That’s right. You read it here first. I go to an office every single day and I’m not doing what I love (translated: I’m not working my ideal job). And I’m okay with that.
As it turns out, life often takes unexpected and sometimes exciting twists and turns. We must also make decisions (right or wrong) along the way, meaning we usually wind up in situations that aren’t necessarily our ideal environment.
Does that mean we should throw in the towel on our current employee/employer situation and go on a soul-searching journey to find our ideal job, office, co-workers, etc? Assuming all those things actually exist, I’m still going to go out on a limb and say the answer is mostly no.
So if you happen to feel like you’re tirelessly laboring away in a dead-end job that gives you no respect – okay, that’s probably a bit dramatic and, in which case, you probably should seek a new job – this post is for you.
Just in case you’re new around here, let me rehash my current situation. I’m a full-time blogger. Yep. Oh, and…I’m also a full-time employee at a mega-corporation. And have been for about 15 years.
My “regular” job requires 40+ hours of work each week. And recently, I’ve been given the opportunity to work from home a few days each week. I certainly don’t hate my job, and on most days I actually enjoy it – to the extent one can enjoy a non-ideal job.
How Did I (And You) Get Here?
For me, and likely for you, the journey that ended with my current job started when I was a kid. Long before I realized that every little decision could have long-term effects, I was skating through my childhood not giving my adulthood or future career a thought, let alone a second thought.
Eventually, I reached high school graduation day without honors and without any real direction as to the course my life was going to take. After graduation, I flopped around in various jobs, including one at a local hatchery sexing chicks (yes, I actually “sexed” chickens for a living) and one at a very popular fast food joint that uses towering arches as a beacon to lure in customers. You may have been lured in a time or two yourself.
After a slew of interesting yet low-paying jobs, I decided to try my hand at a local community college to see if I was smart enough to earn a degree. Low and behold, I was.
I graduated community college with a degree in general studies and transferred to a 4-year school where I earned a degree in Psychology and Biology.
And believe me, I was just randomly checking boxes when it came time to pick a major. Even after working for a few years and earning an associates degree, I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up or the path my decisions would lead me down.
One of my first jobs after college was working for a pharmaceutical company. At the time, I, again, had no real vision for my longterm career or the direction I wanted to take. All I knew was that it paid well and I could finally afford a nice car and a dinner out without going into debt. WooHoo!
What I’m about to tell you is probably no surprise. I never left. I still work in the industry, but now I make a whole lot more than I did when I started. On top of the salary, I have excellent bennies – including healthcare for my family and matching retirement plans. All the things responsible adults crave. #ugh
Related:
- F.I.O.R. – Financial Independence Optional Retirement
- Proof You Can Royally Mess Up With Money And Still Retire Early
- How We’re Achieving FIRE/FIOR Through Selective Frugality
- We’re Reaching Financial Independence Without Bikes or Baked Beans
- Why I Love My W-2 Job And You Should Love Yours Too
- The Looming Retirement Crisis And Steps You Can Take To Avoid It
The Point Of No Return
Of course, we always have options. But the older I get, the fewer options I feel like I have – especially when it comes to turning my back on a job that offers a robust 401(k) plan and quality healthcare.
In my opinion, I have reached the point of no return in my current job situation. Sure, I could opt to look for a different job in the same industry or search for a job in a completely different field altogether. But is that the smart and responsible thing to do considering I’m not flying solo anymore? My short answer is no.
Like I said earlier, I’m mostly satisfied with my job. It’s not ideal, but is anything ideal after you’ve done it for awhile?
My reasons for being okay with my current job:
- Excellent salary
- Quality healthcare
- Matching 401(k) plan
- Pension – Yes, my company still offers a pension. And I’m vested.
- I enjoy my co-workers
- I don’t mind/sometimes enjoy the work
- Option to work-from-home
- Funds my lifestyle and provides for my family. Enough said.
Chasing Your Ideal Job At Any Cost
I’m not chasing an ideal job, I’m chasing financial independence. I started this journey with my husband (Mr. MMM) when we nearly purchased a home we couldn’t comfortably afford.
Since that near catastrophic misstep, we have been committed to frugality and building wealth at lightning speed. Our reason – to create options.
With each passing day at my current job, I am inching closer to financial independence. And the closer I get to financial independence, the more I experience the freedom of choice. Yes, I could choose to seek out a different job, but at this point, it’s simply not worth it to me and wouldn’t greatly benefit my family. In fact, switching jobs at the stage might actually harm my family by creating unnecessary stress and tension.
Well, what do you think? Are you in your ideal job? And if not, how important is it to make a change at any cost?
16 Comments
Great piece. I think it’s a much wider secret for Americans than most people want to admit. Love your voice and the way you write. Gave me plenty to think about at the cubicle this morning.
Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for this post! I’ve tried repeatedly to explain to my kids why I do the work I do. Office cubicle for a small-town government, 17 years with 13 to go (until the magic “30 years”). Is it exciting work? No. Do I dread it at times? Yes. But it pays a great wage, provides insurance for my family, and offers a retirement plan. So, sometimes we settle for comfort and security and save the excitement for other areas of our life. And I’m ok with that!
