Rate your job satisfaction...

[JediMAC]

Adam's job searching thread got me to thinking about how much I've come to despise my job (auditing) over the past year, as opposed to my first 4-5 years here, when I really loved it.

It's strange how so much can change in so little time.  My job used to be fun and exciting - mixing my accounting background with one of my main hobbies - music.  It was exciting to have so many world famous clients.  The auditing work was interesting, challenging, and even fun.  My office was a blast and my co-workers were all very cool.  The workplace was lighthearted, humorous, fun (we golfed and played basketball in the office, etc.)

But things have completely changed in the past year.  The music industry has gone down the toilet as far as (legal) sales are concerned.  That prompted most of our millionaire clients to become much more tightfisted with their money (and audits), which in turn greatly tightens up our normally loose budgets, which in turn creates a much more stressful atmosphere at work, etc.

We've lost a ton of work, had a round of layoffs (possibly more to come), office moral is down, the bosses have become stress cases and as$holes, and it just feels like a giant sinking ship at this point.  The new commute since I moved a few months ago really sucks too...

Though the money and benefits are still very good, my overall job satisfaction is virtually nil at this point.  The idea of looking around for something new and different is pretty scary to me, since I generally enjoy familiarity and stability in my life.  Ugh.  What to do...

So how's your job satisfaction if you're working?  Has it changed over the course of your employment?

[jokabofe]

currently looking for a new job, and have two interviews scheduled for next week. is that clear enough or you want me to spell it out for ya??  

[Reconsgt]

Good question Matt and it actually came up at lunch today.  For me I have been at my job for a little over 6 years. During that time I have done a variety of roles and differnt positions. I started in the manufacturing dept as a machine operator. I hated my job at first due to the managers we had. They were very  lets say not fit for the job. I worked through that and moved up and out of that area. I started working in product development 2 years ago and from that point to now I am happier going to work.
 We have went through 4 CEOs  and had a buyout since I started and I feel that we are back on the upswing and growing again. Money could be better, but is enough money ever enough??

 SO all in all I like my job and feel pretty good about it. Plus the fact when I get a leeter about how one of my products I either worked on or developed on my own made a differnce in someones life that is a rewarding feeling

[Becky]

My job satisfaction is at an all time low.  I have been working at the same company for about 13 years.  I became a manager about seven years ago.  Personally, I think, I have just seen too much.  I use to love my job.  But, now, I am doing everything I can to find something new.  The company has gone from being very profitable to bankruptcy.

One of these days, the story of this business is going to make a wonderful book.  

[Ben]

I hate my job. I've been there for two years now, and every fricken week, it's some drama that causes me to work more than I should. It's second shift, but sometimes it goes over onto third shift or starts when first shift is still there. I took a foreman's position, and I'm still wondering why. The money isn't right for how much work I'm doing, and plus having to put up with people who simply do not want to work.

It's gotten to the point now that I've an interview scheduled tomorrow, and I might be working a newer albeit less stressful and less paying job. It means I'll have to seriously cut back on collecting, but it's a sacrifice that I'm now willing to make.

[Mikey D]

Two words:  sucks ass.

I work in a construction company that mainly builds hotels, apartment buildings and college dorms.  I've been here almost 4 1/2 years and at first, it was a great place to work.  Great co-workers, good work attitude, upbeat and great social stuff.  It seemed we were going out after work after week to "celebrate" something.

At the time I was hired, the president of the company had been here for about six months.  At first, he seemed like a nice guy and knew his stuff.  How soon did we find out that was the farthest from the truth.  Basically, his only two desires were getting as much tail as possible and spending as much of the owners money as possible.
He didn't care for any of the projects we had going (although he acted like he did) and pretty much gave away the the company's profit on every job we got.  And due to some shoddy hiring by him, the jobs weren't run great and we lost money.

As if that wasn't enough, he never thought before he spoke.  He was constantly running his mouth about how we should do this and that, blah, blah, blah.  But anyone with half a brain could see right through him.  I think most of the time what he said during the day he read on the toilet while taking his morning dump.  By late 2001, I came to dislike the guy and tried not to deal with him.  

The last straw came in the summer of 2002.  My boss - who was one of the greatest guys I've ever came to know - was diagnosed with a rare disease and basically given three months to live.  While visiting him in the hospital, the president said to my boss, with his wife in the room, no less and I quote "So Len, pretty bad news, huh?" No dip****, everyone can't wait for the day until they're told they have less than six months to live.  I wasn't in the room having just visited a couple days before, but if I was, I probably would have punched him in the mouth.  I know that would have my situation worse, but I wouldn't have cared.  Its just the way this guy was.  A total vain, materialistic prick who thought he was God's gift to everything.  In truth, he was one of these.

Well, numbnuts was finally fired in February of last year.  I left early that day and I'm still pissed I missed it.  I wanted to hold the door open for him on the way out.  Its almost a year later and we still haven't gotten out the ****hole ass clown dug for us.  It seems like every week some one is giving their notice because they see the company going nowhere.  

In conclusion, I'll be one of the ones that gives their notice soon.

[Brian]

The idea of looking around for something new and different is pretty scary to me, since I generally enjoy familiarity and stability in my life.

