As I sit and take a brief break from what should be leisure time on a Sunday evening, I've begun to ponder how many people out there continue working a job that they don't like.
Fortunately enough for me, I don't begrudge working on a Sunday evening as I actually enjoy my job.
It got me thinking though: I've definitely known people in the past who have an intent dislike for their job but are still committed to it.
Do you hate your job? If so, how long have you stuck at it and why?
… this competitive industry
Might I ask which industry? Also, how long do you think you'll want to keep "building your experience"?
IT/Medical. 10 years sounds like a good number. Reputation and who you know is critical.
The ol' "it's not what you know, it's who you know" adage applies even in the medical field?
I would've thought it's one of the few areas that phyiscal track records would speak louder than connections?
@Catchy: Who you know doesn't really apply to the medical industry itself as doctors, specialists and nurses etc are usually in high demand. The IT industry itself is where who you know becomes important.
That alone has given me half of the private hospitals in my region this year.
I was thinking of doing something focusing on medical/IT as a branch from radiography. But hearing how it sounds, I might have to rethink.
who you know is critical.
this is how corruption starts.
@shags21: Don't shy away, the general quality of Medical IT vendor's in Australia/World leaves a lot to be desired (from a technical POV - especially with security). There are backyard operations that are able to exist in the market simply because they are the only option.
@shags21: Don't let my comment about who you know turn you off as that applies to any job.
There are companies which incorporate IT around the area you work in. Take I-MED for example. A large percentage of the medical industry use their software to receive results from various clincs. You'll find that there are large companies in the I-MED network for each state, like MIA Radiology for Victoria who often employ quite a large number of IT themselves.
(from a technical POV - especially with security)
People really have no idea how many third parties have access to their confidential patient information. From your small GP to the big private hospitals. Also 2016 was the year of Ransomware infections every day.
Most jobs these days its more about who you know than 'what' isn't it? At least from my experience across 4 different industries in 12 years.
Far less passionate now than when I started. Very tedious, high demanding and stressful like most jobs, but I stick to it as the experience is priceless in this competitive industry.
The alternative is an uncompetitive industry. Which entire industry is uncompetitive?
That's not my point. Some industries are far more competitive than others. In my case we're often competing with the same companies for tenders as it's a specialised area.
Have been there many times. Being the breadwinner means you have to think long and hard about the consequences.
Made a big call to leave a business 6 months ago, and it's been the best thing I've done in years :)
No more Suzuki?
Nope, Toyota :) was Holden/Suzuki before
Good choice. Was worried you went Great Wall.
Lol
Went from working 30mins from home to 10mins away, with more pay and more chance of career progression and training.
@Spackbace:
Wow well done, I thought changing to something you like you'd have to sacrifice pay and progression, start all over again.
Cheers :) Yeah just gelled with the Manager, we share a lot of the same ideas/thoughts, so he doesn't mind training me for a 2IC position which will help get me his office ;)
A lot of the time, people get chucked in the Management seat and aren't trained for it, and it's a sink or swim situation. I'd like to be trained before I go in
Glad to hear it was a good change.
In hindsight, how long do you think you overstayed your previous gig? Do you kick yourself for putting it off for so long?
Yeah definitely overstayed, but had a good work environment (for a few years) till the start of the year. Complete change of staff meant it wasn't the same.
Pay wasn't great but I liked the team I worked with. Once that team got torn apart, it was inevitable.
Nah I don't kick myself that much, not worth it
Who you work with does make a big difference.
The team here are all moving to better places (better pay and closer to home) one by one, and I’m slowly thinking about moving too…eventually…but I do dislike change…
Lol so do I! I stuck it out about 5 months but knew it wasn't helping my career at all.
After much thinking, 1 morning I handed in my notice without having another job lined up. I knew I'd get 1 but I just needed to do that move for my own sake.
How brave! The CEO told me they will look after me the next few months, so ill have to see how that goes and if nothing happens then gg
Yeah everyone was shocked at how I did it, but I had 3 weeks notice to give because of my duration with the company.
Told the boss that I either want a management position (which was basically available and I was capable of doing), or I leave. Both doors offered what I wanted so I wasn't bothered.
Took about 4 days for the boss to actually sit down with me, told me they couldn't afford to put on that role.
Made a call after that conversation to a dealership I knew was hiring, interview at 8am the next day, job secured. Started a week later :)
I'm not tooting my own horn by any means, there was a lot of stress behind that decision as I was very settled where I was (5.5yrs at the same dealership) but I just had to. Since leaving there I've seen their sales numbers only get worse, and mine get better :)
I don't hate my job per se, I just hate any/all jobs, but unfortunately, you gotta pay the bills (and eneloops!) somehow………..
Maybe just havent found the right job for you! Or super lazy like me lol
Those pesky bills!
Eneloops on the other hand…
Get some solar panels. Problem fixed!
I was SOOO passionate about working…earnt decent coin, have a comfortable life with an excellent house etc - but I dream daily about moving overseas and living on the cheap and not having to work. its just so overrated.
