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The best job I ever had was the one I held the longest (25 years) and the reason it was so great was a combination of factors - the nature of the work where I always felt challenged, terrific co-workers, good work environment, continuing education that was actually relevant to the job, politics at a minimum. Compensation was good, but had a ceiling after awhile. Benefits were good but not as good as they were initially (that's the trend though, isn't it?) I consider myself very very fortunate in light of current conditions in other fields.
Now because I have better security than ever before because I am no longer a wage slave. I could have retired yesterday and financially we would be just fine. Amazing how your attitude towards work changes when you don't have to work.
I'm past full retirement age and the only reason I'm working because I like it. Work is fun and I believe non of us were issued expiration dates when we were born.
I go to work when I feel like it; sometimes I show up at 6:30 and other times I might not show up until 9:00. Some days I leave work at 4:00 and others I might not leave until 7:00. Unless I have an appointment we don't set the alarm clock anymore. I get up when I wake up.
Two weeks ago I took a Thursday off and my wife and I went to Savannah and played tourist for the day. We had a great time. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Belford's where they serve the worlds best crab cakes for appetizers and I just love the Shrimp and Grits. Belford's is around the corner from Paula Dean's and having eaten at both places a number of times I prefer Belford's. After Beford's we went shopping.
I am training my replacement, who I found right here on this very forum four years ago, and when he takes his certification test in December I'm going to work even less hard and what I would like to do is go part time to 32 hours for six months then 24 hours the following six months so in two years I'd be working 16 hours a week and never on a Friday.
Another great job I had was when I was young; I was a flight instructor and charter pilot at the local airport. The money really sucked but being single I didn't need money when I had access to a number of neat airplanes anytime I wanted one.
Worst job I ever had was in the 80's and 90's a period where I never earned more money before or since. I was trapped, I wanted to leave but they kept giving me more money so I would stay but I hated every minute of it. I learned the best job isn't about the money.
Working in subject I studied instead of office work with 'tasks' I wanted. Working from home now so I can work around insomnia attacks & distractions. Work independently with no personality problems/mentally unstable people.
Still transitioning toward this after remaining in failing home-town that is economically depressed, bad work environments, more temp jobs than not and thugs run the show too often. Office jobs aren't paying it any longer...
The best job I ever had was also the best time in my life, so it is hard to say how much was just job. I worked as a Staff Asst in a bank, close to home. My friend, who is still my friend, was the Asst Mgr and it was a big busy vibrant branch office. Our boss was a nice man, who everyone liked.
I had my last baby while working there, was married to my present husband, was still thin and cute, and enjoyed a congenial relationship with everyone, including my customers.
I left the job in 1988, when a little sexual harassment was still a fun way to get through the day.
I used to joke that the best job I ever had was when I worked summers in Georgia 100+ degree heat as a longshoreman unloading by hand boxcars and trucks of 50, 60, and 80 pound bags of kaolin clay, flour, etc on most days. Some days there were boxcars of 110 pound sacks of peanuts, others had 55 gallon filled oil drums that had to be walked, 500 pound bales of cotton to throw (had help for that), re-stacking 350 pound spools of wire when they fell over, and so on. I'd lift, carry to a pallet at the door, and set down on average about 30-35 tons a day.
I got paid $1.60 an hour for this.
What did I like about that job, my bosses asked when I told this story.
"Clearly defined goals" was my answer.
Since then, I've come to realize how polluted my occupation is ridiculously low paying jobs. I would change professions entirely before I accepted a $15/hr job offer. I don't know how anyone could even offer that with a straight face. I think the burger flippers are even advancing to that in some parts of the country.
I seriously think some employers have lost their marbles.
Same here. I have an MSc and 10 years experience and get offers like that. I will always ask what the range is before putting the effort to even go to an interview.
Best job, No temp agency, good pay, good benefits, good management, treats workers well, actually spend a lot of money on studies and consultants to make things even better. Our turnover is almost nonexistant.
My last job, full of permatempts, poor pay, poor benefits, disgust with management, turnover galore they lost half the team even the direct hires while I was there, morale was terrible, workers openely expressed how much they hated the place. Large corporation that prided itself on fake awards for being "America's most ethical corporation." They are a bad cliche.
Best job? Working graveyard shift for Xerox, for a couple of months. I wasn't allowed to do anything until trained, but my training schedule wasn't due for two weeks. Before that occurred, Xerox company switched computer systems to IBM, and laid everyone in the computing systems group off. I got a nine months full time, full pay severance package.
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