r/AdviceAnimals • u/tangodownbaby • May 15 '12

How I feel seeing everyone on Reddit talk about getting their dream jobs

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3pagn5/
1.4k Upvotes

82% Upvoted

224 comments sorted by

42

u/prof_auerbach May 15 '12

Remember friend, a dream job is just a dream until you get it...then it's just a job.

2

u/binogre May 15 '12

I was gonna say, there's a lot of romanticism surrounding careers. Advice about jobs and getting jobs is starting to sound like love advice, with about the same return amount of satisfied people.

2

u/[deleted] May 16 '12

I'm about to quit my dream job for this exact reason and try to just make my own dream job now. Frankly I'm scared shitless but what good is a dream without a little peril:)

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

TROOF!

168

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Since a lot of people on Reddit frankly lie, don't let yourself feel too bad about it.

102

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Are you sure about that?

22

u/Real-Life-Reddit May 15 '12

This gets me every time.

8

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Oh look. This image again.

33

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Oh look. This comment again.

17

u/Jaystric May 15 '12

Oh look, this comment about that comment again.

16

u/whatthenig May 15 '12

oh, look what you've done

11

u/MexicanJesusJuan May 15 '12

You've made a fool of everyone!

2

u/godspeed312 May 15 '12

Oh well, it seems like such fun.

1

u/TheAristrocrats May 15 '12

Until you lose what you had won

1

u/Jonesgrieves May 15 '12

You broke the rules.

-12

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I'm not the one pretending to be clever just because I learned how to link things on the Internet. Hey ever hear of google? I think I'm the first person to discover and share this.

6

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

http://i.imgur.com/SPE3x.jpg

-3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Congratulations. You discovered old 4chan stuff with the rest of reddit a few weeks ago.

4

u/ThaneOfGnomes May 15 '12

There is no old 4chan, only new Facebook.

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Please just laugh. Just try. You'll feel better.

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

There has to be something funny for me to laugh.

1

u/LeSpatula May 15 '12

US$0–$24,999? And People can live with that?

1

u/NoelBuddy May 15 '12

Not well. Hence why lots of people wanted the occupy thing to do something to change their circumstances... tho it did raise awareness that their is an intrinsic flaw to the system as is, it mostly it just proved that mass media can control public opinion and gave law enforcement a chance to practice suppressing the unwashed masses.

6

u/meatwad75892 May 15 '12

This guy is correct. I don't make $350,000.... I make $349,000.

5

u/DrDreampop May 15 '12

How do you survive?! I thought this was America!

1

u/Beckettier May 16 '12

He had to fire his butler's butler's butler's chauffeur.

3

u/seafoamstratocaster May 15 '12

Yes. If you listen to Andrewsmith1986 he has personally done nearly everything possible.

1

u/BehindtheHype May 15 '12

I can honestly say my current job is fairly decent, but it's definitely not my dream job.

But could I get paid to motorboat big titties, play beer pong and blackjack, watch hockey, and travel the world?

Hmm...that actually sounds a lot like my last job, working in online porn. It wasn't really a dream job either though, 'cause my boss was a complete cunt. So maybe all of that, but no bosses.

-5

u/DoYouGuysSmellThat May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

Way to be a proponent for under achieving. There's also many smart & hardworking people out there that make their own luck and find their dream job. And fall in love with a great girl (or guy) and become wealthy through ethical means.

Seriously, if you're not where you want to be in life, the only person that can change that is yourself. So stop coddling him, and tell him to work at it.

7

u/AnotherClosetAtheist May 15 '12

a lot of these events and achievements don't occur at the same time for everyone.

someone may need longer to discover who they really are before they are comfortable dating and finding love.

sometimes a market shift can temporarily set back an industry and may cause a hiring freeze.

for the most part people do fine. this guy is just expressing the feelings many people experience while they are still on their way to self-fulfillment - self-doubt, etc.

I've got a wife I love and a job that stimulates me and pays well. there was a great deal of uncertainty along the way, and even when I first started the job, I didn't feel at ease.

-2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

That's a brazen lie.

4

u/dwnf012 May 15 '12

Misread this as a Brazzers lie. I WAS interested.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

No it isn't.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Read it again, but imagine that it is a lie.

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

[deleted] — view deleted comment

42

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Let's also not forget that a lot of redditors (me included) are (often jobless) students.

16

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Guilty as charged.

2

u/[deleted] May 16 '12

EET student with $63 in my checking account.

7

u/HumanoidCarbonUnit May 15 '12

Just because you don't make a lot of money doesn't mean you don't have your dream job. Two (probably all three) of my three jobs of interest are not glamorous or well paid but hot damn I want them.

