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Posted: 4/15/2024 10:12:01 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Krauss]
As a young guy myself I’ve spent far longer than I would like working for a massive corporation.
All the things that comes with it….poor leadership, negative attitudes, corporate speak, back stabbing etc. As someone who has built and sold a few businesses, this is not the play. I’ve worked in this sector (defense) for about 6 years now, right after I sold my last business, and the time is drawing near to gtfo. The money is good enough to keep you just comfortable enough not to leave. Freedom is right on the other side of the fear of failing. I say this more so as a reminder to myself than you guys Happy Monday 
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Posted: 4/15/2024 10:19:17 AM EDT
[#1]
I learned this too late. I bought into the bullshit of being "productive" and wasted most of my life being caught in the chains of comfort. I resent every minute of overtime I have worked. If I had it to do over, I would choose a path that could best be described as "bum". As it is, I will coast on the remainder of the time I have to work, as it is too late to make any significant improvement to my quality of life.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 10:50:07 AM EDT
[#2]
I agree to a point . I worked for someone else all my life , it can suck . But I also have a paid for house , several vehicles , a retirement plan , many paid vacations and 100's of thousands of dollars paid medical procedures done . It's not all doom and gloom .
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Posted: 4/15/2024 10:56:26 AM EDT
[#3]
You know.. I've been thinking about starting that OnlyFans for a long time.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:10:03 AM EDT
[#4]
When I retired in April 2020, I had the intention of coming back as a contractor after I had taken a six month vacation.
At the three month mark I realized how much I hated dealing with fuckwits and asshats, of which the world has a bumper crop. I was a little torn, because the person who was going to be my boss (she was two tiers up from my previous boss (Fuck You, Chris) was a long legged blonde Brit with huge tracts of land, but while my dick did complain a little bit, it understood the stress involved with going back to work would impact it too. As time has gone by, I believe I exited the workforce at the correct time. In four years it appears to have become even more of a nightmare. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:18:22 AM EDT
[#5]
I'd start my own business if I knew what the hell to do.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:21:25 AM EDT
[#6]
I am not going to lie.
COVID broke me....the lock downs broke me, etc. I am at the point where if I can provide for my family and spend at much time at home I am going to. I don't need millions in the bank. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:21:54 AM EDT
[#7]
What if the soulless job pays well?
My grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather all worked in coal mines. The last two died in those mines. I'll choose working in a shitty corporate office for good pay every time. I can find happiness on evenings and weekends. |
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AR, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:24:57 AM EDT
[#8]
I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too.
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UT, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:26:05 AM EDT
[#9]
Thanks for this OP.
I’ve been at my current job almost 5 years. Most money I have ever made, but at what personal cost? I’ve done a good job keeping work and home separate but it’s getting harder to leave work at work these days. There’s a couple of job listings that have caught my eye recently. I think I’ll apply for them this evening.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:27:15 AM EDT
[#10]
I worked for a good employer and had lots of jobs working for them, most of them challenging.
I always said I would quit working when the job wasn't fun any longer than that happened January 6th 2021 and I resigned the following morning. Yes, life is way too short to work in a soulless job unless that's all you're capable of doing. Most often I loved the people that I worked with and enjoyed the jobs too. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:27:48 AM EDT
[Last Edit: bikedamon]
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By VAbull: I agree to a point . I worked for someone else all my life , it can suck . But I also have a paid for house , several vehicles , a retirement plan , many paid vacations and 100's of thousands of dollars paid medical procedures done . It's not all doom and gloom . Yep, this is the other side of that coin. I'm not sure what the answer is, but perspective is importent and ultimately it's going to come down to a balanced approach. I can say though, being close to the top of the corporate hierarchy, almost everyone at the top seems to have sacrificed their lives for the career and it sure doesn't look like winning to me. They thrown away personal relationships, health, any interests outside of the job itself, and when they "retire" (usually they are pushed out) they are left with nothing. They have money, I guess, but all of them are hollow, broken people. And alone, in addition to everything else. Maybe it's just the ones I've seen... |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:28:24 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Pro_Patria_431: I learned this too late. I bought into the bullshit of being "productive" and wasted most of my life being caught in the chains of comfort. I resent every minute of overtime I have worked. If I had it to do over, I would choose a path that could best be described as "bum". As it is, I will coast on the remainder of the time I have to work, as it is too late to make any significant improvement to my quality of life. Pretty much this. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:30:17 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Pro_Patria_431: I learned this too late. I bought into the bullshit of being "productive" and wasted most of my life being caught in the chains of comfort. I resent every minute of overtime I have worked. If I had it to do over, I would choose a path that could best be described as "bum". As it is, I will coast on the remainder of the time I have to work, as it is too late to make any significant improvement to my quality of life. I hear you man and I see it every day. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:31:13 AM EDT
[#14]
I spent my hole life working for others.
