What are the pros and cons of your job/work/career?

[fsunole025]

Agile Coach

+ Autonomy. We don't have supervisors or a hierarchy. I control my calendar and to some extent my client engagements. All is good as long as I make more money for the firm than I cost to be employed.
+ Purpose. Our company's mission is to bring humanity back to the workplace. This isn't lip service. We are part of real, lasting change happen.
+ Demand. It's currently really high with software powering the world and with us now being a small part of a global firm of over 400,000 employees.
+ Benefits. Salary, bonuses, healthcare, 401k, travel rewards, professional development, etc. The list is long.
+ Community. I'm surrounded by amazing people and supported by an empowering leadership team.
+ Opportunity. Personal growth, organizational advancement and global expansion opportunities. My family will be relocating internationally within the next 12 months until our 21 month old daughter starts school.
+ Flexibility. Every day is different. I never feel bored or that I'm getting stale. I get to experiment frequently. I spend my days teaching, mentoring, facilitating or coaching. All are enjoyable in different ways.

- Travel. While I control my schedule including travel, I miss family and friend engagaements occasionally.
- Culture. Since being acquired last year, we've spent a lot of time and effort influencing change in our parent organization. It is improving but we have a long way to go.

 

[OrlandNole]

Absolutely no idea what you do

Gay porn.

 

[Gonolz]

Just speaking for someone else here.

Pros:

I get to make people happy serving them food and drinks.
I work with good people.
I get free booze.

Cons:

Sometimes drunk customers grab my ass without permission.

P.S. Pro:

I get to take down the drunk customers that grab my ass without permission and they get arrested and labeled as sex offenders.

 

[Lurker1999]

Pros: work life balance is great. Never miss my kids games & coach their teams.

Cons: utility employees are so friggin boring & regulatory mandates are waste of time.

Do your in-laws still drive you nuts?

 

[Phinhead]

Teaching STEM

Pros: I get paid to make video games, build robots, and rockets.

Cons:

The era of unaccountability
Parents
"Bullying"
Spending money turning schools into prisons and the increase roles of police in education as agencies scramble for more money and power for "school safety".

 

[RangerNole]

Teaching STEM

Pros: I get paid to make video games, build robots, and rockets.

Cons:

The era of unaccountability
Parents
"Bullying"
Spending money turning schools into prisons and the increase roles of police in education as agencies scramble for more money and power for "school safety".

Phin would you mind of I contacted you outside of this forum. My son is studying the same thing; although more of a focus on design. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks

 

[Random_John]

IT recruiter (not working right now):

Pro:
I always get to work with and meet new people. I get the opportunity to change lives either moving someone across country or getting them into a position that pays way more than they were currently making.

Con:
dealing with the human element. There's no guarantee that a person will truly accept a job or once they have accepted position do well once they get there.

 

[Banditking]

Job: professor, area: human neuroscience, applied: clinical neuropsych

Pros:
I decide what I want to think about.
Highly variable work week
Clinically get to help people, diagnostically complex
Often invited to do cool things like say review grants for nasa and decide what they do on the iss and such.
Entrepreneurial component. I have patents. I get to brainstorm new product directions w ceos of various medical tech companies. Sometimes subcontract to design stuff
Work with a lot of smart people.
Get to contribute to education of next generation of smart people
The brain is interesting.
Pay is okay. If I went full entrepreneur could probably make a lot more money.
Medical is free.

Cons:
Soft money, affects job stability
Politics
Work load is often unreasonable, can be difficult on family.
Hard to say no to interesting things
Paperwork
Increasing regulatory oversight and reporting requirements are annoying.
Nih redefined clinical trials recently and it’s stupid.
Fluffy thinkers in some adjacent areas.
Pay could be better, but it’s a first world problem.

 

[Nole Daddy]

Pros: I make money
Cons: they make me work for the money

There is absolutely nothing rewarding outside of the pay when selling software.

My father is an entrepreneur and has employeed hundreds of not thousands of people throughout his career. Recently we threw him a surprise 70th bday. He had dozens of people wanting to make a toast to say thank you for giving them their first job, helping in a time of need, or teaching them a skill that has allowed them to now provide for their family.

