A few weeks ago, I had a meeting at work that outlined quite a few changes that would be coming to my position in the not-so-distant future. To say I wasn’t happy would be a gross understatement. And, unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice but to acquiesce.
What horrific changes was I facing that would make me so unhappy so quickly? Well, let me tell you. I was told I will be moving my desk to the first floor and I will need to learn someone else’s job so I can backfill their position when they’re out.
Yes, moving my desk and learning to be someone else’s backup sent me into an immediate downward spiral.
I Panicked, I Screamed, I Whined
I was furious when I walked out of that meeting. So much so that I feverishly texted Mr. MMM as soon as I walked out of the meeting and told him that we needed to discuss the future of my employment with my current company. I was upset, disgruntled, and felt trapped.
When I walked through the door that evening I was flustered and needed to discuss the impending crisis, STAT. Fortunately, Mr. MMM knows how much I enjoy going out to eat and suggested we do so to get out of the house, clear the air, and discuss the situation on neutral ground. Although we try to avoid spendy events like eating out on random Thursdays, I agreed to this one and we were on our way.
The drive to our dinner destination was sprinkled with frustration and outbursts of screaming. Yes, I screamed at my husband. In the heat of the moment, he felt like I was looking to him to fix it but all I wanted was for him to understand that I felt like I didn’t have any other option than to take it. The changes coming to my job role, that is.
Soup Makes Everything Better
Thankfully, Mr. MMM took me to one of my favorite places – a little pub that has all the traditional fare, complete with tomato bisque topped with bubbly cheese and baked to perfection. God, I so love that soup. So, I indulged.
There we were, sitting in a cozy booth and eating our delicious soup. By this time, I was out of crisis mode and into problem-solving mode. Mr. MMM was giving his all to try to assist in solving my issue.
One of his suggestions was to build up my blog enough to replace my income. No short feat, to be sure. And although I absolutely love the idea of being a full-time blogger, I can’t help but feel it’s a risky venture at any age and an especially risky venture at my age with a young child.
He didn’t stop with his full-time blogging suggestion. In an attempt to give me options and make me feel like I wasn’t trapped, he asked what I would want to do tomorrow if I could instantly pick a new career. My answer is (and always has been) teaching or nursing.
Since my answer didn’t surprise my husband, he encouraged me to explore both options to see what it would take. Mr. MMM was a teacher himself for over a decade before he quit to follow his dream to a different career. So, he was able to provide some solid guidance in this arena.
After heartily enjoying my soup and having a positive conversation about my future, I was ready to dive in when I walked through the door at home for the second time that evening.
Back To School Night
I couldn’t power up my computer fast enough. My fingertips were tip-tapping away as soon as the screen illuminated. I wasted no time in searching for things like… how to become a teacher with a Bachelor’s degree in a different field and local nursing degree programs.
What I found wasn’t a shock. No matter how I sliced it, I was going to need to go back to school for at least 1 – 2 years.
If you’re not aware of it, I already have a Master’s degree in my current (scientific) field of study. So the idea of going back to school for a different degree was not even remotely attractive.
Okay, if I didn’t want to go back to school, surely there are other positions out there that I could qualify for with my education. I’ll just do a quick job search to see what’s available.
My First Job Search In Over A Decade
Ironically, there was nothing quick about this job search. I haven’t looked for a new job with a different company in almost 12 years. In fact, I don’t even know how to do it anymore.
How do the kids find jobs these days? I heard something not too long ago about LinkedIn being The Place to network and find jobs. Although I am on LinkedIn, I don’t really use it all that much and certainly don’t have a strong network of colleagues and people in my field to tap in such an immediate crisis.
So I did what any well-educated, disgruntled employee, who’s been out of the job-searching-loop for 12 years would do. I Googled it. Take that, Internet.
After using the almighty Google search box, I ended up with a whole lotta nothin’. Well, not exactly nothing, but not exactly the kind of jobs I would apply for and not a lot of jobs I was qualified for. On top of that, even the jobs requiring advanced degrees weren’t listing salaries anywhere near mine.