After work I go fishing, hiking with my GF and dogs, go to dinner etc. Salary wise I am low six figures and dont do all that much for it I feel pretty good about myself |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:32:23 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Pro_Patria_431: I learned this too late. I bought into the bullshit of being "productive" and wasted most of my life being caught in the chains of comfort. I resent every minute of overtime I have worked. If I had it to do over, I would choose a path that could best be described as "bum". As it is, I will coast on the remainder of the time I have to work, as it is too late to make any significant improvement to my quality of life. Well then ain’t that strange. You and I have the same job and I feel the same way as you. I have changed the way I live my life very drastically in the recent months. I pretty much live like the world is gonna end tomorrow. I’m in Vegas right now waiting for my return flight. I literally have no fucken clue how much money I spent this weekend. But I do know it’s a bunch. Ya wanna know something? I don’t even care. Perhaps not the most responsible plan of attack but at this point I really don’t care. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:33:59 AM EDT
[#16]
Been down the road of self-employed and found out that I don't have a head for business. Had multi-million dollar company running when 9/11 hit and I couldn't figure out how to change focus of the core biz well enough to survive the bombs 'n bullets post attack economy.
 Nick |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:35:02 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By midcap: I am not going to lie. COVID broke me....the lock downs broke me, etc. I am at the point where if I can provide for my family and spend at much time at home I am going to. I don't need millions in the bank. Same. I used to try and make as much as I can on the road. Now I refuse any job I can to stay home with the wife and kids. No one cares about you. Money past a certain point is just a number. Memento Mori |
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IL, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:36:41 AM EDT
[#18]
Even if I knew what my dream job was I doubt I would have the qualifications to go after it anyway
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:36:52 AM EDT
[#19]
If I knew how to get out I would.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:38:47 AM EDT
[#20]
I agree, OP. Though it is easier said than done for the majority of people. Myself included. What really is forcing me into a different path is the ability and willingness of people to lie about you these days. Especially in a leadership position. They will fabricate extraordinary and extravagant stories about you. In the wrong organization the leadership above you will leave you hanging in the breeze.
They get rid of or make it undesirable to stay for a really good employee to keep a bunch of sorry motherfuckers. Baffles me to no end. |
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MI, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 11:40:24 AM EDT
[#21]
Welcome to Costco, I love you!
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:15:53 PM EDT
[#22]
I agree.
You have 3 "segments" of your life. Home Work Sleep. Thats 8 hours each, so to speak. Why have 1/3 (or more) of your life miserable. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:17:46 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. I'm self-employed. I have my own business, it's open M-F 8-3, If I'm not there producing, I don't earn, and I have overhead. I work too much, and take too little vacation. I need to balance things, but the hamster wheel keeps spinning, and it's often stressful. I'm on call 24/7/365, and yeah, there's very little "freedom" in my life. My oldest son (29 this summer) is also self-employed. He owns one business, is equal partners in a second, and is a major player in a third. None of these require a brick and mortar location, all are completely remote, there's almost never a time constraints or obligations, and the income is always flowing no matter where in the world he is. He has the ability to earn from anywhere with an internet connection, and he only needs that occasionally. He has complete freedom, and mostly travels, rock climbs and skis. We are bookends of the self-employed spectrum. |
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USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:17:56 PM EDT
[#24]
Most people can't start and sucessfully run a business.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:18:00 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too. It's different though, I may be getting calls, but then I chose when to deal with the call after. No one is calling me to tell me that I have to get to work right fucking now to deal with some BS. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:18:50 PM EDT
[#26]
I absolutely loved my job. Wish I still had it.
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CO, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:19:37 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MadMonkey: I'd start my own business if I knew what the hell to do. Coffee Truck or Food Truck. Low start up cost, flexible hours, low overhead. |
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NV, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:20:10 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Thrasymachus]
[#28]
I just left my job in no small part because they wanted me to be "on" every waking hour, and it was then interfering with me being able to do things with my kids. Fortunately they offered me a generous severance when I walked away.
Trying to find a job doing what I want to do has been difficult, however, since I have been out of that field for a long time. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:20:18 PM EDT
[#29]
You can’t tell me what the fuck to do.
