Being an employee in the corporate world - Is it for everyone?

well i quite enjoy what I do,

and I am rewarded for what I do which is all I can really ask for at this point of my life.

working in the corporate world also gives you some brownie points with the ladies (especially in finance) so I think you are living a life most people dream about.

Out of curiosity, what sort of work are you doing?

finance related? (10x better than accounting by the way)

 

I've worked in many "small" companies, I've consulted (so seen 10x as many workplaces as I would otherwise), and worked in 3 fortune 500's. There's almost no industry I havn't touched.

What I've determined is the people your work with are 90% of your job satisfaction. First, you gotta have a boss where there is mutual respect between you. Second, your co-workers mostly have to be people you can easily get a long with and a few that you actually enjoying hanging out with. (There are ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS 1-3 pricks. Beleive me, that's constant). Not "friends" per se but largely people you can have some fun with.

In a 2 words = company culture.

If you don't enjoy the people you work with, then it'll be miserable. That's my experience.

In your case, it sounds like you have a goal in mind to get your masters. So stick with your plan.

Then the next job you get, be sure you focus on companies where you can fit into the culture.

 

I'm planning on saving up for an easy to maintain van converted with a bed and a few other ammenities to travel full-time throughout the us and beyond.(not joking) Fiancee doesn't want to do it, but I 'm going with or without her. Would get part-time jobs wherever the wind took me to pay for absolute needs and gas. I'm not even in the "corporate world" and I want off the grid!

When I look back at my life so far (24) I don't feel like I have experienced anything. I feel sheltered and haven't seen or experienced anything this beautiful home of ours has to offer. I don't want that to be the case in my final hours. I don't want to work for a year just to have 2 week vacation. I want to live on vacation.

"I want to trade being plugged in to society for truly being connected to life; the talking of someday dreams for the living of the fortune of today’s hours and minutes"
"I want to trade the world of insatiable wants perceived as needs for one of few needs and fewer wants. Give me fresh air and free time, and I’m pretty much satisfied."http://www.vandweller.org/thetrade.htm

Those quotes resonate a primal, yearning for nature chill that I can't ignore.
I've tried to accept working for a car, a mortgage, a retirement, but I can't, the urge to live my life the way I feel it needs to be lived comes back to me everyday.

I like you don't want a set schedule! As a matter of a fact I don't wanna have to do anything that isn't necessary for self sustinence. It makes me depressed. I get sick alot when I have a job because of the ****ty state of mind I am always in. And truthfully I like being alone, I don't like people all that much. I feel a much more genuine connection with animals than I do with the people in my life.

I sure do love me some basketball though

 

Part of growing up is realizing that you aren't special. You aren't meant for great things. Your life will be ordinary. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is what it is. Your life is what you make of it.

 

This sounds like its straight out of Chis Rock's I think i love my wife, funny movie.

 

Yeah, if you feel that way I think you are making the right decisions. It doesn't sound like you expect your fiancee to go along with it, and that's probably a good assumption. MOST women look to a man for security.

I'm very happy in the corporate world for a couple of reasons:
- I consider myself well-paid.
- My boss and co-workers are great.
- I get satisfaction from working and completing my assigned tasks (I'm a programmer)

That being said, I'm 34 and not in the rat race. I have no debt and no desire to fight to move up in the company. All I want to do is work my 40, go home, practice golf and get better at that.

I have a goal of becoming a scratch golfer or better, so that drives me. (Yes, I'm married but we're DINKs)

 

if you really want to do that, wtf are you getting married for?

 

Not everyone is an employee in the corporate world, ergo it is not for everyone.

 

Ditto that, including the golf thing. I'm trying to get to bogey golf -- by year end. however I haven't exactly given up the race to the top in case it gets me to early retirement faster and allows me better rockets season tixs.

 

Obviously, it's NOT for everyone since there are more people not working for corporations than people who are.

I have ZERO interest in working for a big company.