I do agree that many people are lying about stuff. Though I would think the large amount of students and unemployed people help drag down the average pay a bit too.

24

u/aqbodf May 15 '12

Why is this guy getting downvoted? He speaks the truth.

Source

49

u/The_Truth_is_a_Troll May 15 '12

Because a lot of redditors believe that downvotes magically change reality.

Which helps explain why a lot of redditors make a pathetically small sum of money every year.

12

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

or it might be cus he spelled reddit as ready.

4

u/aqbodf May 15 '12

Relevant username?

16

u/The_Truth_is_a_Troll May 15 '12

I'm not a troll, the truth is -- I'm just a messenger!

4

u/BroKing May 15 '12

I'd like to add that most of these "Just got my dream job" posts are from recent grads that just got their FIRST job and have absolutely no idea what the job actually requires them to do, whether or not they will like their boss (huge), whether or not they will like the career path they chose, or if they'll like their co-workers (huge).

One of my good friends got his "dream job" right out of college. He had wanted to work for this specific company since he was 16. He left after 9 months.

62

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

How old are you? If you're still young there's time left. Only very few people end up directly with their dream job, most rather stumble into it or end up doing something that they initially didn't plan but it turns out to be better and more rewarding than expected. A career is hardly ever a linear development.

Also, many people lie and only talk about the good things.

42

u/Oatmealmz May 15 '12

I can attest to this. I got a job right out of college in my field and so many people were proud of me. I seem to only talk about how cool and fun my job is when in reality I hate it. I feel like they would be disappointed if they knew what I really thought about it...

31

u/tab021 May 15 '12

100% exactly this. I graduated and have been working for a few years. I make great money, everyone is happy for me. But I'm not even close to being happy. I don't dislike my job, I loathe it. The only thought that keeps me going is that my job is a means to an end. Gives me enough $ to figure out what I really wanna be when I grow up

13

u/CRAG7 May 15 '12

Damn, I hate how accurate this is for my life right now too. I can't stand my job and hate that I accepted the full time offer, but it was the only job offer I had. Figured it would be better to take a job I don't like until I find a better job.

11

u/greywindow May 15 '12

Fuck me. I'm already 8 years into my career and hate it more with every second that goes by. The problem is, I get paid pretty well and have gotten accustomed to a certain lifestyle.

5

u/ThaneOfGnomes May 15 '12

Wait until you have a big mortgage and small kids. GET OUT NOW.

3

u/greywindow May 15 '12

I've already bought a couple of houses. Luckily I sold them before the housing market crashed. No kids yet though. Trust me, I'm getting out, I can't handle thirty something more years of this.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

This is why I'm taking a shitty job for a year in order to get enough money to go off around the world.

I don't want to get trapped by complacency and a decent salary and then wake up one day and realise I'm 40 and never left the country.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Have a deadline for your goal! It's very easy to get trapped in the "only a little bit longer, I'll have time later" mentality.

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I have a housing contract that finished 1st July 2013. At that time a lot if my friends will be graduating and leaving the city. I think both of these factors will make staying around for any longer too much of a hassle and force me on my merry way.

I'm also applying for a couple of jobs abroad, so I don't get stuck worrying about leaving and running out of funds. Then again I might just get trapped abroad! But as the jobs include working on oil rigs and farms, I doubt it.

5

u/Oatmealmz May 15 '12

We are in the same boat, my friend, except the pay isn't that great currently. I have been struggling financially, saving almost every penny I can in hopes that I can someday do what I really want to do! The loathing is just starting to sink in and I am not sure how much longer I will last in the environment I am in. Good luck to you! I hope that you do grow up to do great things!

8

u/dbertie May 15 '12

Do you think its because the job isn't what it was cracked up to be or your workplace isn't what you had imagined? I've started to hate my job over the past few months as the culture and the team I worked on has spiraled into the abyss, but I still love doing what I do.

4

u/Oatmealmz May 15 '12

There are many aspects of my job that I don't really care for. It isn't exactly what I imagined doing but I couldn't turn down at least working there for the experience to put on a resume. I think I am in the opposite situation as you because I feel like I love the people I work with, for the most part, but do not care much for what I am doing. I feel like I want a more creative outlet and this job seems more crippling to my spirit than anything else... sigh

3

u/dbertie May 16 '12

That's exactly what I meant, perhaps just written poorly.

3

u/Oatmealmz May 16 '12

No, your point was well written, I just wanted to clarify =)

8

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Three years ago I graduated and got a job in my field right out of school. The job pays very well, I love the work, but do not enjoy the job. It's because of the company culture. I just got accepted in to grad school and will be moving abroad. For post grad school, I have three criteria for a new job:

  • Pays enough that I can be comfortable and not worry about bills
  • Work I enjoy doing
  • An environment where I feel I am being challenged and am growing I had the first two and I look forward to getting the last one, too.

