Why do you like your job?

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

Well, what keeps you coming in every day? Are you making a difference or just making money?

I was reminded of one of my reasons a few minutes ago. Loud music was coming from the next office. At intervals it would jump a bit and get quieter, then jump again and get louder. I strolled over and was asked, “Which sounds better, the CD or the MP3?”

In a training session a few days ago someone (I think it was our president) mentioned that vinyl records sound better than CDs and half the room started nodding sagely, not because we were sucking up but because we KNOW vinyl sounds best* and are happy to demonstrate it to those who don’t believe God’s revealed truth.

I like my job because I am among my own kind.

    • See, a digital recording, from which a CD or MP3 is made, listens to the sound for a moment and records that moment. It listens 144,400 moments per second, per channel, which is its “sampling rate.” Vinyl, as an analog medium that writes what it hears continually, does not have a “sampling rate,” as such. Or it is an infinite sampling rate, although a record that spins faster is CLOSER to infinite, so, theoretically, a monaural 78RPM record should contain more data than a stereo 33-1/3RPM record. But either contains more data than a CD, resulting in a (theoretically) fuller sound. Then you have the downside of scratches and pops and eventually you start to go nuts and qualify for working here.
#2

I work in platform validation for a large, well known hardware manufacturer. I get to play with gadgets all day long, and tell them if they work (I’m currently surrounded by about 5 different cd burners, 4 scanners, maybe 10 different cams, some zip drives, hard drives, printers, etc… my boss goes shopping once/month), in other words tech geek heaven. I’m well paid, well treated, they cater lunch for us every wednesday, once a month we have an ‘off site’ meeting at Lazer Tag or Dave & Buster’s or something like that and get paid for it. I get to cruise the SDMB all day long while my tests are running, there are free t-shirts and goodies out the wazoo, I got 2 of my good friends in here so I no longer have to drive myself… I think that about covers it.

#3

Hey muppet, where can I sign up?

The best thing about my job is the buck$, followed by the fact that I’m actually doing stuff (unlike my last two). And I’m surrounded by similar of similar interests.

I could do without the 4+ hour commuting time per day, though…

#4

I work for a large national (actually, international) conservation organization - administrative assistant.

Oh, where to start:
[ul]
[li]I work for a non-profit organization. It is much less stressful than trying to churn out a profit for someone else.[/li][li]I work for the environment. Okay, I deal with paperwork all day, but someone has to do that part.[/li][li]I am in charge of the library (books, slides, films, etc.). I couldn’t afford library school, so this is the next best thing.[/li][li]My boss pretty much lets me work on my own. ‘Nuff said.[/li][li]I talk to people daily who are interested in environmental causes and how laws and politics at all levels (local, state and federal) affect them. Yeah, it’s a long-term process with very few spikes of immediate gratification and some setbacks, but overall, I am encouraged by the number of people who care about the environment.[/li][li]I send out information for students asking about endangered animals. See, Mom, my teaching degree isn’t going to waste![/li][li]I dispell myths and fallicies about animals through scientific and applied knowledge (even on these boards, sometimes; that way I can justify being here during office hours so keep those birdie questions a’comin’!). No, the mama bird is not going to reject the baby because you touched it and it has human scent all over it. No, hummingbirds do not travel across the Caribbean Sea on the backs of migrating Canada geese.[/li][li]I am rewriting and updating the docent manual for our raptor rehabilitation center. I am not getting paid to do it, but it’s fun and I am learning a lot.[/li][li]I get an hour lunch.[/li][li]I can leave the building for lunch.[/li][li]I get the free samples (pens, calendars, mouse pads) sent to people who haven’t worked here for years but are still on vendors mailing lists.[/li][li]My boss is a hoot (except for the talking duck: he brought it back to the office. Tough boss, but he has a sense of humor.[/li][li]Even though I am overworked, I feel productive.[/li][li]Even though I am overworked, I feel appreciated.[/li][/ul]

#5

Umm…you left out the smiley face in there… didn’t you?