YES! Thank you for commenting. Sometimes I think I’m crazy for thinking the way I do. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. 🙂
I also am not working any sort of dream job, but the benefits outweigh trying to look for another job. I like my co-workers, I can walk to work, my schedule is somewhat flexible, we get a discount on the rent (I work in the rental office), we get a storage unit on the property for free and there is a 401K with a bit of matching. I also get a bit of holiday pay and sometimes vacation pay (these are both at the discretion of the manager–I am part time, so technically I do not qualify, but they will sometimes pay me anyway).
That sounds like a pretty good gig. There is definitely something to be said for jobs that are “pretty good” but not perfect. Thanks for commenting!
I love this post. I read a bunch of stuff…retire at 30 blah, blah, blah….I also think what about health insurance? What if you have kids? What if you get ill ( happened to me).
I try to be frugal and save where I can. In most cases your situation is the reality of life. Thank you for telling the truth and not telling me I can retire in 5 years… because it just isn’t realistic.
Shelley
Thanks for stopping by, Shelley! And yes, I do like to talk about the realities of retiring young – especially with a family.
I always feel guilty because I got my dream job before I even graduated from college when I interned there and went back to finish my senior year with a firm job offer already in hand. I spent over thirty years with that company going from intern to “the boss” and thoroughly enjoyed it. I know that is rare and I’m not sure I’d even recommend looking for it but in my case I enjoyed waking up on Monday’s thinking about the week’s work and enjoyed Friday’s thinking about the weekend’s fun activities. I always felt like I had it all, great family, great friends and a great job. It is so nice if you can find it that it might be worth the hunt, but stats show it is also pretty rare so you might be doing exactly the right thing settling for good enough and an early exit plan. In my case I only slightly early retired because work was fun, and I wouldn’t change anything but had I retired when I became financially independent instead of much later I could have had another ten or fifteen years of retirement, so who is to say what the best choice is? You can’t do it both ways, but it sounds like you are doing it pretty well!
Wow. That’s a great story. It’s definitely seems rare these days to find a job like you had that utilizes your talents and education and making you feel valued at the same time.
Interestingly, I often wonder if people are just “inherently” more dissatisfied with life in general these days because everyone is supposed to be living their ideal life no matter what. Things that make you go Hmm.
Thanks for your insightful comment!
Hi Amy, I followed you from a comment you made on an old post on another FIRE blog. Hold and behold, I came across this post which calls out my situation to a tee.
I have been with my current company for 18 months, after having 4 other jobs that each lasted about one year in length. Our finances didn’t suffer too much, but I think my outlook on employment, and retirement did. I am in my early 50’s and if nothing changes, I could retire @ 60, cover kid’s (2) college expenses and have enough money to travel the world. So I’m already doing well, but at what cost …
My rating on the “good enough” scale is as follows:
Excellent salary — it’s ok. I’m making 97.2% of my highest salary.
Quality healthcare — I had better but i don’t use much so it’s a draw
Matching 401(k) plan — 6% sure it’s comparable to bigger corporations’ plans.
Pension – Nope.
I enjoy my co-workers — Don’t know them that well. This one wouldn’t keep me here.
I don’t mind/sometimes enjoy the work — been in the industry for over 25 years, and i’m a bit tired of it.
Option to work-from-home — maybe in the future. Some colleagues do have the option.
Funds my lifestyle and provides for my family. Enough said. — Big “YES” .. so all in all.. keep on trucking …
Thanks for letting me rant. Enjoyed the post.
I enjoyed the “rant” and I obviously agree. It’s not always practical to Have It All and I think that mindset is exactly what is hindering the happiness of some younger folks just starting their careers.
Thanks for stopping by!
Great article. I think it is important to disassociate yourself from your job.
Your job doesn’t need to be the thing that gives you mental stimulation, learning, or meaning in your life.
I find that having hobbies is a great way to cope with this; whether they keep you active, let you learn, make money, or are social.
The way I see it is that I am increasing my net worth each day and am also getting better at things that I like. Essentially you are being paid to learn guitar, blog, write fiction, or whatever!
Exactly! I’m so glad other people are seeing my point in writing this post. Not every situation is perfect. And work is usually one of those areas.
Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for writing this (and your whole blog–love it!). I think it’s important to understand what “ideal” means for a job. It sounds to me like your job IS ideal for your current situation, life goals, and lifestyle needs. I call my current job my “dream job” because it provides a lot of solid benefits I need from work, utilizes my talents in an appropriate way, and allows my family to live the lifestyle we enjoy. Are there other jobs that would check other boxes differently (perhaps “better” in some ways)? Sure. And if I felt any career path offered significantly more than what I had now, I’d pursue it. However, I’m happy and balanced and enjoying the contribution I’m making to society through my work, while earning money and enjoying the benefits of a regular office job. It’s just as important to be grateful for the choices you make and know well the reasons you are in your job currently; if your job “sucks,” do something to change it. I’ve been in positions I hated, as well as ones I enjoyed but were less than ideal in compensation. I did something to change those situations. It wasn’t easy, but there are always things you can control about your own choices.
I enjoyed your perspective. And, I suppose, you are right. My current job is ideal for my current situation. Thanks for this!