Do any of us actually enjoy the job they commute to

andy83

Just curious as i hear so many people say they dread going to work and the cycling is the only enjoyable part of the day.

I actually love my job, and cycling to and from work is just the icing on the cake.

I never actually think, "god ive got to go into work today" unless im really tired. I really feel for people who dont like their job, i mean we spend most of our working week there

and no my job is not cycling related although it would be nice if it was

always_tyred

What is your job?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Only been at new job for 2.5 weeks, but being a part-time postie is doing wonders for my Seasonal Affective Disorder. The first 45 minutes is quite stressful, finishing off the preparation for my round before my team is driven to our rounds. However, walking/cycling for ~5 hours a day is making me feel so much less "wooly" than normal for this time of year!

MonkeyMonster

atm, no.

that may change next year when I start looking elsewhere.

Cycling keeps me going.

mickbrown

It pays my way but it corrodes my soul.

andy83

Always Tyred wrote:

What is your job?

I work with people with learning disabilites, so although the pay isnt great the fact im helping people everyday makes me me happy

I work with a great staff team and as its only a small residential home 6 people live there its a very homely environment and although i have a lot of paper work to do not one day is the same and i get to basically go wherever we like from park visits and shopping to steam train rides and sledging

as i say the money isnt great and i actually used to earn quite a bit more in my other job but wouldnt change my job for anything now

maybe its the sort of person i am, i look after my disabled brother aswell so it must just be summin in me.

and to top it all off i work 3 days a week and finsih at 9pm so get a nice ride from work with no rush hour traffic and get at least two days off in the week to go on pleasure rides

jamesco

I'm another who really likes his workplace and job - mine's at a small, owner-operated, French software house with a bunch of really fun people. On Friday we have our work xmas party and are all off to Paris for the night - can't complain at all!

This morning's ride in the rain definitely wasn't as nice as actually arriving at work and getting started, sitting next to the heater

Agent57

I've only been in this job for 3 weeks; but loving it so far. It's a more stimulating environment than my last job, and I'm surrounded by clever people who know more than me about things.

BentMikey

Oh yes, I get to work in my lycra!!

biondino

I like my job, most of the time, but ultimately I'd rather not have a job at all. I know we aren't supposed to feel like this, there's supposed to be a work ethic inside us that means we can't really just enjoy a life of leisure. But I bet I could give it a damn good go.

Believe me, I wish I didn't feel like this, I wish I deep down loved going to work. And I do love it when things go well, love the stimulation of at least part of my job. But the default is "I'd rather not be here" and I can't see that ever changing in whatever job I were to do.

Rich158

biondino wrote:

I like my job, most of the time, but ultimately I'd rather not have a job at all. I know we aren't supposed to feel like this, there's supposed to be a work ethic inside us that means we can't really just enjoy a life of leisure. But I bet I could give it a damn good go.

Believe me, I wish I didn't feel like this, I wish I deep down loved going to work. And I do love it when things go well, love the stimulation of at least part of my job. But the default is "I'd rather not be here" and I can't see that ever changing in whatever job I were to do.

+1, my feelings exactly, despite loving my job and having worked bloody hard for 10 years to qualify I'd much rather be living a life of leisure

greg66_tri_v2.0

biondino wrote:

I like my job, most of the time, but ultimately I'd rather not have a job at all. I know we aren't supposed to feel like this, there's supposed to be a work ethic inside us that means we can't really just enjoy a life of leisure. But I bet I could give it a damn good go.

Believe me, I wish I didn't feel like this, I wish I deep down loved going to work. And I do love it when things go well, love the stimulation of at least part of my job. But the default is "I'd rather not be here" and I can't see that ever changing in whatever job I were to do.

There's a strong streak of this in me. But it conflicts with a pretty strong work ethic, instilled by my parents. Overall, I'm happy to have the latter, because if the former trait had won out, I'd be living in a cardboard box somewhere, pretending I was happy.

Isn't there a large body of literature on Generation Why?

DonDaddyD

Previously, when working for the NHS I loved my job and am proud of what I achieved to establish it (first person in the role).

But apart from a choice few who were inspirational to me. I hated nearly every other aspect of the NHS. I didn't much love the entirity of my commute either.

I don't regret my time there, I don't regret any experience life affords me.

However, now I love my commute, I actually like all the people I work with, I really enjoy the job I'm doing now (which is mostly the same as the last job but with more seniority and nearly double the original salary I had 3 years ago) and it feels like it's making a real beneficial impact on lives.

There's a strong streak of this in me. But it conflicts with a pretty strong work ethic, instilled by my parents. Overall, I'm happy to have the latter, because if the former trait had won out, I'd be living in a cardboard box somewhere, pretending I was happy.