Get paid significantly less than last job, but enjoy my new job, as opposed to previous job which made me cringe. I miss the extra cash, but don’t think when I am on my death bed I will regret it as opposed to being happy
Same position unclesnake 👌👍
I didn't like my job after 7 years, so I got qualified for a different job.
Out of interest, did you shift industries or just get qualified for a different position in the same space?
No regrets?
I shifted to a totally different industry. For 3 years I worked full time at the previous job while studying in my spare time to get qualified for the current job. (Possible because I didn't have children yet). No regrets because by then I was 30 and I had more life experience and maturity to plan and know what I would like. New job pays a little less but much more satisfying for me.
I would like to do the same however I got two kids now. It is no longer possible, to be studying working and handling two kids. Currently worked 6 years and want to move on but it requires studies in management however no time to do it
I enjoy the challenge that my current job brings. and the remuneration is reasonable as well as the flexibility in working condition (I telecommute 2 days a week). I graduated in post grad psych last year and whilst that might bring in more money, my current job is steady and fits around my hectic lifestyle (3 kids).
Big 4 Auditor, like the job but hate the hours and the pay. Sticking with it as the more time there is on the resume the better the exit (unfortunate but have to do it).
How long do you think you'll stick at it?
Internal auditors at my company get paid very handsomely and seem to have very accommodating work hours…
I have my CA now so exit is viable with a decent pay bump but I would like a more senior role on exit so I guess maybe another 2 - 3 years before I leave.
Internal audit does have a decent work / life balance since you only work for one company, however, the work is often quite bland and not something I would be interested in doing.
Might try to go into an Analyst role.
If its not too much to ask can you give a broad range of your salary? (e.g 40-60, 50-75, 75-100 etc) why are you unhappy with your pay? to my understanding auditors with a CA get paid quite decently.
Salary range at my rank in the Big 4 is 80-94k including super (the range depends on performance rating with the lower band meaning you have met all performance criteria for that promotion and higher bands meaning you have performed better than your peers, it's a stupid process because it can also depend on the nature of the client you have worked on, easier the client, better work you can perform instead of battling through crap). I am in the middle of this pay band.
Now if I was working my contracted 8:45 - 5:15 and not working the overtime hours and weekends that I do, the pay would be great, however, we work til at least 8 - 9 pm for 3 months of the year (July - August / September) at minimum and often work to midnight (not joking, literally start at 8.30am and finished at 12am for like a whole month in August this year and then had to work Saturdays for about 4-5 hours as well).
Similar hours are true for Jan - Feb / March. When you add the unpaid overtime and the weekend hours you put in, the pay seriously falls below what I would earn at a fast food chain (per hour) lol.
It might sound like I am exaggerating the hours, but if anything, the hours above are understated.
The job itself is interesting, you learn a lot, you just get treated like crap with the workload.
As another fellow auditor, can confirm hours described are accurate. Also at the point (5.5 years now) where I'm thinking long and hard about when to leave.
@RainDrop: I graduated with majors in Real Estate Valuation and Accounting. I decided to pursue a career in real estate valuations, i'm up for a qualification to become a certified practising valuer next year. salary for graduates (Assistant valuer mandatory 2 years before qualification) at least my firm for the first two years was circa 35-45k. Once I get my qualification it would be about 60-70k. I always wondered "what if" if I decided to go into the accounting world and pursue my a CA. I really appreciate the insight.
What kind of role and salary range would you be interested in upon exit, given your qualification with a CA?
Recruiters spam us with jobs ranging from 100-110k (excluding Super). That would be great but the role itself needs to be of interest to me and offer development opportunities / progression for my consideration. When I do exit, I want it to build a career, not just a job which is leading me to be picky.
I would say 100k + Super is the minimum I would move at, ideally exiting at 120k+ Super. This is what I am seeing on Seek, however, I have less experience than Shadowsfury but was fast promoted internally for 1 cycle.
@ddrmagic:
Hey mate, I was curious about what a "real estate" firm is, what services they provide. I'm personally interested in the development/planning side but also wanted to know how the industry is like, job hours, pay, progression etc.
@TheOneWhoGotAway: predominately you either work in an agency, valuation, or development. An agency you need a licence to transact property and you work with buyers and sellers. I work in a valuation firm, we generally work with investors, developers, financiers, that sort of thing. to be qualified to practice you need the right tertiary degree and two years of experience as an assitant valuer. Then you write some reports, submit to a board who review your stuff and give you and interview, then if you're good enough they allow you to be valuer.
Works basically 8am - 6pm, pay as an assistant can range between 35-55k depending what firm. starting salary for valuers to my knowledge can range from 55- 70k. senior valuers circa 85k and associate directors circa 100k. I could be wrong because i'm at an entry level but from what i gathered thats how it works. you also have a budget fee write and you can make a fee commission if you go over that budget.
Hey @RainDrop
Can I PM you? Just got a couple of questions re B4 audit that I need to ask about, if you don't mind.
