while, but in a way that allows the freedom we want for traveling!
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I like my career (Computers/IT) but the job I currently have is working in a cubicle all day. I am not enjoying the sitting for 8 hours a day and not doing much. Gives me time to chat on forums and micromanage my finances. That is the only positive thing I can currently think of.
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I like my job a lot so far.
Ask me again in 10 years.
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My current job is possibly the best I've ever had.
I still cannot wait to get the hell out of here.
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I am at the best job I've had (nonacademic role at a public university). I still think that ER will be for me, but I don't feel so desperate anymore.
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My current job is possibly the best I've ever had.
I still cannot wait to get the hell out of here.
+1
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Love my job. Couldn't think of doing anything else for work.
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I like my job (pharmacy manager), but I hate my commute. I'm trying to get into a closer location.
I enjoy being a pharmacist but there are a lot of aspects of my job that I don't like. Some of them are more or less mitigated by working full-time at one location as I currently do, and would be active in full force if I worked a day or three a month as a fill-in like I might contemplate after retirement. I especially dislike working in brand-new settings with brand-new people and unspoken expectations, which is pretty much a feature of the life of a fill-in pharmacist. I would consider working intermittently after FI if it were a situation I liked but I don't know if that'll happen.
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I love my job at the moment. I'm an engineer and doing work directly related to my field of interest. I also have a side R&D project with a colleague that's taking off and is really promising. If I were FI right now, I'd do the SWAMI thing.
Thing is, a year and a half ago I was miserable. And getting from there to here took some extraordinary stress and more work than was reasonable. Hence our path towards FI. We're really close. At this point, finances and spending are on autopilot. And we're chasing that goal so that when the job turns back around, we have options. I don't ever want to feel stuck.
But for now? For the next year at least (fingers crossed) I should be in a great work situation. Hope it lasts a long time, because I do love what I do and thrive on the mental challenges.
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I like the job I'm at.
I work in a small law firm for a couple of SWAMIs. The office will close in about 4 or so years when they retire. By that time, I'll be closer to FI and I'll assess then.
Right now, I think I'd like to work part-time to pay expenses and let the stash grow until I am 60 and then retire completely.
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I love teaching students and coaching other teachers. It's the best job ever. Unfortunately politicians are loading so many unnecessary and impossible mandates on schools that it's becoming more and more challenging to find the incredible joy and satisfaction that I have experienced over the last 25 years.
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I work for a great company, make interesting stuff, and enjoy the work to the point that it could easily be a hobby... but the mere fact that a job is an obligation precludes literally any job from being good enough to keep after FI.
That right there
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As a teacher I still really enjoy the classroom and interacting with my students. Unfortunately, the outside pressures of unrealistic expectations, unfair evaluations, and interference from outside forces - primarily politicians and business - are reducing my desire to stick with it.
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I love what I do (communications, PR, editing, etc). My company is great, super flexible, super friendly, very open and transparent upper-management. Overall, can't complain.
But it's a job that I'm required to be at. If I were FI, I'd want to keep it but on a contractual/freelance basis, so I could get the freedom I want, and still the intellectual stimulation I love about working.
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I like the job I'm at. It's probably the most enjoyable job I've ever had. Really enjoy the people, the culture, and the nature of the job itself is okay.
However, I used to make about double what I do now. But that was with Oil and Gas, which is impossible to find work in right now. Would like to go back to that someday, if only to decrease my working years.
So I'd go to a much harder job, but take my savings rate from about 35-40% to around 75%. Would love to do that.
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where is "sucks, but ill keep doing it until FI happens to my face?"
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I selected "I like it, but I probably won't stick around after FI."
I am FI, and I have already put in my retirement notice.
For better or worse, I choose a high paying, but demanding career that has required more hardships and personal sacrifices than is typical for most American workers. Although, I still fundamentally like engineering problem solving and would continue doing it, if I could eliminate all of the other aspects of my job that I dislike. I will soon find out whether the additional hardship and personal sacrifices were worth the accelerated path to FIRE.
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I'm FIRE, but my "Job" is Active Community Volunteer. I love it! It pays no money, but the dividends are fantastic. It was worth all the kicking and scratching it took to get to FIRE (from a career in sales).
