^ Burnout?! In less than a year? Seriously?

1/11/2008 5:23:21 PM

Yeah, I'm serious. Maybe not if you have a job where you work exactly 40 hours a week, but if you are working late some days, weekends, etc, then yeah you could burn out in a year.

1/11/2008 5:28:02 PM

^ I'm really not trying to give you shit about it--each generation has its own attitudes about the work-play balance, among other things. Mine is a bit different than yours, though.

1/11/2008 5:32:44 PM

How so?

1/11/2008 5:34:19 PM

The fact that the company would even consider not giving new hires at least 2 weeks shows

1. how shitty the company treats its employees
2. how stupid it is. Burned out employees are dead weight and are harmful to your company

Keep looking. Don't sell yourself short and leap at the first thing that comes along

Also, my 1st job -> 2nd job pay raise was >30%, and I started out at the level of this guy. 3rd job's jump was less than second



[Edited on January 11, 2008 at 6:12 PM. Reason : .]

1/11/2008 5:54:23 PM

^^

Quote :

"I mean, I just think it looks kind of bad if you're so concerned about taking a vacation the first year. Vacation time in the first year would be a very low or nonexistent item on my list."

^

Quote :

"Burnout?! In less than a year? Seriously?"

1/12/2008 4:32:46 PM

fuck that, burnout can happen in two weeks.

it just all depends man. I wouldnt even consider taking the job unless they will at least match your current vacation time right off the bat.

its not so much about not getting burned out as it is keeping some balance of your work/life.

1/12/2008 4:44:06 PM

/message_topic.aspx?topic=502096&page=1

1/12/2008 4:49:42 PM

Quote :

"its not so much about not getting burned out as it is keeping some balance of your work/life."

Fully agreed.

1/12/2008 5:55:19 PM

Quote :

"I'm really not trying to give you shit about it--each generation has its own attitudes about the work-play balance, among other things. Mine is a bit different than yours, though."

Agreed. I work very hard when I am at my place of employment, so I expect time off. Perhaps you slack off and don't work very hard so few days off aren't really a big deal.

1/12/2008 10:20:14 PM

^nah, dude is just used to getting shit on

1/12/2008 11:20:37 PM

/message_topic.aspx?topic=502096&page=1

1/13/2008 12:45:38 AM

jealousy. cute

1/13/2008 2:06:57 AM

quick update, I contacted the VP of the company, which was also the guy that gave me the offer and asked for 3 weeks off this year to fulfill some of my vacationing wants. He emailed me back and said that the weeks off wouldn't be a problem, that he understands my situation and he could work with me on this matter.

1/14/2008 11:58:54 AM

Awesome. Just make sure you get it in writing!

1/14/2008 12:30:35 PM

i mean i get not getting much vacation, but you should get a few days a year at least... shit...

1/14/2008 12:39:58 PM

has anyone completely changed careers? or perhaps gone to grad school for one profession and then um...quit to do another??

3/11/2008 8:12:33 PM

people switch from high paying high stress jobs to lower paying lower stress jobs pretty regularly...

I hear of lots of lawyers going back to do other things... It has to do the most with your personality... if you aren't happy with what your doing then life SUCKS... Going back and getting a degree in exactly what you want to do is VERY rewarding in and of itself... if you can be happy with the standard of living associated with that pay cut then everything works out...

In general and this is entirely my own opinion: If you go to school for a high paying career, graduate get into that career... hate it... try to fill the void by a swank lifestyle but then have to work harder to get the next big thing that you want... eventually you will probably come to the conclusion that money can't buy happiness and your overall general wellbeing will be better off with less stuff, less money in a job that you enjoy more that still satisfies your basic wants and needs and perhaps a small bit more to make things comfortable...

Money buys cool toys, but if you don't have time to enjoy them, and don't have time to hang out with friends, those cool toys get boring after a while... But everybody is different some people are motivated to provide for others and that's their greatest fulfillment, other people are driven entirely to own things and will do anything to get there... I myself and perfectly willing to give up an extra $10k in order to live somewhere and work somewhere that isn't going to require >45hour work weeks year round.(deadline time is different though then automatic 60+ hour weeks are acceptable)

3/11/2008 10:33:48 PM

yea i'm in grad school but i didn't choose it for the $$$ (although maybe i should have considering what i'm paying to go). everyone says theres a lot you can do with an advanced degree...like that they increase your job opportunities. i don't know how much i believe that, either. i mean maybe they increase for a specific field, but in general who knows really. like take a law degree, it is supposed to be so versatile and useful. yet i have never met anyone with a law degree that does anything but practice law or teach law.

