Post what you like/dislike about your current job/career
 

I'm thinking seriously about a major career change. If I do it, it looks to be a major change from what I'm used to and where I expected myself to be.

I'm 26 and don't have extensive work experience, so evaluating what may be different about the other career path inherently comes with more uncerainty than a change in jobs in the same industry.

As a result, I'm looking for additional considerations that I may be missing. If you could post what you like/dislike about your current job/career, I would appreciate it. Feel free to go into as much detail as you feel comfortable. Include if you're self employed, approx how many people are in your direct department, industry etc.

Any and all insight is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

I really don't do a lot of work. I sit at my desk and get on CP all day. I have my sports memorabilia on my desk as conversation starters.


Just the advantages of working for a parent.

I've been at my current job 4 1/2 years (co-op phone company) and have seen my boss a total of 20 minutes. It's like being self employed with all the health/retirement benefits.

What kind of work are you supposed to be doing? What kind of company if I can ask?

I work for a chemical company in the Ag. business. My official title is Administrative Assistant and I'm basically an accounting assistant.


EDIT: To be fair, we are in the slow time of the year right now.

I guess I can throw in my two cents. I do Internal Audit for Cabela's. It's OK. I learn a lot about a $2.5B company. I've learned a good bit about accounting and associated controls. Also a lot about process analysis. There's currently 12 people in my rapidly shrinking department (not backfilling attrition).

Pros:
Relatively stable employment (nothing is absolute in this economy)
Good company with good people.
If the economy ever turns around there ought to be some chance for advancement.
Great benefits
nice town
Low stress level
Work more than 50 hours a week maybe 4 weeks out of the year.

Cons.
Very little fulfillment. It feels like I do a lot of work and add very little value to the company.
Very little probability of short term advancement.
Still stuck in a entry level type position and am paid like it

my job just got 100000x better. the dickhead director that ive been under for 5 years is GONE!!!

Pros: I get to set my own hours. I have a lot of free time. I make great money.

Cons: Cleaning up afterwards. The shame. Sometimes it hurts to walk the next day.

my job blows; boring as hell, constantly trying to please 100 different people who are my 'boss' at different times/at their convenience.

definitely 'ended up' in the wrong career before I knew what hit me.

I'm basicaly 'stuck' for all intents and purposes.

I make extenbsion cords

it's in military stuff but for the most part it's just making a cable
a trained monkey could do it

money is so so
but boring as hell
challenges are minimal
and rewards are the same

cahnces of advancement 0

I have been in electronics for 20 years

I rode high during the semiconductor hey day
but that's gone
so...
waiting fo the electric car industry???

Bananas?

I work behind the scenes in the casino industry

Pros: Never having to deal with the customers, high turnover means many chances for advancement, no physical labor required.

Cons: working holidays, high turnover means constantly training new hires and losing many people you like working with.

I work in mining, it's a lot of fun and very fulfilling to know that my work may someday actually contribute something of value to the economy.

Pros: travel to interesting places, good pay, good benefits, get to use explosives without being in a war zone or getting arrested

Cons: sometimes you have to live in less than ideal places like sub-Saharan Africa or Battle Mountain NV, you will likely never have attractive women in your workplace, mining towns are BYOW (bring your own woman)

Tech support type job working with online banking systems and other financial systems software, i just got 2 weeks ago, glad to get my foot in the IT job world and look forward to starting a career.

pros-great benefits 401k, great medical/dental/vision, pto accrual and flexible with time off, stock, very cool coworkers so far and solid pay, and opp. to move up quickly. m-f job normal hours and i can still do my night job and keep working about 15 hours or so total a day and save :)

cons that i can tell will be just being on call 1 week every few months or so, so no biggie and part of the territory. about a 25 min drive (not a big deal though cause i did that with my previous job) i feel blessed that i got an opportunity honestly.

my previous job i could say cons were money and well lack of moving up in the company working for a financial institution since no one ever quits and IT part of the job had guys that have been there for years and not near retirement.

My boss is kinda demanding and I work from about 7:00 AM to midnight for roughly $3 an hour. I'm sure I could do better at McDonalds.

Funny. I heard your boss was a dick too....:)

How is working for yourself? How many people are you managing now?

i am a teacher.

i currently enjoy having the summer off.

I do painting/drywall/wood finishing.

Pros: I get to work alone most of the time and don't have to deal with other people, a lot of variety and it's rarely boring.

Cons: Can be physically demanding at times, after 20 years of it I'm having issues with my back, shoulder and knees. I may have another 10 years of it in me at best.

I knew I'd seen a picture of you before:
http://content8.flixster.com/questio...915442_std.jpg

It's rewarding when it's good. It's brutal when it sucks. I put a lot of pressure on myself not only to provide for my own family but also for the families of my workers. I have about 7 people who work for us periodically which includes my wife on the newspaper side. Past couple of weeks it's only been 4. We've been a little slower than usual the past month.