I was incredibly envious and proud of him and his good deeds. If I had a similar party tomorrow there would be know one there outside of close friends and family...I’ve impacted zero lives by selling software.

It sounds like you are not fulfilled. I was there, but I realized that I have a damn good life because of what I do. If you don’t come to that point then maybe you should look to do something else.

 

[DanC78]

It sound like you are not fulfilled. I was there, but I realized that I have a damn good life because of what I do. If you don’t come to that point then maybe you should look to do something else.

I am massively unfulfilled.

 

[billanole]

Gay porn.

...and produces BFT blog between scenes.

 

[Nole Daddy]

I am massively unfulfilled.

Look elsewhere.

 

[DanC78]

Look elsewhere.

It’s not the company, it’s the profession.

And I am looking and being patient about it. Providing for family is number 1.

 

[Nole Daddy]

It’s not the company, it’s the profession.

And I am, being patient about it. Providing for family is number 1.

I hear you. If you don’t like what you do then look for something else. To me money trumps some of my happiness. I wish I could be a History teacher, but that doesn’t pay the bills

 

[LesClaypool]

I hear you. If you don’t like what you do then look for something else. To me money trumps some of my happiness. I wish I could be a History teacher, but that doesn’t pay the bills

My sentiments to a tee.

 

[Nole Daddy]

Now if I were miserable then I would look for something else.

 

[Phinhead]

Phin would you mind of I contacted you outside of this forum. My son is studying the same thing; although more of a focus on design. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks

Phin would you mind of I contacted you outside of this forum. My son is studying the same thing; although more of a focus on design. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks

Newtonnole at Gmail

 

[DFSNOLE]

I come from a construction background. When we were still in South Florida, I had two companies which were both successful. When we moved to NW Florida, though my license transferred, State Certified General Contractor, my crews, clients and most importantly, reputation didn't. This is very much a good ole boy area and it was very hard to break into it. I built for a while up here, including a 5 story condo in Mexico Beach and a $2.5 mil condo rehab project. But it was always a struggle.

Now I work for Walton County Public Works as the Contract Project Administrator. I oversee all the road construction projects being built by outside contractors and funded with state or federal monies. I do $12-$15 million a year in jobs. I run them like I would if it was my own company but instead of making profit for me, I make it for the county. The pay is decent, the benefits good and I only work 40 hours a week.

It would be a great job if it wasn't for all the politics. I'm currently finishing up a job that was designed by a firm that had no business doing FDOT level plans but is "connected" well enough that they are given jobs they shouldn't get. If we would've built that job strictly by the plans and bid tab, we would be over $400K over budget. I and the contractor redesigned the project and will bring it in on budget. The firm will never know I, once again, pulled their ass out of the fire. This has been repeatedly pointed out to the commissioners, but my complaints usually fall on deaf ears. I'll let you determine why. It gets frustrating but you just work through it because it's part of the job.

 

[OrlandNole]

I come from a construction background. When we were still in South Florida, I had two companies which were both successful. When we moved to NW Florida, though my license transferred, State Certified General Contractor, my crews, clients and most importantly, reputation didn't. This is very much a good ole boy area and it was very hard to break into it. I built for a while up here, including a 5 story condo in Mexico Beach and a $2.5 mil condo rehab project. But it was always a struggle.

Now I work for Walton County Public Works as the Contract Project Administrator. I oversee all the road construction projects being built by outside contractors and funded with state or federal monies. I do $12-$15 million a year in jobs. I run them like I would if it was my own company but instead of making profit for me, I make it for the county. The pay is decent, the benefits good and I only work 40 hours a week.

It would be a great job if it wasn't for all the politics. I'm currently finishing up a job that was designed by a firm that had no business doing FDOT level plans but is "connected" well enough that they are given jobs they shouldn't get. If we would've built that job strictly by the plans and bid tab, we would be over $400K over budget. I and the contractor redesigned the project and will bring it in on budget. The firm will never know I, once again, pulled their ass out of the fire. This has been repeatedly pointed out to the commissioners, but my complaints usually fall on deaf ears. I'll let you determine why. It gets frustrating but you just work through it because it's part of the job.

