Job Satisfaction-with Survey

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Rate your job satisfaction

  • Love It

  • Hate It

  • Not my ideal job, but it's OK

  • It pays the bills

  • Other

  • I'd like to work with Ralph Nader


Results are only viewable after voting.

McKBrew

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There are a couple of threads regarding jobs here on HBT, but I don't know if anyone has ever started a thread on job satisfaction. As much as we all groan about work, I'd bet that some of you actually enjoy your job. I'm curious to hear likes and dislikes, as well as why you feel the way you do.

To explain what I do, I am in the US Navy and my job is Submarine Sonar Techician (might sound cool to some). What I do underway on a submarine most of the time is stare at computer screens making sure we don't run into anything or vice versa. When the submarine is in port, I'm on a computer taking care of admin.

I'm currently on shore duty, training submarine crews to stare at computer screens to do the above job. So now I watch people staring at computer screens, or spend time in front of one myself entering data on performance or taking care of routine admin.

Honestly, I really don't like my job at all. I'm here only because I didn't prepare myself to get out earlier in my career, now I'm close to drawing a retirement check, and the pay is pretty decent. Regardless of how I feel about my job, I still try to do it well. Other than the separation from home and the routine BS of everyone at a higher paygrade having the ability to tell you what to do, my job isn't really difficult, just not rewarding in the least bit.

My dad always told me growing up to "make my living with my mind, and not my hands," and since I grew up during a major technology boom that probably seemed like sound advice to him. But I actually enjoy a job where I can see the end result. I would enjoy being a mechanic, farmer, or construction worker so hopefully I'll be headed to a more labor intensive job in the next few years.
 
I said 'Not my ideal job, but it's OK' even though I do love most of my job. 3 days a week I work from home doing computer programming (the part I love) and the other 2 days a week I do crap admin/help desk work at the office (which I hate). So I get a 1.25hr drive to and from the office 2 days a week but the other days I get to work from home.

The reason I don't say 'I love my job' is that my programming projects don't get extended by 40% to account for the 40% of the week I lose on trips to the office. :mad:
 
It takes a determined person to work from home. I'd probably end up in the forum all day and not accomplish anything.
 
I chose "love it" because, when I'm doing my primary job, I really dig it.

The red tape, paperwork, office sitting, pencil pushing, desk driving, keyboard thrashing, crappy bosses, political garbage, additional tasks, and pissy attitudes that come along with having a government job make me hate it sometimes.
 
I LOVE my job. I work part time managing a Lifeline program for our county and surrrounding counties. I love everything about it- the pay, the hours, the clients, the involvement with geriatric patients. Today, I was able to make a real difference in someone's life. I can't believe the hospital pays me for this- I'd pay THEM to get to do this. (But don't tell them that!)
 
McKBrew said:
It takes a determined person to work from home. I'd probably end up in the forum all day and not accomplish anything.
I love programming so it's not that tough for me. I've been doing it since long before I got paid for it (I'm even writing some brewing software now, just because I feel like it). But you're right, sometimes I'm on HBT a little much. ;)
 
It pays the bills and it's been that way for 23 years.

But can't complain about the job security until the boss dies. then it's anyones guess what will happen to the company. I figure at that point, I'll be too old to be very valuable on the job market and so I'm trying to save enough to make it as a Wal-Mart greeter some day.
 
I've got a job that is the perfect combo of mind and hands. I use high tech test equipment to troubleshoot defective equipment and I'm an integral part of the design and implementation of the new. I don't actually sit at the desk selecting and ordering the equipment, but I have to modify the designs so they work in real life and then I implement them. The equipment is air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. Most of the time.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
I chose "love it" because, when I'm doing my primary job, I really dig it.

Yeah, but Yuri, you have one of those jobs they make shows about on the Discovery channel. The rest of us ordinary mortals have to make do with reality. The only thing cooler than what you do is that guy who travels around the world reviewing and rating resorts. He doesn't go incognito so they know he's coming and they know he'll be bringing the TV crews. :(
 
McKBrew said:
It takes a determined person to work from home. I'd probably end up in the forum all day and not accomplish anything.

