Do you hate your career?

[Jbone]

The title says it all. Definitely not a good position to be in working day in and day out dealing with something that you absolutely despise. Not only does it take a toll on your health (physically and mentally) it also affects your relationships and personal life.

With that being said has anyone found themselves to be in this position and would be willing to share your experience?

[TexasHusker]

Someone famous said that most men live lives of quiet desperation. I don't know if that is true, but when I was in corporate America, I saw a lot of grown men (and women) whose nuts were jerked hard, and often. For those poor souls who had a female boss, it was a living hell without a single exception, that I can remember.

God bless those souls.

As a side note:

My wife even said that the female principals she worked for, without exception, were ruthless, and she'd never work for another one if she went back to the classroom.

[DaveInPgh]

Yes!!!

My boss is a horrible manager. Hides in his cubicle and "works" as opposed to managing. I have a co-worker in his late 60s/early 70s that falls asleep at his desk, is completely incompetent and worst of all sexually harasses the women. No, he is not a harmless grandpa. I have heard it from his own ears what he wants to do to some of the women that we have worked with, including a teenage intern just out of high school. He awkwardly kissed her on her cheek on her birthday. He has kissed/tried to kiss several other women. He can't stand and talk with a woman without touching her shoulder or her elbow before the conversation ends. He is known throughout the company, that includes multiple buildings. All of the issues involving this man has been communicated to my manager on many occasions, but he is not cut out for dealing with his HR related responsibilities.

The majority of my work days I have about an hour's worth of work to do. I used to ask for work, but got tired of hearing that he didn't have anything else for me. Yet he is in his cubicle overwhelmed every single day because he has to have his hands in everything. He has 6 people under him, and the group could function just fine with just 4. Him and his boss are protecting the jobs because when your group dwindles in staff, the company traditionally gets rid of the manager and moves the group under someone else.

When people hear I only actually work an hour/day, they mistakenly think I have it made. Trust me, trying to pass the time for 7 hours in a very unprofessional work environment is not easy or healthy.

[TexasHusker]

Yes!!!

My boss is a horrible manager. Hides in his cubicle and "works" as opposed to managing. I have a co-worker in his late 60s/early 70s that falls asleep at his desk, is completely incompetent and worst of all sexually harasses the women. No, he is not a harmless grandpa. I have heard it from his own ears what he wants to do to some of the women that we have worked with, including a teenage intern just out of high school. He awkwardly kissed her on her cheek on her birthday. He has kissed/tried to kiss several other women. He can't stand and talk with a woman without touching her shoulder or her elbow before the conversation ends. He is known throughout the company, that includes multiple buildings. All of the issues involving this man has been communicated to my manager on many occasions, but he is not cut out for dealing with his HR related responsibilities.

The majority of my work days I have about an hour's worth of work to do. I used to ask for work, but got tired of hearing that he didn't have anything else for me. Yet he is in his cubicle overwhelmed every single day because he has to have his hands in everything. He has 6 people under him, and the group could function just fine with just 4. Him and his boss are protecting the jobs because when your group dwindles in staff, the company traditionally gets rid of the manager and moves the group under someone else.

When people hear I only actually work an hour/day, they mistakenly think I have it made. Trust me, trying to pass the time for 7 hours in a very unprofessional work environment is not easy or healthy.

I empathize - I was in the same boat for years - getting paid $220K a year for about one hour of work per week. Not fun. Had I stayed, I'm convinced i wouldn't have lived to see 60.

[Singuy]

I empathize - I was in the same boat for years - getting paid $220K a year for about one hour of work per week. Not fun. Had I stayed, I'm convinced i wouldn't have lived to see 60.

LoL, talking about the ultimate first world problem. 99% of the population are crying you guys a river.

[TexasHusker]

LoL, talking about the ultimate first world problem. 99% of the population are crying you guys a river.

That's for sure.

[disneysteve]

I think the title of the thread is misleading. It sounds like what you are really asking is "Do you hate your job?" That's entirely different than hating your career.

If you hate your job, get a new one. If you insist on hanging around and complaining about it all the time, that's your fault, not theirs.

Have I ever had a job I hated? I think 'hate' is kind of a strong word but I did have a job where I felt I was being taken advantage of and not being treated fairly. What did I do? When I reached the point where I had had enough, I spoke to my wife and we agreed that it was time for me to move on. I told my boss and I was done that day.

A little while later, a new job found me and I've been treated much better there. There have been issues, of course, but I've been there for 16 years. Only in the past year or so have I started to feel like it wasn't going anywhere and it might be time to make a change again. If you follow my posts or blog, you'll know that I recently started a part-time position in addition to my full-time job with the plan to possibly make the new job my only job at some point if it works out well, or at least to come up with a plan to work PT at each place.

