Do you love or hate your job?

[hopefuldreamer]

Is it possible to have a job you love?

I hope to find one some day, but at the moment I'm stuck in a dead end, low paying and incredibly unchallenging job.

So TBH, it'd cheer me up hearing a) stories of jobs you love, because it gives me hope that it's possible, and b) stories of jobs you hate/hated, because it reminds me I'm not alone

[Deathlok]

Job I love
I'm a self employed IT Support Consultant. I love my job but hate my boss! He's a real slave driver about taking holidays.

Funnily enough I never intended to be my own boss again. But the Internet Service Provider I worked for (a husband and wife team) decided they wanted to retire and (and to cut a long story short) sold the company to another IT firm on the understanding it was an entire package. That is to say, staff were included.

Well, the four of us have our jobs relocated to Oxford from Berkhamsted, within two weeks of the sale. Which turns my 3.5 mile journey to work into 45 miles! Each way I might add...

One person is forced out on day 1, because he had the wrong surname. He is the son of the original owners. Then within three months the remaining three of us have resigned.

In that three month period, all the local (Berkhamsted) clients are worried about getting their support and are asking me if I would continue to look after them personally. I responded that I could only help them out of hours and weekends. But in the end I decided that there was enough work with these clients whereby I could earn a living. I resigned and set-up on my own.

Which is what I have been doing since June of 2009.
That's probably a longer answer than what you were looking for, I bet!


Job I hated
When I was first trying to break into IT, I was finding it very difficult. Because I had no formal qualifications, just knowledge, personal experience and enthusiasm.
In the end I talked my way into an IT related position at a retail store called "Byte Computer Superstores" which was an independent chain trying to muscle in on the likes of PC World and so on.

However, I hate the retail environment. And I am not the best at dealing with people. When you have to do it all the time, it becomes even more difficult. At least I found it so.

The wages were poor, the hours long and I was expected to work Saturdays and Sundays all the time. After promises of salary increases and getting a second person in the IT section came to nothing. I threatened to resign. I got a salary increase. At the same time they increased the limits at which I got commission. So I had to work harder and sell more in order to actually make the increase in my salary tangible.

Because they would not employ a second person in my department I was still expected to work all the weekends.
At this time my daughter was still fairly young and I missed not seeing her. My pleading fell on deaf ears, so I threatened to resign (again)
They relented by giving me Sundays off.

Lots of other little things happened which niggled at me and eventually after about a year I just had to resign. Without another job to go to. I'd never, ever done that before.

But I was lucky and got a job within a couple of weeks back at my old profession.

However the experience was not for nothing as it helped me get a proper job in IT about a year later. So yes, I hated the job, but I will always appreciate the break it gave me.

[hopefuldreamer]

Originally Posted by Deathlok

I'm a self employed IT Support Consultant. I love my job but hate my boss! He's a real slave driver about taking holidays.

Funnily enough I never intended to be my own boss again. But the Internet Service Provider I worked for (a husband and wife team) decided they wanted to retire and (and to cut a long story short) sold the company to another IT firm on the understanding it was an entire package. That is to say, staff were included.

Well, the four of us have our jobs relocated to Oxford from Berkhamsted, within two weeks of the sale. Which turns my 3.5 mile journey to work into 45 miles! Each way I might add...

One person is forced out on day 1, because he had the wrong surname. He is the son of the original owners. Then within three months the remaining three of us have resigned.

In that three month period, all the local (Berkhamsted) clients are worried about getting their support and are asking me if I would continue look after them personally. I responded that I could only help them out of hours and weekends. But in the end I decided that there was enough work with these clients whereby I could earn a living. I resigned and set-up on my own.

Which is what I have been doing since June of 2009.

That's probably a longer answer than what you were looking for, I bet!

Not at all. I'll prob post my 'why I hate my job' story later in the thread. Just wanted to get it warmed up first

I'd love to be self employed (well, freelance as I'm striving towards the field of journalism), or just find any way to not have to waste my time.

One of the things I hate most about my job is how much time I spend doing NOTHING. Staring out a window. Trying to whistle. Desk crunches etc.