I’m going to bring this up at the 3:15 meeting. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:20:57 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By rDigital: Same. I used to try and make as much as I can on the road. Now I refuse any job I can to stay home with the wife and kids. No one cares about you. Money past a certain point is just a number. Memento Mori Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By rDigital: Originally Posted By midcap: I am not going to lie. COVID broke me....the lock downs broke me, etc. I am at the point where if I can provide for my family and spend at much time at home I am going to. I don't need millions in the bank. Same. I used to try and make as much as I can on the road. Now I refuse any job I can to stay home with the wife and kids. No one cares about you. Money past a certain point is just a number. Memento Mori I learned that 100% from both of my grand parents. One grand parent was a biz owner, worked until 6 months before he died. He loved getting up and going to work but he also never missed spending time with his family, I spent to ton of time with him as a kid. the other grand parent, worked for texaco, have them his ass every day never said no. One day a drilling pipe fell on him nearly killinghim but fucked up his knee. Texaco did everything in their power by sending their own doc and their own attorneys to try and make sure he never sued. When he had to medically retire, they replaced him righth away. THen from my own experience of leaving firms and companies etc. Corporations give zero fucks about you...they will let you grind your self into dust and then replace you asap when you leave. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:23:27 PM EDT
[#31]
Meh- I’m going to collect a pay check for a couple more years, then plan my retirement gig…
Maybe I’ll sell bbq sandwiches on the side of the road. |
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USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:23:28 PM EDT
[Last Edit: JimEN]
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too. Most business owners really love their work. There also seems to be an element of they get a boner from the title of business owner and being in charge of people. I grew up in a family of retail business owners and I was surrounded by restaraunt owners and retail shop owners. Most of their kids went to college and became teachers or professionals and worked for someone else. People who haven't done it or closely watched people do it have no fucking idea. They have a fairytale view of it. |
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AR, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:23:37 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By midcap: It's different though, I may be getting calls, but then I chose when to deal with the call after. No one is calling me to tell me that I have to get to work right fucking now to deal with some BS. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By midcap: Originally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too. It's different though, I may be getting calls, but then I chose when to deal with the call after. No one is calling me to tell me that I have to get to work right fucking now to deal with some BS. I work for a big corporation, but I'll admit it took me a while to find the balance. I work a fast paced challenging 40 hours and go home, leaving it all at work. I can find a new job in a different industry, or just to relocate, relatively easily. I can also take vacations without phone service for a whole week. Working in a large corporate environment gave me freedom. |
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WI, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:27:13 PM EDT
[#34]
Theres the opposite of this as well.
I got teenagers and when trying to choose a career there seems to be this unrealistic expectation that you’ll have a career you absolutely love. Wake up every day excited to go to work. Bullshit, pick a career that you’ll be good at that’ll provide a good living. Then you’ll have disposable income to indulge in things that make you happy. When you turn a hobby into a career it’s no longer a hobby it’s a job. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:27:24 PM EDT
[#35]
I just want a job where I can work for people I respect.
I've had that before, and damn do I miss it. Unfortunately, I've got a narrow skill set, and changing fields would likely involve a substantial pay cut. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:30:30 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too. This is very true. I worked for myself for a decade and even though I had the best boss in the world and could be more flexible with my hours, I was tied to my phone every day and every night. That included weekdays, weekends, day and night and vacations. Ignoring my phone could result in the loss of a client which I could not afford. Every job has its benefits and detriments, regardless of who you work for. Even if it is working for yourself. Everyone has to deicide for themselves if what they are doing is in the best interest for them. Balancing work time, stress, rewarding nature of the job (or lack thereof) and quality of life. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:30:52 PM EDT
[#37]
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:32:30 PM EDT
[#38]
Retire as soon as you are eligible. No matter what, you can always afford to live in comfort in SE Asia.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:33:12 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I work for a big corporation, but I'll admit it took me a while to find the balance. I work a fast paced challenging 40 hours and go home, leaving it all at work. I can find a new job in a different industry, or just to relocate, relatively easily. I can also take vacations without phone service for a whole week. Working in a large corporate environment gave me freedom. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: Originally Posted By midcap: Originally Posted By Happy_Hour_Hero: I never understood how self employed people call it freedom. The people I know with the least work life balance all own their own company. There is no freedom, they're on call 24/7, every vacation too. It's different though, I may be getting calls, but then I chose when to deal with the call after. No one is calling me to tell me that I have to get to work right fucking now to deal with some BS. I work for a big corporation, but I'll admit it took me a while to find the balance. I work a fast paced challenging 40 hours and go home, leaving it all at work. I can find a new job in a different industry, or just to relocate, relatively easily. I can also take vacations without phone service for a whole week. Working in a large corporate environment gave me freedom. I never worked for a company that was like that. |
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IL, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:36:12 PM EDT
[#40]
Like everything, "it depends".