#6

I’m a networking engineer for a German ISP - and since I’ve caught myself running up the stairs to get to my office in the morning, there must be something to like.

Basically, I like playing with networks. (Bloody well ought to, it’s been my job for years.) It’s like having a great train set - tweak parameter A in Frankfurt and watch parameter B change in Hamburg. I plan stuff and see it implemented. There’s enough development in the field to make for constant learning. And every now and then there are days with the physical work of carrying & installing - screwdrivers, cable crimp tools and soldering irons.

We’re a relatively small ISP & telco, nibbling market shares from Deutsche Telekom & AOL - that’s always good fun. Especially as we have good backing to finance expansion, and we are indeed expanding.

Perks are nice and they pay me OK, too…

#7

First off I’m a student worker who maintains the upkeep of a lab of about 60+ PC’s and Mac’s. I get paid shit (minimum a big 5.15 I think). But I absolutely love my job. My co-workers rock, the bosses are cool, I get to do homework while I work. But the main reason I love my job so much is because in 2 years I’ll be either lab manager or 1 step higher as cluster manager. Since I’m majoring in Computer Science having 4 years of computer related experience and then at least 2 as management I’ll have a legup on everyone when I graduate this crazy school. I’ll be looking to pull in the big bucks after college.

#8

Tiki, I suppose all the cute coeds that use the lab have absolutely nothing to do with your job satisfaction, huh? :wink:

As for me, my coworkers are all (well, almost all) really cool, and my workload’s currently pretty light which allows for much playing of Bejeweled and crusing of the boards. And when I do have work to do, well, I like it. Plus they give me these paper things every couple weeks that I can trade in for cash. It’s pretty neat. :slight_smile:

#9

The last project just got finished:( but if there is another one: I worked on a crew renovating houses. I get to wear my oldest, most comfortable clothes, I get to learn really useful things, the boss is great, and I feel very appreciated. I am a lowly 18-year-old and I got a raise, and with the raise came more chances to use the power tools rather than scrub the floors. It’s hard work and the hours are incredibly flexible. I loved it.

#10

These days I dig it because I am not dealing with network issues and pretty much only dealing with web design.

I can crawl out of bed, roll on over to the computer and start working. If I feel like playing around on the 'net I can without anyone jumping on me about it. But I also can get so wrapped up in a design, with graphics and words, that I can stay up till 4:00 in the morning and not feel guilty for getting out of bed at noon.

I wouldn’t trade this lifestyle for anything. I am my own boss and never required to adhere to the same four walls around me (other than my own home, and it’s home) and enjoy dealing with people on a creative level rather than on a whining level. Take that as “My printer doesn’t work” < whining involved >

The only thing I do miss is the one-on-one interaction I used to get when I was in sales way back when. Most of what I do is referrals and little human contact is involved.

#11

Jeez, where to start?

I’m an editor at a small-town weekly. I get paid to go to what everybody else has to pay to do. I go to athletic contests, concerts, car races, art shows and other things. I meet the famous, the not so famous and the downright weird and then I get to tell people about it.

I keep the public informed on things they want to know. In big papers, an editor has a clearly defined, and limited job, but in mine, the sky’s the limit. I can write all I want. I can still shoot pics. I can design pages the way I want, or I can let one of my staff do it if they have a knack for it.

Last week I was having hot dogs with a U.S. Senator and this morning I was interviewing a very strange man who made wirligigs and put them on street corners to free the “spirits”. It’s never the same and always fun.

I’ve been threatened by politicians, policemen, parents and professional wrestler. Isn’t it great? There isn’t a job in the world I would rather have.

My wife says she could compete with a person, but she just has to accept it when my mistress is a newspaper.