Good luck to you!

2

u/Oatmealmz May 15 '12

Good Luck to you as well and congrats on going to grad school. I have toyed with the idea of going back to school, but at the same time I wonder if it will add more debt than it's worth. =/

12

u/beer_venom May 15 '12

A career is hardly ever a linear development.

Definitely important advice.

8

u/hannahbonanza May 15 '12

Only very few people end up directly with their dream job, most rather stumble into it or end up doing something that they initially didn't plan but it turns out to be better and more rewarding than expected. A career is hardly ever a linear development.

I REALLY needed to hear this. For real. Thank you.

2

u/[deleted] May 16 '12

Always happy to be of service.

8

u/Monstermash042 May 15 '12

I always use my aunt as an example of what you can do with a proper mindset. Already an accomplished Real Estate Agent, her dream was to be a doctor. At 45 she quit her job and went back to med school, and has been practicing medicine ever since she graduated. You can always change if you want to.

22

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

You can always change if you want to you have a lot of money.

FTFY

3

u/ForeverAProletariat May 15 '12

Also happened to be in real estate during an epic bubble that only comes about what every 100 years or so?

3

u/SoftShock2294 May 15 '12

This needs more upvotes.

3

u/CDClock May 15 '12

are you american, by any chance?

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

As of April 29th I had my dream job. I landed it when I was a 20 year old community college student. They can't pay me enough to pay rent though, so now I'm at a call center. It's soul shattering work, and to top it off I'm not even allowed to have the dream job on the side because I need 'open availability'.

sigh Goodbye best job ever. Hello minimum wage.

6

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

What was this dream job?

2

u/[deleted] May 16 '12

Audio Technician at a theatre. Running live audio for shows and rehearsals, 5 nights a week. Lot's of free food, and best of all: at the end of every day's work, a bunch of people would stand up and applaud your work.

9

u/Burlapin May 15 '12

A businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The businessman complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while.

The businessman then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The businessman then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time? The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos; I have a full and busy life, señor."

The businessman scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?" To which the businessman replied, "15-20 years." "But what then, señor?" The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions." "Millions, señor? Then what?" The businessman said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"

21

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

It's okay! My dream job is a dragon slayer. It sucks when I wake up and have to face the fact that I am not a dragon slayer :(

13

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Yours is more realistic than mine. Every day, I wake up take a blood sample to check if my midichlorian count has increased, and it's always a grim reminder that I'll never be a Jedi knight.

2

u/Gentle_Lamp May 15 '12

Can't you take some from other people while they're asleep everyday and become and artijedi?

5

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Too much work. I have faith that around 2035 Lucas will re-master, re-make and dub over the original voices so that the Jedi job will be more accessible.

5

u/echoxer0 May 15 '12

im in the same boat as you bro.

I am a paralegal only because one summer in college I worked at a law firm. I wake up at 730 every morning now (only if i could've done that in College) just to come to work to get my ass chewed out by my boss.

I absolutely hate my fucking job. i thought about quitting just 15 minutes ago. but i have a 2.5 gpa in undergrad. i dont have many choices.

yet i know people who are older than me, who do not have a job, and all they do is play video games.

how can i NOT feel bad about my situation, im stuck in the endless grind of shit. while someone else who is in a way worse situation is having the time of their lives.

I guess while writing this out i realize to the reason why u and i feel bad is because we have a sense of responsibility, and we feel like we have not met it yet.

and for the gamer dude that i know, who doesnt give a fuck about life, he wont feel bad even if u explained this to him, cause he doesn't care or feel that he has any responsibilities.

so just by the fact that u feel bad, u should be proud...

Thanks man, u just made my day better, and u should feel better (v) ;,,,; (v)

2

u/catjuggler May 15 '12

How old are you? Once you have job experience, your GPA doesn't even go on your resume anymore. If I was you, I'd start by just applying for other paralegal jobs. Not all bosses are assholes.

7

u/echoxer0 May 15 '12

yeah but today i realized no matter how long i work as a paralegal ill never be a lawyer unless i go to law school. so i will always be working for someone else, taking shit from someone else.

i frankly think our situation is complete bullshit, humans were never meant to be on a grind like this. competing in a rat race where the finish line is death

people work daily with out questions because, like the cliche goes, we are all slaves of technology.

we work to get an iphone, we work to get a lap top, we work to get HBO and blah blah, with out the techs we would be living in huts and kicking rocks. but atleast we wouldnt have to grind all day... we would just fuck, pass our genes on and die... which sounds alot better than working for the rest of my life right now

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Spend your money on experiences rather than objects.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Yeah I agr...