My heart sunk. Once again, I felt defeated and trapped. At that moment, my only recourse was to stay the course and endure whatever my company throws my way. Even if that means moving to an open seating area on the 1st floor and learning someone else’s job as a backup.
Special Reads:
- 5 Reasons You Need To Track Your Net Worth To Build Wealth
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- Suze Orman Fights FIRE With Fire
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- How To Stop Being Broke With A High Salary
- Why I Love My W-2 Job And You Should Love Yours Too
Appreciation Is Beautiful
Perspective is a beautiful thing. As is typical with my mood swings, when I heard of the potential responsibilities coming to my current job role, I experienced a sharp decline in mood almost instantaneously. But, as is also typical, my mood quickly returned to status quo after diving into the idea of actually leaving my current role and company for a completely new industry.
As much as I don’t enjoy a few aspects of my job, I do enjoy the majority of it and I definitely enjoy the benefits that come along with it.
Yes, I sit in a cubicle. And yes, my cubicle is lit with fluorescent lights. But you know what, that’s okay because my job also provides for my family and allows us to chase financial independence. Here’s a not-so-small list of things that I absolutely appreciate about my job:
- Above average salary
- Matching 401k plan
- Pension plan
- A sense of security
- Excellent health care coverage
- Access to HSA and FSA
- 5 weeks of vacation
- Wonderful co-workers
- Opportunities for career growth
- The option to work from home
- A clean and safe office space
- The opportunity to pursue financial independence and enjoy the journey
The Internet Doesn’t Always Get It Right
Contrary to popular belief, people on the Internet don’t always get it right. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a personal finance blogger – in my spare time when I’m not at my W-2 job – but there’s a common theme among people who blog about financial independence. And the theme is FIRE – Financial Independence/Retire Early. As much as I love the pursuit of FIRE, or in my case, FIOR, I also believe that people pursuing it might have a tendency to not appreciate their current situation because they’re just looking to get out.
Another thing I’ve noticed as a personal finance blogger is that blogging is hard work. In fact, sometimes it’s more work and just as stressful as my W-2 job – like when I’m crafting a sponsored post with a contract, deliverables, and deadlines.
Remember, all those people blogging about how amazing it is to work anywhere in the world on their laptops are STILL WORKING. They’re trying to get you to buy their products, services, or courses so they can earn a salary, provide for their family, purchase health care, and take vacations.
Bottom line…work is work no matter how you slice it or spice it.
So when I envision ditching my fluorescent-lit cubicle for the wonderful world of self-employment as a personal finance blogger, I also envision the stress I’m likely to experience when I don’t have a global company with amazing benefits at my back.
And so, after an evening of putting things into perspective and realizing that the grass isn’t usually greener on the other side, my appreciation for my job and my current life has returned.
Again, take that, Internet.
22 Comments
I think it’s a natural reaction to hate a change, especially one forced on you. It’s good to remember that your financial security provides you with options–you could take a year or two to retrain as a teacher (science teachers are in short supply, so you might look at resident teacher programs that hire you provisionally while you finish your teaching requirements; it’s really hard, though because first year of teaching is crazy tough) or nurse if you wanted. You could choose a job at a different company with a pay cut. If you were drowning in debt and couldn’t live with any kind of lapse in pay, you’d be in a much worse situation and feel more trapped by your choices. Here, you realized that your current job, even with the changes, is the best choice for your family–awesome! But FIOR gave you the options.
I feel similarly about my cubicle job. I LOVE it. There are days I miss the intensity of teaching or consider a passion pursuit like writing (oh that tempting full-time blogging), but the benefits and stability of a regular 9-5 (or 7:30-3:30, in my case) are powerful as a mom with young kids. I’m glad you were able to still appreciate them, even with a restructuring of your position.
I completely agree with your view on the 9-5 grind. I also have a young child and I just have too much security to walk away at this point.
I think the FIRE movement often ignites a strong dislike for your regular job that wasn’t necessarily there before the discovery of the movement.
For me, I’m staying where I am for the foreseeable future. And I’m happy about it.