Love my current job. I basically get paid to talk to people, and solve thier vacation issues. Plus I'm a member of the senior management staff, with all the included benefits.

Oh and did I mention I get paid just to hang out and talk to people?

I'm the concierge for our resort property

Buehler --

I did a career switch that may be similar to what you are considering. When I was 26 or so, I was a applications engineer. I felt that my contributions to the company were marginal. While I had excellent prospects for an immediate promotion, I didn't think the new position would suit my personalities or skill, or be very fulfilling.

I did a drastic career change (academia, still in engineering). It required relocating my family, a reduction in income and lifestyle, and 4 years of additional education. Once I landed the job i wanted, I made roughly 1/3 more than the job I had left 4 year earlier, not adjusted for inflation. After that, I had to work hard for about 16 years to get into a position where (for the last year or two) I am generally proud of my accomplishments, well-recognized by my peers, and am now having important influence on the direction of my department and college.

Concluding message -- a successful, meaningful career requires a lot of time, effort, dedication, and risk-taking. Weigh the cost and benefits and make the best decision for you with confidence and total commitment.


Things I like about my job:

1) helping young people achieve their goals
2) discovering new knowledge
3) shaping the future of the organization
4) respect from my peers
5) sense of responsibility, meaning, and purpose

Things I don't like about my job:

1) longer hours than I like
2) stress
3) less control over "what do I want to do today" than a few years ago
4) occasions of responsibility without authority

Structural Engineer

Pros - Satisfication of seeing a building I designed (structurally) being built.
Pretty Good Pay
Flexible Hours (thus here at 5 AM to work on a damn project)
Co-workers are pretty self motivated so I don't have to pick up any of their work


Cons - Architects
The fact that I have to get up at 5 AM to get work done some days.

heh.

Pros - Architects. I love it when I can wheedle them into putting me into their layouts. I love that they all have filthy mouths even if it's harder to tell. I love being completely involved in the process of making something really bad ass. And I'm really dorky proud of our buildings.

Cons - Structural Engineers. ****ing expensive bastards.

Ha

You want shit to stand up you are going to have to pay for it. God knows architects can't design a safe building.

Yeah, it's just like that...I was pretty amused when that movie came out. Kind of like thinking doctors still use leaches as a means of treatment.

I'm in I.T.

Pro: Challenging mentally, great pay and benefits, usually banker hours. Can work where you want to work as you advance in skill sets.

Con: Tough job to get an entry level job in though. Your on call a lot as your pay goes up. Always have to keep learning new "stuff"(could be a pro or con depending on your viewpoint). You make a mistake everyone knows it.

I'd for damn sure get out of that industry. I couldn't handle not being able to go to bars since most of them won't serve miners.

Pros: Work with good people, good chance for advancement, relatively laid back, low pressure, tuition assistance

Cons: I have to get up and go to work every day. 20 minute drive. Can't wear t-shirts, shorts and sandals. Can't drink on the job.

Isn't that the french word for "pimp"?:D

Pro's: I'm self-employed
Con's: I'm self employed

Congrats! I hope it's challenging and stays that way for a while, but at the very least, in a couple of years you'll have that magical 2-3 years of experience that opens up many more opportunities.

Heh, I think it means "Gigolo" in Cody. :D Not a bad gig!

pros: lots of time off

cons: can be brutal during busy season
lots of time off = lots of time not making money

Pros: The money

Cons: No schedule, work every 10 hours and be gone for 36, no holidays or weekends off, don't get to spend much time at home, the rule book we follow is 4 inches thick with fire-able offenses, 10+ hour in hotels with nothing to do, most guys I work with are really stooopid, redundant, mind numbing, dangeous at times, and I don't get to get on the internet and read Chiefs forums except when during the 10-15 hours I'm home at a time.

GRRRRRRRRR...I knew there was a reason I hated that guy!:D

Dude, sounds like you were in my position 2 years ago before I got my MBA. Most people in my program were in the same position too. It's that position where you know you're doing work, but you're not paid or appreciated up to what you think you should be.

If you can get one, do it. If you can afford to go full-time, do it. You will probably struggle to get serious consideration for the kind of jobs you're qualified for unless you can put that MBA stamp on your resume. If you want to get out of accounting, you could probably move to Operations, which is a job that is always in high demand. From what most people in the field tell me, while the work can get monotonous at times, it's a position that has a high floor and usually reasonable work conditions.

I have an MBA.
Posted via Mobile Device

Sorry if I missed it, but what do you do?

Currently I do Internal Audit for Cabela's.
Posted via Mobile Device

Keep in mind, your current job could just be a stepping stone for bigger and better things. Keep your eyes peeled and mind open.