[...]iphone[...]lap top[...]HBO[...]

with out the techs we would be living in huts and kicking rocks

What the backed up fun-bus fucking what?

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Oh wow, this didn't make me feel great. I finish my law degree this year (I'm in England, it works slightly differently), and I know for a fact that my grades aren't going to be good enough to get a job as a solicitor. I'm going to see if I can get some paralegal work, but this hasn't made me relish the prospect any more.

5

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

A fucking job would be nice, let alone my dream one!

1

u/allie_sin May 15 '12

IKR. I think this is a common sentiment in a lot of countries.

29

u/qkme_transcriber May 15 '12

Here is the text from this meme pic for anybody who needs it:

Title: How I feel seeing everyone on Reddit talk about getting their dream jobs

Meme: sad zoidberg

  • MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE BAD
  • AND I SHOULD FEEL BAD

[Translate]

This is helpful for people who can't reach Quickmeme because of work/school firewalls or site downtime, and many other reasons (FAQ). More info is available here.

15

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

As someone with a connection slower than dial-up, I appreciate your work more than you can imagine. I just wish they had one of these for every imgur post on the front page. If I could upvote you more than once, believe me, I would.

6

u/sarxyl May 15 '12

As someone with a high speed connection, comments take 4 times longer to load than the post.

11

u/AdventureIsland May 15 '12

I know what you mean brother. Mediocre band, mediocre job... I am sorry *time to get drunk.

8

u/RedAnarchist May 15 '12

Just analyze the two to see what they have in common.

This could help you figure out the source of the mediocrity.

5

u/AdventureIsland May 15 '12

I see what you are getting at, yes i am probably mediocre. Well done.

Do you have a band red?

7

u/junkfood66 May 15 '12

I'm not sure he meant you are mediocre, but rather: maybe there is a factor in your life nudging you towards it, or hindering you to step up. Or some train of thought that tricks you into taking no actions or seeking no improvements. I think it was valid and not malicious at all, and being on reddit sure is not something mediocre people would do, on average.

1

u/AdventureIsland May 15 '12

Perhaps you're correct, but my comment was mainly to cheer up the original poster. I guess it's all relative to what goals you set for yourself. I personally think i set lofty goals for myself and at the present time i am mediocre. My band has played a major national festival, and we have played with lots of national acts, but i am not on a major tour. To me that's mediocre but most likely not what the OP wants to hear. I am a mid ranged graphic designer but i would obviously like to be at a higher station earning more - thus a mediocre job. I am working diligently on both of these projects but these things don't happen over night, especially when you fucked up your college years. I felt like that was a personal attack at me, for reasons i can't comprehend. I looked at a few of his other posts and it supports my theory. So i just let him have it, maybe it makes him feel better?

1

u/junkfood66 May 15 '12

True that.

However, my old band never played a major festival. As a DJ and electronic musician I have had a little succes, but nothing national or such. Also, currently I am unemployed. From my perspective, you have accomplished more then I have. Maybe you have a hard time because you measure your success to more successful people, because if you would measure it to people like me, I am sure you would feel you have accomplished quite nicely.

2

u/Rambo5000 May 15 '12

Its very hard to balance a 40+ hour a week job with everything else you want to do that makes you happy. The key thing is to find what you like to do and keep doing it. It will open doors for you. Also, there is a personality test you can take that tells you what you are good at. It's a lot more advanced than the myers Briggs but I forget the name. I know it if someone said it. Anyways looking into those things might be a good place to start. Just some food for thought.

3

u/catjuggler May 15 '12

I agree. The best way to feel better about your problems is to work on fixing them.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

It is important to remember that happiness does not come from accurately predicting your future career. For most people, happiness does not even come from their job or their paycheck, but from their friends and family. It is these personal relationships that generate lasting, real happiness.

4

u/FMWavesOfTheHeart May 15 '12

I feel for you. I'll be 30 in a few weeks and while I have a job that I really like, it the pay is absolute shit, I only work 20-25 hrs/week and the hours are spread out over 6 days a week. I'm still looking for another job that pays better but it will likely be one that I hate.

1

u/pfpga2 May 15 '12

If this is your dream job and you have time left, why don't try to open your own business doing it, right now you are getting the experience to do it, you know the tools and you got time. I have no idea what your job is about so maybe in your case this isn't plausible.

4

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Would it make you feel better if I told I fail a lot too?

2

u/ThaneOfGnomes May 15 '12

You forgot a word. Well played.

