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I worked only one full time job for 32 years as an audio professional (recording, mixing, editing, mastering and live sound engineer) at a large University's School of Music. I worked in beautiful concert halls with great musicians.
Of course there were ups and downs, but looking back, it would be hard to imagine having it much better.
I feel very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time and to have had the opportunity.
I had only ONE job that I truly loved and had a ball doing, and it was actually an entry-level job for a high-tech plant. I was a shipping operator on the graveyard shift, and I prepped and stacked big boxes of computer monitors almost 30 years ago. Then I pulled a big stack of the boxes on pallets to the doc. It was very physical work and could be heavy. But I loved it because I worked alone, just me 'n' my radio, I had variety, needed little supervision, and I got in good physical shape. I was also the only girl hired for that job and I out-performed the guys on the other shifts.
6 months later I was "promoted" to a high-paying job. I didn't ask for it but I knew my family needed more money. The work was okay but now I was working with other people and didn't like it. Before, I was king in my own castle.
I absolutely loved my job and it wasn't even on my radar to get involved in that area. I never thought of getting involved in a career with numbers but I fell into a payroll job and just kept going. I will admit that after 5 years the job becomes very rote at which time I would change jobs but the job had to be in a totally different industry. I have done payroll in all sorts of industries which kept the job very interesting as all industries have their nuances in paying employees. I have worked in manufacturing related to hard goods and non durable goods, hospitals, sales based leasing company of equipment, a school district and one non-profit. All these industries kept me and the job fresh.
I was an Air Force military intelligence analyst, and had a real passion for that. I'd get off work thinking, "Damn, I love this stuff!" I considered it important and challenging.
These days, I get to do some things I think are interesting, in some cases fun. Helping people along their way is a good thing. But I'm not getting the charge I used to get.
I majored in Logistics/Transportation, and I recognize now that one of the reasons I chose it was the 24 hour / 7 day nature of the operation and the fact that you didn't have to deal much with the public -- especially its shallow, superficial, "trendy" component.
But at any rate. my first "real" job after college involved handling the outside 800-number and the "trouble board" (accidents, mechanical problems, and weather issues) for a major trucking line on an evening/overnight shift, with a fair amount of overtime.
I loved the work; the issues were spontaneous, interesting, covered a wide range of challenges, and since I usually knew within a short time whether I'd made the right decision. I was able to build my own "algorithm" for dealing with those issues. And I soon had proof that I had the lowest amount of both time and money expended per call of the four men sharing the job, and was picking up new skills for my "tool kit".
The problem was the emptiness of the off-duty hours; the community where I was based didn't have much to offer a recent college grad -- and the few women I met in that environment were usually divorced and very jaded. And I didn't have the sort of personality that's at home in a "singles bar". What I wanted was the "12-hour shift / 4-7 days on / 4-7days off" that was a fairly common practice in my field at the time, so that I could relocate to a more suitable community and commute on a weekly basis.
But after about a year, I got a new supervisor; the year was 1974, and my new boss was a World War II veteran, very much into "spit and polish". He appreciated my performance, but a promotion would have involved working the "day watch", in a position where I'd have to play office politics and "dress for success" -- a world for which I wasn't ready, and for which I had little but contempt.
Things went downhill quickly after that.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 08-13-2017 at 11:43 AM..
We built a few spec houses back in the 80's, early 90's and I found that immensely satisfying. We did all the work ourselves, so no aggravation with subs or banks. I loved going to "work", doing it at our own pace and style.
Back in the 80's we had a printing company and that was also very satisfying. I think producing an actual product you can see and admire, then sell, results in a worthwhile sensation. Being one's own boss.
Self-employment is where it's at. Never been as good since....
100% loved my job of 13 years in networking /customer service/Administration.
When the job is filled with passion, two things happen.You like coming to work, and you get paid to be happy! Never mind that your boss's see a more productive person and thereby can count on the staff member to go above and beyond....
But oh boy, when its pulled from under you...its a grief . And since its "business"...the no gooders will say..".Ohh don't take it personally.". Tell that to the passionate person and let me know what hospital room I can send the flowers.
Right now i work part time at an animal hospital. Its hard as we're understaffed and im seeing the harsher sides of being a vet/vet tech but I LOVE coming to work and, if i could live off it, id work there full time and quit everything else in a heartbeat. I gladly take shifts even!
It's especially great since I get to closely watch the pros at work and is helping me see what the works like up close and make an educated decision at which path to take in the future.
I worked as an art jeweller for years,I had passion for it and made good money from it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Sol
By that, I mean you get a real thrill out of what you are doing. I've never experienced that, and I believe most people don't. Work, for most, is just a necessary evil that we put up with to pay the bills, have some fun on the weekends, take some vacations, and save for retirement. I don't think most people like working at all.
I assume a few people are different and actually like their jobs. So if you are in that group, what do you do for work?
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