At age 26, if you were to ask me what I'd be doing 4 years later, I wouldn't have come close to what career I'm in now.

In that case, I do marketing at a services firm. I'm more of a creative, so it suits me. The benefit is that unlike a lot of marketing positions, services has a lot more flexibility for advancement. I'm also fascinated by people, and that's a big part of what marketing is. I also think marketing is one of the more exciting, rapidly evolving industries out there. If you're really lucky, you get a lot of exciting perks, like becoming really involved in a lot of sponsorship events, some at pro stadiums.

The downside is that there's a pretty low ceiling for most people in this world and, in my experience, I could swear that 75% of my time is spent in meetings. It might also frustrate someone who is a rapid mover and shaker--most marketing jobs I've seen have pretty limited hours and are really laid back, which might frustrate someone who's willing to work 80 hours a week for more pay.

Work in financial services on a team that manages a wrap product (fee based investment management account) and does due diligence on our retail funds (advisor sells them and is responsible for contacting the client for rebalancing and suitability).

Pros:
My company is really inefficient (so I look like a rockstar a lot of times)
I'm underutilized (can study for my CFA and dick around on CP all day)
I get to do what I love (read finance shit, invest, and have exposure to the best fund managers in the country during our due diligence process)


Cons:
Not much possibility for advancement here (more in the industry but financial services sucks right now)
Have to earn my stripes either by being in the industry for awhile or getting a top tier MBA if I want to move on to what I really want to do (I want to be a portfolio manager)

what are you, a gigolo?

x2

Pros:
I have a specialized job which appears difficult and impressive.
I don't have to deal with customers or co-workers.
I get to surf the Web and drink coffee and watch cable TV.
I get to wear jeans and polo shirts and not a business suit.
I sort of set my own hours.
I know the job like the back of my hand.
I'm paid okay. Not enough to buy a Ferrari, but enough to subsist and go on cruises.
My job is fairly secure compared to most peoples'.

Cons:
I work in a dark, windowless, noisy room.
I'm basically a blue-collar monkey operating a machine.
I have to work goofy hours and days.
I have to come in at a moment's notice for problems.
I get no holidays (didn't even know that was legal until I got this job, but it is).
I'm unappreciated.
It's a dead-end job with no upward mobility.
It's physically taxing and isn't something I can do forever.

pros: good pay, good hours, set my own schedule, get to really help people, get to choose where I live.
cons: highly stressful, one mistake can cost me my license.

pro:
good pay
excellent benefits
job security(so far, been here 28 years)
variety

con:
late night call outs
constant training
stress

sec

Pros:
money is ok, I guess.
Huge 4X4 war room like plasma screens to watch tv and current events
Literally do not do any work for weeks at a time but browse web
Actual work is generally easy
Good Learning experience

Cons:
Plasma screens are stuck on Fox news and weather channel only, recently all turned off.
Building and job is very secure. 4 different codes and 3 different badges before I get to my desk, also no windows.
Have to remember 5 different passwords all containing at least 15 characters, 2 upper, lower, numbers, special, etc.
Cant bring my phone in since it has a camera
Almost every good site is blocked, youtube, etc.
Literally have no work to do weeks at a time but browse web.
Cant wear Jeans, shirt, only on weekends.
Working with servers on the biggest network in the world, little mistakes can be costly.
Boring.


My old position was awesome with all the traveling. I hate being stuck at a desk the entire time. I dont know If I could do this forever.

I'm literally thinking of getting into MMA or boxing professionally.......

pros:
constant blessing
unexpected joy
it's my passion - i love church, God, faith, religions - and I get to eat, live, breathe it.
watching people grow and help change the world
seeing lives changed constantly
seeing old people learn something new and become impassioned and empowered
something happens every day that I didn't know I could do or would do, but I've been given the power to do it
the optimism of it - people are good and there's always the hope that people will become even better
hope - no matter what I see in the world that's discouraging, I'm always surrounded by the good that counters it
mission - I get to be a part of a church who's soul yearns to help people
flexible hours

cons:
flexible hours - middle of the night/early morning/Saturdays/Sundays/ doesn't matter day or night - I'm available, on call, and never able to really get away, unless i leave the state and even then it is questionable
fish bowl living - although I'm human, people expect more out of me and I never will and simply cannot always live up to the expectation
being "on" constantly
Lack of friends or avenues for friends - because of the stereotypes of who ministers or even "Christians" are supposed to be, many people are hesitant or feel as if they cannot be themselves around me....it makes for making friends a little difficult; being friends with parishioners is way too complicated and I have a staff of 2 and I'm also their supervisor
The people - sometimes working with 250 people is a real pain in the ass

this,absolutely this

It's great when the money is rolling in, and sucks when you are looking around for some help in a down economy/bad month, etc..

Overall, I like what I do. I'm just tightening the belt an extra notch for the next 12-18 months....or so.