Are you overseeing the multi use trail project in Blue Mountain Beach?

 

[billanole]

I come from a construction background. When we were still in South Florida, I had two companies which were both successful. When we moved to NW Florida, though my license transferred, State Certified General Contractor, my crews, clients and most importantly, reputation didn't. This is very much a good ole boy area and it was very hard to break into it. I built for a while up here, including a 5 story condo in Mexico Beach and a $2.5 mil condo rehab project. But it was always a struggle.

Now I work for Walton County Public Works as the Contract Project Administrator. I oversee all the road construction projects being built by outside contractors and funded with state or federal monies. I do $12-$15 million a year in jobs. I run them like I would if it was my own company but instead of making profit for me, I make it for the county. The pay is decent, the benefits good and I only work 40 hours a week.

It would be a great job if it wasn't for all the politics. I'm currently finishing up a job that was designed by a firm that had no business doing FDOT level plans but is "connected" well enough that they are given jobs they shouldn't get. If we would've built that job strictly by the plans and bid tab, we would be over $400K over budget. I and the contractor redesigned the project and will bring it in on budget. The firm will never know I, once again, pulled their ass out of the fire. This has been repeatedly pointed out to the commissioners, but my complaints usually fall on deaf ears. I'll let you determine why. It gets frustrating but you just work through it because it's part of the job.

Sounds like a nip of rye is in order.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Are you overseeing the multi use trail project in Blue Mountain Beach?

No. That was a TDC project and a complete cluster. I offered assistance but was told they didn't require any. I had the contractor calling me but I had to tell him I couldn't help.

 

[OrlandNole]

No. That was a TDC project and a complete cluster. I offered assistance but was told they didn't require any. I had the contractor calling me but I had to tell him I couldn't help.

TDC?

Hope it will be finished soon. My in laws’ neighborhood backs up right to it.

 

[DFSNOLE]

TDC?

Hope it will be finished soon. My in laws’ neighborhood backs up right to it.

Tourist Development Council. The folks who collect the bed tax. It was done at the beginning of the summer.

 

[NYCNole]

Do your in-laws still drive you nuts?

No b/c I'm too busy to ever see them(kids sports & real friends). SIL finally realized we don't partake in lavish vacations to impress friends on Facebook.

 

[TennNole17]

Pros:
Work from home two days a week

Cons:
Go into the office 3 days a week.

I really wish I had an interesting /rewarding job.

 

[Finance85]

I'm a software consultant.

Pros:
Pays well
Great benefits
No assignment is the same
Get to see how different companies operate
Get to meet new friends
Get to travel to different places on an expense account

Cons:
I travel too much

 

[Nole Lou]

Pros:
1. I'm really good at it so while there are difficult and stressful moments, they are relatively few and far between
2. Casual work environment
3. Nobody really on my back from a supervisory aspect
4. Nobody really in competition with me where I'm constantly trying to prove myself
5. Not dealing with any employees working for me
6. Hours are not disruptive to life/family...haven't missed anything of import over work in many years
7. I don't work long hours (40-45 mostly) or nights/weekend, or have to travel often
8. My pay is very solid
9. Always worked for small companies, so not subject to the whims of upper managment, CEOs, stockholders, etc making decisions 20 floors above me
10. I don't hate doing it, going home grumpy every day. I can mostly leave it at the office.

Cons:
1. They make me work in an office for no reason...I literally go into the office and spend the whole day on email and phone, interacting with nobody in the physical space. Should be working from home.
2. Early in my career involved working nights, weekends, long hours, and having a ton of low level employees reporting to me. That's in my rear view, but hard to imagine getting here without that, and it sucked.
3. Always worked for small companies and therefore extremely crappy benefits
4. No "next step up" career wise to shoot for
5. There's just not many positions for this. They're all in big cities. If you want to change jobs, it could take ages for an opening to come up, and you'd probably have to move if it wasn't a remote position. I spent 3-4 years trying to change jobs in a big city before something came up. They're almost impossible to find on job boards, Linked In, etc.

and the biggest reason...

