Do You Enjoy Your Job??

[Bear Paw Jack]

Do you honestly enjoy your work or is it basically just a pay check? Not sure how much of this applies as there are a lot of retirees here. If you are, talk about what you did before you retired.

I liked my job ok, didn't care for my boss, as we had butt heads years before, and he never got over it. I liked being able to do my own thing. Over the 29 years I was there I started two businesses for them they are pretty successful.
Ironically after I got out of the Marines, I went to college and got a bachelors degree, and masters degree in 4 years. That was exhausting. For about 3 years I worked in my educational field, but after that there just wasn't the work. I was pretty good at that work, but it was exhausting as well, and didn't pay well.
I guess I'd rather get paid a little better. Big thing is I'm glad I'm retired now, but I may go look for a job. I'm not staying busy enough to keep my mind working.

 

[Heliman]

After the USN, got married and had a well paying job as an industrial millwright. Paid well, but hard work. Plant shut down and I pursued an FAA A&P mechanics license. Worked for the same aviation company for 25 years before retiring due to job pressure. Did I enjoy my jobs? Well I ate good and paid the bills. No desire to work another day in my life. I have enough things to do to keep from getting bored.

Dave

 

[graygun]

Got out of the Army in 11-71 but did not have meaningful work until 1-78. From 78-2010 I worked as an electronics technician. I probably didn't really enjoy work until I was 40 or so.

 

[RSIno1]

Just like the check. 6 figures a year for sitting around watching contractors do what I used to do. I love government jobs.

 

[blume357]

I work for myself and go to several different homes a day... get to meet all kinds of people and even better their dogs.. yes, I love my job even though I'm on the tail end of it after 36 years... and somedays it is hell but rewarding.

 

[Big Old Boy]

After the Army I drove truck and operated heavy equipment until I retired seven years ago. I also worked part time as a deputy game warden. Through it all I can say I enjoyed what I did and try to tell young people to find a job they enjoy it makes the days go much better than doing something you hate.

 

[Kevin]

Once I had a job managing a restaurant. I remember I used to drive to work thinking if I were in a car accident, I wouldn't have to go to work. So no, that job was not enjoyable in the slightest.

These days I'm teaching computers in a k-8 school, and yes, it is awesome. My paycheck is not even worth mentioning. In general teachers really don't even make a livable salary so I would say they have to be doing it for love or some other altruistic reason.

 

[Bud0505]

I've been in my current position for 7 years. Very little stress and benefits are super. I get two paid 6 month vacations a year.

 

[Jeepnik]

I enjoy what I do. That being said, 17 months is all I can add.

 

[JFB]

I Loved my profession.
traveled the US and a little outside trouble shooting and maintaining Steam Turbine Generators for the Utilities.

Lucky to have a couplel bosses that were actually smarter than me and great to work for
Lucky to have gotten away from the couple that were jerks

I have said if I won the lottery I would be able to work MORE (even for free!)

FORCED to quit at my peak do to Wife's health

 

[Pat-inCO]

Sure did. Took a while to get into the portion of the business where I
could do what I thought needed done, while still doing what the manager
wanted. Got to that point about five years before I got out.

Trust me, it IS fun when you have specific assignments that you can bring
in on time (or slightly ahead of schedule) while spending almost half of
your time doing what the business needed but management didn't see
the time as being available for.

Averaged about forty-five hours per week and had a flexible schedule.
Read that as you put in the time it took and sometimes went home just
after lunch (got there about six of the oh yawn).

Once I pulled out one or two "G" jobs that saved the company more time
per week than it cost me to build the software, management let me do
what I wanted . . . . . so long as I did a few other things. :roll:

 

[Dan in MI]

Many facets to this question.

1) liked the work
2) hated the high stress level
3) Liked the different work when traveling a LOT
4) Hated traveling (same places over and over and no time to tour)
5) hated the 70 minute commute.

Still took some time to consider retiring.

 

[Bob Wright]

Before I retired I worked for an engineering/contracting company. My job title was Senior Mechanical Designer. I did:

(1) Make layout/installation drawings for conveyors, mills, process equipment, barge load outs, truck dumpers, rail loading points. Also steel framing for mill buildings, concrete forms, re-bar placement.

(2) Go to client's facilities and make field measurements for any of the above installations.

(3) Make shop drawings for fabrication of hoppers, bins, discharge hoods, etc.

(4) Meet with clients to discuss their needs for new or up-grades to their facilities.

During most of the time, I worked in a dry, warm or cool, comfortable office. But then waded in mud, soy-bean dust/crud or cement dust. Climbed 100 foot tall bucket elevator towers or up the winding stairway of a one million bushel steel storage tank.