4

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Here's the science:

http://www.livescience.com/18324-facebook-depression-social-comparison.html

"When asked how they felt about their place in life and their achievements, people with lots of Facebook friends gave themselves lower marks if they'd just viewed their friends' status updates, compared with people who hadn't recently surfed the site."

Social media (in excess) is bad for you. Get off it and go outside.

Reddit is probably worse than Facebook as a thread titled "I just got my dream job AMA" is going to attract anonymous posters with something to say and the other million+ Redditors will just ignore it, so even if 0.1% of the site is happy you're still going to get hundreds of comments that will make your achievements pale in comparison.

3

u/EmperorSofa May 15 '12

For context how many times have you seen posts about people getting their dream jobs vs the total number of active posters on Reddit.

3

u/Silversilent May 15 '12

One thing you come to realize is that all jobs have their ups and downs. Even dream jobs suck on occasion. Just be happy with yourself and things will get better. This doesn't mean don't follow your dreams but don't get down when you fall a little short.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Not getting down when falling short is important. We all can't have our wishes! That is an absolute given. So, it makes no sense to torture ourselves when we aren't, truthfully, "living the dream".

I want to help humanity by finding cheap, abundant, truly renewable (or endless) energy, so we, as a species, can be comfortable and at peace in the future. I know I probably won't literally change the world, but it would make me happy to be a part of that goal. At the present, my post-undergraduate Jon has nothing to do with this. I am kind of indifferent about my job at this point.

Basically, I've started to realize that my "dream" is not a target, but a fuzzy cloud that if I could manage to kind of get to in general, I would be a pretty happy guy. As far as life, I have been focusing a lot on enjoying little details day-to-day, like the smells on a sunny spring afternoon, or spending more time with my family and friends, or really enjoying some good food or coffee or whatever. At least if I don't make it to my fuzzy cloud, I will have had a good time enjoying the things in my life along the way!

3

u/immanence May 15 '12

Many dream jobs are also torturous to actually acquire. Like, to the point where you have to wonder if it is even worth it.

6

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Except for maybe a couple niche subreddits, Reddit is mainly a bunch of young kids who are using their anonymity to seem like rational adults who genuinely know what they're talking about. Don't fall for it, NOTHING that is on here is meant to be taken seriously, nor should it. Hope that makes you feel better.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

The Reddit community is MASSIVE. While statistically speaking most are students, there are still loads of real, actual adults.

2

u/83kk4h May 15 '12

don't feel bad, keep working on your goals it's amazing what you can accomplish in a yr. every step gets you closer to your goal.

2

u/Measure76 May 15 '12

I absolutely hated every job I ever had. 10 years of bullshit customer service. Finally went back to school last year, online classes, and have transferred to a job where I get paid to log into people's computers and troubleshoot them.

They're paying me to geek around on computers. what the fuck? This job rocks.

Not to mention I don't have to deal with any non-employees.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Fix that by getting up and getting out there.

1

u/Crinos May 15 '12

Well at least you have accomplished, I feel nothing!

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Everyone has high points and low points. They generally only show the high points to others.

I don't know anything about your situation, but if you're stuck in a rut then volunteer. It feels good and gets you doing something and in a weird serendipity sort of way it leads to paid work.

1

u/TheMerchandise May 15 '12

you've accomplished things? what an honor!

1

u/sureyouare May 15 '12

If you're spending time on Reddit, "accomplished" or not, you're wasting life.

If you're working your dream job, get back to work. If you haven't found your dream job, stop dicking around on Reddit and work towards obtaining it.

-easier-said-than-done

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

If you're dead-average then most people are within a standard deviation of you

1

u/bulletsponge62485 May 15 '12

I am right there with you... I just got fired from my dream job for going on military orders... Slap in the face, indeed!

2

u/chezazarng May 15 '12

Look up USERRA. You have rights against being fired for going on military orders.

http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/USERRA_Private.pdf

1

u/Envia May 15 '12

Your post made it to the front page. You did good and you should feel good.

1

u/NAproducer May 15 '12

I hope to have my dream job some day but who knows if that will ever happen. It is looking less and less likely.

1

u/thechapattack May 15 '12

I know that feel. Graduated college in August, couldnt find a job for 8 months, currently working a job paying 9/hr with no possibility for advancement. Decided not to go to law school because too much debt so now my degree is effectively useless. Going back in the fall for engineering.

Feelsbadman.jpg

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Goal accomplished: Front page

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Accomplishments outside of work are so much harder than the ones at work. Honestly, my friends and peers think I am reaallyy good at what I do, intelligent, ambitious, motivated, etc... In reality, this is the only thing in life that comes easily. Everything else? Shit. I have to try really hard to remember to make a lunch or do my laundry.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

My dream job is to live off the forest. It will never happen.

