Aside from that I have a pretty cool job, cool being defined as never being dull, multi-faceted and energizing, there are a few mundane reasons to envy me:
Except for during phone conversations, and when the boss drops in, I have the I-Pod, or the XM radio turned up to a decent level. I play whatever I want, and no one even blinks at it.
I’m currently working with architects who are doing design-build for a new 16,000 sq/ft building to replace the modular building and 50 year old garage we’re in now. It’s going to be a beaut, but the best part is that the entire building is being positioned so that my office has southern exposure - just because that’s what I wanted. I get sunlight, and my XM antenna is lined up. And yes, I told them that (XM) was why I wanted that, and even the boss nodded appreciatively.
I’m a happily married guy, but I’m not blind. I work in a place with 21 schools, and have you seen what’s coming out of college and become teachers these days? I visit schools frequently and often.
Unreal daytime flexibility without guilt. I work some long-ass hours, often in the evenings. Consequently, today when I take an hour or two to get a haircut, run down to the mall to meet the Kid and take her to lunch, no one cares. I have the cell if they need me, and I’m all of 15 minutes away. I live 1.4 miles from here, I’ve even been known to pop home for a fast nap.
Non-work things I like about my job:
The business upstairs has an open Wifi connection that I connect to with my Ipod Touch.
I can use said Touch to surf and no one can really tell.
My bosses pretty much let me do my job at my own (admittedly fast) pace.
I work with my Sister who is the coolest Sister in the world.
My office mates are for the most part nice, friendly, often funny and easy to get along with.
I get paid well and my experience in my field is appreciated by my peers and bosses.
I work for an Intermediate School District in MI. We have a Vocational-Technical Ed Center where students do actual production, so what I like about my job:
I can get my hair cut by Cosmetology Students for $6.00 and it’s always a good haircut.
I can get my car fixed at the Auto-Shop for only 10% above the cost of the parts.
I can get a full course lunch for the price of a fast food order at our cafeteria.
I can get flowers at wholesale from our student run flower shop.
I can have magic props made for me by the plastics and metal shop students.
In addition to that:
My hours are pretty much flexible so I can leave a little early if I need to and adjust my lunch hour to compensate.
I have an entire office and server room to myself.
Our superintendent really wants to see everyone succeed here and has explicitly demonstrated that to us.
My job is just across the street from one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve ever eaten at.
I work on a technical support Helpdesk. Two great things about my job, both due to having a great boss.
From time to time, shit happens. PC’s die and user’s have to go without for a day or so while we build a new one. Data gets lost and can’t always be recoverred. My boss always, always, always has our back when a customer is after our heads. No one here is getting fired because Big Important Customer lost some files and wants to blame us for it. The only way one of us is getting fired is if we really screw up in a big way.
Sometimes when setting up a new computer or installing software remotely, we end up sitting at our desk for ages watching a progress bar march across the screen. So long as we’re getting work done in a reasonable amount of time, and we’re not looking at anything offensive/vulgar, the boss doesn’t care if we browse the web while waiting for installs and such to finish. So I don’t have to be sneaky when surfing the Dope.
Other than the fact that I work with a bunch of great people and my boss actually understands what it is we do, I’d have to say the wide variety of different types of hot and totally competent women in my office. I’m happily married, but the scenery around here makes walking the halls or answering the occasional question a nice visual treat.
Working all night with my girlfriend is pretty awesome. I mean, she wasn’t my girlfriend when she started the job, but a few months worth of the aforementioned nights together changed that.
Every day my job is different, different classes, different lessons, etc
I usually have lots downtime and no one cares if I’m on the web (at most they’ll come over and say “oh! it’s all in english!” so sometimes i go over to my VP’s desk and say “oh! It’s all in japanese!”
I get cheap lunch every day, and it’s pretty good (school lunch in japan is MUCH better than school lunch in America, though it gets old sometimes)
I bike to work every day
damn near all my students love me, like, cheer when I enter the class love me, like ask me for my autograph love me, it’s weird, but puts a bounce in my step
no one bothers me, ever. I just took at a nap at my desk not 10 minutes ago, right in the middle of the teachers’ room
I don’t have to come in till much later than the other teachers (I come at 8:05), and I get to leave earlier (4:15). No one bats an eye
despite those last two, I’ve had several teachers beg me to stay next year (which I plan on doing anyway)
I work 2-3 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Sometimes I take winters off.
I have a 2 week vacation always. Well about one a month. And can get more if I wanted. Kinda dependent on the current job/business.
I get ass loads of overtime. I work 84+ hrs a week.
I get frequent flyer miles from Homer, Alaska To Deadhorse, Alaska round trip up to twice a month.
When on the *slope *someone makes my bed everyday and changes my sheets and towels.
My last trip at sea I made a movie that should be out this summer.
Between the traveling jobs and my Homer based one I se more types of wildlife than I could passably list by memory.
I get to go to interesting places like the Aleutians and the Pribilofs and the Arctic Ocean. I plan on going to Antarctica within a year.
I own a restaurant that operates only in the summer and I do not have to be there and I work on the North Slope in the winter and probably this summer as well as my crew runs the little grille. And I work on the oil fields hedging against a poor tourist season. I can travel at will but chose to take jobs that pay for it.
Yes it is true if you apply yourself properly the restaurant businesses can take you anywhere.
I want to be a floorhand on a rig though. I am getting tired of cooking. I need another couple year break. I have taken several since I started 25 years ago.
As a grad student (they pay me, it’s a job. QED.), I have the following perks:
-The ultimate flexible schedule. With the exception of going to class/labs on time, I work when I want to work. Sure, I have to get homework and grading done within a reasonable amount of time, but I choose the hours on that. I can work 9 to 5, I can work noon to 8, I can work nights if I want. Once I’m done with classes it’ll be even more flexible.
-I get all the resources a large university has to offer. If I want to sit in on a class in any subject, I can do that. I have access to databases of articles and journals in damn near every field, as well as the huge library on campus. I have keys that open rooms in the physics building - if we want to use the lecture hall after hours to hook up a Wii and play video games on a giant screen, we can do that.
-Nearly unrestricted internet access. The only obstacle is I don’t have the privileges to install new versions of flash or java or whatever so sometimes videos don’t play. And no one cares if I sit and browse the Dope all day, see #1.
-Free food on at least a weekly basis from the department.
-They’re PAYING me to STUDY. My job doesn’t just have perks, it is one.