Thank you for walking us through your process. It’s so easy to jump on the latest thing and think you’re going to “make it” like all those folks before you. But what
you know first hand is that making a living wage as a personal finance blogger takes time.
And energy.
And money (even if it’s “just” the money to replace your full time job).
I appreciate reading about your responsible choice and acceptance of the fact that the grass isn’t always greener somewhere else.
Thanks, Debbie for your thoughtful comment. I fully believe that not everyone preaching the digital nomad lifestyle is being completely honest with themselves or with others.
I know firsthand how difficult and how much work blogging is. Most days, my high-stress, deadline-oriented job is less work.
I went through something similar this summer. I actually interviewed somewhere else and got a job offer – then declined it. It made me step back and have a greater appreciation for my current job. I won’t be here forever, but since I’m the primary breadwinner and have a small child, this is the best place for me to be right now. I have many of the same lovely perks that you mention above, so it’s really not such a bad situation!
Congrats on having a great job with great bennies. It’s so easy to lose our appreciation for what we have when we’re looking forward to a different path.
I’m glad you were able to take a step back and realize your current situation is a good one.
I have so much advice here! As someone who fell into teaching as the Great Recession hit because I had majored in English but didn’t want to go back to school out of pocket, I got lucky. As I’ve read of engineers and tech gurus and others pursuing FIRE who hate their jobs, I’ve developed a PROFOUND appreciation for my own gig. If nothing else, even as I look to eventually move out of the career, I will never doubt that what I’ve done has significance.
That said…good news! The world needs teachers so much that there are a million ways to transition without going back to school and losing a paycheck simultaneously. You need to search up “alternative routes to teacher certification.” In my case, I had majored in English with a minor in psychology and Spanish–no education classes in sight. As a result, after a year working in a bookstore and as a nanny, I bit the bullet and looked into being a flight attendant or teaching. In the end, I went with Teach for America. This program involved a two-year commitment to move wherever they placed me, but it also included extraordinary support, a grant and loan to help me move, an Americorps grant to pay for my master’s degree in education, and the ability to earn a full-time teacher’s salary RIGHT AWAY while completing steps for full certification.
That’s somewhat irrelevant to your situation, however. What you should know is that almost every state now has an ARC (alt. route to cert.) process, because teachers are in such high demand. In both Florida and Nevada, I met people who became teachers through this process. Basically, you become highly certified by taking a PRAXIS or whatever the state-equivalent is in the subject area you’ll be teaching, which for you, would be science-related. At some point you’ll also take a teaching principles test, but usually, they just want to get you in the classroom on a provisional certificate. At that point, in some states, you just need a few graduates classes or even school-district offered courses to start teaching. In other areas, you will indeed need a full second master’s degree.
All I can say is this: anyone with a science or math background is hugely needed, AND the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program gives you special benefits if you teach math or science for five years at a Title I school. This doesn’t have to mean an awful school; in Vegas, it bizarrely included a relatively affluent school because it still had the needed percentage of kids on free-and-reduced lunch.
Email me for more tips! It IS possible to teach ASAP without getting the degree FIRST.
Lastly, on a different note–indeed.com and glassdoor.com are good places to look for jobs. You can search by salary and level.
Thank you so much for this insightful and informative comment. I’m definitely going to do an internet search and see what I can find. Thanks again!
Lisa,
Thank you so much for the honesty in your post. I’ve taken issue with FIRE on several occasions over the very issue you bring up. Since when did working become such a bad thing? No job is perfect. And as a fellow blogger, you’re right. It’s hard work and, at least for me, doesn’t pay.
There are so many bloggers who paint an exaggerated picture of making money on their blogs. I really bristle at those who say how easy it is. There may be a few exceptions, but most blogs don’t make money for a long time, if ever. It really bothers me read this.
And the anti-corporate job attitude concerns me as well. FIRE enthusiasts use those corporate jobs, their benefits, raises, etc., to achieve their FI and then say, thanks for the memories.
As a financial advisor, I love and teach the principles of FIRE (spend less than you make, save and invest the difference, and avoid debt). That’s not rocket science, though it is hard to execute.