Thanks man, and yeah i think it will be a challenge. They told me it will take about a year to get everything here. It is fun so far, and im training alot right now nad the atmosphere is great. I am excited and love it already, and opp. will come thanks to this inside the company, and wherever. I am so glad i am IN, it's been a good year plus since ive seriously looked for an IT job that could jump start everything for me!

I like the people i work with, including my boss.

However I work Louisiana claims, you want to talk about the scum idiots of the country, most of them live there.

the other con for me - salary...I don't do it for money, but I feel like after 35 people have joined since January (keep in mind we are a small suburban church in an old neighborhood and used to worship less than 100), I should at least get a raise.

I need 2 or 3 of me and my job would be kicking ass.

this

Is this something that gets voted on? Or do you have a higher power?

It gets voted on.....the majority of the problem is budget. Like every business/church/organization, the economic crisis is not helping our giving....and forcing people with fixed incomes to pay me more, just seems highly unethical

I did a career change when I was 35 and became a respiratory therapist.

Pros
rewarding
The people, you get to meet and see alot of different people, both good and bad
challeging and no 2 days are really ever the same
job security
pretty decent pay
benefits are really good
flexible schedule

Cons
Stress, this could be a pro too, some people absolutely being in trauma situations and love the adrenaline rush that comes from those situations as well

You will see things that no matter how hard you try, you won't forget and wish you never had

Long hours. 12 hour days that can turn into 14 and sometimes their is no sitting down and you are running your ass off from the moment you step foot in the door

HEY! I think I need you.

I can't stop coughing when it's cold. Could that be a product of my lungs being completely coated in smoke when I was a kid? Or is it the weed?

Are you or any of your co-workers heavy smokers? Cuz that's what I've heard for years that RT's are the worst smokers (so to speak) in the medical-related fields...

I got out of Respiratory Therapy and into I.T.

I sure wish I could unsee some of the "stuff" that I've seen. But on the other hand I lost track of how many lifes I've saved. So I guess thats a fair trade off.

Yes, at most of the places I worked over 50% of the RT's smoked. It's the stress of dealing with life and death on a daily basis. Or at least thats how they explan it.

Not a whole helluva lot I can do for a cough, and yea probably a product of your lungs being compelety coated in smoke. The weed probably helps you not give a damn though as much when you do cough, so you could actually say the weed is for medicinal purposes....:D

I don't if it's anymore than say RNs or any other health related field, I know quite a few RNs that do. The RTs that do seem to be the older ones, the younger ones not many do, so that may change, and I could say the same for RNs as well.

Thanks, BRC.

I don't work in the medfield but I used to smoke pretty good myself--like 2 packs/day more or less for 24 years; I quit for good 3 1/2 yrs ago--and somehow I collected in my brain that bit of info about RT's and have never forgotten it.

yeah, I've been out of the field for 10 years now so it probably has changed.

For whatever reason, the RTs that have left that seems to be the chosen field that they go into, not sure why.


Yea it's a trade off at times, which is like what you said, it's the reason some of the RTs smoke, their way of dealing with the stress. Have no idea if it's accurate or not, but when I was going thru school we got told that RTs are the heaviest drinkers next to DRs. That one I do believe their is some truth to it, I know quite a few that do alot of drinking.

Why did you get out of it?

I gather from the earlier post that Jilly is a Minister?

And you just asked if they had a higher power?

:spock: :D

Yeah, but I don't think He gets involved in salary disputes. :)

If I blog about where I work, they could find it and fire me.
So I won't do it.

That's the best news I've heard all day.

You would ruin a knock knock joke.

What do you do Kat that you hate us SE's so much anyway? Everyone but contractors and architects love us.

You're just expensive.

Who else would complain about that but a contractor with a set of in house architects?

Ha

Well you can go the cheap route but you will just spend more in the end in materials and answering RFIs
Posted via Mobile Device

Yuk yuk, you got me good.

Its 10pm, still working.....deadline screaming in for friday afternoon.

ROFL

:evil:

And got to meet a fellow Chiefs fan tonight. Up here for an Insurance agent conference, first 2 drinks were on the house! :D

Hater :p

Part of it was that I started bringing home the life and death with me. I worked ICU and ER the last 5 years I was in the field at a level 1 trauma center. That trade off started to get to me. Losing patients became a burden. I never screwed up but it was the thoughts of what could I have done different etc. Another part was money. I was as highly paid as any RRT in the city but you start thinking of college for the kid, retirement funds and where that money is going to come from etc.

I think being good as an RT or a nurse does give you those "intangible" skill sets that help in I.T. A server/network crashes you see a lot of panic by some techs but in my case I'm like please....I know the best way to get brains out of a lab coat. I've seen and lived in life and death on a daily basis for years and this isn't life and death, take a breath and lets go fix it.