#12

This could be a long post. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I work with people with developmental disabilities. With the rare exception, the people that I work with have some level of mental retardation. Aside from that, most of them have another diagnosis as well (autism, down syndrome, etc). I used to work as a job coach with two guys. That was a lot of fun. Now I'm the QMRP (Qualified Mental Retardation Professional) for our program. I'm basically in charge of all paperwork stuff, but I spend as much time as I can with the clients.

 I know I've mentioned my job here, but I've never really told a lot of stories about it. For one thing, I feel like I would have to put a huge disclaimer on everything I say: Just because I tell a funny story about something that happens with one of my clients, that doesn't mean that I am making fun of their disability. Funny stuff happens at work. A lot of the people that I interact with happen to have a disability. Another reason is that I tend to get excited and long winded about my job. I love talking about it. I'm sure I'm as bad as parents who talk non-stop about their kids.

As to why I like my job, there are about a million reasons. Here are some:

  1. I have the best fun at my job. I get to interact with fun people all day long (both the clients and my co-workers).

  2. My co-workers (for the most part) are the most compassionate, amazing, creative group of people I’ve known. I am lucky to call several of them my friends.

  3. I have learned a lot. Like, once you get to know a person, it’s so easy for you to look past their disability. There have been times, I’ve had conversations with my clients and I’ve almost forgotten that they’re “different” in some way. More often than not, it’s easier to see what I have in common with them. Also, it’s okay to dislike someone even though they have a disability. If we’re trying to help them be more “normal,” well…how many people do you know who are universally loved?

  4. When my grandma died, I went up to talk to the clients the day I went back to work after the funeral. I got about a zillion hugs and everyone gave me great emotional support (“If you need to cry, you can do it in front of us. We don’t mind”)

  5. I have also gotten a glimpse of what it’s like to be different. When I get a question like, “Why do people laugh at us?” or “Why do people always stare at us. It’s not our fault that we’re retarded.” (note: both are actual quotes from clients), my heart practically breaks, and I get a wake-up call about how important it is for me to treat them like I do anyone else.

  6. I feel like I am truly making a difference, and helping people to make their lives better. There are days when I get so angry at myself, or at my co-workers, or at God. It’s all part of the job. But then there are the days where things are wonderful. There are the times when someone looks at you, and tells you that they’re glad you’re in their life. When a person is upset and insists that they need to talk to you because they know you’ll help them or make them feel better…who wouldn’t love that? I try every day to do everything I can to help my clients be happy and feel like they are valuable members of society. On those rare occasions when I succeed at that, you can’t wipe the smile off my face.
    See what I mean about getting long winded?

Okay, I’ll try not to bore you further. I’ll just say this: I am not an “angel.” I am not an “exceptional person.” My clients will vouch for the fact that I do not have “the patience of a saint.” I do what I do because I enjoy it. Sometimes I think I get more out of it than the clients do. I am honestly very lucky to work where I do, and I am fortunate to have gotten to know the people that I work with. The reasons above are just a little bit about why I love my job. I wish everyone could come hang out at work with me for a day or two. You would be jealous of my job, that’s how cool it is. :smiley:

#13

It appears that most of you have rewarding jobs. Mine have been in marketing for consumer products manufacturers. Most days the pressure to meet financial goals is intense. People act in ways that we teach our children to avoid…greed,selfishness,lying,etc. The money’s real good but I’d never go down this road again despite my love of marketing.

#14

I’m a independant technical instructor (I teach programming). This is not to brag, but people who have strong technical skills and the ability to speak in public are pretty rare. As a result I always have work and my hourly rate is, shall we say, “comfortable”. As a result I work two weeks a month, and spend the other two watching cartoons. The only thing that sucks is that I hafta do my taxes myself (ever write a $35,000 check to the IRS? I just did). But I just got an accountant who’s gonna take care of my bookkeeping and taxes, so that will hopefully be better this year.

As an added bonus I actually enjoy what I do. Its kinda cool to see a crusty, bitter old COBOL programmer say “Cool” when his first JAVA program compiles and does something cool.