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I really like my job now. I'll like it even more if I can pick up more night shifts. If it stays like it is now, I'll keep it until I turn 57, the MRA to get pension, etc. I get long breaks every ten weeks, and I can often work on hobbies on the job (cooking, baking, quilting, crochet, watching movies, etc). It's kind of like being a fireman in that respect-- you have to be there in case of emergency, you have some daily things you need to do, but the rest of the time you can do your own thing, within the confines of the building. I can spend 10+ hours on quilting, and not feel guilty that I "should be doing housework".
When the emergency happens, it can be stressful, but overall it's awesome.
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I like it, wouldn't do it if FI.
GF is self-employed doing what she loves, so she'd probably scale back, but never quit.
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I selected "I like it, but I probably won't stick around after FI."
I am FI, and I have already put in my retirement notice.
For better or worse, I choose a high paying, but demanding career that has required more hardships and personal sacrifices than is typical for most American workers. Although, I still fundamentally like engineering problem solving and would continue doing it, if I could eliminate all of the other aspects of my job that I dislike. I will soon find out whether the additional hardship and personal sacrifices were worth the accelerated path to FIRE.
Congratulations! Post in post-fire and let us know how it goes.
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I said I'm not a fan, but here are the things that make it bearable until FIRE: flexible - i telework 2 times a week and if anything comes up (my kitchen flooded recently ) I just send a short email to my boss saying I will be teleworking that day. Autonomy - as long as I turn in deliverables on time no one tells me how to do my job or checks up on me about it. I can also leave to go home after meetings downtown. I'm chillin on my couch at 3:30 in the afternoon. Co-workers, although incompetent, are not condescending. Seems like you get one or the other in my field. Lastly a not so bad commute. Job is only a 40 minute commute where before I transferred it was an hour and 15 minutes. Oh yeah, and making 6 figures aint so bad either.
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Hate it.
I'm a veterinarian in a corporate practice. Drawbacks include:
- High stress levels due to rude clients, "customer is always right" mentality, high production goals, inadequate staff/materials to meet those goals.
- Feel ethically icky about the way that we pressure clients to spend on things that aren't always necessary (ie. Dental cleanings recommended for all dogs > 1 yr old).
- No scheduling flexibility. I only work 7 days per 2 weeks (average 32-34 hrs/wk) but those days vary from week to week. We are open 7 days/wk... I have negotiated having most Tuesdays off, and I work almost every Saturday, but beyond that it's completely variable. It's really hard to have a widely variable schedule because it means I can't really get involved with anything on my days off because every single day of the week carries a 50/50 chance that I'll be working. I love taking classes at the gym, but it's very rare for me to have the same day off two weeks in a row.
- On work days, I leave the house at 8:15am and don't usually get home until 8pm or later. I really wish it was 6-6 or something instead, because getting home at 8pm means you've lost your entire day and can't make any sort of evening plans. This schedule is especially sucktastic with a young child at home.
- No at-work flexibility for personal needs (no personal calls, often too busy to even take a bathroom break).
- Little autonomy. Corporate dictates most of our treatment protocols. See above re: ethical yuck.
- Very limited opportunity to take sick days. (In the 4 yrs I've worked for this company, I've been permitted to take one. All other times that I've called in, I've been told that coverage was unavailable and been made to work). All days off have to be requested 2-3 months in advance.
Hopefully I'll be getting out soon. Jobhunting like crazy. We'll see.
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My current job is possibly the best I've ever had.
I still cannot wait to get the hell out of here.
+1
me too
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where is "sucks, but ill keep doing it until FI happens to my face?"
I agree the fourth choice should be along those lines - sucks but worth it. I only like about 30% of my job (oil industry), but have no regrets because the benefits are fantastic! FI and at 34, and got paid extra well, net of tax to live in 3 different continents over the last 7 years. Seeing the world isn't really on my list for RE because the company already paid me extra to do it, and with my family in tow.
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I like my job, it's fun and a great environment. Close to home, close to DS5's school so he can walk over after school's out for programs or just hanging out with his friends (and I can keep an eye on them - public library).
But, I'd prefer different hours, more hours, better pay, actual benefits. We could use more staff, I'm often working alone, and there are things that just don't get done due to lack of paid staff time.