We need more bloggers like you who are willing to challenge the status quo and understand the value of a job with all its benefits and opportunities.
Thank you! Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much, Fred, for your thoughtful comment.
I, too, cringe when I read about how blogging is so easy and profitable. It can definitely be profitable, but easy is NOT a descriptor I would use to describe the hard work that goes into producing a single post. And that doesn’t even account for the marketing of said post.
I think a lot of people are trying to “sell the blogging dream” to people still in their cubicles.
Like you pointed out, there is nothing wrong with a nice corporate job that affords someone the opportunity to pursue FI. We should be thankful to be in such a fortunately position.
I know you don’t need my help in figuring this out but because I am a trustee at a community college and because you have a masters in a science field I’m thinking you could teach in that area as an adjunct professor almost immediately. Community colleges typically struggle to find science teachers and a masters will generally qualify you. I’m sure you probably have already explored this but if not I couldn’t help throwing it out there.
I loved my job for over three decades and only slightly early retired because it was one of my favorite hobbies and I rarely felt like I was working. But having financial independence did change it at the end and when it stopped being much fun I gladly walked away to a life of much less work, maybe a day or two a week of paid consulting, and a host of non-paid activities like blogging, volunteering and more hobbies than I can list.
Thanks so much for your comment! I have looked into it. I know I could teach with my current qualifications at a local CC, but I just don’t have the energy or the time to do so in addition to my current full-time career and family responsibilities.
I also can’t justify walking away from my current situation at work to pursue an adjunct role, financially speaking.
But thanks again for the kind words and insightful comment!
The process of screaming, whining, then problem solving is dear to my own heart. Sometimes having the reality check that the grass really isn’t greener is enough to cause a shift in perspective.
Teaching, nursing, even blogging are all jobs which serve people in some way (I am a teacher and blogger too). Perhaps explore whether that part of you is having its needs sufficiently met!
Yep…when in crisis, I always go for screaming and whining FIRST!
Well done on your post. I think often what we think about whatever environment is more in our head and heart than the actual environment.
Some love the outdoors, others thrive on mental problem solving. Either way if you are adding value to others lives, being appreciated for it and what you do is aligned to your values.. Go for it!
We have high walled cubes. In theory more fabric absorbs the noise. Unfortunately it can mean people forget another human is on the other side. Sure this time it was work related, but it took several rounds of ‘Misty Mountain’ (from Lord of the Rings) abut 3 times in good volume on my headphones to get through document review.
I have wonderful managers and like most other parts of my job, so it’s something I work with for now. We have alternate work schedules so I get a few work from home days (lots of successful document review). I am targeting FI to craft my ideal work environment in the future. We’ll see how that works out. 🙂
Best of luck with sticking with it!
I wish I had high-walled cubes. For now, I’m dealing with the open office and I’m happy (and surprised) to report that I have adjusted much easier than I thought I would.
I’m actually kind of enjoying it. Ha! My meltdown was so exaggerated. 🙂
I’m glad to hear your cube situation isn’t too bad!
Just found this post through RockStar Fiancne. It was the dose of gratitude I needed today. I have a great job that makes so much of my life possible. I am going to appreciate it more and take advantage of the opportunities it provides me. Thank you for the reminder.
I’m glad I was able to help with a fresh outlook. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
My company office is in the process of moving – the amount of stress and anxiety this is causing people is off the charts. No one has seen the finished product as the cubes are being assembled as we move. But, there is worry over the noise level, worry over the location of the restrooms, worry over the number of the restrooms (that one may be legit), worry over the parking, worry over the safety of the location. Worry….worry….worry.
Bottom line is if these people want or need their jobs, they will make the move – and they will do the job that they know how to do, the same way they have been in the past. IF the job is not a need and they can’t find pride in their work, all of these changes are a great excuse to leave.
Whether you work in a cube; in a penthouse with 360 degree windows; in the middle of a field; or on a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean, you have a choice to either do your job or not. It doesn’t matter how menial the job may seem, if you do it with integrity and humility you can bring a smile to someone’s face – quite possibly your own.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Well said!