What, are you not supposed to do that from the office?

I hear you on the working with your hands though. When I was in college, I did construction with a small contractor. I loved it, but my left brain, told me to keep at the science stuff. It'd pay more and be more exciting. Now, going that route would entail far too much risk for my family. I do have a few 5 year plans in place though to do something entirely different. My wife is 100% on board for me to either be a teacher, or start a custom woodworking business once the kids are both in school and she is back to teaching full time. Gotta love a supportive SWMBO.

Yoop. You are enviably inspirational.
 
Another programmer here. It's OK, but I'm not exactly saving lives or anything. Let's hear it for hospital billing software -- WOOOOOOH!!!!!

This past summer a buddy of mine started his own catering company, and I helped him out part time on the weekends because he needed someone reliable who could cook. That one day a week was more rewarding than the 5 days at my regular job. I suppose that's a sign ....
 
I like my job very much (I reserve using the word "love" when it comes to people...). Not every day mind you, but most of the time. I get to travel a lot which I've always enjoyed. I detest office time...:mad: :D

I work with guns. Right now I am the Equipment Specialist for the M109A6 Paladin 155mm Howitzer. In the past I worked with mostly all the weapon systems the Army has; all artillery, all small arms (of which mortars are included), the M1A1 Abrams tank, M2 Bradley, Apache and Kiowa armaments, mine dispensers and counter-mines (demolition). I used to work on Chemical equipment a while back, but our command gave that up.

I'll have 35 years Gov't service on 21 Jun '09. I'll turn 55 the following month so I'll be retiring sometime after 22 July '09. I also have over 8 months of sick leave saved that I'll be turning in for "time served" which will up my retirement check to almost 36 years. I may hang around until 30 Sep though (the Gov'ts fiscal year starts 1 Oct). :rockin:
 
I chose other. I love my profession, IT Project Management. However, my current gig is less than fun right now. I have been there 5 years, but just Friday I got a call to work for a local non-profit that is looking to become a national provider. We are working out the detais of the deal tomorrow. It will be awesome if this comes through. I will be positioned to be in a director role before too long if I play my cards right.
 
DaveyBoy said:
That one day a week was more rewarding than the 5 days at my regular job. I suppose that's a sign ....
I hear you. I come from a family of tradesman and I still have that bug to get out and work with my hands. I head it off by doing all the car repairs for my family and friends, my own plumbing, etc. A couple years ago I ALMOST up and left programming to become a carpenter for my dad but becoming an apprentice at my age means I wouldn't be able to afford to live. Oh well.
 
I voted other. I start a new job on New Years Eve...

My current job is OK, but I'm sick of the travel. Plus the new job pays better.
 
I put love it, only because you would have to be crazy to keep teaching middle school if you didn't love it (I certainly don't do it for the pay :)).
 
Seven years ago I hated my job. So I started over, and took an electrical apprenticeship. Now I love it. I get to build things, troubleshoot, I get to be outside most of the time, and I don't do weekends anymore, except in extreme circumstances.

Like the old proverb says, he who loves his job shall never work again.
 
My response was "I love my job". Actually I should have put "other". Only because of being on the rescue truck has gotten very mundane. After hurting my back lifting people up and trying to rehab it back in shape. I have gotten to the point of not wanting to do the Fire/Rescue thing. It's been 19 years and I believe I'm gun shy when it comes to lifting anything heavier than a homebrew.:D

But I have found over the years that what makes your job worthwhile is the people that you work with that make it enjoyable. Even after all the BS calls and the False Alarms. It's usually nice to be able sit down and have a laugh with all the guys at the station. We have 12 Firefighters at my station with 12 distinct personalities. A lot of fun when we're not running calls. I might be giving that all up after January. There are two Fire Inspector/Arson Investigator openings, and I have applied for one. I hope I get it so that I won't have to pick anyone else up and screw my back up again. After all of that, I still like my job!
 
I voted love my job. I'm an ICU nurse. Most of the time it is very rewarding with a little excitement. The only problem is the wiping A$$

But where else would I be running down a hall backwards bagging a woman so she could breath while another person is pumping on her chest to keep her alive. See a person on the brink of death, then watch them get better and get out of the hospital.

