sometimes I wish i pursued a different career

[ImpulsE69]

I just decided that no matter what I do, I won't be 'happy' working. So, I take the job that pays the most and I don't feel completely miserable at.

I can say that in my current job I really hate the politics and red tape. That is something that has gotten worse and worse over the last 5 years.

 

[Platypus]

I just decided that no matter what I do, I won't be 'happy' working.

Keep trying, it's definitely possible. Don't ever give up looking for it or you'll be fulfilling your own prediction.

 

[brianmanahan]

I just decided that no matter what I do, I won't be 'happy' working. So, I take the job that pays the most and I don't feel completely miserable at.

I can say that in my current job I really hate the politics and red tape. That is something that has gotten worse and worse over the last 5 years.

are you saving for FIRE? (financial independence/early retirement)

my goal is to have work be optional by the time i'm 45

 

[Strk]

You should have been a teacher instead.

My wife is a pre-school teacher. In that job, she gets:

1) A pension that pays 80% of her salary for the rest of her life when she retires.
2) 12 weeks of vacation (mostly summer break) a year
3) A 35 hour (8 to 3:30) work week
4) Government health benefits that beat almost anything that you can get in the private sector.
5) Tenured status after 5 years that basically guarantees that she has a job for life.

Try getting anything close to that as an IT person or an Engineer.

And it isn't as though a new grad engineer makes double what a preschool teacher makes or anything....

 

[Imp]

You can always join the army. Though they probably have their own tests.

 

[purbeast0]

only thing i don't like about my career is when it's nice as shit outside and i'm stuck in an office. but then i see my paycheck and i'm okay with it again. hopefully one day i'll be in san diego though so i won't have to worry about weather since it will be good weather all the time.

 

[ImpulsE69]

are you saving for FIRE? (financial independence/early retirement)

my goal is to have work be optional by the time i'm 45

Eh, yes and no. My wife does not share my saving habits unfortunately She seems to think she can spend all her money and somehow she'll still be able to retire.

When I say 'not happy' what I mean by that is...work is work, no matter how much you enjoy it. You just accept that it has to be done and enjoy the things it allows you to do (outside of work). You get tired of work no matter how much you enjoy it so you may as well get paid well for it. There are tons of things I would 'rather' do than IT, but none of them pay as well. I certainly don't want to own my own business (been there done that) it is typically more work than a normal job for quite some time.

 

[Gardener]

And it isn't as though a new grad engineer makes double what a preschool teacher makes or anything....

^^ This

and

He must live in one of the states where preschool teachers/his wife are overpaid.

 

[SP33Demon]

You should have been a teacher instead.

My wife is a pre-school teacher. In that job, she gets:

1) A pension that pays 80% of her salary for the rest of her life when she retires.
2) 12 weeks of vacation (mostly summer break) a year
3) A 35 hour (8 to 3:30) work week
4) Government health benefits that beat almost anything that you can get in the private sector.
5) Tenured status after 5 years that basically guarantees that she has a job for life.

Try getting anything close to that as an IT person or an Engineer.

Except making 50K/yr for your career is going to put a damper on things. And you're also forgetting that most state governments are cutting pensions like the plague, so don't expect to even get a pension when you retire unless you're federal.

I'd rather make significantly more with very similar benefits and close to full time telework in a non-supervisory role not dealing with little snots all day. :biggrin:

 

[slugg]

You should have been a teacher instead.

My wife is a pre-school teacher. In that job, she gets:

1) A pension that pays 80% of her salary for the rest of her life when she retires.
2) 12 weeks of vacation (mostly summer break) a year
3) A 35 hour (8 to 3:30) work week
4) Government health benefits that beat almost anything that you can get in the private sector.
5) Tenured status after 5 years that basically guarantees that she has a job for life.

Try getting anything close to that as an IT person or an Engineer.

Find me a teaching job that pays 3 times what a teacher makes and I'll take it.

 

[ultimatebob]

Find me a teaching job that pays 3 times what a teacher makes and I'll take it.

Teaching jobs pay well in Connecticut! Once you have your Master's degree and have 15 years experience, the job pays $80K a year in most towns.

IT jobs don't pay much more than that around here unless you are the VP/CIO level executive and/or have a ton of certifications.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Teaching jobs pay well in Connecticut! Once you have your Master's degree and have 15 years experience, the job pays $80K a year in most towns.

IT jobs don't pay much more than that around here unless you are the VP/CIO level executive and/or have a ton of certifications.

I know associate engineers that make that much with a BS and less than 5 years of experience.

 

[purbeast0]

Teaching jobs pay well in Connecticut! Once you have your Master's degree and have 15 years experience, the job pays $80K a year in most towns.

IT jobs don't pay much more than that around here unless you are the VP/CIO level executive and/or have a ton of certifications.

i was making $80k/yr after 5 years in software engineering with a bachelors in comp sci.

i'd be pretty heated if i was only making $80k/yr after 15 years + wasted time on a masters.

 

[ultimatebob]

i was making $80k/yr after 5 years in software engineering with a bachelors in comp sci.

i'd be pretty heated if i was only making $80k/yr after 15 years + wasted time on a masters.

Sure, but keep in mind that you're not getting summer off and still making $80K a year. My wife could work 6 weeks of summer school and make another $10K if she wanted to. So, there is 90K and she still probably has much more vacation than any office worker in the US.

 

[CraKaJaX]

I know associate engineers that make that much with a BS and less than 5 years of experience.

that's pretty much normal I think? Jan 2016 was my official '5 year work experience' date.... and I'm at 86k/yr. Degree was EE.

 

[dr150]

Become a stripper.

Show some leg and watch the dollas fly your way. :thumbsup:

 

[NikolaeVarius]

that's pretty much normal I think? Jan 2016 was my official '5 year work experience' date.... and I'm at 86k/yr. Degree was EE.

Probably. I live in Conn, and with 1 year of Exp with a BS am at 80k pre-bonus.

Granted I'm on call 24/7 365. But still.

 

[ImpulsE69]

keep going, you guys are making my job sound great/better in comparison! Granted I think many of you are younger than me, but I did a complete career change about 10 years ago.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Paraphrasing what AT&T big mouth said recently ...

Employees must be learning at least 5 hours every week to not be considered a candidate for termination. So this moron is saying I need to be in some sort of instructional learning environment 260 hours each year to keep up with the company changes or get the F out of the company.

Hmm, I am betting if I demand he prove that he's been doing this I am most certain he cannot prove it. I love it when top suits make themselves out as know it all when they know very little. Almost makes you want unions again.

 

[SSSnail]

It's a money making machine and it permeates different industries; don't think that if you choose a different career you'll be immune from these tests. Everyone and their mothers have different certifications that you'll have to keep current by various means, and of course, a fee.

If a company is requiring you to learn while on the job, they're certainly will be required to foot the bill.