I'm struggling to see the point...

matherto

matherto

20 times 20 times Man United
13 October 2004
St. Helens, Merseyside.
Manchester United
..in...anything. (Don't worry it's not a suicide thing, that's for idiots)

Brought on by the fact my parents keep arguing with me about working.

I've been unemployed since March and to be honest, I was absolutely over the moon when I lost my job. All it served to do was keep me sat on a chair in front of a computer for eight hours a day, five days a week whilst I contributed the square root of fuck all to mankind.

Since then they've been banging on that I HAVE to have a job and can't just lay about doing nothing. It got me thinking why to be honest. If all you HAVE to do in life is work, and it makes you absolutely miserable to the point of religiously and pointlessly posting 'fuck off' as a status on Facebook every morning (yeah, I was sad enough to do that), then what is the point to life?

They also say that I need a job so that I can find something I actually want to do in life, but I struggle to see how I'm gonna be able to find what I want to do when I'm sat/stood wasting time in an office/warehouse/etc working.

Thing is, the interests and hobbies I have in life, don't translate into a career of any kind.

Hanging around with your mates, going to the pub, playing football - There isn't a career there at all is there? (what I wouldn't give to have the talent to be a footballer, they really do have it made)

I suppose I should ask something to make it worthwhile for people to contribute and help me out so....

Why do you work?
What do you do?
How did you get into it and...
Would you say you'd be proud to retire/you'd be on your deathbed and look back and say 'that was a worthwhile life choice'.
 
I know how you feel but I've got responsibilities that mean I have no choice but to work.

The aim is to have a job that doesn't make you feel way and that you work to live, not live to work.

I've got no idea what I want to do cos I don't wanna do what I am now for the rest of my life so I definitely understand where you're coming from but you've just gotta work your way up to something worthwhile.
 
- I want to feel intellectually challenged and to earn a good income so I can enjoy my life.

- I'm completing my masters in branding at Goldsmiths, something I've always wanted to do since I want to work in brand consultancy or brand strategy. I've also always had a thing for going to a creative minded uni. I'm doing an internship now based on social media and small internet startups with some really cool people (some of the co-founders of Lastfm and Skype), as well as taking me to meetings with other branding agencies who try to offer cool advice to some of the new startups

- I was job hunting for about 2-3 months since my classes ended so I wanted something to do. I looked everywhere online, built a strong CV and applied to loads of creative agencies and social media places. I mainly want to do internships for now to boost my CV.

- Yes. If i end up retiring from working in the creative/media industry in London, I will be extremely satisfied since its a high paying industry and it revolves around creativity. The work you do on a client can ultimately affect MILLIONS of people.


EDIT
Anyway, I felt that a bit like you at the beginning of my bachelors degree... I really didn't know what I wanted to do specifically. But now I do. It helped by going to Goldsmiths where they encouraged me to think and do what I want. Once you find something that actually appeals to you, I suppose you start working towards achieving it. It sounds like you haven't really had the chance to find something to do that wont make you shoot yourself... I went through loads of those when I was still in high school... I was in it just for the money but it was hell and each day took years to finish.

But once your friends start working and doing stuff, wouldnt you feel like you're missing out in a way? And fun can exist in work, I've seen it and I'm sure I'm having fun where I"m at now.... but its the first time I felt like I was enjoying one of my jobs/internships.... so it really seems like its down to finding the right place. People these days change companies/jobs far more frequently.
 
Last edited:
matherto said:
..in...anything. (Don't worry it's not a suicide thing, that's for idiots)

Brought on by the fact my parents keep arguing with me about working.

I've been unemployed since March and to be honest, I was absolutely over the moon when I lost my job. All it served to do was keep me sat on a chair in front of a computer for eight hours a day, five days a week whilst I contributed the square root of fuck all to mankind.

Since then they've been banging on that I HAVE to have a job and can't just lay about doing nothing. It got me thinking why to be honest. If all you HAVE to do in life is work, and it makes you absolutely miserable to the point of religiously and pointlessly posting 'fuck off' as a status on Facebook every morning (yeah, I was sad enough to do that), then what is the point to life?

They also say that I need a job so that I can find something I actually want to do in life, but I struggle to see how I'm gonna be able to find what I want to do when I'm sat/stood wasting time in an office/warehouse/etc working.

Thing is, the interests and hobbies I have in life, don't translate into a career of any kind.

Hanging around with your mates, going to the pub, playing football - There isn't a career there at all is there? (what I wouldn't give to have the talent to be a footballer, they really do have it made)

I suppose I should ask something to make it worthwhile for people to contribute and help me out so....