Oh yes. Much as I hate work, I love the money it gives me to buy things and have a life that I can enjoy. I just feel there needs to be a balance between earning shite-loads, working at home after work and all possible hours or taking a reduced pay to actually have some inpenetrable free-time that work cannot intrude upon or invade.

There is also the fact that I personally didn't want to work for a corporate organsiation and watned to do something I felt would/could benefit people lives - hence the health associated marketing.

always_tyred

BentMikey wrote:

Oh yes, I get to work in my lycra!!

You need to watch out for infections. :shock:




I'm in the "I like my job" group. For starters, I'm about 20 yards from a Starbucks, in a building above an independent coffee shop.

stuaff

biondino wrote:

I like my job, most of the time, but ultimately I'd rather not have a job at all. I know we aren't supposed to feel like this, there's supposed to be a work ethic inside us that means we can't really just enjoy a life of leisure. But I bet I could give it a damn good go.

Believe me, I wish I didn't feel like this, I wish I deep down loved going to work. And I do love it when things go well, love the stimulation of at least part of my job. But the default is "I'd rather not be here" and I can't see that ever changing in whatever job I were to do.

+ another 1. It's not the money, though being fairly low paid doesn't help. And unlike many 'colleagues', I do feel the work is important and worth doing properly. But I'd happily walk out in thirty seconds and never look back given the chance. I would do something- but I'd rather because it was my choice.

loamy

As i was reading this i looked at the time and realised i was going to be late for college if i didnt set off soon. although i dont have a job i am going to a job interveiw tomorrow, so if i get the job ill tell you whether i enjoy it or not. its for a "large fastfood/restaurant chain" so i doubt it will be too stimulating. i find education enjoyable though and there are a lot of funny people there, you also get to look impressive by telling everyone that you cycle all the way across town and back each day.

i do a seven and a half miles each way to and from college on week days and about 6 to and from volenteering on a saturday, how far does everyone else do? i find it weird that sunday is my only day that i can take a break from cycling but i still sit at home and really want to go out on a ride, i feel fat and lazy if i dont involve bicycles into my sundays.

andy83

thanks for all your responses.

It is interesting to see that other people like their jobs but would rather not work given the choice.

I actually feel better for working and unless im going away dont like being off work for more than 3 or 4 days, very sad i know.

Maybe i like the fact that when i can treat myself to some new shiney bike stuff or comp games i know i have worked hard to pay for it and not just shoved it on the plastic

i personally would go mad if i didnt have a job, just so glad its one that i really enjoy

sarajoy

I'd rather work hard at something else! Mainly the dancing, in the same way I bet most of you would love to work hard on your cycling. I guess the only path to follow there is teaching it, and that's pretty hard to turn into a day job (plus I'm nowhere near that level yet).

I plan to do a big career shift next year into teaching, but I still wonder (in fact I'm rather scared by the idea) if I'm not going to feel satisfied by that either, in the manner of wishing to be a lady of leisure (been reading too many jazz age books - although the pitfalls of a life at leisure don't seem that great if you read The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald).

stuarthop

I love my job. Having done one job that had always been my dream job and quickly relising that it wasn't I changed to another job within the same industry. Sailmaking is my current job and i'll stick with it, I've learnt a hell of a lot in the last couple of years, from the day to day running of a company to designing and making sails. My only dislike of my job is the low wages, but then theres lots of benefits, I have flexible working hours, I have plenty of paid holidays, the best benifits for me though and to me are worth circa £2-3k a year are that i get all my sails paid for and entrance fees/fuel for competions. I love having a job which involves my favorite sport.

Roastie

I have occasionally enjoyed what I do - but this year has been a terrible low. I dread going to work. Next year I get back to my normal job, which is a plus - but it probably also means far less cycling. Poo.

That said, over the last two months I have been working hard at my exit strategy, which should be a great improvement.

ride_whenever

Well i work three jobs currently, i hate my main job... but it is only for another year an a half hopefully, then I can do what i want having satified my parental expectations.

My other two jobs, one is coaching rowing, which I love, and get to ride my bike for...
The other is part time in a bike shop, hopefully once I finish my main job I'll work full time in the bike industry.

Oddjob62

I enjoy my job. I'm a geek anyway, so playing with servers and networks for a living is fun for me. Current job probably pays a fair bit less than i could be getting elsewhere (it's a charity so...), but it's close to home, (and close to Regents park to allow for upping my miles when i want to), has secure bike parking and showers, and i get along well with my boss and my boss's boss, so pretty stress free.

jimmcdonnell

I have a schizophrenic relationship with my job (Design Technology teacher/Head of Dept.) - put me in front of the students, even the firestarters, and I love it. (And let's not forget 13 weeks hols a year...)

