Work Life Balance?

[wheezing donkey]

When does the benefit of having employment get outweighed by the misery of the job?

Some would say "when you are living to work, rather than working to live".
The converse of that is that "living to work" implies that you are enthralled with the job; whereas "working to live" is a "must do drudgery, just to survive".

All very deep & complex. I guess it has to be worked through on an individual basis. One size does not fit all.

[Brotherton Lad]

When does the benefit of having employment get outweighed by the misery of the job?

A while before you start asking the question, I reckon, and when that misery exceeds the misery of being unemployed.

[mr brightside]

I can't face coming here any longer, as soon as i walk through the door the black veil descends and i can go until thursday morning before the black mood begins to lift. I dispise the company since the yanks and their accountants took us over, we're just a blood bank for them, they turn up in their droves in golf shirts to have a look round and inspect the safety notice board. My job has become harder and harder to do to the required standard, meeting targets has become more inportant than the quality of products and some of the builds we now turn out are shameful.

I'm trying not to undervalue what it is to have a job but i'm getting to the point where i can't do it to myself any longer and i can't find another position quick enough.

[OneHillWonder]

A while before you start asking the question, I reckon, and when that misery exceeds the misery of being unemployed.

That sounds about right BL, being unemployed is not a happy place to be either I imagine. And as wheezing donkey says that point probably can only be quantified on an individual basis.

Mr B, it's a very tough call - I had a job that made me feel like that once. I used to get to the A1 every working day and soutbound was towards the job I hated, while signs for "The North" taunted me, and I just wanted to go onto the northbound carriage way and bugger off for the day by myself! I almost did so many times.

Sadly though, I had to pay the mortgage somehow. I did however hunt high and low for another job. Maybe I am fortunate as I have something I want to do, so knew what I was looking for, on the downside there are very few oppurtunities in my field, so I just had to wait for something to come up - and it did. Mr B, I think you need to put yourself out there and work towards something that won't make you miserable. When you are in a job like you are now, it eats into your state of mind outside of work too, it is not a good situation to be in and it makes me a bit sad that you are

[mr brightside]

That sounds about right BL, being unemployed is not a happy place to be either I imagine. And as wheezing donkey says that point probably can only be quantified on an individual basis.

Mr B, it's a very tough call - I had a job that made me feel like that once. I used to get to the A1 every working day and soutbound was towards the job I hated, while signs for "The North" taunted me, and I just wanted to go onto the northbound carriage way and bugger off for the day by myself! I almost did so many times.

Sadly though, I had to pay the mortgage somehow. I did however hunt high and low for another job. Maybe I am fortunate as I have something I want to do, so knew what I was looking for, on the downside there are very few oppurtunities in my field, so I just had to wait for something to come up - and it did. Mr B, I think you need to put yourself out there and work towards something that won't make you miserable. When you are in a job like you are now, it eats into your state of mind outside of work too, it is not a good situation to be in and it makes me a bit sad that you are

My negative moods can sometimes start on sunday, because i know what's coming the next day. I once walked in with my notice in my hand but the MD was off for 10 days, i managed to convince myself it'd be better to wait till i'd got something else and never handed it in.

[wheezing donkey]

Mr BS, out of interest, just what is it that you do, some form of specialist car construction?

[OneHillWonder]

"They" do say that it is easier to find another job when you are already in a job - not sure why that might be? More incentive? You look more motivated on applications/CV?

Are you looking for something else MrB?

[Rodders]

Accept a new job on its own merits, and the chances are it will be far more suitable than the current one. However, we live in very difficult times, so not easy to act out in practice. Good luck to anyone in this miserable situation. There is more to life.

Wise words Grump!

[mr brightside]

Mr BS, out of interest, just what is it that you do, some form of specialist car construction?

No, i qualified as an electrical engineer on maintenance in the chemical industry, i've been made redundant 3 times in 7yrs and i've ended up panel wiring. Maintenance is challenging especially breakdown cover, it requires good fault finding skills, but panel wiring is the same old production line build stuff day in day out. There's a lot of jobs in the FMCG sector at the moment but they're asking for solid PLC (programmable logic controller) programming and interrogation skills which is a device the chemical industry generally doesn't use.

Are you looking for something else MrB?

Been on it for about 8-10mths, it's barren in my sector.

[mr brightside]

While one may be motivated to look for another job due to the nature of one's current job, my advice to my team, staff, colleagues etc. (and myself for that matter) has always been:
Never, ever accept a new job in order just to leave your current one. Your attitude will be obvious at interview, thus putting you at an immediate disadvantage, and you will not have evaluated the new job for the right reasons. It might turn out to be as unsatisfactory as the current one.
Accept a new job on its own merits, and the chances are it will be far more suitable than the current one. However, we live in very difficult times, so not easy to act out in practice. Good luck to anyone in this miserable situation. There is more to life.

I'm only looking for a job i've liked in the past and really want to do again; my trade in other words...and yes, there certainly is more to life.