i want a job that i am content going to everyday (not like super excited, but content please) and where i can work with people and not like shove paper around in a circle or type endlessly on the computer. are there any meaningful jobs? doesn't seem like it. i just wanted to help people, now i know not what i want.

back tracking and changing careers seems so hard though. time + $$$. i mean...do you live life with a career you hate and hate your life?? it seems easier to hate life versus spending a lot of time and $$ on the alternative? plus everyone probably thinks you're crazy when you up and change careers (not just jobs, but careers...like huge lifestyle changes). i just don't know if i'm cut out for hating life though, its exhausting.

3/11/2008 10:40:17 PM

I mean when the semester gets really hard (like right now) I frequently ask why the hell did I do this to myself... and then I remember b/c

A) having all day to do whatever you need to do is WAY better than working 8-5 even if it does mean 3am nights...

B) I wasn't happy with what I was doing before I came back b/c I knew I could do more... so I've come back done more... have a better idea of which part of the "more" I like and it's funny b/c what I thought I wanted to do isn't what I plan on doing now... what I plan on doing now is a hybrid of what I used to do and what I wanted to do...

C) Upon graduation automatic $10k up

However, several majors out there advanced degree's don't get you a lot other than an excuse to stay in school b/c you don't know what you want and possibly more debt... So it kinda depends on what your doing, what you like, etc

3/11/2008 10:59:00 PM

Quote :

"are there any meaningful jobs? doesn't seem like it."

What?!?!?

Quote :

"A) having all day to do whatever you need to do is WAY better than working 8-5 even if it does mean 3am nights..."

I'll take 8-5 over that most definitely

3/11/2008 11:12:54 PM

ugh i am dying for a mindless 9-5 these days. i don't know what you are in school for, but i am in school and DO NOT have all day to do what i want. i barely have time to eat or sleep.

3/11/2008 11:42:47 PM

I was dead set on going to law school. Had all the applications out, was accepted a few places, and worked at an internship in Raleigh with a law office. About a month before I was going to start school, I realized I hated it, didnt want to be $60k in debt upon graduation and completely changed paths.

Now I'm finishing up my M.B.A. and work in finance and actually enjoy what I do... of course I made this decision when I was 23 so it wasn't exactly a huge lifestyle change. I have no idea how old you are but I imagine it becomes increasingly more difficult as you get older...

^ yeah, well try working a 40 hour week at an office and taking a grad class every weekday night... that's what I do because I set my mind on finishing it in one year...

[Edited on March 12, 2008 at 1:51 PM. Reason : x]

3/12/2008 1:48:53 PM

Quote :

"ugh i am dying for a mindless 9-5 these days. i don't know what you are in school for, but i am in school and DO NOT have all day to do what i want."

3/12/2008 6:43:30 PM

^^ no i get that it is hard to work full time and do grad school. i worked all through undergrad, so i can imagine. however you are at least doing what you want, whereas i'm going $150,000 in debt being miserable and i'm maybe only 40% sure this is even what i want to do. but i am like 95% sure that the return on my investment isn't going to pay off. i mean i'm sure it will help me get a better job, but i'm going to be paying of my debt for decades AND i could probably get the same caliber of education/job opportunities at a school that would only put me in debt like $40,000. or i could just not do this at all. but i really don't have a back up plan yet. just aimlessly wandering really.

3/12/2008 6:48:02 PM

It would probably be quite unwise to pay $150,000 for a law degree if you don't plan on being a lawyer.

3/12/2008 7:11:24 PM

eh not really there are other professions that make use of law degrees.

3/12/2008 7:16:43 PM

Damn, that is a lot of debt. I had a... well I'm not going to say what I had because I'll catch shit... but I had enough $$ to completely pay for 2 years and living expenses but I was going to go to Villanova Law and it still would have been $60k...

That is an awful lot of $$$ to do something you're heart isn't completely in to... and that is why I changed. Honestly, sometimes I wish I did go to law school still, but I don't think I would have been as motivated as I am now in B-school...

If you don't mind me asking, where do you go to school? Did you think about going to a state school like UNC or some other place where it would be a little cheaper?