After FIRE I'll be more likely to shift my library activities to the Friends group, volunteer on my schedule sporadically, or join the Board of Trustees to push for some of the changes I'd like to see.
Or we move somewhere entirely new, and it's moot.
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Well at least half of us like our jobs. Hooray. I am solidly in that camp, but I always seem to think of things I'd rather do while at work.
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where is "sucks, but ill keep doing it until FI happens to my face?"
I agree the fourth choice should be along those lines - sucks but worth it. I only like about 30% of my job (oil industry), but have no regrets because the benefits are fantastic! FI and at 34, and got paid extra well, net of tax to live in 3 different continents over the last 7 years. Seeing the world isn't really on my list for RE because the company already paid me extra to do it, and with my family in tow.
ha i'm in oil too
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If I was to describe my job in detail, I would probably get virtually slapped for being a big baby whiner. I have near total flexibility (home/office) and paid pretty well relative to the amount and difficulty of work. This is a job that many here could probably keep quiet about and cruise until FIRE.
The only thing is I HATE the mission of my job. And I've worked in non profit most of my life so I know working in well meaning mission jobs aren't the panacea to job dissatisfaction either. But every day I'm at my current corporate job, the more I'm uneasy about what I accomplish.
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meh.
I used to like working for the government. The work is important and meaningful to people. I get to do things that I'm good at. There is a certain sense of pride in it.
But the older I get, the more discouraged I get. It turns out that the mission I was so excited about is really secondary to a bunch of other administrative BS that doesn't mean anything and wastes everyone's time.
Imagine if you worked at Apple because you really liked their products, and then you find out that they don't even care about computers at all and are just using the business model as an excuse to destroy the environment while harvesting rare earth elements and then keep a bunch of really poor people distracted in Chinese megafactories by paying them $8/day to not revolt against Chinese economic development plans. That's kind of how I feel. Any good work that I do is, as it turns out, purely incidental.
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I would give it about 95% satisfaction.
I've worked for the Air Force for 15 years. I really don't understand my current wing's mission, but I love leading the 40 or so people that work for me. Most are younger than me, which is tons of fun...sometimes at my expense but mostly at theirs. /s
The pay is six figs, comes with awesome benies, and a sweet retirement plan. I doubt I will work past 20 years, though.
Plus I have gotten to move to all corners of the US. Right now I live on the Emerald Coast, five blocks from the beach. Kicks major ass.
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Like it. Work hard often, have a lot of down time at times, make a ton of money, work with really smart hard-working people. Used to love it, but my focus has shifted from climbing the corporate ladder to doing whatever I want to do, whether that is to keep working in the field, finding something else to do, or sitting on a beach. Lately I've been thinking I might just keep working and give a lot of the money I make away. It would be a shame to let the earning potential not be put to good use. This is a very big departure from the "old me." Luckily I have plenty of time to figure it out. :)
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work with really smart hard-working people.
This is a really good point... and something I've never really given a lot of thought to. One of the downsides of being a veterinarian, at least in a typical practice (where only 1-2 doctors work on any given day) is that the majority of my interactions occur with people who ended their schooling at a high school diploma and are content to work in almost-minimum-wage jobs. Not to say that every underpaid HS grad isn't intelligent, but it definitely makes it a challenge to have any sort of interesting conversation with most of my coworkers. There's a whole side of myself that I basically have to shut off at work, so that I can fit in with the masses. (As an example, I'm likely the only person at my workplace voting for Clinton... all of the others are angry-Trump-meme sharing, Duck-Dynasty-loving fanatics. And yes, I realize that sounds insanely judgey, but oh well... I like them as people, but I don't really have anything in common with most of them beyond our work.)
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Left my old cube job recently because I hated it. Going to slow coast to FIRE now, I'm making less total but more per hour, so I'm able to work less, stress levels are much lower. I don't even feel like I'm working usually! IDK if I would do it after FIRE, I would if I were to FI today, but ask me in a few years and I might feel differently. It's pretty flexible, so I could easily take off multiple months in a row and work minimal hours to quickly increase my quality of life, but we'll see.
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I love my job, but I want the option of leaving whenever I want or being able to switch to part time.
