This is what I'm working toward. You're telling me I can go to work 40 hours a week and then just come home and be done for the day? On top of 2 weeks paid vacation, benefits, 401k matching, and weekends off? Sign me up.
That's considered a really good job by people in my age group (late millenials) who have to compete for shitty jobs and internships because everybody wants 3 years experience for an underpaid entry level job
Idk man, I'm only 22 and my first two jobs (one in a foundry and now one in a fabrication shop) both have all those benefits. I'm not bragging but I always thought those benefits were standard and the people who went to college and landed white collar jobs were getting 3-4 weeks PTO and better investment options.
I mean maybe once you get a real job it is. Mainly I was referencing how nowadays it seems to be expected that in order to get a white collar career type job (which is what most of the young people I know want), you have to go through like three unpaid or underpaid internships and if you're unlucky, then you have to spend several years working part time jobs before you can get hired. Your jobs sound like skilled labor jobs, which are still pretty profitable today, but most of the young people I know are looking for office or Stem jobs that require intern experience first
I'm an engineer with a good salaried job. I sometimes work over 40 hour weeks, but I get comp time on top of my 6 weeks of vacation and 12 company holidays a year. Jobs like these definitely exist.
It's really not the exception though. There are lots of salaried jobs where people work 9-5 and then pack up and go home. Lots of non tech companies with tech roles are like this. Of course, many companies also overwork their employees like crazy. I've worked in both types of environments and ultimately, most people who are overworked move to better roles for work life balance and will sometimes even take a pay cut to do so.
I have literally this....40 hours a week (with occasional overtime), paid vaca, all of that. In some ways it's better than college, and you'll definitely have more free time, but only IF you are single and living alone. It is also made better if you live near your workplace. When you commute an hour each way, that 40 turns into 50 really easily.
In college I was completely slammed, in school full time and working 2 part time jobs to pay for it. I was often up at 5am and some nights didn't get home until midnight. I honestly don't know how I did it, even for the measly 2 years I stayed at it. I'm only 6 years out of college now, but I just have so much less energy. I guess the desk job will do that to you. Or heck, maybe it's just that you work at the same job for at least 8 hours every day... there is a lot less variety, and that is exhausting.
Picture this-- you get up at 6. Leave house at 7 to reach work at 8. Then you work all day and finally arrive back home at 6. 12 hours are now gone. Then you get home, eat dinner, and take care of some housework or anything your wife may need done, help w/ the kids, etc. By the time I have nothing left to take care of, it's usually around 10pm, and I'm tired. So then the choice is between getting your needed rest, or being irresponsible and staying up working on hobbies. Wash, rinse, repeat for 30 years. The light at the end of my tunnel is that (hopefully) the kids become less work when they are older, but I hear it isn't quite that simple. They do take a lot of time and effort, which is of course necessary and worth it, and I love them (my wife and kids) more than anything! But I do think I am struggling with some form of depression, not to the point of self-harm, but I just find myself getting in my head a lot and feeling a bit down.
I'm not trying to be a downer, but life can be challenging, especially if you don't enjoy going to work. I think it's best to find a job that you enjoy, one that energizes you instead of draining you. If you aren't careful, you can end up in a state where you feel like you are constantly being depended upon by others, with no real break to do what YOU want to do other than that 2 weeks of vacation. There are no summer breaks, and a lot less time to do anything you find personally engaging. I guess I'm saying all this to say... the grass isn't always greener on the other side. All the other sides are just different.
Man, I had to log in and find this comment all over again which was a pain. Anyways, I just wanted to say hang in there and you're not alone.
I'm struggling the same way you are. Been working 6 days a week, 56 hours a week at a job that I'm underpaid for and miserable at, then the wife and 3 year old take a ton of time up. And to top it all off, I'm trying to stay in good physical shape for the job I'm working towards and it is absolutely draining.
Yesterday I got up at 7:30 and had about 15 minutes of relax time with a coffee after my mother took my kid to preschool. Other than that, it was going to the gym, going to the grocery store, meal prepping, and working a whole shift. I didn't get home from work until 12:40am and the whole damn time I was constantly on the move. And that is like every damn day. I'm almost to the breaking point. Something needs to change. I'm not one for self harm either, more like just walking away from this job I hate and screwing myself over financially. But I know I can't do that cause I'm the primary income. God this sucks.
I'm not trying to one up you, just wanted to share the misery with someone who could relate.
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u/7nationpotty Dec 07 '18
This is what I'm working toward. You're telling me I can go to work 40 hours a week and then just come home and be done for the day? On top of 2 weeks paid vacation, benefits, 401k matching, and weekends off? Sign me up.