Decision time?
Apr. 19th, 2012 07:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susandennisFor years and years, whenever I hit a take this job and shove it pothole at work, I would spend spare time polishing my resume. As I think about it now, I realize that is why my resume was and is always up to date!
For 15 of my work years, I worked for IBM in a job that dictated frequent changes. (I wrote speeches for mid level executives - before and for product announcements. I'd move to the location and help prep the executive in charge for about a year before the announcement and then for about six month after and then lather, rinse, repeat. It was mostly fun, exiting, and way too busy to think about anything other than the next task.
I've been very lucky. When stuff got bad, I rarely had any trouble finding something better. One time I had this great job that took a sudden bad turn (great manager promoted, new guy pretty but brainless). After 3 weeks, I came one one night spitting bullets and ready to hurt anyone and anything, to a message on my machine from a recruiter. I called her back so fast the phone buttons melted. She wanted me - really really wanted me - for a job at a start up who's offices were across the street from my house. Seriously, can you get luckier than that??
(And, as an aside, that was less than 15 years ago. Who has to go home to get messages any more??? Who's phone has buttons????)
The past few months on this project have been very frustrating. In the past week or two - even though there hasn't been much work to do, that work has been the kind that makes you just want to slit your wrists.
The problem is that when I think about what my perfect job would be, it's this one. So... I'm wondering if maybe it isn't time to hang up my work hat.
There are two main factors to consider. Money and Mentality
Last night, instead of updating my resume, I wandered around the web looking at financial sites and retirement calculators. I could do it. I have enough. I won't be 65 for two more years and I'd have to pay through the ass for health insurance for those two years but, it's doable, I think, without having to cut way back on stuff.
But mentally, I just don't think I'm there yet. Last night while falling asleep, I considered what my day/life would look like without a job. I mentally removed the work computer from the living room and structured my days. And that's where I hit the roadblock.
Nothing I could think of to do, volunteer, travel, explore, worked for me. I think I'm going to have to cut the ropes and feel the void to fill it and, I'm just not ready to do that yet. I don't think.
It's lovely and luxurious to have the options, though. And going through the mental exercise helps. Something tells me that when the time is really right, I will really know it.
For 15 of my work years, I worked for IBM in a job that dictated frequent changes. (I wrote speeches for mid level executives - before and for product announcements. I'd move to the location and help prep the executive in charge for about a year before the announcement and then for about six month after and then lather, rinse, repeat. It was mostly fun, exiting, and way too busy to think about anything other than the next task.
I've been very lucky. When stuff got bad, I rarely had any trouble finding something better. One time I had this great job that took a sudden bad turn (great manager promoted, new guy pretty but brainless). After 3 weeks, I came one one night spitting bullets and ready to hurt anyone and anything, to a message on my machine from a recruiter. I called her back so fast the phone buttons melted. She wanted me - really really wanted me - for a job at a start up who's offices were across the street from my house. Seriously, can you get luckier than that??
(And, as an aside, that was less than 15 years ago. Who has to go home to get messages any more??? Who's phone has buttons????)
The past few months on this project have been very frustrating. In the past week or two - even though there hasn't been much work to do, that work has been the kind that makes you just want to slit your wrists.
The problem is that when I think about what my perfect job would be, it's this one. So... I'm wondering if maybe it isn't time to hang up my work hat.
There are two main factors to consider. Money and Mentality
Last night, instead of updating my resume, I wandered around the web looking at financial sites and retirement calculators. I could do it. I have enough. I won't be 65 for two more years and I'd have to pay through the ass for health insurance for those two years but, it's doable, I think, without having to cut way back on stuff.
But mentally, I just don't think I'm there yet. Last night while falling asleep, I considered what my day/life would look like without a job. I mentally removed the work computer from the living room and structured my days. And that's where I hit the roadblock.
Nothing I could think of to do, volunteer, travel, explore, worked for me. I think I'm going to have to cut the ropes and feel the void to fill it and, I'm just not ready to do that yet. I don't think.
It's lovely and luxurious to have the options, though. And going through the mental exercise helps. Something tells me that when the time is really right, I will really know it.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-04-19 04:55 pm (UTC)Beyond that, though, you could always join the open and free software movement. I'm sure there's at least one, if not more, open source project out there somewhere that would love to have your talents. You would get do stuff that you find worth doing, rather than just whatever pays. For a programmer it's like being able to work on that feature that has always nagged you as a user yet the business counterpart always said wasn't worth it or always had some other big project going on so there just wasn't any time for the small stuff.
I fill a lot of my free time with playing games and occasionally a video or two, but even that has its limits. I'm thinking it may be time for me to expand my list of activities to include things like learning cooking, flying, Japanese, or even just doing personal programming projects.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-04-19 05:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-04-19 06:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-04-21 12:41 am (UTC)