There are bad days, many of them, but they seem to equal out with the good typically.
 
I said "It pays the Bills".

But honestly I do love what I do. I'm a union carpenter. I've been swinging a haammer since I was 4 years old. I'm a 4th year apprentice right now. I think I'll enjoy it a little more once I Journey out. Best case scenario, I land a foreman position someday and get to drop my tool-bags and just wear a radio.


But this all just a stepping stone to my Ultimate Goal of Owning/Operating a brewery:D:D:D:D
 
Pays the bills.

I'm a Maintance Tech in a plastics factory, The first couple of years were sorta interesting, learning something new, but I've kinda settled in. I keep telling myself I need to go back to school, but to be honest I'm pretty durnd lazy...
 
All of the above. I work for myself from home. And I love and hate my job most hours of the day. When I get work I usually get many jobs at once (just coincidence but thats the way it happens) and it usually a rush. This last week I have been working till 1 am the project is due Wed and it has not been finished designing. I have clients I really like and some I cannot stand, and some I really don't trust. And I have some that have extended payment policies that make it so they think they don't have to pay me for +- 3 months. My work does consist of the coolest combination of art and technology so thats great. And I am almost always challenged.
 
I'm in grad school right now -it's never ending and pays almost nothing. I do like the research though and it's a necessary step to get the job that I do really want.
 
"It's ok" here. I don't think I could ever LOVE any job. Once anything becomes a job, it becomes far less enjoyable.
 
9/9 said:
I put love it, only because you would have to be crazy to keep teaching middle school if you didn't love it (I certainly don't do it for the pay :)).

now that is a job that takes a lot.

i was a sub for a while and there was no way i could have ever gone full time.


I put i love it. because i do. sure there is bs but that happens with every job.
 
Bernie Brewer said:
Seven years ago I hated my job. So I started over, and took an electrical apprenticeship. Now I love it. I get to build things, troubleshoot, I get to be outside most of the time, and I don't do weekends anymore, except in extreme circumstances.

Like the old proverb says, he who loves his job shall never work again.


Did you serve a state indentured apprenticeship??? I see you are in Wisconsin, not sure were though. I work at GE in West Milwaukee, near Miller Park and they are currently looking to hire 3 electricians (that I know of), preferably with controls/PLC experience but you MUST have served a state indentured apprenticeship to even qualify.
If you know controls and like to build and design equipment you would love this place and the pay isn't half bad either.
 
I voted not my ideal job, but its ok.

I have a good job. Its secure, I have a lot of freedom, its intellectually challenging, and my bosses are very cool. It also pays quite well.

Its not ideal, though, because I spend almost all my time sitting in an office working on a computer. My work products are written reports to clients and published papers. I often feel like I don't do anything tangible and sometimes I can go days without having a conversation with another person.

I am constantly annoyed by the incompetence of people who work for the government...no offense to anyone on this board.

Many of the people I work with are consumed by their careers. Their entire sense of self-worth is defined by success at work. They are one-dimensional people with no life outside work, and it simultaneously pisses me off and makes me sad.

My hobbies are very important to me. Making beer, home improvement DIY, family and friends, reading and movies. I am not defined by my work and I can easily see myself doing something else.
 
Sometimes I love my job, sometimes I dislike it. It's not easy working in my office. My job sometimes gets lonely. I dislike having to look at numbers that represent dying people. I love hearing the uplifting stories about people we help, I hate looking at numbers that represent populations of people with cancer.
 
It's with the IT dept. of a Community College, so there's absolutely zero prestige, or gratitude for the work. It's a state job, so the benefits are decent, but not awesome. Pay is below prevailing rates, so that's a bummer, but job security is great. I'm at a PC about 99% of the time, so I can frequent any and all of the forums I enjoy pretty much anytime during the day. My boss is actually a great guy, and I work with some really cool people, so that's cool too.

