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Post by NotMyKid on Jun 3, 2010 8:51:56 GMT -6
Good god there is some great advice in this thread and a shame that only 12 people will be reading it. ;D
Work is work. The number of people that truly love their job is pretty small. I enjoy my job and but have days where I want to put my head through a wall dealing with certain people/situations but I know that's part of the gig. But let's not get crazy I would much rather be playing golf or watching The Price is Right then sitting at my desk looking over all of the shit I need to get done to day and dealing with this client that she clearly has no clue what she is talking about.
I know somewhat from the 3 jobs that I have had after college what I am good at and what I am not good at. Sitting in a cube going over TPS reports would not be something I could do for more then a week.
Twine,
Not that I have half the experience as some on here my one piece of advice would be to talk to all your friends, family, business contacts and just kind of put it out there that you might be interested in looking at a career change. There is a lot of truth to the saying that it's not what you know but who you know.
I would also be careful about taking a lot of time off between jobs if you don't have something lined up for whenever you want/need to jump back into the game I don't think many people looking to hire you would love to hear that you didn't work for the last 6 months just for the fuck of it or that you needed to find yourself, even though it's pretty clear that you have your head on straight and work your ass off potential employers will see it as a red flag and label you as lazy or not driven.
I have a friend that had a great job that paid pretty well and he took time off just to take time off and it took him a long ass time to find a job when he was ready to go back to work and hates the job he has now much more then the one he left previously.
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Post by 101 on Jun 3, 2010 8:55:02 GMT -6
One other thing to keep in mind, it's really not about the almighty dollar. Yes, cash can allow you to do things that you can't do without it, but it's not the be-all, end-all that I work for.
While in Chicago, I switched jobs, took a significant pay cut because it allowed me the flexibility to live wherever I wanted. Living in Iowa City brings much value to my life that far exceeds whatever cash I forfeited in the process.
True, I can't spend in the same fashion that I did before, but let me tell you, my life is much more rewarding to me now that it ever has been. So I drive a '93 car, big-ass deal. That isn't to me what it's all about. It's about figuring out what is really important and striving for that. Keeping up with Jones', not even on my radar.
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Post by 101 on Jun 3, 2010 9:19:29 GMT -6
Trust me, if I thought you were whining, I would have called you a whiny little bitch. You're just going through the "what's the meaning of life?" thought process. Everyone goes through it and let me tell you, this probably isn't the first time you've had those thoughts go through your head and I guarantee it won't be the last either. Actually there are some wise words in there. Even though it wasn't directed at me, it was good for me to read this morning. I've been getting my ass to me lately and needed some knowledge/perspective to get me going this morning. Agreed. I've obviously been thinking about all of this stuff quite a bit lately. I have come to the conclusion that I'm being a bit of a whiner as far as the whole topic is concerned. Sure the corporate life totally sucks donkey balls but it does enable me to live pretty freely outside of work. I should really be counting my blessing instead of harping but sometimes the daily grind can wear on a young fella like myself. I think what I'll do is try and push the reset button on my attitude toward work, keep doing what I do and making baby steps toward a promotion. In the meantime I think I'll look into getting some sort of certification that will move me up or expand my options. I'm also going to see about switching my hours around to work 7 to 3:30 or 8 to 4:30, Ive been working till 7 pm for about two years which gives over $4000 in shift differential but I'm starting to think it's not worth it. I'll use this time to focus on my hobbies a little more. I also plan to start putting away $500 into a savings account and keeping the option of picking up and starting over alive and expand the possibilities in that regard as well. I'm going to focus on the "work to live" mentality and keep grinding it. I think I've been losing focus on the green grass on this side of the fence, especially when said fence is made up of an employment line. Sometimes I think when you meet certain goals in life you kind of lose your direction afterward. Once I got my debt paid off and made a $ amount I had set a side to reach by 32 a couple years early, I found myself thinking, "Well, now what?". Abandoning ship is probably not the best next step. Thanks for all the input fellas, I really do appreciate it.
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Post by The Bluzmn on Jun 3, 2010 10:37:26 GMT -6
I like the "living to work" vs. "working to live" inquiry. I have always been one of the latter. My point was that, to be successful, you better be in the first category if you are going to enter the firm life and especially if you are in any type of litigation.
