Speaking of careers

[7mm08]

I think God got me my dream job but somewhere there is a 50-60 year black lady in Atlanta and a then 3rd year GYN-Ob resident I need to thank. (. BTW. EMORY U insisted it was GYN-OB as the ****** came before a baby!! ). I was in PA school and was going to go into Ped. oncology because I had spent 3-4years in Immunology. But around 0200 one AM on my OB rotation a resident was allowing me to close an episiotomy incision from the childbirth and he said “ have you ever thought of going into surgery? You have great hands “. Hard to envision what he was saying as I sat with my head between her legs, and about a foot from her business at the time trying not to screw up….

It got me thinking….. I did a CARDIOTHORACIC rotation as an elective ( go big or go home I always say). I was absolutely blown away what goes on the heart room and what senior PA’s did ……. So the rest is history. After 35 years of CV SURGERY I retired.

BTW. THE guidance counselor at my high school told my parents “ don’t bother sending your son to college, he won’t make it”. So if you want to do something don’t let anybody tell you it’s impossible.

 

[Rackseeker]

In a job I hate going to everyday, but pay is excellent for the area I live. Sitting here at 51 yrs old debt free, have raised 2 daughters , got them through school and grown. Can buy anything I want with in reason so I don't guess its to awfully bad. With saying that, I don't think my pay has kept up with inflation , job market and the demand for skilled labor. I would love to start a new career but at my age I need to do it pretty quick or just ride it out where I'm at.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

That’s a hard question for me. I do really enjoy certain aspects of my job. I hate others (politics and government bureaucracy). I can’t really talk about the aspects I enjoy 😂 I very much enjoy running equipment and shaping the landscape but only get to do that for fun on my own places. Either way, I’m stuck where I’m at until retirement with the pay and benefits.

 

[Chiflyguy]

Been a maintenance mechanic since I got out of the Navy in 1997
Hired by Quaker Oats, left after three years and came back after 17 years.
Quit 6 weeks ago after 6 years to move here.
Worked for some great companies and some dumps.
Pepperidge Farm,Fresh Express and probably the coolest was Smith Brothers Cough Drops
Right now, I’m not working.After a rough couple years loosing my parents, moving twice and building my house down in Claiborne County, I’m taking a little time off.
Let’s say I’m looking for the next move.
Got some machining experience so thinking of trying to get a CNC operator job and maybe go back to school to learn the programming side of it. Worked as a machinist thru high school and loved it.
Gonna start searching in a couple weeks

 

[Kirk]

Sometimes we get what we wish for. I have worked for years in the snack food manufacturing industry for four of largest food manufacturing companies in the country. Any opportunity or challenge they offered me, I accepted regardless if extra pay was included or not. I literally learned my way to my dream job. I have made a great living over the years but I felt like a prisoner.

When I was undergoing a nuclear stress test a few weeks ago I had my first "Ah Ha" moment. My dream job was going to kill me if I didn't start handling work related stress in a better way. The nuclear stress test didn't find any issues. I was at my follow-up appointment with my Doctor and my company cell phone kept blowing up. I must have been visibly agitated. He asked about my job. I answered his questions and he told me something I will never forget. "Ambition comes with a heavy price." He prescribed a new blood pressure medicine and it worked.

I made a promise to myself to leave work earlier, turn off the work phone after work hours, stop checking emails at home, take more PTO and just enjoy life. I travel over to North Carolina more often and visit my new grandson. My prison has started to evaporate. I am much happier and feel much better.

 

[Wiley]

Yes, I am in my dream job. I inspect telecom work that's done by others. I used to be the one doing the work so I've seen it from both sides and with 46 years in the field I've seen and done most everything with copper and fiber. Now I drive to the addresses on a spreadsheet, take pictures and pass/fail the address by category of the sequence of the install. It pays a dang site more than it should, great benefits, I set my own hours/days/work alone, my manager is in NC and I haven't seen him in 3 years and only had a couple of phone calls. Yes, I am in my dream job and want to hang on for about 4 more years.

To say that I'm blessed in having this job wouldn't even begin to cover it. I give daily thanks to God for this blessing, among many, many more.

 

[TX300mag]

Are you in a career that is your dream job? And are you fulfilled in it? Or let me ask it this way. Are you in a job where you are just going through the motions and getting a paycheck or are you doing what you feel you are truly called to do?

