Do you have an emotional attachment to your job?

[GlassJaw]

I've always been amazed at people that seem to "live" their jobs. I've never been able to grasp that.

In the 7 or so years I've been out of school, I've had 3 jobs (4 if you count selling cars for a short time). They have all been good paying with excellent benefits and relatively stable and secure (although some more than others).

However, I've never had a real attachment to any of them. While I certainly didn't hate any of them and usually got along really well with my co-workers, I've always viewed them as a paycheck first. As soon as 5:00 rolls around, I switch out of work mode and I'm out the door. I do good work but I rarely work more than I have to or volunteer for something that isn't really necessary. I'm also not a fan of travelling because I've always felt my time is more valuable than theirs.

I may have, however, an opportunity to take a potential "dream job" in the near future. I might actually get a little bit more money but I would be giving up significant job security and quite possibly benefits (I'd have to pay on my own). If everything works out, it's the type of job that I would love to do everyday and would probably "work" on my own time.

Anyway, just wanted to get some thoughts on this as I ponder the (hopefully forthcoming) decision I'll have to make.

 

[barsoomcore]

I love my job. I manage software development teams, which means building cool stuff with really smart people. It's exhilarating and often terrifying, but I learn HUGE amounts about leadership and management and just general "getting stuff done" every day.

I don't want to do this for the rest of my life, but for right now I'm involved in the day-to-day management of a billion-dollar company, and that's pretty fun, let me tell you.

 

[diaglo]

i love my job. i'm hoping to one day work myself out it.

i work in public health. in tuberculosis specifically. i hope one day that no one will ever get sick from tb ever again.

 

[EricNoah]

I can't really think of a job that would suit me better than the one I have. I'm good at it, the parts I don't like very much go by fast, and I get a lot of time off at just the right time of year. I've been in soul-crushing, mindless, numbing jobs, and they suck. A bad job can just ruin your life, because you spend so much of your time there. I believe the human psyche needs (among other things) satisfying work in order to stay healthy.

 

[Pbartender]

I love my job. I mean really, it's every Star Trek geek's dream job. But it is by no means my life.

It is a job. It earns me money, and it keeps me busy. The fact that it's exactly the sort of job that I enjoy doing is simply icing on the cake. Once I'm off shift, however, I've more important things to worry about... My wife and kids, namely.

 

[Mr. Lobo]

I love my job. I work in a biological research lab at the academic level. In this field, long hours, plus weekends, with relatively low pay/educational level are the norm and expected.

My girlfriend is amazed that the people at my workplace are so dedicated. She always comments about how most people she knows hate their jobs or are just indifferent about them.

I knew what the deal was before I got into my profession and have no regrets.

NIH post-doc stipend allowance

I've since moved up from being a post-doc but the dang salaries caught up to me!

 

[nothing to see here]

I love my job. I'm fiercely loyal to my boss and my team...and I believe our work is to the greater good of society as a whole.

Of course, we work in politics, so that kind of spirit is kind of a prerequisite (at least if you want to win)...I'd tell you more about what we do...but this board has rules against such chat ...

 

[Lhorgrim]

I loved my job when I started (Police Officer). For the first five years I lived the job and felt I was making a difference in my community. Then all the bad stuff started to seep in. The cases we worked so hard to make were blown off in court. Serious offenders were given probation and no jail time because putting them in the jail would "cost the county too much money". I made an arrest on a gentleman for breaking his wife's nose in a domestic disturbance, and in the course of the arrest he broke one officer's nose and bit a second officer on the forearm before we were able to get him cuffed. He was in violation of an emergency protective order at the time of the assault. The tally of charges in that exchange is three misdemeanors and two felonies. He made a plea agreement and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for the 14 days he served while awaiting trial. I was somewhat disheartened with the system after that.

I have had to go to several autopsies, and one of them was a very young child. This was about the time of my son's first birthday, and I still have a hard time dealing with it.

Last month on a Saturday one of my fellow officers parked his personal vehicle next to the police station and shot himself with his duty pistol in front of his family. I was not on duty, but because of my rank I was required to respond and direct the death investigation. These aspects of the job were not exactly advertised in the recruitment literature.

Now it has been ten years, and I have been promoted to the second highest position in the department. I kept taking the promotions to try to get into a position to change things, but I just keep losing heart. I'm now looking for something in the private sector, far away from law enforcement so I can put these bad memories behind me.

Sorry for the rant, but I can't say these things in my home town for fear that my new job search will be hampered by this "bad attitude".

 

[Greylock]

The single worst thing about my recent surgery is that it is keeping me from work. I live to work and work to live. Without a job, I am a pretty meaningless. Think I'll call work as soon as I get off the net here...

 

[Raging Epistaxis]

Hmm. I love my job. No, hate it. Uhh... Sometimes both in a day.

I'm a veterinarian working for myself. As with most professions, it's as much a calling as a job - sometimes I feel like I'm never 'off the job' whether I am at work or not. And that makes me think wistfully back to the 9-5 job days where I could flip that switch to turn the job off and go home without thinking about work.
Otherwise, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Sure, it's puppies and kittens, but it's also cancer, kidney failure and euthanasia. In nearly equal measure. I guess which I tend to focus on dictates how I feel at any given time.

{soapbox rant}
I also do a lot of spay/neuter work (surgery) and like diaglo, would love to work myself out of that job. Euthanasia rates at shelters here in East TN are shockingly high (for those counties that even have shelters...), all because there are only so many homes and so many unwanted pups/kittens born to folks who 'just want one litter' or want their kids to witness the 'miracle of birth'. Or they just don't care, or have too much personal identification with the dog/cat's reproductive status, etc. But I digress. Sorry.
{/soapbox rant}

It's funny how I tend to identify/introduce myself as a vet, rather than a father, devoted husband, RPGer, hobby programmer, etc etc etc. So, I guess I am my job.

ANYhow, I've had dead-end grunt work jobs in the past (while in school), but I can't say I've ever hated any of them, perhaps because I knew it was only for a while.

I know there are a fair number of people who hate what they do, and long to do something different. Having 'gone for it' and now doing what I always wanted to do, I say go for it.

The worse that could happen is you'd be in a different job you dislike. :\

R E

Happy 50th post to me!