As for loving what you do, my wife actually does. She wanted to be a "doggie doctor" when she was just a little girl. But trust me, there are days when she wishes she could go wait tables or something.
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Post by hawkeyedug on Jun 3, 2010 10:44:22 GMT -6
work to live, not live to work. That has been my philosophy regarding work, even at my young age. Unfortunately while I did have a great job for where I was living in the past, and could have been quite happy with the job and pay provided forever, the location wasn't allowing me to live happily. A move was needed for that reason. I've been broke since that time, but much more happy, even working absolute shit jobs and having stints where I had no job. Now I am working towards something that I think I can enjoy for a long time and make a career of (job outlook is good at least). That said, I'm not looking to put in 60 hour weeks. I would much rather bull in a modest $35,000 working 8-5 M-F that allowed me to get my bills payed and enjoy the simple things in life, than work 60 hours a week and pull in BTR baller money but not have a life outside of work. But that is just me.
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Post by 101 on Jun 3, 2010 12:08:15 GMT -6
I think that's the right attitude Dug. If you can pull down the big $$$, then all the better, but to sacrifice nearly everything in life just to achieve that goal is pretty short sighted. work to live, not live to work. That has been my philosophy regarding work, even at my young age. Unfortunately while I did have a great job for where I was living in the past, and could have been quite happy with the job and pay provided forever, the location wasn't allowing me to live happily. A move was needed for that reason. I've been broke since that time, but much more happy, even working absolute shit jobs and having stints where I had no job. Now I am working towards something that I think I can enjoy for a long time and make a career of (job outlook is good at least). That said, I'm not looking to put in 60 hour weeks. I would much rather bull in a modest $35,000 working 8-5 M-F that allowed me to get my bills payed and enjoy the simple things in life, than work 60 hours a week and pull in BTR baller money but not have a life outside of work. But that is just me.
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Post by Stukat on Jun 3, 2010 12:19:29 GMT -6
Twine, The switch in hours may help much more than you think. Especially when you consider that you stretch your work day out with that long lunch thing.
When you are off work everyday at 3:30 and have 5 or 6 hours of day light to work with, it goes along way towards improving your outlook on your job. I know that I enjoy my schedule much more after my change.
The day seems a lot longer when your evening starts at 3:30pm as compared to 7:15pm.
Plus, I have seen your Disc golf game lately, and you could use the extra time to practice, because…..damn.
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Post by thejesus on Jun 3, 2010 12:20:53 GMT -6
Good stuff on this thread.
Maybe I don't want to go to law school ...
Who knows. I'm actually very happy in my life at the moment. I guess that is all that matters.
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Post by Stukat on Jun 3, 2010 12:36:35 GMT -6
I find this conversation to be shallow and pedantic....
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Post by Gumbyhawk on Jun 3, 2010 18:55:42 GMT -6
I'm not 100% what his job entails...you know how those corporate titles mean almost nothing. This is from his signature off an email: NSS Direct Sales Agent Nationwide Sales Solutions I know it's commission based. I stand corrected. His job DOES suck more than mine. My department is always looking for people if he is interested in auto claims. It sucks pretty hard, but it's not commision based and we are so "shit-storm" swamped, we can pretty much work all the overtime we can stomach. Let me know.
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Post by Gumbyhawk on Jun 3, 2010 19:01:29 GMT -6
Just keep in mind...you should work to live, not live to work. +1. Very good words to live by. It's sad that most corporations cannot get their minds around this.
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Post by lpcalihawk on Jun 4, 2010 8:40:09 GMT -6
The European philosophy regarding "work" is much more appealing than what we do here in America. Obviously there is a cost to the European philosophy, but the personal, familial, and health benefits of such a system seem to be much more beneficial to the individual.
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Post by NOTTHOR on Jun 4, 2010 9:07:32 GMT -6
The European philosophy regarding "work" is much more appealing than what we do here in America. Obviously there is a cost to the European philosophy, but the personal, familial, and health benefits of such a system seem to be much more beneficial to the individual. It depends on the individual - if it's an individual who currently has a job and can basically never be fired, sure it's great, but for an individual with no job who can't get one because employers are terrified to hire anyone, it kind of sucks. And it's gonna really suck for the individuals who have to pay the piper when the bills start coming due in full force on the promised retirement benefits. Maybe other countries won't be as bad as Greece, but there will have to be major changes, you can only trump the laws of economics for so long.