[hopefuldreamer]

Originally Posted by Deathlok

Job I hated
When I was first trying to break into IT, I was finding it very difficult. Because I had no formal qualifications, just knowledge, personal experience and enthusiasm.
In the end I talked my way into an IT related position at a retail store called "Byte Computer Superstores" which was an independant chain trying to muscle in on the likes of PC World and so on.

However, I hate the retail environment. And I am not the best at dealing with people. When you have to do it all the time, it becomes even more difficult. At least I found it so.

The wages were poor, the hours long and I was expected to work Saturdays and Sundays all the time. After promises of salary increases and getting a second person in the IT section came to nothing. I threatened to resign. I got a salary increase. At the same time they increased the limits at which I got comission. So I had to work harder and sell more in order to actually make the increase in my salary tangible.

Because they would not employ a second person in my department I was still expected to work all the weekends.
At this time my daughter was still fairly young and I missed not seeing her. My pleading fell on deaf ears, so I threatened to resign (again)
They relented by giving me Sundays off.

Lots of other little things happenned which niggled at me and eventually after about a year I just had to resign. Without another job to go to. I'd never, ever done that before.

But I was lucky and got a job within a couple of weeks back at my old profession.

However the experience was not for nothing as it helped me get a proper job in IT about a year later. So yes, I hated the job, but I will always appreciate the break it gave me.

A lot of that sounds familiar. I'm gonna work on the best way to explain my situation and the post it, but there are similarities

But on your last statement - get this, my company has a policy of not giving personal references.

Makes me look great doesn't it?

[Deathlok]

Originally Posted by hopefulsuicide

I'd love to be self employed (well, freelance as I'm striving towards the field of journalism)

It really is a double edged sword. I will try to explain why...

But firstly I will dispel the myth of "you are your own boss"
You are not, each and every one of your clients is your boss. Because if you do not do what they say, you will not keep them as a client.

In fact, I have promised myself that the next person who says to me "It must be great to not have a boss breathing down your neck." I will punch them in the throat.


Onto the good things

• You decide how the business operates
• No one else makes decisions for you
• You can choose how long you work
• You want a break, you take it
• Need a day off at short notice, no problem

Onto the bad things

• No one else makes decisions for you (yes I mean it to be in both places)
• You are responsible for all of your own invoicing, book-keeping, income tax and VAT (I spend almost as much time on paperwork as I do working)
• If you are a "one man band" then being ill is not an option, unless you really can't get out of bed without falling over.
• There is always in the back of your mind a "fear" of not making enough money to live on, losing existing clients, getting new clients (unless that's just me of course)

I am not trying to put you off, far from it. This particular venture has been the most exciting work related thing I have ever done and I am proud to be coming up for my third year in business.

But it is not easy and it is certainly not for the faint hearted.
To be honest, I sometimes wonder how in the world I ever had the gumption to start it all up in the first place.

[Deathlok]

Originally Posted by hopefulsuicide

get this, my company has a policy of not giving personal references.

Makes me look great doesn't it?

I believe it is illegal to give a bad reference, so the absence of a reference automatically looks bad to a prospective employer.

However I also believe they have a legal obligation to at least respond to confirm your dates of employment and your job title.

But definitely not helpful for you. I suppose the only thing you can do is to explain in an interview your present employers policy and hope they believe it.

[Deathlok]

Originally Posted by hopefulsuicide

Trying to whistle. Desk crunches etc.

If you can whistle better than this (5:30) you probably are pretty good already...

Nice avatar by the way.

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

[hopefuldreamer]

EDITED due to extreme paranoia

[hopefuldreamer]

Originally Posted by Deathlok

I believe it is illegal to give a bad reference, so the absence of a reference automatically looks bad to a prospective employer.

However I also believe they have a legal obligation to at least respond to confirm your dates of employment and your job title.

But definitely not helpful for you. I suppose the only thing you can do is to explain in an interview your present employers policy and hope they believe it.

Yup, those are the rules. So it LOOKS like they are just confirming employment because they have to not give a bad reference.

I mean, I can get a reference off of my old boss from my first job as a bar manager, and from my current second job boss... But bar related references don't make me look good to prespective employers in office based work environments or media related jobs (which is what I'll be going for when I eventually get cleared for the loan to get the hell out of this town!)