If you don't like what you're doing, stop doing it. Go elsewhere. Find something better. Don't sit around being a victim and pointing fingers and placing blame. Take control of your own future.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I agree with steve. You can hate your career or just job. DH loved his career but it was time for a change. So he changed what he did and he loves his new career as much as his old. He still misses his old but I can tell that there are facets of new he likes much better. He'd have been happier at his old career if he'd switched job but we had too many balls in the air for him to do it.

[kork13]

I have grown to dislike my current job, mostly due to what I'll call the "corporate culture". Gratefully, I'm in the military, and my time came up to get a new assignment, so my family will be going up to Alaska in September. Depending on how that assignment goes, and what options arise next, my wife (also active duty military) and I will decide if one or both of us will get out of the military for a more significant change.

As already stated, you're in charge of yourself. If you can't stand your job, or your career, make a change.

[DaveInPgh]

LoL, talking about the ultimate first world problem. 99% of the population are crying you guys a river.

I hope you weren't including me with this response. I am making 1/4 of what he was making. Not to suggest I wouldn't still sympathize with him.

Being bored at work can take a toll both mentally and physically. I probably have a dozen personal spreadsheets that I maintain at work. A couple I find essential but most arose out of boredom.

A typical workday involves me starting at 8am with eating breakfast while I get logged on. It is not uncommon that I am eating lunch at or before 11am. Why so early? BOREDOM! Then the afternoon is spent trying not to snack.

Sometimes I will walk to the nearby convenience store and buy a couple of $2 scratch off lottery tickets. Not because I believe it is good use of my money or because I am convinced I will win the jackpot. Again, BOREDOM!

And to address Steve's good point about job vs career, sadly I really don't have a career. When I was hired, my then boss (current boss's boss) ensured me that I would have a career path. In the 15+ years I have been in that particular group, I received one promotion due to someone jumping ship. Prior to his promotion, I had multiple conversations with my original boss regarding my career. Always had an excuse for why he really didn't have any advancement opportunities for me. 9/11 and the Financial Crisis of 07/08 were a couple of the reasons. I do believe his hands were tied.

[disneysteve]

Being bored at work can take a toll both mentally and physically.

This is one thing that concerns me a bit about the new urgent care job I'm doing. Unlike my regular office, where we schedule 4-6 patients/hour, urgent care is all walk-in business. We could have 5 patients show up within minutes of each other or we could have nobody come in for 3 hours straight. At my office, when we're lacking patients, I always have tons of paperwork to do, lab reports to check, forms to fill out, etc. At urgent care, as long as I'm up to date on my charting, there's really nothing at all to do. I don't mind being slow or even a tiny bit bored, but it gets old a lot quicker than you might think. Even though I'm being paid very well to sit there, I would not want to do it for too long at a time.

[TexasHusker]

I hope you weren't including me with this response. I am making 1/4 of what he was making. Not to suggest I wouldn't still sympathize with him.

Being bored at work can take a toll both mentally and physically. I probably have a dozen personal spreadsheets that I maintain at work. A couple I find essential but most arose out of boredom.

A typical workday involves me starting at 8am with eating breakfast while I get logged on. It is not uncommon that I am eating lunch at or before 11am. Why so early? BOREDOM! Then the afternoon is spent trying not to snack.

Sometimes I will walk to the nearby convenience store and buy a couple of $2 scratch off lottery tickets. Not because I believe it is good use of my money or because I am convinced I will win the jackpot. Again, BOREDOM!

And to address Steve's good point about job vs career, sadly I really don't have a career. When I was hired, my then boss (current boss's boss) ensured me that I would have a career path. In the 15+ years I have been in that particular group, I received one promotion due to someone jumping ship. Prior to his promotion, I had multiple conversations with my original boss regarding my career. Always had an excuse for why he really didn't have any advancement opportunities for me. 9/11 and the Financial Crisis of 07/08 were a couple of the reasons. I do believe his hands were tied.

This is a classic example of living in corporate prison. Through the years they've promised various promotions but after all that time, here you sit. You hate it but by now you've got perks and PTO which is hard to leave behind. I would say that most people in corporate America are in jail, awaiting 65 so they can collect the gold watch and live their final 10 years or so in freedom.

Truly sad.

[corn18]

I can't speak for anyone else but myself and my close circle of corporate friends, but this is not what I have experienced. Maybe we are the exception.

I do see what you are describing, though. Why don't those people leave? If I hated my job, I would find a new one ASAP.

[TexasHusker]

I can't speak for anyone else but myself and my close circle of corporate friends, but this is not what I have experienced. Maybe we are the exception.

I do see what you are describing, though. Why don't those people leave? If I hated my job, I would find a new one ASAP.

It's called the golden handcuffs. Contentedly miserable.

I'm not sure if links are permitted, but if so, here is a good explanation:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130320162346-7668018-how-golden-handcuffs-can-ruin-your-career

[corn18]

Great article that went into more detail than my google search. I think the call to action at the end of the article is important.

My google search focused more on stock options and deferred comp vs the article you cited. I like your article better.