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Post by NOTTHOR on Jun 4, 2010 9:12:22 GMT -6
I would much rather bull in a modest $35,000 working 8-5 M-F that allowed me to get my bills payed and enjoy the simple things in life, than work 60 hours a week and pull in BTR baller money but not have a life outside of work. But that is just me. I just want to be able to retire someday. The people I dealt with when I worked in the securities biz in NY who were self made wealthy all got that way by building up savings when they were young and then growing those savings through gains over time and additional savings. Those people generally had nutpunchy jobs, like i-banking, consulting and law, but they had very nice retirements. Unfortunately, with a stock market that's been flat for a decade and near 0% interest rates, the growth days may be gone for a while, which will make it a lot harder to attain a nice nestegg.
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Post by hawkeyedug on Jun 4, 2010 10:30:43 GMT -6
I just want to be able to retire someday. The people I dealt with when I worked in the securities biz in NY who were self made wealthy all got that way by building up savings when they were young and then growing those savings through gains over time and additional savings. Those people generally had nutpunchy jobs, like i-banking, consulting and law, but they had very nice retirements. Unfortunately, with a stock market that's been flat for a decade and near 0% interest rates, the growth days may be gone for a while, which will make it a lot harder to attain a nice nestegg. True, it is a pretty short sighted outlook, but why be miserable for 40 years to be comfortable for 20, when I really wont be comfortable because by that time my body will be deteriorated to the point of constant pain. However, medical marijuana will be readily available by that time, so those 20 years might just be great.
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Post by twine on Jun 4, 2010 10:42:06 GMT -6
I would much rather bull in a modest $35,000 working 8-5 M-F that allowed me to get my bills payed and enjoy the simple things in life, than work 60 hours a week and pull in BTR baller money but not have a life outside of work. But that is just me. I just want to be able to retire someday. The people I dealt with when I worked in the securities biz in NY who were self made wealthy all got that way by building up savings when they were young and then growing those savings through gains over time and additional savings. Those people generally had nutpunchy jobs, like i-banking, consulting and law, but they had very nice retirements. Unfortunately, with a stock market that's been flat for a decade and near 0% interest rates, the growth days may be gone for a while, which will make it a lot harder to attain a nice nestegg. I'm kind of losing faith in the stock market. Also, considering our generation is supposed to work until 67 and our life expectancy is 77, is it really worth saving up for your entire life to possibly enjoy a good retirement? Between the odds of dying by then or having some illness that will eat all of your retirement, I'm starting to think it may be worth enjoying your money during the other 35-40 years of your life that you are in the work force rather then the 10 or 20 years you might be alive after working your whole life.
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Post by lpcalihawk on Jun 4, 2010 10:58:07 GMT -6
Die poor is my goal. You can't take it with you.
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Post by NOTTHOR on Jun 4, 2010 11:12:49 GMT -6
My point is that once I hit a million bones, I'm going into full bore union mode because my retirement will effectively be funded. 4 years in the ball punch machine and I'm close to half way there, a few more years and I'll be really close unless the stock market completely craters. A million bones before 40 = nice life after 40, kids going to college, retirement close to set up assuming some amount of returns on the money for the 20 years til retirement. A big warchest with time on your side is the best way to fund a decent and early retirement. I'm not counting on Uncle Sugar to provide for me and not saving up for a retirement is one of the most socially irresponsible things you can do. If I die before I hit that age, well, my ol' lady and kids are gonna be taken care of and that will give me peace and if I get brain cancer or some shit, I'll at least have cash to get a dignified treatment when the death panels/insurance companyes make the call of how to allocate health care dollars.
I think it's more of a tradeoff between 7 or 8 years in the ball punch machine (which will then lead to a strong resume that will position me well to make a bill fifty plus in decent jobs for the rest of my life) for a good retirement at in my late 50's, which could last decades, especially with advances in medical technology. Money = freedom to do the shit you want to do when you want to do it. Debt and no money = perpetual proledom wage slavery. You've gotta save cash when you're young or you'll be destined to a life of wage slavery unless your parents are fucking loaded, which mine ain't. The only thing you've got to sell is your time, you can sell a little more when you're young in exchange for a lot more when you're older and less capable of working and have a lower tolerance for bullshit.