6. I 100% literally don't give a sh-- about the work I've spent almost my whole career doing. Don't get my wrong, I am very invested in doing a good job myself and delivering for the people who are counting on me, I'm not indifferent to my own performance. But that performance is in service of an industry and field I could not be less interested in. I don't care anything about it. When I retire, I'll have 40+ years at a high level in an industry, and I will literally not spend one more second thinking about it. Not one. I'm not interested in thinking about it, talking about it, I don't care what happens to it, nothing. I've made almost no valuable relationships, and although it has a high value to corporations, my work adds nothing to make the world in any way a better place. I will have spent half of my waking hours, through my marriage, my children's childhood, my youth, my healthy years, etc dedicated to helping some crappy company decide whether their next crappy snack should be called "Chocolate Extreeeme!" or "Chocolate Xtreme!"

I am grateful because I don't actively hate it, I've never been out of work, it does not impact my family outside my work hours, and I've been pretty well taken care of, but I've also come to resent just how much of my life has been spent at it. I've got to push through it (and hope my job holds) another 8-10 years, as my youngest is just entering high school. But when he's off the tab, I've got to get out. I'll be 55, so I'll be of no interest to any other employer, nor do I see myself ginning up the interest and motivation to "make it" all over again. I won't be financially ready to retire, but if I've set things up the way I'm trying to, we'll be able to live on a fraction of our current income, and I'll be able to drive an uber, or find SOMETHING different and non-rat race to do even at a huge paycut.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I think Chocolate Xtreme! sounds better

 

[Atoning_Unifex]

I have a small senior (the politically correct term is now "older adult") companion company.

Basically, I rent myself out as a Grandson to senior citizens and take them to Doctor's appointments, lunch, Church, museums, walks or we just sit in their house and watch the news or talk, etc.

The Pros:

1.) I provide critical help to families and literally add years on to the lives of my clients because they don't have to go to a nursing home.

2.) 3 families have called me a "savior" or "life saver" in the past 5 years.

3.) I meet some amazing people; brilliant, caring and kind.

4.) The work is easy for the most part. It's not like work; it's like hanging around with a friend. It's like being on break at a real job all day.

5.) Free food.

6.) No boss.

7.) No office work.

8.) There is a HUGE need for this work as America ages and our citizens become older and older.


The Cons:

1.) The pay isn't great. I'll never get rich if I continue this path.

2.) It can be isolating because I spend much of my time alone with a senior citizen that has dementia or Alzheimer's. (early term though)

3.) Dealing with the family drama can be tough, especially the wives who often have a different idea of care that I do.

4.) The client can get belligerent and repeat themselves over and over again so I have to be very patient.

5.) The clients die because most of them are in their 80's.

6.) No paid time off. If I don't work, I don't get paid.


Overall, the pros are much better than the cons.

How about you?

Pro)
Fortune 500 Corporation
Great Benefits
Profit Sharing
Totally Employee owned
Well regarded in it's universe
Over 1200 locations in seven states and D.C.
Donations to United Way well into the millions, on a personal note I individually donate $30 weekly
Regularly supplies disaster stricken areas within and without it's footprint with relief
Neg)
Work at Before the crack of dawn
well that's about it

 

[itsjustme0770]

Trial Lawyer

Pros-

1. I own a big chunk of the business and my name is on the door.
2. We get great cases that matter to people and their families ( most of my clients are dead or dying).
3. I work with super smart people who sincerely try and make horrendous wrongs right.
4. I am extraordinarily well paid.
5. I fully expect to be retired by 55.

Cons-

1. I slept in a hotel bed just over 200 nights last year.
2. I rarely have a day off, even when I have a day off.
3. Most days are 15-20 hours a day, more when in trial.
4. I spend a lot less time with my five year old and wife than I (and fortunately they) would like.
5. 55 is another 7 years away.