Why do you work?
What do you do?
How did you get into it and...
Would you say you'd be proud to retire/you'd be on your deathbed and look back and say 'that was a worthwhile life choice'.
Click to expand...
Feels like deja vu for me because I've had that perspective lingering in the back of my mind too.

Almost word for word, without the drinking and facebook bits. :P

You're not alone, ya weirdo.
 
I never knew what i wanted to do.

I got a degree but ended up being an Administrator and then finally into Finance. I had the chance earlier in the year to be promoted to be a finance manager and get lots lots more money. But they also gave me the choice of voluntary redundancy.

I hated Finance and I didn't want to do it anymore, I could have gone for the money and been unhappy with my work for the rest of my life.

i took the redundancy and am now studying a distance learning course in Web Design. Which I am enjoying and hopefully if I am anygood at it in a couple of years can get a job in it.

For now though I will do Admin work and study on my own and try and find the right path.

I was lucky though I didn't have any kids or anything (although I know have a mortgage, but it isn't crippling and is cheaper than renting for me)

I have never known what I wanted to do in life, I probably never will. i hate working and will probably never find a job that I love to do. But at least I can do one that I am interested in.

my advice would be to really sit down and think about stuff you might be slightly interested in and maybe do a small course in it to see if you like it...if not try another one etc.

If you like football, do some football coaching courses. I have a few friends that do it and now teach kids at school how to play football and they absolutely love it (and they are actually shit at playing football).

If you really look into things, there could be many ways you could get into a field similar to what you enjoy, you just might have to look at it from a different angle.

Anyway mate I am now 30 unemployed (should get a job soon though) have a mortgage etc but i am much happier than I would have been if i would have taken the promotion.

Life is shit at times, but you need to embrace the stuff that makes you happy and strive for that.
 
Haha.. Mat you are on a downer, unfortunatley mate you have to work, if you were female you could have a couple of kids get a flat given and live off welfare, or you could find a girl and do the same...

If you are a single male it's much harder, you work to live and that's about it, unless you come into money or have rich parents...

I've had a few jobs in my time from DJ, ship crew, holiday rep for kids, Op's manager and Contracts manager and they all had their fun points, you need to find something you can stomach week in week out...

I did have this chance to work in the States twice wen I was younger and always wished I had gone, also had the chance to keep bumming round the world (no doubt Jay will post something here)and took a job offer instead...

My advise to anyone would be get some education and then see the world, see life.. Don't dive from school to college and into work, you're only young once and it's a big wide world, the world of mortgages and bills lasts a long time...

I think your very lucky if you can look back on your life and say " I made a difference" after all who truly does?...

And remember it's your parents job to nag, they don't want you there forever you know...;)
 
Last edited:
Nick Cave said:
My advise to anyone would be get some education and then see the world, see life.. Don't dive from school to college and into work, your only young once and it's a big wide world, the world of mortgages and bills lasts a long time...

And remember it's your parents job to nag, they don't want you there for ever you know...;)
Click to expand...

Seconded. Thats how I see things. I had the chance to travel loads with my family, so I didn't particularly feel the need to travel too much after my degrees, but almost every summer I've been somewhere. I know loads of friends that I've met here in the UK who realized that first year uni was a mistake and that they should've travelled around South East Asia or something first.
 
Well at this point I'd give anything to tell the parents to fuck off and just walk away (I'll have to walk cause they're gonna sell the car).

I can't get past the fact that I know no matter what I end up doing, I'll see it as a trivial and miserable waste of time. And when all I hear is that you work so you can afford to eat and live then I just don't see the point.

The best time of my life was sixth form, and only now I can see I didn't appreciate it as much as I should've and wasted it dicking about. Everything thats happened since I started sixth form has basically fucked life up and I can't go back to change it.

If there is a God then he's truly an evil bastard for giving me this predicament.
 
matherto said:
Well at this point I'd give anything to tell the parents to fuck off and just walk away (I'll have to walk cause they're gonna sell the car).

I can't get past the fact that I know no matter what I end up doing, I'll see it as a trivial and miserable waste of time. And when all I hear is that you work so you can afford to eat and live then I just don't see the point.

If there is a God then he's truly an evil bastard for giving me this predicament.
Click to expand...

Look online there are loads of summer and travel jobs abroad, as for messing up and education you can study at any age and in many forms..
For me, at your age I'd look at working abroad, you can see how you like it and move on if you don't, there are tons of jobs, and trust me a hell of a lot of them are almost not work at all, you'll have fun and meet new people..
When/if I ever have kids I'll be all but shoving them on the plane...:P
 
Be holiday rep for a year or something. Not amazing pay or conditions but you can drink and fuck around with likeminded people for a bit and have a great time in the sun with fitties.:D
 
My job is there to pay for my interests. Its as simple as that. Stuff likes footy, games, going out, etc.