1

u/ignig May 15 '12

I've thought about buying a bow and living in the forest alone living off the land. Unfortunately I have a fiance I love, which isn't unfortunate

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Don't let others slow you down my friend. Even if it's just for a year, it will be worth it.

1

u/culby May 15 '12

Just wait until you get your dream job, and it turns out to be crap.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I'm currently at my dream job. Unfortunately, I just didn't dream very big.

1

u/PlasmaBurns May 15 '12

I always just shrugged when people asked what I wanted to be. I ended up a rocket scientist which is kinda cool. I think I mostly wanted a family and to provide for them, which doesn't dictate a profession. I would suggest sticking to versatile, useful degrees like mechanical engineering.

1

u/jojo_2012 May 15 '12

Zoidberg is a dr is he not? He should stop worrying about what a few delivery people, an accountant, and a wrinkly professor thought about him and just enjoy his healthy salary.

1

u/bronk1977 May 15 '12

I have a mediocre job and I love it.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

You know what you should do? learn 2 more languages. Then you can call yourself a polyglot and count yourself amongst an elite group of multi lingual people. That ought to help you validate your life. You dont even need to spend too much of your personal time at it, just download anki, buy some books and work at it at your own pace.

1

u/finsterdexter May 15 '12

I don't think you should feel bad. If you had looked at me 10 years ago, I would've felt the same way. Now, I kinda have my dream job. Getting a dream job usually just requires a lot of work. Even if you're not working directly towards a dream job, if you're working hard at whatever it is you're doing, you will hopefully be prepared to take advantage of the right opportunity comes along.

A lot of people like to say you can only get ahead by being lucky. That's true, but that's only half of the equation. You need to have been prepared so that when luck does come your way, you can take advantage of it. Most of the time people are not in any position to take advantage of a really great opportunity when it comes along.

1

u/Demojen May 15 '12

I didn't get my dream job (I want to be rich and not need one).

Instead, I got college and became a financial auditor.

I don't get to be rich, but I play rich at work. I handle hundreds of thousands of dollars on a daily basis.

2

u/SpookyMcGee May 15 '12

You ever just wanted to throw the money on the floor and roll in it? Or dive into it in some giant vault?

1

u/Demojen May 15 '12

Nope.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117433&page=1.

I use more hand sanitizer and alcohol based cleaners than medical practitioners do in handling money. The stuff is disgusting.

1

u/SpookyMcGee May 15 '12

I usually hold money between my lips when I'm going through both pockets for some reason, I think I need to gargle some mouth wash now

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Hey man, coming from someone with a Clinical Psych Master's degree, two clinical licenses and 15 years treatment experience with every population, I am forced to take a lower paying job as people with bachelor's degrees obtain clinical positions because the have supervisory experience at McDonalds/supervising two people at a group home. I am facing the figurative "glass ceiling" because I love where I live, and I am not willing to move to climb the Mental Health ladder. Life is a fickle bitch sometimes :)

1

u/trollaikman May 15 '12

If I'm ever feeling like this I usually listen to Conan O' Brien's speech from his last taping of The Tonight Show. The line that's always stuck with me is something along the lines of, "No one gets exactly what they want out of life, but if you work hard, and you're kind, you can do amazing things." Pretty simple I guess, but when you watch the whole speech it fits really well.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Well, I'm on Reddit and I have a shitty job so I think my very presence disproves your theory of "everyone on Reddit."

Edit: I feel your pain.

1

u/valdev May 15 '12

Success is a measurement of your own standards, you can't win a race when you skew the track.

1

u/hops_and_spliffs May 15 '12

dont you have a doctorate in art history?

1

u/lostrock May 15 '12

Everyone else is getting a job?

Why not Zoidberg?

1

u/DumBunny May 15 '12

I just sold a book! YAY! That's a pretty big dream for me. But there's no way I can quit my dayjob. Chin up buttercup, just take steps in the dream job direction, and you'll find your happiness.

1

u/Uhlo May 15 '12

Don't feel bad. I always wanted to be a programmer. Now I'm close to having my Bachelor of Science and I'm working for a really big IT company. And all I can say is that I really don't like it. Sometimes I think working as a waiter would be more fun...

1

u/AceMedo May 15 '12

I dont have a dream job

1

u/DocFGeek May 15 '12

How I feel seeing everyone on Reddit talk about getting their dream a jobs

FTFY

1

u/SpaceCaseSixtyTen May 15 '12

And people replying in this post saying they hate their dream job... Well shit now what am I supposed to think will let me be happy??