[Deathlok]

Originally Posted by hopefulsuicide

Alright, here we go: (spoiler tags because post is long)

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Okay, so I work as an advertisement sales executive/receptionist for a small town newspaper and have done for two and a half years now.

Duties include the following - dealing with customers who want to book adverts over the counter or by telephone, securing at least one advertising feature per week (3 adverts from a similar field of interest I.e. Garages, with editorial), and handling one specific section of the paper.

When I first started, I was in the busier main office. There were 4 of us out the front and we were usually always busy. Mostly with things like birth announcements, death notices, classifieds etc.

I was on the tradesman section, had about 20 regular customers to deal with every week, and a target of £400 pounds (anything after that you get a 5% bonus on + £5 for hitting target... It's not a lot, but it's something, and when your only on minimum wage you appreciate it).

Features were hard from the beginning, because sometimes you'd be down to do ridiculous things like 'focus on fishing'... And once the three fish bait shops in the area have said 'no thanks' to you trying to con them out of £50, there's not much left to you... So you have to think up another one!

And if you fail? Well it's not good enough. Someone with a clipboard is standng behind you breathing down your neck, huffing and telling you to keep trying. It's a horrible feeling that only goes away once you get that third yes.

Well let me tell you, after 2 and a half years of doing that every week, I HATE getting a new feature list. Sometimes i look at it and all I can see is 'well that's not going to go, that's not going to go' etc. And it keeps you awake at night sometimes worrying about it.

Well, things got worse when the general manager quit and we got a new boss.

She switched me to the situations vacant section. After a recession. When there were no jobs... And then my target was bumped up to £1000.

I did not make a bonus at all for weeks. She had a meeting with me suggesting I should give up my second job as she was worried it was effecting my performance.

A week later, she made it so that any adverts coming in through agencies would not count towards my target! So I was able to make even less!

A couple of months after that, the woman in the small office in town had a heart attack at work. My boss was so worried about the company being in trouble if anything happened to her while in the office on her own that she decided one of us 4 sales people had to go work from that office.

Muggins here was chosen.

And a whole new set of rules to suit this other woman where layed out. I was now no longer allowed to put anything I took over the counter towards my target... It ALL goes on hers. I do the work, SHE makes a bonus.

All I can put towards my target is my feature and the few jobs adds that come in.

And all day every day, I have to spend with this miserable old woman, who does not get up off her arse if she can help it cause she knows she gets the money for it anyway!

And the people in the main office, now split all of the over the counter ads between just three of them, so they get more money as well.

So figures wise, it looks like every single sales person but me makes the company money and works hard, but I do nothing.

I have tried having meetings with my ad managers about it. But they just say they'll 'do what they can' and it never changes.

Apparently though, they don't seem to care.

Since being disregarded and shoved into this office I've pretty much been left to my own devices. The old woman doesn't care what I do. She mostly just reads her paper anyway. And so I bought a blackberry, and I sit here talking to you guys all day

But this office, because it is in town, is crazy person/complaint central. Irate people moaning because their FREE advert hasn't been in yet, or because the picture they wanted next to their son wasn't zoomed in enough etc. Or old people that don't listen when you say your not the journalist and decide to tell you their life story and you just have to stand their smiling patiently until they finish.

I'm on my own in the office at the moment a lot because the old lady is in hospital, and I literally feel like I'm going mad.

I'm in an old building that's falling apart. It's freezing cold and the toilets are disgusting. We don't have hot water, we have a microwave that was full of mold the first time I went to use it a year ago, and a kettle I've never dared touch. And I spend half my dad wishing someone, anyone would come in and book an advert, and the other half wishing people would just go away with their crazy stories about their prize winning carrot.

Oh and today is a prime example of the 'no feature' feeling. Tried one feature, everyone said no. Tried another, everyone said no. I now have only this afternoon and tomorrow to try another one and get it to go or I will be scolded over the phone and my ad manager will be told to crack the whip with me next week (which means him visiting me all the time in the office to say 'how many have you got now?

Wish me luck!

No matter what else is posted, I think you will win with that tale...

I will start the ball rolling by wishing you lots of luck in getting a better job.