 

No, the corporate world is not for everyone. It's definitely not for me. That's why I teach. I love the education system, at whatever grade level; that is my territory and the kind of system and schedule where I feel at home. Also comes with a lot more vacation time than most jobs. If I couldn't be teaching, my choices would be: nonprofit type job e.g. church music, doing university-based medical research (which I have actually done), or college staff positions. Some of those don't have the great vacation time, but at least they tend to be more flexible and not corporate in lifestyle. I can't manage to be fake and political enough for the office. No offense to those of you who are; it's a great talent and one I wish I had in case I needed it in an emergency, and you will make a lot more money that way.

jcee15, I actually like your idea because at least you will get to see the world and be free. There might be women who would go along with that and do it with you if they were also sick of the corporate world. The only thing that would keep me from doing something like that is the lack of insurance benefits; I'm a cautious person and feel like I should have something set up for myself in case anything happens. Of course, there are cheaper policies that some people buy for themselves. But you're exactly right about why do people work all year for a two-week vacation, or live their lives without actually seeing anything.

There are people who live in the country and small towns and do whatever work is available. It might not pay as much or be the same job you're used to, but many people prefer it because you get to go home to a more pleasant place with fresh air. There is definitely more to life than corporate culture.

 

I want off the grid. I want to be unplugged. I want to wander the world and get into adventures, like Caine in Kung Fu.

I want some post-apocalyptic life where I don't have to think about insurance, a 401(K), benefits, or anything of the sort. There can even be zombies and/or motorcycle gangs.

Life seems so tedious and boring....like its slowly sucking away my soul.

Needless to say, corporate life is NOT for me. The second I'm done with nursing school, I'm out of here.

 

There is definitely gonna be a fork in the road in the near future. Plus I have done it once already when she was just my GF. In fact I went with a member of this board. We ran outta money in San Antonio (we had like 50 bucks) and managed to steal gas all the way to Vegas in 2 cars!! Not condoning stealing gas nor will that be part of my future strategy, but she knows I wanna do this. She just tells me to be realistic and that you can't travel without money. I do love her though, wish she would join me, but she is going to law school in the fall and that's totally opposite of the way I'm headed.

 

The way I feel about that is I'd rather die in 20 years doing what I wanted to rather than dying 50 years from now wishing I had done what I wanted to do.
1 shot at life is all i get.

 

Personally I can't deal with schedules anymore. Monotony. It drives me crazy. I fear it. What kind of jobs are there that would allow me to do assignments, projects, etc... by a deadline. Thats the job. Do something by a certain time. But I am free to come and go and work on it as I please. Is there anything like that out there?

Going to work the same time everyday. Eating the same few lunches. Having a routine. It could drive a man insane.

 

I actually have the best of both worlds. I have all the freedom when it comes to planning and determining how I'll complete my assignments. My company is so lenient it's unbelievable when it comes to this. There's always work that needs to be done so I never have time to sit idle. I prefer it this way because it makes the day go by so fast.

I am free to come and go as I please as long as I complete 40 billable hours. But even though I'm on salary, I get paid OT, which is unheard of. I have meetings all the time and I get new assignments and projects a few times a week. I still have my deadlines to meet, but nobody is watching over me bossing me around. I also receive outstanding benefits. Believe me when I say not all people in the corporate world have it all that bad. In fact, I can't see myself in any other position at this point in my career. And I can't complain about the salary either.

I'm an accountant by the way, where routine is life.

 

Lots of jobs now are project driven. Auditors, consultants, and business analysts just to name a few.

I'm a IT consultant and I love my job so far. Different projects bring on different challenges. And I get to go into different fields and learn new things everyday. It can be tiring sometimes, I just worked 80 hours last week, including an all-nighters. But the work is very rewarding for the most part. Plus you get paid overtime for most of those jobs, so you can pull in more than the normal 9 to 5 jobs.

 

NSFW - language

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freelance.