 

[NDallasRuss]

most of my clients are dead or dying

But how were they doing before they hired you?

 

[itsjustme0770]

But how were they doing before they hired you?

Solid reply.

Sadly that's the condition in which they come in the door.

 

[NDallasRuss]

Solid reply.

Sadly that's the condition in which they come in the door.

I've done the 200+ nights/year travel thing before. It's not a lot of fun. I enjoy traveling, but that's being gone too much - especially when the kid gets old enough to notice that you're gone. The worst, to me, was having to cancel longstanding plans with the wife because plans changed unexpectedly.

It sounds like you're on the right side though - trying to make things right, rather than on the side of defending the wrongdoing.

 

[itsjustme0770]

I've done the 200+ nights/year travel thing before. It's not a lot of fun. I enjoy traveling, but that's being gone too much - especially when the kid gets old enough to notice that you're gone. The worst, to me, was having to cancel longstanding plans with the wife because plans changed unexpectedly.

It sounds like you're on the right side though - trying to make things right, rather than on the side of defending the wrongdoing.

Yep. that's the hardest.

But we try and make things as right as they can be. Can't bring folks back. Money is what the system offers. Some folks, understandably are uncomfortable with that.

My wife is also a lawyer (and presently in trial) so she generally gets it, but I actually like her so not being around is not fun.

 

[RangerNole]

Trial Lawyer

Pros-

1. I own a big chunk of the business and my name is on the door.
2. We get great cases that matter to people and their families ( most of my clients are dead or dying).
3. I work with super smart people who sincerely try and make horrendous wrongs right.
4. I am extraordinarily well paid.
5. I fully expect to be retired by 55.

Cons-

1. I slept in a hotel bed just over 200 nights last year.
2. I rarely have a day off, even when I have a day off.
3. Most days are 15-20 hours a day, more when in trial.
4. I spend a lot less time with my five year old and wife than I (and fortunately they) would like.
5. 55 is another 7 years away.

That sounds bad but if you look at the positive if you retire on your plan you will be hanging with your family when your daughter is 12. That is pretty solid. With face time, snap chat etc. you can still build that bond.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

Medical device sales (mostly new technology, this is my 5th start up)

Pros:
* I really believe that what I do is changing the face of medicine
* When I get up in the morning I know that my efforts are going to help individual people and the community as a whole
* It is very interesting work
* It is challenging in a good way, I'd almost say artistic, in that no construct, deal, individual conversation is the same
* I work with very smart people (coworkers and customer)
* I get to teach (which I enjoy)
* Because I work in the early commercialization stage - the sale of the company- then move on, it never seems to get old.
* My day to day isn't that bad, the people I have meetings with want to be there, they have a problem, I may have a solution, the conversation is how to make it happen.
* I work with who I want to work with, I'm in a crew that has been at several companies together, we all gel. The customers who are dicks, get pushed to the side for people who want to be part of the future.
* I get to use my sense of humor pretty freely. OR's are a unique environment that are not part of the PC world, life and death makes the tedious details gray. I really know the people I work with on a daily basis and they know that I'm a dark SOB so they accept it.
* With an FSU Criminology degree I've given grand rounds (Medical education speeches) at Harvard (mass general), Yale, Brown, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Emory, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Duke, UNC, Walter Reed, UF (boo), UM (boo), UAB, University of South Alabama, Tulane, LSU, UT, Vanderbilt, UT, Mayo Clinic, University of Colorado, University of Utah, University of Southern California, University of South Florida, University of San Francisco, basically you name the teaching institution or fellowship program and I've either spoken there or taught physicians in the OR inter-operative techniques. And I can barely read.
* I make a very good living.