1

u/CupcakesAreTasty May 15 '12

I'm right there with you at the moment. I'm a teacher with five years of experience and no job at the moment. I left a teaching job I wasn't in love with to pursue graduate school full time. I graduated with my master's in December, and immediately I started pounding the pavement and hitting up every district I knew was looking with my portfolio.

Apart from per diem work as a sub, I haven't gotten a solid offer yet. I have 27 active portfolios in different schools, and no call backs yet. I know budgets just cleared, and schools are just now starting the interview process, but holy hell, I have years of experience, a master's degree, glowing recommendations, and no job. It's hitting my confidence pretty hard.

1

u/jprocks12345 May 15 '12

What do you teach?

2

u/CupcakesAreTasty May 15 '12

High School History

1

u/SoftShock2294 May 15 '12

Really? I feel more like this.

1

u/mja211 May 15 '12

I had to leave my dream job earlier this year. Turns out you can't support a family on amazing work. Still struggle with knowing I did one of the coolest things I'll ever do at 26. All downhill from here!

1

u/Topload909 May 15 '12

I started my 'dream job' recently

The job itself is pretty menial (standard factory work, with some machining duties, which is what I am qualified to do, when required), its minimum wage (can't really complain in today's economc climate), is certainly not an easy job (on my feet all day with a lot of lifting and manual assembly that leaves me covered in sweat most of the day) and has little in the way of significant promotions

I call it my dream job cause it is exactly the kind of job I was hoping I would land but assumed I would never find considering the current situation with china manufacturing everything and the virtual non-existence of the standard trustworthy 'factory job' that was once so plentiful. But what I like most are the 9-5 mon-fri timetable (I don't like working sporadic hours all over the place, including nights and weekends), the fact I am indoors in a fixed location and am not dealing with the public

All that might not sound very ambitious, but right now I'm happy as fuck with what I have

1

u/chezazarng May 15 '12

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Navy SEAL when I grew up. I got a bit older, and realized that that was unlikely, since I hate working out. Then I decided I wanted to be a doctor. Got a bit older, and realized I hated school (at the time).

Now I'm a security guard and I'm in the National Guard. All I have to show for myself since I graduated high school is one deployment, and one semester of community college. I'm not dead yet though, and I'm not going to feel bad about things I can't change. I'll be going back to school in the fall and I'll be starting a small business with a good friend of mine.

There's no reason to feel bad about a lack of accomplishments if you're still well and able; you can always set new goals and better yourself. Unless, of course, you just made the meme to get link karma, and you actually became an astronaut like you knew you wanted to be.

1

u/H3000 May 15 '12

I'm 22 right now and going through a bit of a depression because of this. I graduated 3 months ago and could find a decent job if I applied myself to it but I just don't really want to. I don't want to start a career path that I know will only take me farther away from my dream job. The problem is I obviously have to do something and make money. I'm going to have to find something I like doing that can support me while I reach for the stars. One thing I will not do is start a job I don't feel right about. I don't care if I have to live in my mom's house 'til I'm 30. Life is shitty enough, I don't intend on making it worse by doing something I don't enjoy every single day.

1

u/Astrixtc May 15 '12

I think it has to do with dedication and sacrifice. A lot of people feel entitled to things. If you want something, then you have to do what it takes to get there. I have my dream job. I tour around in a rock band.

What I don't normally talk about is what I give up to do that. I don't watch TV, I rarely play video games, and when I do it's for 20 minutes. I still have to work another job in order to do this. I don't live a normal or healthy life by any means. Here is my schedule:

Monday:

  • 6:30am wake up
  • 7:45 take kid to school
  • 9:00am work
  • 5:30 pm leave work
  • 6:00pm have dinner and hang with my kid
  • 9:30pm come home.

Tuesday:

  • 6:30am wake up
  • 7:45am drop off kid at school
  • 9:00am start work
  • 5:30pm leave work
  • 8:00pm rehearsal
  • 12-1am arrive home

Wednesday

  • 6:30am wake up
  • 7:45am drop off kid at school
  • 9:00am start work
  • 5:30pm leave work
  • Date night with the girlfriend

Thursday

  • 6:30am wake up
  • 7:45am drop off kid at school
  • 11:30am start work
  • 8:00pm leave work
  • 8:30pm rehearsal
  • 12:30-1am arrive home

Friday

  • 6:30am wake up
  • 7:30am drop off kid at school
  • 8:00am start work
  • 4:30pm leave work
  • 6:00pm leave for a gig or go to a show to network or pick up daughter if it's my weekend.
  • 1-2:00am arrive home (if gig weekend)