[Edited on March 12, 2008 at 8:04 PM. Reason : ^^ i never wanted to be a "lawyer" in the true sense... I wanted to work on corporate law]

3/12/2008 8:03:07 PM

well maybe i exaggerated a tiny bit. but it is like, 100,000 or so. i mean i bought a condo but i'm tacking that onto part of school debt because i wouldn't have gotten it if i wasn't going to school in the area. but the condo i bought has already had like a 8,000 price increase since i've been here < 1 year, so i think that will pay off in the long run. cause i'd like to sell or keep it as a rental after school. and i do have a scholarship but sadly it doesn't really do much at a private school. hoping they will give me more money to stay, cause i keep threatening to leave but i did well, so i think i deserve money. but i'm kindof narcissistic so i'm pretty sure not everyone shares my views about how great i am.

but seriously, i don't know. i'm just disenchanted with school. i think i should have just joined the peace corps or something and figured my life out before rushing into something that seemed like the best option at the time. i just like hearing stories of people successfully changing their minds about school/careers---it makes me feel better. like if this turns out to be wrong maybe i won't be totally screwed down the road. i tend to quit (or try to quit) a lot of things i start. personality flaw?? uhhh yea big time.

3/12/2008 9:09:58 PM

Quote :

"i'm pretty sure not everyone shares my views about how great i am."

Ahahaha. I could definitely see me saying the same thing about myself.

3/12/2008 10:13:25 PM

Quote :

"i just like hearing stories of people successfully changing their minds about school/careers---it makes me feel better."

Congratulations, you're normal.. seriously, I know TONS of people who have changed their career goals in their mid 20's. If you don't like what you're planning on doing, change it before you kill yourself (in your case, financially)... but even then you're never tied down to doing what you went to school for. If you get a J.D. you'll certainly have options down the road. I definitely know where you're coming from. Being in grad school absolutely sucks ass... no way around it. But the way I look at it is that I'll have a post-graduate degree at 26 and that is way far ahead of the curve...

Quote :

"Quote : "i'm pretty sure not everyone shares my views about how great i am." Ahahaha. I could definitely see me saying the same thing about myself."

I'm the same way. I HATE HATE HATE HATE not being in control. I think I can do everything better than anyone else can. It's one of the reasons I don't like flying (even though I have to all the time) or even being a passenger in someone's car, including my immediate family or my g/f. I'm an absolute control freak.. even playing pickup basketball, I can't stand not having the ball in my hand. Now THAT is even more of a character flaw than even a tendency to quit things IMO..

[Edited on March 12, 2008 at 10:21 PM. Reason : x]

3/12/2008 10:17:58 PM

Quote :

"ugh i am dying for a mindless 9-5 these days. i don't know what you are in school for, but i am in school and DO NOT have all day to do what i want. i barely have time to eat or sleep. "

I'm sorry... I mispoke a little... by "do what I want" I mean run an errand if I need to or sleep till 11... I've been working non-stop on projects for the past 2 weeks, one of which is due tomorrow and Seriously stressing about getting them done... I only see my G/F to get dinner or something and then it's back to working till 3am... I haven't had time to do ANYTHING else

but in general, working 40 hour weeks I never felt like doing anything when I got home AND everything business related was closed when I left work so I couldn't run to do errands... Working 80hr weeks(jan-feb of last year) is what made me so tired I started slipping mentally a little and would just miss stuff... So being back in gradschool is just a change that I like

[Edited on March 13, 2008 at 10:57 AM. Reason : 2 weeks I've sat in a lab working on projects...]

3/13/2008 10:56:38 AM

Quote :

"yet i have never met anyone with a law degree that does anything but practice law or teach law. "

I've met plenty...and might actually become one myself. You probably have met a lot, they just haven't mentioned that they also have a law degree.

I thought I might be the only one in my class that doesn't get a legal related job, but during my last year here I've run into a lot of fellow students who "don't think they are going to practice." I'm not totally disenchanted with the legal field...I really want to litigate. Trying cases in front of juries is why I came to law school and if I could get a decent job that would get me some good trial experience in the earlier stages of my career, I'd probably jump on it. But I don't want to be stuck in a cubicle working for a big firm, in personal injury firms that settle and never go to court, family law, worker's comp law, etc. I could go on and list every field I would and wouldn't go into...but I'll sum it up and say there are only a few things that I think I would enjoy doing and the market for lawyers isn't exactly allowing you to pick your field these days.