I don't want to have to work when I'm older if I don't still love it.
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My current job doesn't offend me, but its still a job.
Will be gone with the FI wind once I get past OMY syndrome.
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Been with the same company over 12 years.
I used to absolutely love working here.
Now I absolutely hate it, and am patiently waiting trying to get hit with the next round of layoffs+severance. Fingers crossed!
Things have changed here considerably, especially over the last 5 years. Almost all for the worse.
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Hmm...somewhere between "I like it" and "I'm not a fan." I don't really enjoy the work itself, but the benefits and life/work balance are very good. I also like most of my coworkers.
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Been with the same company over 12 years.
I used to absolutely love working here.
Now I absolutely hate it, and am patiently waiting trying to get hit with the next round of layoffs+severance. Fingers crossed!
Things have changed here considerably, especially over the last 5 years. Almost all for the worse.
This is me too. I did get hit with layoff/severance, but so far haven't been given an exit date.
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My current job is possibly the best I've ever had.
I still cannot wait to get the hell out of here.
+1
You said it! This is the best job I've ever had but I'm still bored to tears.
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Love it-- Ecologist
Used to spend way too much time as a kid catching amphibians and reptiles. Now they pay me to do this. OK - it's a bit more complicated and I did need that M.S. And yes, as you gain more experience you need to move into leadership roles and mentor the younger folks - do budgets and workload forecasts, and deal with contracts and purchasing equipment.
But overall I'm still jazzed about coming to work every day - especially when I get to do field work - off to AK this weekend for a week so trying to get some work in before the season shuts us down.
But - as others have noted - even doing this for 30 yrs you feel like you would like to spend more time on other interests - so two more years of FT, then easing off.
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I really enjoy my job as an EE. I want to work part time when I reach FI because I enjoy the challenge and creativity. I don't like being here for 9 hours a day though.
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I like most of what I actually do (teen librarian) but I get frustrated with our administration pretty frequently, and I don't like the amount of time that I devote to my job. In my area there are tons of part-time public librarian jobs so it would be pretty easy to step down to a part time position before retiring completely.
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I'm in the middle of like and love. I like it enough that I'm going to keep on working it so I can FIRE in a high COL area as opposed to a low COL area. This will take a few extra years, but I wasn't really ready to stop anyway, and I like the work well enough. I figure, as long as I'm on the gravy train, may as well make absolutely sure i never need more money before I get off. After I FIRE, I will probably work in the same industry, but on a project that I'm more personally passionate about.
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Hate it.
I'm a veterinarian in a corporate practice. Drawbacks include:
- High stress levels due to rude clients, "customer is always right" mentality, high production goals, inadequate staff/materials to meet those goals.
- Feel ethically icky about the way that we pressure clients to spend on things that aren't always necessary (ie. Dental cleanings recommended for all dogs > 1 yr old).
- No scheduling flexibility. I only work 7 days per 2 weeks (average 32-34 hrs/wk) but those days vary from week to week. We are open 7 days/wk... I have negotiated having most Tuesdays off, and I work almost every Saturday, but beyond that it's completely variable. It's really hard to have a widely variable schedule because it means I can't really get involved with anything on my days off because every single day of the week carries a 50/50 chance that I'll be working. I love taking classes at the gym, but it's very rare for me to have the same day off two weeks in a row.
- On work days, I leave the house at 8:15am and don't usually get home until 8pm or later. I really wish it was 6-6 or something instead, because getting home at 8pm means you've lost your entire day and can't make any sort of evening plans. This schedule is especially sucktastic with a young child at home.
- No at-work flexibility for personal needs (no personal calls, often too busy to even take a bathroom break).
- Little autonomy. Corporate dictates most of our treatment protocols. See above re: ethical yuck.
- Very limited opportunity to take sick days. (In the 4 yrs I've worked for this company, I've been permitted to take one. All other times that I've called in, I've been told that coverage was unavailable and been made to work). All days off have to be requested 2-3 months in advance.
Hopefully I'll be getting out soon. Jobhunting like crazy. We'll see.
@Startingsmall, that sounds absolutely appalling. It sucks that a noble profession like caring for injured or ill animals has been reduced to this bizarre, controlling, and skeezy corporate model. I think a similar thing happened at our former vet's office when they got bought by corporate masters, but I didn't know how bad it had gotten, at least in some places.