Yes. Yes. Maybe not in the exact words, but definitely what I’m supposed to do.

26 1/2 years, 24 of it with this employer and 18 in my current position which I will retire from if I live long enough to see it. I said I would never take another promotion test and so far I’ve stuck to that. Shift work is the best for me and my family.

 

[Shooter77]

My dream job growing up was to be a hunting & fishing guide in the Rockies. Funny thing, I'm 45 and I have never been to the Rockies one time. Not sure how that passion was ever there. I even looked into guide school but never went through with it.

After HS, didn't know what to do, so I went to the location CC and got a degree in CAD drafting cause I liked it in HS. After a few years with a mom and pop company, I moved on to a little larger company that had tuition reimbursement. I was able to work full time and get my BS & MS in engineering. After 15 years of low pay, I moved on to 2 more jobs that sucked! Long hours and horrible bosses. Got a job 5 years ago with a company I love. New company offers tuition too, so I finished my MBA this past May. I also got my Six Sigma Green Belt a few weeks ago. Pay is great, hours is great, my new boss isn't the greatest, but I'm hanging in there for 15 more years I hope.

 

[big 8s in Weakley county]

I just came off 2 week’s vacation on Monday and was ready to go back. I don’t mind my job at all actually went in while I was off. I have worked somewhere you hated going in and it makes life miserable. I am glad to be where I am never thought about doing what I’m doing. Pay and benefits is good for my area. Find something that makes you happy and it won’t feel like a job. I’ve been here about 10.5 years and plan on staying atleast 19 more if they will let me.

 

[Popcorn]

I spent 35 years doing what I was good at, not what I wanted. Worked hard, built 3 businesses, paid off debt, sacrificed my wants to provide for my family. I always had a plan, short term and long term. I looked up one day and realized I had not planned beyond where I was standing. Obama had just been reelected and the outlook for my industry was bleak. 1 month of soul searching and my wife and I took a huge leap, made a few calls, got our employees placed, auctioned off everything except our real estate where we built mini storage units over the next year. I have never not been busy so I started looking for something to do in 2013. A tip from a family friend led me to where I am now. Managing ag property for crops, recreation, hunting and the owners legacy's can be stressfull, hard work, long hours and very rewarding. Farming, hunting and conservation have been the passion I never told anyone about. I never imagined it would be this rewarding. Some days I worry they may try to make me retire in 5 1/2 years.

 

[SSlater]

I never planned on doing tractor work or being self employed but I treat myself with respect and don't lie to myself and I don't cheat myself.

Would have been nice sometimes to have worked for an outfit and got retirement but wasn't in the cards.

I was an auto mechanic with a short stint as a tree climber. Auto repair was absolutely miserable. I despise the industry as a whole. Tree work was fun but I knew it would destroy my body faster than being a mechanic. Too much drama in both careers.

 

[MrJim43]

End up were the Lord wanted me to be I guess. I've had only two full work jobs in my life time of work. 50 years of working. Did the electronic thing for 5 years and then went to doing heavy steel and vault doors for a company. Spent 40 years with the same company and loved my work till the last 5 years. New bosses killed that... new company mandates kill our business. I retired in 2008 and after that the company has just about gone under

 

[Kimber45]

Dream job, not even close. But, blessed to be doing what I’m doing. I fell into a management job in my early 20’s due to my immediate Mgr getting himself fired.. almost prosecuted for cheating the owner out of lots of $. I learned a LOT from that situation.. and learned that the owner was actually a great guy. I believe I’d have worked for him until he passed, had his 2 worthless spoiled druggie sons not spent every dime he had in the next few yrs following. That was Parts Management at a Chevy dealer. Moved on to managing at a Toyota/GM dealer for 3 yrs after(by late 80’s) and went into manufacturing for better pay/benefits etc.. so we could afford to start a family. Very good company that a bunch of relatives of Goodyear employees caused to close/move operations due to being greedy - pushing for union representation constantly. Never happened but they moved the young plant to 2 other remaining out of state plants. So, left there 21 yrs ago .. to my current employer where I was working Mon-Fri over purchasing and inventory control for plant maintenance. In year two they asked me to apply for the maintenance Mgr job.. passed, but my PM was relentless. I finally accepted, only to find out they’d never had a Maintenance Mgr stay over 12 months.. however, I stayed in that role for nearly 12 yrs. That job was very stressful but FUN as the improvements and solutions were almost all “low hanging fruit” for the taking. For the past 7-years I’ve been night operations Mgr over production/warehousing. Nights has been “interesting” .. with challenges unique to night-work. My least favorite part is anything political .. as I don’t do well with that. Too apt to speak my mind, regardless.. to be successful at politics. I’ll have to say that having never finished college, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. “Some college” and an industrial maintenance certification.. plus my early luck of falling into management accidentally, were key to what I’ve accomplished. At 60 here in just over a month, my “dream job” at this point is to make it to 65 healthy enough to retire.. and start a small business (which I’m going to actually try to start in the next 24 months) so I can help my disabled son become “able” vs disabled. His health issues will make it challenging, but I’ve always loved a good challenge, and he’s more than willing/ready .. so hopefully my dream job is yet to come.