I made my own hotel/motel reservations, arranged my own flight schedule, and had a rental car waiting at my destination. Ate in nice restaurants and worked with educated, sophisticated men, and those who weren't so sophisticated but whose muscle and sweat built the things we planned. Met a bunch of real nice men and women. And had the respect of my company's management.

I had a job I was good at, liked, and was liked.

Still miss the smell of a grain elevator in the early morning cool, the smell of burning welding rods and butane powered manlifts, and the sound of steel cut-offs dropping down on a concrete floor.

I'm sort of sittin' here wondering why I ever retired. Then I think about the last 200 feet tower I climbed!


Bob Wright

 

[wolfsong]

Yes, and no.

 

[contender]

I also own my own small business.
I do enjoy most of my work. Like blume,,, I get to go different places, meet different people, and in general,, I do enjoy my job.
I like doing a good job,, and getting the compliments or thank you's when done.
The pay could be better,, but it's still ok,,, and the best thing is the boss won't fire me,, and the employee won't quit,, as we are one in the same!

 

[lineman61]

Worked in the power line industry for the last 28 years.
Loved it until body started wearing out,now trying to hold
on for 3 more years

 

[375supermag]

Hi..
Retired...love it.
Worked for 46 years...most of it running receiving docks. Enjoyed the work and the ability to control the work flow. Made enough money to live a very comfortable middle class lifestyle. Did a couple of short stints doing assembly work ..hated that.

Had a long year and a half disability stint from 2016 to late 2017. Company lied to me when I returned to work and took my former position away.
I stayed for ten months and decided I could no longer work for leadership that had no concept of loyalty, integrity or honesty.

I retired earlier this year at 63 and am quite content to leave work in the rear view mirror.

 

[SAJohn]

After a hitch in the Navy I picked up a debt free degree in Aerospace Engineering using the G.I. Bill and working part-time. I then was smart enough to take the lowest paying job offer I received, working at the Naval Weapons Center. For the next 30 years I enjoyed every day of my work.

Three gun related projects, keeping in mind this is a gun forum:

We once acquired a Soviet 23mm antiaircraft machine gun which I immediately had set up at our test range. I loaded it with about 20 rounds of 23mm HEI ammunition and blasted the hell out of the desert. (I should have had a picture taken with it posed as Jane Fonda.)

I got my hands on some old straight wall cased 20mm brass, worked my way up to something like 250 grains of H-110 with a plastic sabot containing a 60 grain projectile and reached a 6,500 fps mussel velocity. At the time I believe this was a world's record velocity for a conventionally gun fired bullet. (This was fired remotely out of a special super thick test barrel at probably well above 100,000 psi.)

Another time I talked NASA into giving us a light gas gun. I fired projectiles at over 10,000 fps with that 20 foot long monster. Its' rate of fire, about one round per hour, was a bit slower than the antiaircraft gun but it made one heck of a boom.

Now the wife and I mostly just have fun. Our latest project is construction of a 30 foot by 40 foot garage workshop. I promise to take pictures and post them during the construction. One part of it will be the biggest reloading bench you have ever seen.

John

 

[Rancher Will]

I have always enjoyed my job(s), except the five years in the USAF during the Korean war.

I was orphaned at age 9, got my first paying job as age 15 as a wrangler/cowboy on a large ranch, bought my first ranch at age 28 after 5 years in USAF then 4 years college, renting a farm on GI Bill to support family while in college, began civilian LEO 40-year career at age 30, bough my second ranch at age 56, retired from LEO positions as County Undersheriff, Chief of Police and city Police Detective, and now semi-retired as Cattle Ranch owner-manager.

 

[Colonialgirl]

I started as a Paint lab QC tech**, took 4 semesters of paint technology, Got promoted to Chemist, did that for a while and then moved up to SEARS paint chemist, adjusting formulas, solving problems and doing paint complaint inspections (AND got to spend a WEEK at Burbank Studios as Tech Adviser for Sears Paint Commercials !!); and then moved up to Asst Plant Superintendent, Paint Production##. Left that company in 1979 after 15 years; Worked for Rust-Oleum as QC MGR and Process Engineering. Did I forget to mention 5 Years of school, 3 hrs a night 3 nights a week to get my BS degree in Process Engineering from Long Beach State Univ ? I also worked as Production Mgr for a couple of other companies before retiring and doing Chip and Scratch repairs for used car dealers.
** Got hired because I had EXCELLENT color difference recognition.
## When I turned 65 I started getting a retirement check from that company and now 12 years later, STILL get a check every month !!