Sure thing, not sure how to see what PM I get but I am sure I will get a notification and will be able to figure out how to reply lol.
my job standing in centrelink lines isnt hard for the money they pay
And you meet like minded people too
yes and no. i generally dont like the ones on meth or ice. others are sometimes nice
I dunno… I was on clink as a student and the number of hoops you go through…
I once got 3 letters on 1 day, I'm cut off because I'm too old, my payment is reinstated… And one more… Off we went to figure out whether I'm actually cut off…
Oh and for the first 10 weeks as a job seeker one caseworker said I had to prove I wasn't a student - I tried to educate him that you can't prove a negative, and did he have a list of all unis and colleges in Australia… Eventually his boss metaphorically slapped him.
I miss Centrelink, Its Centrelink vs "Slave labor" since despite my qualifications I get treated like shit and payed like shit no matter where i go, They work me like a dog, If i was a female or aboriginal I would already have a Fifo job or be in a Top company already
Maybe it’s an attitude problem?
I act submissive, put on a smile and "fake personality " when I'm working, So its not that
What qualifications is that?
Actually, Centrelink is Slave Labour now, since the unemployed are forced to work for a third party and paid nothing for their labour. Other types of welfare recipients are quarantined from this degradation.
You are welcome to my taxes - i'd have just spent it on coke and hookers anyway.
Even I don't like standing in line
How does one even stand in line in oneself?
Hate your job? Jeez, it's almost as if our economic model is founded on the suffering of the many for the prospering of the few
lol. We all live like the kings of the past and we have capitalism to thank. Focus on what's great!
if you’re just measuring stuff
what about available time and power?
If you want to live like a 16th century peasant, you don't need to work much at all. And you'll have plenty of time and "power" and whatever else 16th century peasants enjoyed. Like diseases.
I’d argue that’s not capitalism. That’s science.
Patents, profits, and private ownership restrict science and innovation. There’s exception where private innovation occurs such as Elon Musk’s Tesla and Space X. Then again, watch the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car".
It's hard being in the adult film industry, said the camera man.
Ruby Wax did a doco years ago on the adult film industry, including on set.
There was footage of her camera crew and they looked pretty traumatised to me…
I used to love my job, well I still like the technical and hospitality side of it, but I think it’s just the work environment at the moment… so it’s kinda just a balance between love and hate. - rad
also the pay isn’t what I would be getting in the public sector.
You work in the private sector, but would get paid more in the public system? I haven't heard of many professions where that's the case..What kind of work are you in?
Medical Imaging, more benefits and few dollars more in public hospitals
I love my job - Ozbargainer.
"Do you hate (the people at your) job but continue working there?"
I don't hate it, but find it pretty dull and boring and hard to get motivated for. There are a lot of things I could do that I know would make me a lot happier. Trouble is I earn what would probably be considered quite a lot by many , and have a wife and teenage kids who are very accustomed to their current lifestyle… and it is nice not to be under financial stress . So I guess I am stuck for a while
My goal in life is to find a job that I :
a) can put up with - i don't have to love it, i've given up on ever finding that frankly
b) am halfway decent at
c) pays halfway decent money
d) don't need to work large amounts of overtime - why bother working a job that pays $180k if you need to work 25% more hours? Just work a job that pays $100k and live a better life
I think I'm probably there at the moment? But the thought of doing this for another 40 YEARS is truly terrifying
You're probably at $100k but might have to keep working 40 more years? Saving a little extra will surely reduce the number of years dramatically.
and don't get married ?
and don't have kids ?
I agree with you. I'd rather work 40 hours a week for $100k, especially if its closer to home and work-from-home is a possibility, than get much more money for many more hours and stress. The people you work with and how good you are at the job are also big factors. I hate getting dropped into somewhere new where i have to pretend i know what i'm doing - fake it till you make it.
I have grown to hate my job over the last 7 years. I used to love it. Gradual changes in the corporate culture have bought it on as well as just getting bored with it.
I also have a 3 hour daily commute which doesn't help.
So why do I stay? I get paid pretty well for what I do, I get an RDO once a month and I now work from home 3 days a fortnight.
If I could find a job closer to home with the same pay and conditions I would move in a heartbeat but they are pretty much impossible to find. Plus I am 53 years old and I can't chop and change like I used to.
Pretty much the same for me. Used to love my job/career but the new corporate culture has stuffed that up big time - I now have no motivation and hate going to work everyday. I only stay for the flexible working conditions and good salary. It's such as shame when I used to absolutely love going to work.
Ditto. Used to like the job. Still like most of the people I work with on a daily basis. But the bureaucracy and corporate culture has changed for the worse. Been at the same place for 16 yrs and only considering staying because of the defined benefit super/pension scheme I'd probably have to give up if I left. 10-15 more years… Ugh!
This. I'm not quite there yet but I'm definitely headed this way. I love the work itself and the flexibility but the culture is mega messed, like big time.
Sort of off topic-
At age 25-30 is it too late to begin transitioning from an office job to a trade (beginning an apprenticeship)??
Not at all. Apparently you can do accelerated apprenticeships at that age.
Far less passionate now than when I started. Very tedious, high demanding and stressful like most jobs, but I stick to it as the experience is priceless in this competitive industry.