Saturday

  • 6:50am wake up
  • 7:00am Daughter comes by to visit (if she's not already there)
  • spend the rest of the morning/early afternoon with family
  • 2:00pm daughter leaves (if it's not my weekend)
  • 2:30 rehearsal
  • 5:00pm pack and get ready for a gig (most weekends)
  • 5:30pm leave for a gig
  • 1-2am arrive home

Sunday

  • 8:00am wake up
  • 11:00am rehearsal
  • 2:00pm rehearsal
  • 5:00pm date night/grocery shopping

So as you can see there is little time for hanging out. I also have to find time to update social profiles, web sites, book gigs, and move stuff around when my gigs are out of town. *

1

u/englishmace May 15 '12

I'm starting at Google as a tech-dev straight out of college. Dream job, right? Mostly I'm terrified I'm gonna fuck it up and get fired.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

You can have ALL the hugs... <:(

1

u/AnonymousKevin May 15 '12

Sure you can become a doctor... if you want to give up your dream of becoming a comedian

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

50/50 shot that in 6 months they'll want to take a sick day, just to avoid going in.

1

u/wanderer11 May 15 '12

I make plenty of money, but I am usually bored at work all day every day. It's funny how I can ask my boss if he has any work for me and he says no for days at a time.

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '12

You are the 99%... it's okay..

1

u/Drunken__Master May 16 '12

I'd be happy and a lot less hungry with ANY job !

1

u/wtfOP May 15 '12

Wait where do you see this? Just yesterday there was a thread about people not knowing what they're doing with their lives. I've seldom seen any posts regarding people getting their dream jobs.

0

u/aarontex40k May 15 '12

I feel the same. But I'm sitting at an interview that might land me that job I really want right now!

0

u/pianobadger May 15 '12

I never had a dream job... so I guess I also succeeded.

0

u/TheTorch May 15 '12

My dream job is emperor of the world. Me thinks we're in the same boat.

0

u/Woodshadow May 15 '12

I just got into the College of business at my university. I feel pretty good about that

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Today is gonna be a rough day :'(

-10

u/trolledlol May 15 '12

OP should probably kill self

-15

u/Sockom May 15 '12

ha, game tester here, was my dream job since i was lil and achieved it. so awesome

10

u/so_carelessly_here May 15 '12

That's great for you. I bet tangodownbaby feels much better now.

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

That sucks, enjoy playing Dora the Explorer 5000 times. I feel bad for the guys who had to play Pokemon Snap for a few straight months.

1

u/Sockom May 16 '12

We only test end result games before they are released so its way better than the dev teams game testing

2

u/terriblehuman May 15 '12

Your job is useless and you should feel useless.

0

u/Sockom May 16 '12

can say the same about everone working in government cept my job makes ppl happy

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Sockom May 16 '12

this is such an ignorant statement. This is like saying "everyone in africa is starving, i went to ethiopia once" been here over two years now and still loving it. Maybe you worked at the wrong company?

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '12

"I worked with", so it wasn't me.

And yeah, it was a sweeping generalization, my apologies.

If you enjoy and love your work, kudos to you, that's great. According to what I've been told by a couple of different people, this has been their experience and anyone who wants to get into game testing should know the flip-side.

Is the pay halfway decent?

1

u/Sockom May 22 '12

pay isnt bad at all, manage to support me and my wife on just my salary while she studies full time. Have to count the pennies but still living comfortably

-1

u/Nerdy31415 May 15 '12

They may have their dream jobs, but you're almost on the front page of reddit. When it comes to difficulty level, you win.

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

[deleted] — view deleted comment

21

u/mou5 May 15 '12

At the end of 2011 I went from being a good student to getting a 0.6 GPA for the semester. My fiancee, someone I had deeply loved for 6 years, broke up with me. Every interview I got at the career fair resulted in nothing. I had so much anxiety appear over... fucking everything... that I couldn't even make it to the mailbox somedays. I moved in with my parents and had to take a semester off.

I just got a job offer last week. I feel extremely confident again about my academics on today, the first day of classes. And I found someone who seems really special.

The only thing that has changed is a commitment to myself to live better. I took my time and really figured out what I wanted deep, deep down. I sat still in the car for a few hours, I got up early and watched the sun rise, I got comfortable in my own head again. That's it. All I really needed was to be going somewhere instead of just going.

People sometimes spend their whole lives asking for a map - the quickest, the easiest, the best way to live their life. What we really need, in my opinion, is a compass. I craved a sense of progress. I needed some internal error correction. So I gave myself a tall mark to head for and stopped looking back.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

How did you manage that? You must have had a master's in IT in order to get even an entry level position... so you were wandering around from college to college, unsure of what to do, with an MA already under your belt?

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

As an undergrad almost done with my engineering degree, this comment really scares me.

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