I keep going back and forth. When I start to get worried about it, I just look at the bottom line facts:

- When I graduate I'll be 24 with an undergrad business degree and a law degree. A law degree can't hurt you. Debt could...but the actual degree itself can only help you.
- Although I'll have about 60K in law school debt, I've also saved about a 30K nest egg while working in undergrad and in law school. I'm not worried about making my loan payments right off the bat.
- I've got a great paying "part-time" job that can easily support me financially while I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my life (I make close to 1K a week bartending an average of three nights a week)

I'm going to take the Bar in the middle of this summer, go backpack Europe for a couple months, come back and get my Bar results and figure out what I'm going to do with my life. I'm pretty much open to anything (I have a few ideas/plans...but nothing concrete).

I'm satisfied with my situation.

3/13/2008 12:23:42 PM

sounds like a good situation to be in my friend

3/13/2008 2:16:02 PM

Its a good situation NOW. Three years from now......not so much. Even though the money is good, I'm too ambitious to continue bartending while holding two degrees. Once I settle on a direction/plan, then I'll be good. I just feel like my next move is going to be the big one, so I want to make sure it's the right one.

3/13/2008 3:04:19 PM

Quote :

"but in general, working 40 hour weeks I never felt like doing anything when I got home AND everything business related was closed when I left work so I couldn't run to do errands"

gah, amen...i miss being a student

3/13/2008 3:06:58 PM

Quote :

"ve met plenty...and might actually become one myself. You probably have met a lot, they just haven't mentioned that they also have a law degree."

this is true; and the rest of your post was helpful, as well. i know the degree can't hurt. i guess its just for the first time i'm actually thinking about money. i don't need a job where i make a ton of money, and i didn't come to school for money. there's no way i'm going to sit in a cubicle in some huge firm, either. i think its just in undergrad, while i held a job through it (sometimes more than one job at a time) i knew that IF something went wrong my parents would bail me out. and they paid tuition. but now its just me, myself and i. i pay tutition, i have mort. payments, its just really...real? and i don't mind that--clearly it'd be that way if i had a job or was getting a different degree or whatever. its just the whole money aspect makes me think long and hard about whether or not its worth it....cause it is an expensive degree (more expensive than just staying at state and getting a master's). but, i know it can't hurt. and i like your part-time bartending plan. the next decision i make (ie job decision) i definitely don't want to rush into (i feel like i miiiight have rushed into this a little bit). i think i always would have ended up here, but i think that maybe i could have taken a few years off and worked, first. but yea i'll be 25 when i graduate and i guess having that degree mid-twenties can't be a horrible thing. esp considering that is still lower(or right around) than the median age of entering students in my class.

i just don't want to ever get stuck in an awful career. that is the biggest fear. i don't think either of my parents are happy in their jobs and if i ever complain about being scared of getting a miserable job, i get a lecture about how life isn't all about being happy all the time. but they aren't happy ANY of the time. i'd at least like to be happy with my live overall (i know there are rough spots). it sounds bad, but i do not want to end up like them. at least not without a lot of drugs and a therapist or five. that is kind of what prompted my question. i like flexibility and options. and i thought a versatile graduate degree would probably provide some of that.

3/13/2008 3:35:56 PM

I would speculate that there are plenty of graduate programs that won't net you anything at all that food lion or the corporate world would recognize... but people would tend to enjoy... I mean hell if they had a graduate program for beer pong I imagine it would have a waitlist for YEARS...

it's entirely possible to like what you do... I'm fortunate enough to like what I do AND it happens to pay pretty well... BUT I have made 110% of every opportunity given to me which provided a steping stone to the next event.

Funniest thing I find is that what I thought I wanted to do I really don't like... but I found something along the way that I do really like and wouldn't mind doing for the rest of my career.

3/13/2008 5:10:56 PM

I figured this thread is as good as any other.

I'm planning on moving back to Raleigh in about a year. I will have a MBA (finance option) and 3 years experience in the business field, though unrelated to what I want to do post-MBA. Does anyone know of any good recruiters/headhunters that I could use? In my experience those jobsites like Monster and Careerbuilder give me NOTHING but crappy calls from pyramid scheme marketing companies and from entry level jobs that I'm way overqualified for.

I'd like to get a job in the finance field (I know that is not exactly specific but I just want contacts)

[Edited on March 18, 2008 at 1:00 PM. Reason : x]

3/18/2008 12:56:42 PM