This is the same way I feel.  My job satisfaction is...so-so, I guess.  I work with some pretty good people, and our company is kind of spread throughout the country, so there are many that I never even see or talk to.  I have recently been given the opportunity work from home (since my work is online), and I have come to enjoy that pretty well.  On the bad side of things, I have been here five years...still waiting for a raise....and I have been through 5 rounds of firings/cutbacks.  I am happy that I have been able to make it through each time, but at the same time it is tough seeing so many friends come and go.  But, like the quote above, I like familiarity in my life....and to be honest a part of me is sort of "scared" to do something different.  I do always keep an eye on things in the job market, just to see what is out there, but I have the feeling I would have to go back to school to find anything decent.  I have a bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology (which I don't work in at all now), and that degree is somewhat worthless around here in Nebraska.  I wish I would have been able to see that better in college, but I didn't.  Plus, my wife has a great job, that she really enjoys...so we don't really want to move either.  Anyways, I guess I would say it isn't perfect...but things could be worse too.

[DSJ™]

Hmm, job satisfaction. Well I'm on my 23rd year with the government. This jailhouse rocker has 12 years to go till retirement.

Do I like my job, I guess so staying there for that long.   Pays the bills!  

I just passed my 1st year working night shift & I fully enjoy it. The stress level is down & I get things done with no one to bother me. I just kick my feet up & say, this is the package!  

[Scott]

I used to love my job, I work for an extremely small company who gets outsourcing work from some pretty large corporations in town here.  Things were great from when I started in '97 until a round early 2001 when the economy went to hell.  Add to that one of our major clients change in a major product line which severly effected our business and the whole thing got turned upside down.

We do system design, the piping, tanks, controls, etc that go along with manufacturing.  We have designed one large scale system in 3 years when we were typically doing 2-3 per year in the years prior.  Its been frustrating...we have switched our focus to more Safety Compliance type work which I find to be utterly boring and not really utilizing my skillset very well.  Add to all of this the uncertainty that happens when you work for a small company...you go long enoughw ithout much to do and they'll have to probably close the doors...I haven't gotten a raise since 2000, had vacation time cut, cut in our 401k matching program etc

So, I've been in a virtual holding pattern for close to 3 years now, looking for another job but not really wanting to go anywhere else because I keep remembering how awesome the first 4 years were and hoping that those days return some day.  Plus I really don't want to get into a big company and have to start dealing with the Dilbert phenomenon at all, I have a ton of freedom in my work, can set my own hours, no real manager (except my boss) , no coroporate politics, no corporate initiatives, no training sessions, 10 minute drive to work.  Just do my own thing and get paid.  There are rumors of a possible sale here...and so the job search might become a little more serious in the next few months but as for now I'm letting it slide for a while.

[Ben]

Yeah, they've been hanging it over our heads at work that if quality and #'s don't go up, our jobs'll be sent to China. Way to build morale.

[Morgbug]

Well.....

There are aspects I really enjoy.  In theory I get paid to play with bugs, after all.  But like most peoples job descriptions, the other duties as assigned sort of kills a lot of the fun.  At this point I am absolutely swamped with other duties and do very little of what I was hired to do.  I spend far too much time dealing with regulatory issues and one thing any government is incapable of doing is thinking logically.  I am straight forward, logical and scientific.  I hate touchy feely, political crap.  And I am utterly surrounded by it.  In many respects it is probably driving me slowly and inexorably insane.  

On the bright side, the small portion of my job that I actually want to do is great.  My two bosses are pretty good and try to deflect a lot of the crap.  I think I am pretty good at what I do and I seem to have a decent reputation, though I am limited funding and resource wise as compared to my contemporaries.  

I am well paid but the commute purely sucks.  We were moved to a town one hour away for nothing more than political brownie points.  I should be working on the same campus as my wife because that would be the logical, efficient and sensible location.  Never going to happen, if only because it makes so damn much sense.  

Focus on the positive, try to ignore/avoid as much of the negative as possible.  

Upper management everywhere would not understand Office Space

[Snively Bandar]

My job satisfaction comes and goes.  I work as a bank teller, so it's some pretty monotonous work after you've been there for a while, but it's not too bad really.  I'm hoping to move into more of a managerial position there in the next year or two, so that keeps my hopes and attitude up.  I'm sure there's some jobs out there that I'd be happier at, but this one will do for now.

[Vator]

My job satisfaction,eh?

Anyway,my ''job'' sucks.I'm a student,I have no freedom,I have no free speech,most of my teachers have no bloody idea what they're talking about,and you have to take idiotic tests.Yeah,my legally required job sucks.

However,the only good thing about my ''job'' is the fact that I can hang out with my friends for awhile,oh and piss off a couple of teachers in the process.Now that fun.

[Darth Kenobi]

So how's your job satisfaction if you're working?  Has it changed over the course of your employment?

Right now my job satisfaction is really bad now since all of the crap that being going on with this strike.  Before this happen through my satisfaction was slipping because I was being passover for promotions and once I did get promoted a couple of months later I lost it because of another store closing.  I enjoyed my job for about a year or so and then started to hate it.  Right now I'm looking for a new job which I will enjoy better since this job is making me mad and stuff.  

[Ben]

My job satisfaction,eh?

Anyway,my ''job'' sucks.I'm a student,I have no freedom,I have no free speech,most of my teachers have no bloody idea what they're talking about,and you have to take idiotic tests.Yeah,my legally required job sucks.

However,the only good thing about my ''job'' is the fact that I can hang out with my friends for awhile,oh and piss off a couple of teachers in the process.Now that fun.

Whatever you do, don't drop out, man. Seriously. That's why I'm at where I am today, because I dropped out of college. It doesn't get you **** but regrets.

I assume you're still in high school, right? Free speech there is rare.