I've always worked for someone else....for some big company. It has worked out pretty well. For a lot folks I started with, it has worked out REALLY well. I have pretty decent benefits. Low six figure salary (took awhile to get there). I've been full time work from home since COVID, and even before that, I was a telecommuter that didn't go in everyday. I like the people I work with. But my perspective is based on where I started out in life. I can also say that there were times when I was on certain projects or in certain roles that working for someone else or dealing with horrible stress wasn't worth it at all. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:37:40 PM EDT
[#41]
Originally Posted By Krauss: As a young guy myself I’ve spent far longer than I would like working for a massive corporation. All the things that comes with it….poor leadership, negative attitudes, corporate speak, back stabbing etc. As someone who has built and sold a few businesses, this is not the play. I’ve worked in this sector (defense) for about 6 years now, right after I sold my last business, and the time is drawing near to gtfo. The money is good enough to keep you just comfortable enough not to leave. Freedom is right on the other side of the fear of failing. I say this more so as a reminder to myself than you guys Happy Monday Thanks OP, I'm at an empasse currently with the company I have been at for over 10 years. Started as a low level grunt and now a semi-remote successful manager in a niche department. The money is great but the workload has been atrocious as of late as we continue to hemorrhage team members and leaders and that work just gets pushed off on the existing members with no form of reimbursement or support from backfilling. The culture has really been upside down and I had been weighing leaving for some time and believe it is time to make that leap. Just trying to make it another month to get the most out of some bonuses that are coming before securing another position and moving on. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:38:42 PM EDT
[#42]
7 more years. Next month I’ll be eligible (and taking) the next early out.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 12:42:04 PM EDT
[#43]
Lots of good responses. Most are right, being a successful business owner is about the hardest thing you’ll ever do.
It’s also the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do. The market is much different now. So many opportunities out there that you don’t have to quit your job off the bat. You can start to build a business while you still have your security net. I have something in the works but I won’t quit this place just yet. It may be another year or two. But don’t ever give up. You can change the trajectory of your entire family tree. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:09:52 PM EDT
[#44]
I spent four years in the military and within months of getting out went to work for DoD as a civilian. Buying back my military time, I am currently at 32 years. Eligible for retirement in less than five years and can't wait to get the hell outta here. Doing it all over, I wouldn't have gone this route. However, I have too much time vested in this to duck out now. They dangle the carrot so to speak to try to get you to stay past your minimum retirement age, but the way I see it, I can't get those years back if I stay. Money isn't everything.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:15:38 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By midcap: I am not going to lie. COVID broke me....the lock downs broke me, etc. I am at the point where if I can provide for my family and spend at much time at home I am going to. I don't need millions in the bank. Covid changed me too. And so did getting a bit older. At 53, with 31yrs in my profession behind me, having worked up to a senior mgmt role in a Fortune 200, I felt like I’d made it. But I’m burnt out from too many hours, too much bullshit. And watching some friends in my age bracket die in the last few years has really made me wonder what the fuck I’m doing putting in the hours I’m putting in, and has made me look at what’s really important. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:29:50 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By midcap: I am not going to lie. COVID broke me....the lock downs broke me, etc. I am at the point where if I can provide for my family and spend at much time at home I am going to. I don't need millions in the bank. I don't think it broke you. It might have shifted your priorities, but you are still working and taking care of your family. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:35:54 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MaxFenig: I agree, OP. Though it is easier said than done for the majority of people. Myself included. What really is forcing me into a different path is the ability and willingness of people to lie about you these days. Especially in a leadership position. They will fabricate extraordinary and extravagant stories about you. In the wrong organization the leadership above you will leave you hanging in the breeze. They get rid of or make it undesirable to stay for a really good employee to keep a bunch of sorry motherfuckers. Baffles me to no end. I started my corporate dream job while still on terminal leave from the mil. It didn't take long for this truth to hit home. I started averaging two to three HR complaints a month, mostly from employees who were in trouble. In three years not a single one of them was substantiated, and some of them were pretty serious. I got really pissed off when they let a woman go scot-free who I basically proved was going to our sister factory to do weekend overtime and disappearing (huge, colossal factory). When I asked why, one of the senior managers on the board said they'd rather let petty larceny go than anger the union. When I asked why none of the people making false allegations against me was never punished, they looked aghast. "They have a RIGHT to file a grievance, if they THINK they've been wronged." Cleaned out my desk, walked into HR and resigned not long afterwards. |
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:40:36 PM EDT
[#48]
The world needs cube jockeys too you know.
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:41:53 PM EDT
[#49]
Too late.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/15/2024 1:46:15 PM EDT
[#50]
I'd LOVE to have some soulless job right now. Being unemployed sucks.
Perspective. It matters. |
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