I like most things about my job, although it has moments that piss me off. I feel good about the work and the culture, and I really like my coworkers.
I go back and forth as to whether I'll keep working this gig after I'm FI. I might, but the siren song of all that free time and lack of commuting might tip the scales for me.
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Hate it.
I'm a veterinarian in a corporate practice. Drawbacks include:
- High stress levels due to rude clients, "customer is always right" mentality, high production goals, inadequate staff/materials to meet those goals.
- Feel ethically icky about the way that we pressure clients to spend on things that aren't always necessary (ie. Dental cleanings recommended for all dogs > 1 yr old).
- No scheduling flexibility. I only work 7 days per 2 weeks (average 32-34 hrs/wk) but those days vary from week to week. We are open 7 days/wk... I have negotiated having most Tuesdays off, and I work almost every Saturday, but beyond that it's completely variable. It's really hard to have a widely variable schedule because it means I can't really get involved with anything on my days off because every single day of the week carries a 50/50 chance that I'll be working. I love taking classes at the gym, but it's very rare for me to have the same day off two weeks in a row.
- On work days, I leave the house at 8:15am and don't usually get home until 8pm or later. I really wish it was 6-6 or something instead, because getting home at 8pm means you've lost your entire day and can't make any sort of evening plans. This schedule is especially sucktastic with a young child at home.
- No at-work flexibility for personal needs (no personal calls, often too busy to even take a bathroom break).
- Little autonomy. Corporate dictates most of our treatment protocols. See above re: ethical yuck.
- Very limited opportunity to take sick days. (In the 4 yrs I've worked for this company, I've been permitted to take one. All other times that I've called in, I've been told that coverage was unavailable and been made to work). All days off have to be requested 2-3 months in advance.
Hopefully I'll be getting out soon. Jobhunting like crazy. We'll see.
@Startingsmall, that sounds absolutely appalling. It sucks that a noble profession like caring for injured or ill animals has been reduced to this bizarre, controlling, and skeezy corporate model. I think a similar thing happened at our former vet's office when they got bought by corporate masters, but I didn't know how bad it had gotten, at least in some places.
On the whole, the corporations that purchase existing practices (VCA and NVA being the two biggest that come to mind) have a reputation for being much better to work for than my corporation (the one that owns vet clinics inside a national pet-supply store chain), but yeah... corporate vet med kind of sucks. Much better pay and benefits, often better equipment, but otherwise pretty crappy.
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I don't mean to boast, but I really like my job. (I'm a programmer at an NYC tech firm.)
The pay and benefits are excellent, the stress level isn't too high, and the management treats me well and trusts me to make my own decisions. I've been there long enough that I can choose my own projects to an extent. Aside from the occasional crisis, I rarely have to work more than a 40-hour week. As of now, I have nothing to complain about.
I feel fortunate, but that doesn't mean I want to spend the rest of my life sitting at a desk. There's a strong chance I'm going to succumb to OMY syndrome and pad my stash a bit, but eventually I'm sure I'll want to claim my freedom. There's going to come a point where no amount of money would compensate me for the time I'd be giving up.
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http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/does-(did)-anyone-have-a-job-they-love(d)/msg1195584/#msg1195584
Also, see above thread.
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The problem about my job is that I get to work 60 hours + per week. Itīs very stressfull and demand a lot. The upside is that it pays about 30%+ than the other corporate jobs for the 9/5 jobs. I think Iīll cop with it in order to reach ER. However, if I was offered the same salary at another company, for less working hours I wouldnīt think twice.
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The problem about my job is that I get to work 60 hours + per week. Itīs very stressfull and demand a lot. The upside is that it pays about 30%+ than the other corporate jobs for the 9/5 jobs. I think Iīll cop with it in order to reach ER. However, if I was offered the same salary at another company, for less working hours I wouldnīt think twice.
So you're working 50% extra time for 30% extra money? I guess you're in the realm of diminishing returns!
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I really like my career and liked my job up until 2 years ago when the company culture began to tank. Currently looking for another job and will hopefully be back in the "I like it" camp. I'd love to go part time in another few years and semi- retire.