I guess I'd rather be in a different field all together. The whole "working on computers for a living" thing is getting old, and I really think I should have gone into, OK don't laugh, plumbing. These stinkin' computers are changing daily, and it's all a person can do to try to keep up with patches, and AV, and spyware and all the other crap, let alone trying to keep up with the latest OS versions and licenses. Plumbing, on the other hand, might have changes in some codes, and materials, but the physics of water are unchanging. Even in a depressed real estate market a plumber has plenty of work to keep busy with. After hours calls for plumbers charge about the same as most lawyers. Finally, imagine the brew sculpture I could build if I was a professionally trained plumber! Sure I'd occasionally have to deal with other people's sh!7, but I got 2 kids, so I'm getting used to that anyways.

Yup, I should have been a plumber.
 
Beerthoven said:
I voted not my ideal job, but its ok.

Many of the people I work with are consumed by their careers. Their entire sense of self-worth is defined by success at work. They are one-dimensional people with no life outside work, and it simultaneously pisses me off and makes me sad.

.

On the one hand, you gotta let people be themselves, but what kills me is that this behavior is becoming what the business world expects. Even if everyone really was working more and getting more done, I think it is self destructive for the society.
The reality I see is lots of people LOOKING really busy with cell phone calls anywhere and e-mail responses at midnight and never saying "no" to a new project. My observation, backed by several academic studies I've read, is that we're not really getting more done, just killing ourselves and robbing our children of the interaction they need.
but, I don't suppose responding to a homebrew board is very productive either. I better get back to work.
 
ma2brew said:
...I should have been a plumber.

Its a good thing to be.

All four of my uncles are plumbers (no kidding). They are all quite successful. They are all alcoholics too, but that is another story.

My neighbor is a plumber. He only works on new construction.

If I had stayed in Michigan and been a plumber I would be an alcoholic now too. Guarantee it.
 
Germey said:
On the one hand, you gotta let people be themselves, but what kills me is that this behavior is becoming what the business world expects. Even if everyone really was working more and getting more done, I think it is self destructive for the society.
The reality I see is lots of people LOOKING really busy with cell phone calls anywhere and e-mail responses at midnight and never saying "no" to a new project. My observation, backed by several academic studies I've read, is that we're not really getting more done, just killing ourselves and robbing our children of the interaction they need.
but, I don't suppose responding to a homebrew board is very productive either. I better get back to work.

I hear you. People are who they are.

It pisses me off, though, because I constantly have defend my decision to have an outside life. Doing so sometimes has negative consequences, like added stress and fewer opportunities to do interesting stuff.

Sometimes I wonder why I can't be that dedicated to my work. Then I go home to my wonderful sons and wife (and delicious homebrewed beer!) and forget all about it.
 
ma2brew said:
...Yup, I should have been a plumber.
My brother is a plumber (just finishing his apprenticeship up) and he absolutely loves it. He works strictly new construction and commercial construction so he doesn't have to deal with the aforementioned personal effluent, he says that's the key, get into new contruction, not service work. :)
 
I voted I love it, but it's mostly because of my personal situation. I basically get paid to get a Ph.D., which is hopefully going to be good for my future. Granted, it's not a lot of money, and I do have to work/study a lot, but it's stuff I enjoy. I also have a very flexible boss compared to other professors, and as long as I get my work done, he doesn't care how often I'm here, so I can set my own hours as I please.

I also have a sugar-momma making the real money, so we live comfortably.
 
bradsul said:
My brother is a plumber (just finishing his apprenticeship up) and he absolutely loves it. He works strictly new construction and commercial construction so he doesn't have to deal with the aforementioned personal effluent, he says that's the key, get into new contruction, not service work. :)
Heck, I'd do the crap part of the job too, pun intended, since it's the times when people are surrounded by sewage that they're both most grateful you're there, and they'll pay the biggest bucks happily!
 
ma2brew said:
Heck, I'd do the crap part of the job too, pun intended, since it's the times when people are surrounded by sewage that they're both most grateful you're there, and they'll pay the biggest bucks happily!
That's why I was seriously considering leaving IT as well. In this industry it's just expected that you'll work long hours and have no life. I just don't want to do that anymore.
 
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