However - dealing with the bureaucratic, data-obsessed, lying, self serving 'higher-ups' (from 2nd in charge up to Government level) makes me not want to get out from under the duvet in the morning. Except for the 6mile bike ride. 6 smile bike ride I typo-ed there, but it's valid...

Still, I'd like to be able to not work as well. I'd really like to spend all my time learning about things I don't know. Sculptural bronze casting would be my first study choice I think, followed by astronomy and various science-y things. Or even just reading - four score years and ten just isn't long enough for all the books I want to read...

fossyant

Like/hate relationship.

Don't like Mondays....who does

Like the folk I work with, but pressures from senior colleagues are sometimes unrealistic/not actually of benefit etc, and there is stuff I can't get done.

That said, I have a reasonable salary, good holidays and pension, and get to cycle to work and commute to other sites, oh, and Cycle to Work Scheme.

Compared to my previous two jobs and a £10k pay cut, the move was worth it. Lots of travel and long hours previously were rubbish for cycling !

With any job, you need to weigh up pro's and cons. I'd happily work in a bike shop, but it won't pay the bills (maybe when the kids are grown up and the mortgage is paid off)

Coriander

biondino wrote:

I like my job, most of the time, but ultimately I'd rather not have a job at all. I know we aren't supposed to feel like this, there's supposed to be a work ethic inside us that means we can't really just enjoy a life of leisure. But I bet I could give it a damn good go.

Believe me, I wish I didn't feel like this, I wish I deep down loved going to work. And I do love it when things go well, love the stimulation of at least part of my job. But the default is "I'd rather not be here" and I can't see that ever changing in whatever job I were to do.

Oh grief, you've no idea what a relief it is to hear other people admit to this as well. I've never enjoyed work and would always much, much rather not have to go to it even when it's something, like the teaching I did in Italy, that I enjoyed.

I haven't worked since March and have not missed it one jot, have had a wonderful time and it's only now, starting to apply for jobs and considering going back that I've become stressed and stopped sleeping.

Roll on that lottery win, that's what I say.

gert_lush

My main problem is I dont know what I want to do when I grow up!

have done 5 jobs in the last 7 years for 3 companies all different jobs, all of which have been interesting for the 1st few months then I get bored.

DonDaddyD

Find a job you truly love and you'll never have to work another day ever again.

For me: comic book writer.

Porgy

My job's pretty good - the paperwork can get you down - but essentially I work in exactly the area I have wanted to for years now.

And it's been getting better. Three years ago I took on an Environmental Manager/ auditor role in my company and this year I took on an advisor's role but hoping to keep my hand in with the auditing....and I'm part of the team which makes environmental policy decisions for LU - essentially I go around the compnay advising people on how to be greener.

I'm also trying to get professional accreditation so I can take this elsewhere if need be...as one day i may outgrow LU and the job would become boring - heaven forbid.

il_principe

Rich158 wrote:

biondino wrote:

I like my job, most of the time, but ultimately I'd rather not have a job at all. I know we aren't supposed to feel like this, there's supposed to be a work ethic inside us that means we can't really just enjoy a life of leisure. But I bet I could give it a damn good go.

Believe me, I wish I didn't feel like this, I wish I deep down loved going to work. And I do love it when things go well, love the stimulation of at least part of my job. But the default is "I'd rather not be here" and I can't see that ever changing in whatever job I were to do.

+1, my feelings exactly, despite loving my job and having worked bloody hard for 10 years to qualify I'd much rather be living a life of leisure

+2

symo

Sometimes I adore it. It takes me all over the world (I am in Rio at the start of next month) I meet some amazing people and see amzing things.

Back in the office its all about reams of pointless paperwork and dealing with people who don't realise how much experience I have, or the jobs I have done in the past.

:Banghead:

So like I imagine most people, it's a love/hate thing.

biondino

Haha - I cam back to this thread to delete my answer (in case anyone from my work read it) but I guess that's not possible now!

To clarify - AS JOBS GO mine is an excellent one, decently paid, interesting field, and I get to do proactive, initiative-based things. I don't have a direct line manager, I have awesome job security, and my success, both financially and professionally, is directly related to how hard and how well I work. I couldn't ask for much more, really.

Even so, if £50 million dropped in my lap tomorrow I'd have to have a long hard think about what to do. I don't think, like DDD, there is A Perfect Job for me out there, though I've thought about it a few times. Assuming I did give up work (and I honestly don't know if I would - despite all I said above, quite possibly not), I would imagine ending up "working" in some form on a part-time basis, managing some kind of project where investment money is necessary, whether the project is mine or someone else's. Possibly/probably in some philanthropic way, I guess (I would certainly hope so)