[hopefuldreamer]

Cheers

I'm sure there are worse jobs out there. Although personally I'd rather dig graves than sit here another second.

The only thing that's kept me here so long Is that it's a newspaper job. On a CV, at least it says I have worked for a newspaper for 2 and a half years.

[Deathlok]

^
One thing about being a grave digger is that it's a down to earth job...
<Leaves thread quickly before something gets thrown at him>

[hopefuldreamer]

[Kane52630]

I love my job, I work at a college library as a circulation clerk. My boss and my co-workers are very relaxed so there's no drama and I am allowed to go on the web so... hype and facebook.

[Luther102]

That's probably a longer answer than what you were looking for

[Spider-Fan83]

I wouldn't say I love or hate my Job

but I am comfortable and content with my current situation

[Kable24]

Originally Posted by Deathlok

I believe it is illegal to give a bad reference, so the absence of a reference automatically looks bad to a prospective employer.

However I also believe they have a legal obligation to at least respond to confirm your dates of employment and your job title.

But definitely not helpful for you. I suppose the only thing you can do is to explain in an interview your present employers policy and hope they believe it.

Originally Posted by hopefulsuicide

Yup, those are the rules. So it LOOKS like they are just confirming employment because they have to not give a bad reference.

I mean, I can get a reference off of my old boss from my first job as a bar manager, and from my current second job boss... But bar related references don't make me look good to prespective employers in office based work environments or media related jobs (which is what I'll be going for when I eventually get cleared for the loan to get the hell out of this town!)

There isn't a law that states a former employer can't give a negative reference.

If I call a former manager and ask them how your attendance was and if it was bad and they say it was bad they can say that. Most former employers usually just say that you worked here from and to and that is it.






I enjoy my job for the most part. I am third level IT support and I do special projects. When we are slow then it gets boring and I'd like to work from home more.


I've had some really bad jobs to where there has been righting, yelling screaming and a lot of bad blood. That is all I will say about that.

[Thebumwhowalks]

When I am healthy, and I get into it, I love my job.
But when I am sick, it is very difficult, and makes me unable to work long term, it also makes you vulnerable to attack from people who are jealous of what a good job you have, so they can say you are terrible at your job, you don't deserve it, you don't care about other people etc etc, they willfully ignore the fact I am sick...so aye, when I am sick I can easily start to dislike my job.

[Deathlok]

Originally Posted by Kable24

There isn't a law that states a former employer can't give a negative reference.

I think there is in the UK.

[hopefuldreamer]

Originally Posted by Deathlok

I think there is in the UK.

That's what I'd heard anyway...

[Kable24]

Originally Posted by Deathlok

I think there is in the UK.

Originally Posted by hopefulsuicide

That's what I'd heard anyway...

I couldn't say for sure in the UK. Here in the US there are very little laws protecting employees.

[WildcatNC]

I'm indifferent to my job. Its not bad, not good. Its a paycheck and in this economy I could be worse off.

Definitely looking for something better eventually.

[Pink Ranger]

From my experience, the best possible job is one you "kind of like" and pays you enough that you want to stay in it for the time being. A job you hate sucks, for fairly obvious reasons, whereas a job you "love" often involves you staying at the office 16-18 hours a day, like it was 1999 in the tech sector again. That also is not good.

"Do what you love" is the biggest, most selfish and most damaging lie people might tell you in job counselling situations. If you hear anybody spout that catch phrase, do not listen to the rest of what they tell you.

[NickSox]

I love my job, production coordinator/vidoegrapher at a midwest Video production house. I do everything from shooting commercials to producing video content on the big screens at our local minor league and Division 1 college teams. Worked alot of crap jobs before finding my calling then busted my butt to get here. Hopeful, you said you hope to freelance, which is how I started in this biz. Be prepared for alot of uncertainty, it's hard not knowing where or when your next paycheck is coming. But you'll learn alot.

[Hound55]

I've worked in legitimately s*** jobs, so I can honestly say that nothing I've done in the past 5 years has bothered me TOO much.

I'm not particularly happy that I've been unappreciated and done a ridiculous amount of work that went fairly unacknowledged, but things could be worse because... well... I've been in situations worse.