good career options for a slacker?

[Krug]

Game tester? Video store clerk?

 

[Hida Bukkorosu]

I have to admit, though, I'm a bit cuious why you wouldn't rather find a job that you enjoy doing, versus finding a job that you'd rather spend very little time at? There's a lot to be said, self-esteem-wise for having work that you enjoy and getting paid for. I don't know why you'd bother getting a college degree if your "goal" is to just be one step above "bum" in life.

the very nature of work makes it something i don't enjoy. as soon as something becomes an obligation, meaning i have to do it, even if it is something i would otherwise enjoy, makes me not enjoy it. i want to maximise my time that is under MY control, meaning that I can use MY time for whatever i feel like doing at the moment, because that changes moment to moment.

if you can tell me of a job that will pay me for doing whatever i feel like at the moment, that would be the only way i could have a job i would enjoy.

i'm too Chaotic to enjoy the inherently Lawful nature of a job.

 

[Umbran]

Substitute teacher.

I'm sorry, but this is a phenomenally bad idea for a devoted slacker.

I'm currently doing some substitute teaching, and had to deal with my first real discipline problem today. This is not a task for someone who isn't dedicated to the idea that they are there to provide real service to the students.

 

[Wolfix]

the very nature of work makes it something i don't enjoy. as soon as something becomes an obligation, meaning i have to do it, even if it is something i would otherwise enjoy, makes me not enjoy it.

Dude I know exactly what you mean.

 

[GlassJaw]

I have to admit, though, I'm a bit cuious why you wouldn't rather find a job that you enjoy doing, versus finding a job that you'd rather spend very little time at? There's a lot to be said, self-esteem-wise for having work that you enjoy and getting paid for. I don't know why you'd bother getting a college degree if your "goal" is to just be one step above "bum" in life.

MUCH easier said than done. IMO, if you wait to find a job you really like, you'll be waiting a long time. Now that's not to say it can happen, just not very realistic.

the very nature of work makes it something i don't enjoy

I hear ya. If I had my choice, I wouldn't work at all. Where I'm at now, there are people still working and they are almost 70. I don't get it. Retire as soon as you can. Working blows. Enjoy life.

I treat my job as a job. It's NOT my life. I show up, do my thing, and go home. I don't take my work home with me and I don't take things personally that go on there. Honestly, I don't really care. It's a paycheck. I don't dread getting up every morning but I know that I only do it for the paycheck.

On a semi-tangent, people who talk about their job and work all the time drive me nuts. I rarely ask people about their jobs. One, because I really don't care and two, I think it's really shallow if you define yourself by your job unless it's something creative (musician, artist, etc) or you are bettering someone's life (like a doctor). If you just work for the man and sit in front of a screen all day (like I do), I really don't want to hear about it.

It's also baffles me how people get so upset over their workplace. Some of my friends have literally been in tears because of something that happens at work. It's really not worth it to put yourself through that.

I've had 3 different jobs in about six years (4 if you include selling cars but I don't really count that) and one thing I've learned is that as soon as you don't fear losing your job, the better off you'll be. Big companies and corps don't really care about the worker bees. In most cases, busting your hump for "da man" really won't matter.

Cynical? Perhaps but I like to think of it as just being realistic.

 

[Umbran]

I don't get it. Retire as soon as you can. Working blows. Enjoy life.

Well, while it is easier said than done, that's kind of the point of getting a job you really like. Because then workign doesn't blow. If you love your work, then going to it is enjoying life.

 

[Larcen]

The only way to make a reasonable amount of money while being a slacker in the long run (excepting the few jobs that pay well because they're mind-numbingly dull) is to find something that you're really good at, so your co-workers (or at least your managers) don't realize you're being a slacker when you're accomplishing above-average work while working 8 to 5. Sorry.

Say, you just described my situation. As a programmer, I am routinely given a week or more to write a program that takes me no more than 2 or 3 hours, tops. What do I do the rest of the time? Slack off I guess. I used to surf the web a lot and write emails, but they are cracking down on that sort of thing so I usually do stuff on my Palm Pilot now or read. I saw show up at the office, for appearances sake, at 10-ish or so and leave around 4:30... no clock to punch.

Of course I have been doing it for 15 years now and my work IS good, or so I am told, so I guess they are getting their money's worth. Good money too.

So there you have it, take a programming course and become a programmer! In fact, some companies have Work At Home employees, so you can watch Jerry Springer between typing lines of code.

Good luck!

 

[LiKral]

I'm sorry, but this is a phenomenally bad idea for a devoted slacker.

I'm currently doing some substitute teaching, and had to deal with my first real discipline problem today. This is not a task for someone who isn't dedicated to the idea that they are there to provide real service to the students.

At my school we used to have a substitute teacher who was a tremendous slacker. He just told us to do homework while he read paperback novels. He
didn't care how much the kids shouted and ran around. Yet he kept getting hired. The other substitute teachers made a lot more effort than he did.
They kept order and gave us real lessons. I wonder if it made a difference to them in the long run?

I think that slacking is a state of mind, rather than a particular job.

This so reminds me of the Sims computer games where one of the career options is 'slacker'.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Say, you just described my situation. As a programmer, I am routinely given a week or more to write a program that takes me no more than 2 or 3 hours, tops. What do I do the rest of the time? Slack off I guess. I used to surf the web a lot and write emails, but they are cracking down on that sort of thing so I usually do stuff on my Palm Pilot now or read. I saw show up at the office, for appearances sake, at 10-ish or so and leave around 4:30... no clock to punch.

You are my little brother in five years. I hope. He's in college now.

Interesting thread.

Me, I'm in college. Taking three and a half years to get a "two year degree" which if I had actually taken that course load I probably would have done a lot worse.

Hopefully this semester I'll get into my Bachelors program at UNCC. And then, on to the Master's degree, and then back to school as a history professor.

It's the only thing I'm really good at, school-wise.

 

[1upus]

I think finding the ideal job for a slacker is more a frame of mind thing rather than an actual job. Do what other posters have said and find something you like.

I'll admit, I am a slacker from way back. Don't like to work and rarely do any if I can get away with it. After all, at the moment, I'm playing on the web while at work.

How do I do this? Because I'm Da Man as someone put it earlier on Best way to 'work' as a slacker, is to get others do it for you

ALternately, get a government job, preferably in admin, where you get to push paper around all day and look busy while actually doing nothing

Lupus