In a funk. Curious who loves their jobs.

I have always believed that if you don't like what you do then change. I'd rather work for less and be happy than be miserable for a few more dollars. I've probably changed careers more than most people. I started out from high school and then university into the RCMP. After spending almost 2 years doing that I became frustrated with the terrible postings, terrible shifts and terrible duties. I went back to school and graduated from Biological Sciences specializing in air quality. I got a job doing source emission sampling with a engineering firm (essentially sampling and analyzing crap coming from stacks at various types of plants). Spending your days 500ft in the air on a pole for 8 hours a day in minus 30 weather was not what I desired. I then worked with a car rental firm for a while doing operations and now I've been in disaster restoration doing emergency project management for the past 6 years and absolutely love it. Sure there are some odd hours and busy and slow times but the pay is excellent, love everyone I work with and benefits are outstanding.

I have always believed that regardless of the employment climate good people are hard to find. If you are one then finding work will always be easy. No one will pass up the right person.

believe me I would take a pay cut to do something I enjoy. in a heartbeat, i'd drop everything and go. just finding something is the problem.

i started in the masonry business way back in 1984 as just a helper, then in 1990 i started out on my own, and never looked back since then. i love my job and wouldnt want to do anything else.
i find it personally fulfilling leaving my handy work for generations to see.
i highly recommend it for anyone who isnt afraid to do some hard work and get dirty....
the $$$ is pretty damn good also, so in hindsight maybe i just do the job for the $$$.....nah, i love it

Sorry to hear you guys are not enjoying your work. For something you do for at least 1/3 of your day to enjoy the other 1/3 of you day, it should be something you like, if even just a little.

I like my job. Since my 32nd birthday I have worked for the provincial electrical utility as a technologist. A hybrid between a technician and an electrical engineer. So I'm more educated than a technician and more practical than an engineer (sorry). Between installing, maintaining and troubleshooting dozens of different types of equipment my job never gets boring. I get to use tools and my brain, as well as hand off work to others when I don't feel it is worth my time to do so. I've spent 8 years (2.5 years of schooling, 4 years of on job training, 18 additional months with the company in another role) getting to this point so I sort of deserve it

This was not my first job. I was a residential electrician for a while, then I realized that work was way to hard for the money. After I went to school for two years I was in electrical design, similar to what you do Carl but at a lower level (and I hated the office cube sedentary lifestyle), then I worked as a flight simulator technician where I got to fly the simulators for Airbus and Boeing and DeHavaland aircraft. Night shift and shitty pay made me leave that too.

Keep searching and you will find what you like. It can be tough to take that leap but I'm sure eventually you will land in the right spot and all the risks and challenges will be worth it.

Such a wide range of things here, and I'd have to say the Pelican Bay CO is my favorite holy shit moment. Dude, I would not step in there for 3x your pay no matter what you're making. My brother in-law works in the 33rd st jail here in Orlando and that's bad enough for stories. Hat off to ya my friend...

I work in the same sort of place as Carl. I'm on the Architectural side, but we are a big A and a big E (engineering) firm so we all work side by side on projects. It can be rewarding finishing these sort of projects, but it has a lot to do with the culture of the office. Some are like Nazi's in the way they are structured with the rules, and others like mine are more laid back. That can make all the difference in this business as far as turn around of people and general happiness.

I've had many jobs: navy submariner, cable guy, aquatic research tank manufacturing, auto technician for Roush, and I've even waited tables. So overall, I'm happy with my job. However, I don't want to do this sort of thing forever. I know to much about inflation, and the state of our economy, to honestly say that the future of my career is set in stone well enough for me to retire in comfort. Therefore, I'm going back to school (part-time) to improve my standing economically. Gentlemen, if you're not happy it's not going to get better without you helping yourself. It's not that scary once you jump off the ledge...although it's strange to sit in a class at our age. I would not mind looking into real estate like someone suggested above...

Or, as a suggestion to Carl...ever thought about going to work for a developer or one of your clients? I've worked with plenty of people on the development side, as well as the big business side, that come from firms and are now running projects without all of the mundane work.

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Update here, I am moving to the ASU (administrative segregation unit) next week. have an awesome crew in there and a solid lieutenant to work for so things should turn around for the better. I am looking forward to getting off the zombie shift. The guy in this video is one of the top eme members. he owns San Diego and has connections to cartels in mexico. Before he moved to the feds he was not given visits at all. the first time he got a visit, within a week three people on his hit list were dead. It is amazing the influence and power these guys have sitting in there cell. That black hand tattoo on his chest is only worn by a few.

I love my job and what I do, I bring it home with me. However I can't stand the company I work for even though I love the company I am contracted to. I enjoy what I do so much that I am trying to also create my own company doing enterprise IT on top of working (at least until I can change solely to working the company).

I would love to HAVE a job right now. But at least the field I've been in is one I love.

FBD, what company do you work for? (PM me if you want). I'm a Program Director/Air Talent.