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Post by twine on Jun 4, 2010 11:28:05 GMT -6
I hear you, right now I'm putting $500 per month into my 401k with 100% into international emerging markets and $600 per month into a savings account. Hopefully China, India, and South America can dominate the world markets over our working years. If so, I should be sitting pretty comfortably. I would put more of the $600 toward retiremtent but I'm skeptical about the markets, plus I have some big expenses over the next few years and I really don't care to get dinged with an early withdrawal penalty.
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Post by hawkeyedug on Jun 4, 2010 11:30:24 GMT -6
Yeah, but I don't see too many of us in a ball punch machine that brings home a salary like yours.
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Post by NOTTHOR on Jun 4, 2010 12:24:14 GMT -6
Yeah, but I don't see too many of us in a ball punch machine that brings home a salary like yours. You don't understand what a ball punch machine is all about. It's working with guys like this: And having shit like this happen all the FUCKING time: I got a fucking email at 9:02 a.m. on Monday, had to go to work at 10, then haven't been out of the office before midnight all fucking week. My buddy hasn't been home bince Monday. That's a ball punch machine.
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Post by hawkeyedug on Jun 4, 2010 13:05:24 GMT -6
No, I get it. You get shit on constantly and work constantly and it sucks. I don't envy you. But I get that you are taking these ball punches right now because in the long run you will have saved and invested enough scratch that you don't have to keep taking said shots to the groin. I think the path I am on right now will suit me fine should all go according to plan. As long as I get into Med school I will be fine. The line of work that I am going into pays $65K out of school, 40 hour weeks, 4 10 hour days. I will gladly take that. That is certainly a livable wage for a guy like me, and those hours are great. Add in the $40K+ that the old lady is bringing in (right now just a couple years out of school, btw yay for a masters degree that gets you exactly the same pay as without). I think we will be doing just fine as long and will be able to put enough aside for retirement probably about one week before I succumb to a heart attack.
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Post by NotMyKid on Jun 4, 2010 15:27:36 GMT -6
I would put more of the $600 toward retiremtent but I'm skeptical about the markets, plus I have some big expenses over the next few years and I really don't care to get dinged with an early withdrawal penalty. I understand being skeptical but if it's just about the access to the cash later on drop $5K a year in a Roth IRA, that money can be taken out for any reason without penalty.
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Post by twine on Jun 4, 2010 15:32:37 GMT -6
I would put more of the $600 toward retiremtent but I'm skeptical about the markets, plus I have some big expenses over the next few years and I really don't care to get dinged with an early withdrawal penalty. I understand being skeptical but if it's just about the access to the cash later on drop $5K a year in a Roth IRA, that money can be taken out for any reason without penalty. I hate to be a cock but you are wrong. Contributions and earnings that have been in the account more than 5 years can be taken out tax free. However, if you take money out of it before the age of 59 1/2 it is still subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty unless it is being used for education expenses, divorce, disability, first time home purchase (up to 10k) or death. Plus, I plan on using it in about a year to relocate, go to school, buy a house, or buy a motorcycle. No matter what, I'll be increasing my quality of life without adding a bunch of bad debt.
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Post by NOTTHOR on Jun 4, 2010 15:51:19 GMT -6
No, I get it. You get shit on constantly and work constantly and it sucks. I don't envy you. But I get that you are taking these ball punches right now because in the long run you will have saved and invested enough scratch that you don't have to keep taking said shots to the groin. I think the path I am on right now will suit me fine should all go according to plan. As long as I get into Med school I will be fine. The line of work that I am going into pays $65K out of school, 40 hour weeks, 4 10 hour days. I will gladly take that. That is certainly a livable wage for a guy like me, and those hours are great. Add in the $40K+ that the old lady is bringing in (right now just a couple years out of school, btw yay for a masters degree that gets you exactly the same pay as without). I think we will be doing just fine as long and will be able to put enough aside for retirement probably about one week before I succumb to a heart attack. Med school to be an MD? Do you have to go through residency? If so, those fuckers are getting ass raped worse than me for a few years.
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