Are you happy with your job?

[gradi]

I am actually . I tried different careers and this one makes me the happiest. I am a free lancer and a entrepreneur. I love the fact that i am the boss and i call the shots although it requires a lot of my time it's worth it.

[ua_guy]

For 15 years I was a plumber busting my back/butt. Everyday while I was carrying pipe or digging trenches in the hot sun I'd think to myself how I wished to go to college and get a degree. So I did. I took night classes at a community college got an AA degree and transferred to a 4 yr college and got a BA in psychology. Later I got my Masters in Social Work and I've been in this field now for 15 years. But as Jim, disneysteve, and bji584 mentioned if I win the lottery for $1 million or $2 million, I'm so outta there. Oh and to answer the OP's question, yes I'm happy compared to where I've come from and there would be no way I could do plumbing for the remainder of my life (it is too physically demanding).

Good stuff. The allure of picking up a trade when you're young, versus going to college, is real. The income is good, and it means not carrying college debt. Those who pick up trades get a head start on building a career and their earnings.

As you stated, eventually the tables turn. If not in income potential, then at least in working conditions. A lot of people I know who picked up trades are starting to have a rough time in their 30's. Prior injuries from sports and work accidents, paired with a solid 10-15 years of beating their bodies at their jobs is all starting to take its toll. The catch is, for a lot of them, their income isn't expected to grow much and now they're saddled with kids and debt, going back to school is virtually impossible.

That's one thing about my career that does make me happy. I'm not forced to work in inclement conditions, and it doesn't require physical abuse of my body.

[keviny182]

I've known since high school that I would pursue a career in the arts and I've worked towards a job that would actually allow me to live comfortably (unlike the starving artist cliche).

I am an currently Art Director at an advertising agency, making pretty decent money doing what I love. It is a complete roller coaster ride of an industry with constant surprises, but I enjoy it.

However, there are many other industries out there that require less effort and have a much higher payout. Many of my friends have pursued a career in pharmacy. Don't get me wrong, the path to become a pharmacist is not an easy one, not by far. However, I constantly hear from some of my pharmacist friends that all they do is count pills for the majority of the time.

Sometimes I wonder if I would be happy in a job like that; less mental stimulation but higher annual salary.

[NetSkyBlue]

I positively hate my job (buyer for a jewelry store). The whole world of it is so artificial to me. I'm not into "sentimental" purchasing, and of the unreasonable (to me) expectations on what I'd consider a luxury purchase just blow me away. I've been trying for over 2 years to get a purchasing job in my city, but in another industry, and have yet to receive a single callback. I guess bosses don't see how a background in jewelry purchasing could possibly transfer to agriculture or transportation. I'll keep trying, though.

If I had it to do over again, I wish I'd been told it would be "acceptable" to go to a trade school, rather than being shepherded into a liberal arts education that's been basically worthless other than being "a degree." Electrical, plumbing, heating & cooling, manufacturing... I wish I could do something useful.