Cons:

* I never stop working. (since writing this email, I've switched screens three times to answer emails or texts, went and got a glass of water and thought for 20 minutes about how to craft an answer to an email and it's 10pm)
* The travel is tough on my family life, work out schedule, eating habits, free time and recreational activities. Like someone said, about 200 days a year away
* The government. Early stage medical technology is ham-stringed by the government, and not without reason, there are some dirtbag companies out there, but because of them the bureaucratic burden is insane.
* The feeling of responsibility. This may sound either self aggrandizing or stupid depending on your view, but it goes back to my fraternity days. One of our founding fathers Robert Morrison's Famous Quote: “To do what ought to be done but would not have been done unless I did it, I thought to be my duty.” is ingrained into me, so every time I encounter a bureaucrat or administrator who is just being a lazy turd, I feel like I need to defeat them, which burns on my sanity, because the lazy outweigh the productive 10 to 1.
* The feeling that each time a big company buys our start up they lose sight of the idea and try to turn it into a cash cow and pervert the original intent of the technology. (so essentially we are the personification of sell outs)
* I suck a lot of simi flacid ding dong.

 

[itsjustme0770]

That sounds bad but if you look at the positive if you retire on your plan you will be hanging with your family when your daughter is 12. That is pretty solid. With face time, snap chat etc. you can still build that bond.

That’s the plan....

 

[BeccaNole72]

Job: Progam Manager of a non-profit regional scholarship program for Ford Motor Company

Pros:
- work from home and make my own schedule (this was great when my kids were younger)
- follow the school calendar so work slows down during school holiday breaks (Can take trips during Spring Break and Winter Break and not have to ask for time off and my summers are super slow so I also get to travel a lot during the summer or just take it easy if I want to)
- Perfect Mom type job (especially when you have a kid with a chronic illness that needs tending to when he has flare ups)
- providing scholarships to 112 high school seniors in south Florida every year and I love it when some of the winners give me hugs and thank me for helping them with college costs and their new laptop (part of the grant is a new laptop and a scholarship check). Love it when I meet kids who truly appreciate our program.
- love getting letters from former scholarship recipients and what they are doing now
- work for the South Florida Ford dealers and get a great rate on cars for me and the family
- planning a huge end of the year scholarship awards event to honor the winner and their families
and it’s usually an amazing well attended event
- getting perks from Soith Florida Ford partners like the Dolphins, Panthers, etc and getting free tickets/VIP access passes to SSF sponsored events and concerts (SunFest, Chili Cookofff, etc)

Cons:
- Pay isn’t great but in reality I don’t work a full time 40+ hour week and I have A LOT of flexibility in my schedule
- I am not an employee and get paid as an independent contactor so that means I am responsible for paying my taxes on my own and I don’t have benefits
- the program is funded based on auto sales of 15 dealerships in both counties (when the economy tanked 10 years ago the program almost ended but the dealers decided to just offer less scholarships and have a few transition years. We are now back to where we were befor and with additional grants from Ford Fund we are still around. We have awarded nearly $3.8 million in scholarship since 1994.
- program my not be around after next year due to the possibility of Ford corporate probably not being able to match dealer contributions.
- Been doing this for 12 years and soon will be a complete empty nester (one already in college and one is a Junior in HS).
- Not sure what I will do if the program goes away. Not sure I can go back to a normal 9-5 like I did 16 years ago. (I have worked from home for this company and doing PR and marketing for a law firm since my son was born.) I don’t need to work per se but I am not a “ladies who lunch” kinda wife where I shop and meet friends for lunch. I need to do something to stimulate my brain and feel like I am contributing something.

 

[squiffynole]

40+ years of land use planning and environmental protection in Florida.

Cons - fired by two governors, way too much time at the legislature, hundreds of public hearings and controversies, recurring feelings of failure.

Pros - Now I'm an old dog working on my own providing expert testimony at hearings and legal proceedings, I charge more than I care to say, turn down 2/3rds of job offers and do most of my work in Central and South Florida.

DFS - I have assisted several clients in Walton County and appreciate the work.

The other pro is I can pretty much control my work schedule allowing me to obsessively attend FSU sporting events, all sports, I could really use a dedicated parking spot on campus.

 

[DFSNOLE]

DFS - I have assisted several clients in Walton County and appreciate the work.

Let me know when you're going to be in town. Maybe we can get together for lunch.