#15

– Because it requires me to be alert, engaged, and creative 100% of the time.

– Because I get to teach my students how to think and read critically, something many of them have not been taught before.

– Because their spell checkers never catch the really funny typos. (“Goof and Drug Administration,” anyone?)

– Because I’m free, within reason, to choose when I teach, and totally free to do prep and grading whenever the mood strikes me.

– Because I can take off for foreign parts three months out of the year. (As long as the money holds out, but that’s why God made backpackers’ hostels.)

– Because ignorance bothers me, and I like getting paid to fight it.

#16

Oh what fun! Another talk about ourselves thread - always a hit in MPSIMS. I did begin my reply by trying to discern what pattern might surface from the responses of previous posters but that has become complicated and I’ll try and digest that as I compose my own post.

I do like what I do, and before I address that specifically I’ll mention a bit of the why that may be applicable to others:

• I hang with a crowd whose principals’ worldview is similar to mine in enough ways

• What I do is in fact very useful to the world and successful efforts are discernible as such

• My job requires me to sniff around in various databases and get ideas and jam with’em - see if there’s anything to it

• I’m good at it, so we see those successful efforts as direct results of my work

• It’s hard to do and I’ve learned a lot over the years

• My job requires me to keep learning

• My company likes to keep people

• I’m well-known and recognized in my field

• I’m finally actually getting paid excess bucks

I think I liked the field for the 20 years when I really didn’t make a very predictable (or sufficient) income.

More specifically, I’m a geophysicist whose work is directed at exploring for new hydrocarbon reserves. I’m not a geologist, but I get to work with them and must ponder geology - the same can be said of my relationships with engineers and landmen. A constant assault of others’ accumulated knowledge describes my everyday. Geophysics is fun, and difficult; the methods evolve rapidly but require a depth of knowledge that I, at 20+ years of experience, am just beginning to savor. I thought I was at that point 10 years into it - well, that’s part of the equation that keeps all the various fields of study going.

Anyway, it is a true hoot to find a new oil field where hundreds have looked before - the paycheck is really just a (nice) addendum.

#17

Jeannie, in many cultures retarded people are thought to be closer to God. I had an experience that made me think they are right. To look down and see a ravaged body and mind, but with a look of pure love; I wept then, and now, not feeling sorry for the person, who was perfectly happy, but realizing that I had looked at the face of God.

wahoo11, “It appears that most of you have rewarding jobs?” Maybe THEM, but I’m in the business of “Clappers for rich folk.” My reward is helping them redistribute their wealth.

#18

Hmm - well, flexible hours, most of my work can be done from home, my boss is ~300 miles away, so no one is looking over my shoulder, pay is pretty decent, and I’m pretty good at what I do (sales rep for a jewelry company p/t). All of my accounts are established, so there’s no forced selling. And I get to play with pretty jewelry all the time! :slight_smile:

-tygre

#19

My client gives me interesting work, the pay’s good, and the benefits/holidays are nice.

I get to go to court and argue interesting cases. Now and then, I get to go to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. I think it’s cool. (Although there’s a lot of grunge work in between the highlights. I’ve also appeared in Traffic Safety Court.)

There’s a lot of intellectual stimulation, and I find that the lawyers I encounter, on both sides of the file, are bright and interesting.

#20

Libraian. Love it; books, people–what’s not to love?

Okay, it took ridiculous years of work/study/starvation to earn dirt wages—but pragmatic living issues improved fairly quickly. Rewards? Immense; it blended an avocation into a vocation. Simple fact: I have to work for a living but damned if I’ll squander the time and effort.

Miracles happen. Watching people light up, catch fire, over books is the best possible work I could do. It has its drawbacks–what doesn’t?–but somehow I’ve stumbled into respect and financial security doing what I would’ve done out of love anyway.

Thoroughly fortunate,
Veb