I can't work in an office for the next 50 years...

RedvGreen said:
Knowing you're good at what you do and getting others to see/appreciate it is something different entirely.

You'll often find most management/directors/CEOs obeying the scorched earth tactic of letting your human resource go and they'll worry about the aftermath later.

Likewise, even if you're brilliant at something, getting that across in interview can be tricky. Trickier still is doing it in such a way as to not threaten the interviewers or appear better than them. Psychology plays a big part of modern life, and most of it is subconscious ("I don't know about that applicant, he answered everything correctly, but something didn't sit right with me...").
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with the way office life has been and is today. Being good at your job gets you nowhere. Most places you get promoted by being your bosses best friend/ **** on the side and generally making them like you. Most of those good at their job end up concentrating too hard for more than small simple conversations, unlike those who get up in offices by spending 99% of the day discussing how good their new shoes are when they should be watching the pc screen taking calls.


That being said situations like 5UBs are exceptions and he is a great guy who seems to have done his job well.
 
porushinobu said:
with the way office life has been and is today. Being good at your job gets you nowhere. Most places you get promoted by being your bosses best friend/ **** on the side and generally making them like you. Most of those good at their job end up concentrating too hard for more than small simple conversations, unlike those who get up in offices by spending 99% of the day discussing how good their new shoes are when they should be watching the pc screen taking calls.


That being said situations like 5UBs are exceptions and he is a great guy who seems to have done his job well.
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I agree entirely. I tend to find that this has affected female staff more than male staff in my 8yrs of work life - meaning that a handful of ex-colleague women tended to be full of self-righteousness and overly confident, and often lack the basic ability and skills, yet make up for it by being either very bossy, very cocky, backstabbing or otherwise befriending the right manager.

Blokes don't really sit well doing most of that as we often go for the 'everyone should get on and be buddies!' approach in our early careers. Obviously as you gain more experience, you learn that deception plays too much a part in career progression in some organisations, and less about ability. :(
 
RedvGreen said:
I agree entirely. I tend to find that this has affected female staff more than male staff in my 8yrs of work life - meaning that a handful of ex-colleague women tended to be full of self-righteousness and overly confident, and often lack the basic ability and skills, yet make up for it by being either very bossy, very cocky, backstabbing or otherwise befriending the right manager.

Blokes don't really sit well doing most of that as we often go for the 'everyone should get on and be buddies!' approach in our early careers. Obviously as you gain more experience, you learn that deception plays too much a part in career progression in some organisations, and less about ability. :(
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It is a sad and unfortunate fact, which is why every office you call is largely incompetant, take BT for example. Calling them is like waiting for the sun to go nova.
 
ChroniC said:
Almost no one in the world has ever got to their death bed and gone, ohhh how i wish i hadn't experienced the world and instead saved more money for a mortgage and retirement. Ever!!!
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These people might: Cold kills 180 British pensioners a day during winter

Amp34 said:
Wow you must be fun at parties...

There are plenty of people that don't do a 9-5, or have moved abroad and done something totally different.

TBH a lot of young people are going to have the "where will I live when I'm 70" question as they will have rented all their life, they're going to have to work to stay in rented accommodation unless the government pay for them...
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I said that the 9-5 provides obvious answers to the questions I asked, not that they provided the only answers.

Whether sticking to the "safe" or "boring" life makes sense largely depends on your own personal circumstances. If you have the kind of life where you can try lots of things (like trying to start a bar in Thailand) and come home to be fed by parents if it doesn't work out, then sure, go and try those things.
 
I did this exactly 10yrs ago with my missus... As in quit my decent enough city job. Sold our house, put everything into buying a biz in the US, in the sun. Soon afterwards started a family. Been really enjoying life. Though i will say, I am back in a 9-5 office job.. But some of which has its perks. Like not cutting cheques for EVERYTHING every month. Running your own biz, can be a stressful endeavor. I'll almost take the lower pay, having to deal with the occasional office a-hole, over it. You're guaranteed an income, and you're getting PAID every month...

Of course if you can make a biz work, then even better, but don't expect it to just fall in your lap. You're going to have to put EVERYTHING into it, and it still may not work. I admire entrepreneurs who make it work.

The way i see it, is i could go for it again. I'm already in the sun.... I have the finances. BUT is it worth the risk? I'm comfortable, hopefully able to retire in 10yrs as long as i can stick out my working for someone else, 9-5 office job. I could lose everything, cos that's what it takes to make it work. I unfortunately think my gambling days are over. But it sure was a fun ride that paid off! and I know I'm one of the lucky ones. and by that I mean, I didn't return back to the UK, with my tail inbetween my legs bankrupt.
 
Fuggan said:
I just can't. Bit of background...

Finished uni, and felt like I need to get a job fast. Felt almost pressured into it but I'm not blaming anyone, I was naive and was all OMG MUST GET REAL JOB mode. Anyway I got a job working in the city centre, pretty decent pay, work with some good lads and it keeps me ticking.

There's no real direct route for progression, and there is so much corporate ******** that it irks me. The 9to5 lifestyle is really not for me and I feel like I'm living for the weekends (well some of them, I work some too). I feel life should be so much more than this grind.

Last year when me and my pals were on holiday we joked about all moving out there and opening a bar or something, imagine the life! I've just been away again and it's made me think again, I can't waste away in this god forsaken office for the rest of my life!

Seeing some of my friends travelling pics/stories on FB makes me regret not doing something like that.

Has anyone given up a decent job and moved abroad to do something? I don't know what to do..

Halp mah GD
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You control your future no one else. If you are unhappy decide what will make you happy and go make it happen. The UK is full of people who love to moan their arse off but who STILL sit in their rut and do nothing about it, no ownership of the problem just moan moan ******* moan. You've done the first bit, highlighted the issue now think about what to do next and the sort of things that will make you happy and plan to get there. People in the late teens and early twenties have the world at their feet. To see and hear so many seeing no way out of 50 years of the same stuff is disappointing. Up to you old boy, make the change and live life you want. Good luck.
 
People slate working in an office but I really like my job and it is in an office. You need a job you enjoy to go along with it and the right colleagues and it can be bad when it's sunny outside but there are so many worse environments to work in.
 
mcast said:
Get a wife, kids and mortgage, no more "opening a beach bar" ideas. ;)
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Done, done and done. My plan is to pay off the mortgage ASAP, then go part time somewhere doing a job I enjoy but pays less than I need right now. Reckon I can get there in 10 years or so which would make me early 40s.

I know things change but that's the plan right now. Sod working till my early 70s.
 
elrasho said:
OP I quit my IT job and moved to Egypt to teach English a few years ago, did my CELTA there. Best thing I did but had to go when the revolution started :(
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On similar lines, I couldn't stand the office job so I trained to be a teacher. Did that a few years and really enjoyed it but got sick of how teaching is going in the UK so I'm now off to Dubai to teach for 2 years. After that, I'll pick another country. One of the very few "perks" of being a UK teacher, you can walk into a job anywhere in the world.
 
Reading this makes me want to travel. After degree I struggled to get decent job, 10 years ago started own business, paid for house, nice car e.t.c. But I would have loved to travel when younger. Now in late 30's I am able to travel and still run internet business.
 
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