 

[Gravey]

Probably not my dream job but I enjoy what I do and don’t hate going to work. I’m in my 28th year in the packaging industry. First job out of college was working for a publishing company on their sourcing side doing specialty packaging projects and displays at retail. After 13 1/2 years the economy tanked and my job was eliminated as I was spending marketing dollars. A few months later I went to work for a packaging distributor running a national program for Nissan. We supplied all of their service parts packaging. I was happy there and enjoyed the team I worked with and not looking to move but after almost 11 years had a buddy take a regional manager role for a manufacturer and asked if I’d be interested in back filling his sales territory role so 3 years ago I made the move. Ironically he’s the one that had a contact with the distributor I worked for and got my resume in the right hands that cracked the door for an interview. I work from home unless traveling across 4 states and am currently sitting in a hotel room in Mississippi until a lunch appointment and dinner tonight. All of that said I started out my first semester of college in pre-med with intentions of going to dental school but at 18 wasn’t mature enough to see the long term picture and decided I’d rather drink beer and play baseball so dropped it after a semester. I kick myself every day for not doing it and have always told my kids to live with no regrets in whatever career choice they make.

 

[MUP]

I like it, it pays the bills. Not a dream job tho I don't think. Although it is paying less and less of the bills now...

 

[Popcorn]

being self employed but I treat myself with respect and don't lie to myself and I don't cheat myself

Important! I spent 10 years not doing this as well as not paying myself. It was a near disaster. You must be respected and compensated well to be all you can be! Even if your self employed!

 

[44 mag]

I can honestly say that I love my job. When I was very small IDK 5-6 somewhere around there I told my parents I was going to be a police officer. Mom wanted me to go to college so I did. Majored in criminal justice (huge mistake) while in school I took a job at the campus police department. Dropped out my senior year to go to the police academy. Graduated the academy and went to work full time and never looked back. I did finish my degree. Worked patrol for 7 years or so and made supervisor. Did that for 10ish years and just this past September moved over to the criminal investigation division. I can honestly say that I love it.

If the time comes I hate my job I will either go back to patrol or retire lol

I will say that this job is not what it was when I started but at the same time isthmus is the same if that makes any sense.

 

[Chiflyguy]

Sometimes we get what we wish for. I have worked for years in the snack food manufacturing industry for four of largest food manufacturing companies in the country. Any opportunity or challenge they offered me, I accepted regardless if extra pay was included or not. I literally learned my way to my dream job. I have made a great living over the years but I felt like a prisoner.

When I was undergoing a nuclear stress test a few weeks ago I had my first "Ah Ha" moment. My dream job was going to kill me if I didn't start handling work related stress in a better way. The nuclear stress test didn't find any issues. I was at my follow-up appointment with my Doctor and my company cell phone kept blowing up. I must have been visibly agitated. He asked about my job. I answered his questions and he told me something I will never forget. "Ambition comes with a heavy price." He prescribed a new blood pressure medicine and it worked.

I made a promise to myself to leave work earlier, turn off the work phone after work hours, stop checking emails at home, take more PTO and just enjoy life. I travel over to North Carolina more often and visit my new grandson. My prison has started to evaporate. I am much happier and feel much better.

Sounds like maybe you worked at Frito Lay?

 

[duckriver]

Very interesting feedback. Thanks for a good discussion.

 

[Kirk]

Sounds like maybe you worked at Frito Lay?

No but I did interview with them back many years ago. I was offered another job and stayed closer to home.

I worked for Mars, Kellogg's, Keebler, and Nabisco. That background helped me land my current gig as a plant manager.