But in terms of what kind of job I aim for, I just want something that makes earning my money as easy as possible. Right now I work at a supermarket. Some of the money I've earnt from that has gone towards starting up my own business (catering). I'm hoping the money I earn from that will allow me to open up a restaurant or something. If that does well, I'd hopefully be able to get enough workers where I wouldnt have to do much of the work myself. And then if that works out, the money I get from that will go towards my other interest, which is music producing.

Its not entirely realistic but can be done. I dont see any career as a long term thing. Its more like a catapult to get me to the next stop where I earn more or have to work less. Cuz in an ideal world, I would be sitting on my arse and the money would be flying in.

Which is why I've always thought if I had won the lottery, I'd invest everything into something that gave me a steady income (like buying and renting houses) cuz spending huge amounts of money on a big holiday or a car is something that has never really appealled to me to be honest.
 
jaygrim said:
I'm in the same boat as you Matt but a lot older.
Click to expand...

Yes but you have me on xbox live.

Honestly I like the idea of going abroad and living 'something' different from what you're use too. Living and discovering a new place can be very hard at times, but in your case it could be an excellent opportunity to rediscover yourself. A place abroad that has a cheap cost of living like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are perfect. Amazing food, completely different culture, cost of living is amazingly cheap (rent,food,travel, local shopping) And you don't need to be concerned about (for example) "I don't want to randomly drink with Asians" there are plenty of foreigners like yourself who go to these countries seeking a new life or something different.

I hope things get better for you, just keep your head up and strive for something.
 
I'm working to live, and even then I'm having to pay £220 a month in CSA for the next 6 years (at least). THAT'S a pain in the ass and that's when you get really fed up of working :(

I've had shit jobs before, worked at Burger King after school as I just wanted money to go out clubbing and wasn't arsed what the job was. Lacked any motivation to leave despite hating it shortly after starting and ended up there for about 3 years.

Then went to work for the Jobcentre in a call centre. Again, HATED it, really horrible job. And again, lack of motivation and I ended up working at call centre's until a couple of years ago.

Eventually I got to a point where I thought I'd try and get that job as IT support that I always wanted. So I went to college, did some self-studying and did some voluntary work at PC World. Applied for an IT job and got it, despite not having the required skills, based on my desire for the job.

So now I've been in the job for 3 years I think ... and I'm not sure it's what I actually want a career in. And I really don't know what else I'd want to do as a job unfortunately. I'm doing an Open Uni course in programming but that's going to take me at least 6-7 years to finish and I'm positive I'll have wanted to move out of IT by then.

I've just turned 30 and not got a clue where I'll be working in a years time, or even where I want to be working in a years time. Hopefully something will come up where I'll think "That's it, that's the job I want!" but probably not. I'm a big dog-lover (ask my first girlfriend...) so working with animals could be fun, but anything like a vet is something you really need to go to university for and I can't see that happening.

Until then, I'm just going into work, getting money to live AND pay CSA (:BRICK:), and hoping that I also get some inspiration from somewhere soon. More annoying is that my girlfriend had done really well for herself and is now in a very well paid job, and could get a job quite easily and enjoy her job. Makes me feel quite pressured and a bit shite that she's in that position and I'm a bit stuck a a relatively low-paid job with no promotion or job prospects available in my workplace.
 
Why do you work?

So I can have some money to spend on nice things, and pay rent and live etc. Also so I don't get bored. I'd get pretty bored doing nothing all day everyday, and I quite enjoy my job.


What do you do?

Fix things for the Co-op! Tills, receipt printers, chip and pin units, screens, back office printers, servers, switches, hubs, cabling etc.


How did you get into it?

I was already working in EPOS for another company and then the Co-op found my CV online on Monster and contacted me.


Would you say you'd be proud to retire/you'd be on your deathbed and look back and say 'that was a worthwhile life choice'?

Yeah, I would, because I enjoy it. (Bit early to think about that really!)
 
Why do you work?
What else is there to do? I've done my education and got my degree's and the job is mostly what I always wanted to do. Doing nothing is boring and only costs more money then spending your time working.

What do you do?
Junior Architect; So most of my days are spent designing buildings (2d/3d) and making nice presentations/renders/models/etc. Depending on the projectfase I also spend my time going to meetings and discussing projects with clients/councils/etc.

How did you get into it?
Always wanted to do it and did my 9 years of degree's to achieve it. 16-20y.o. my college degree, 20-23 bacholars degree, 23-25y.o. my masters degree.

Would you say you'd be proud to retire/you'd be on your deathbed and look back and say 'that was a worthwhile life choice'?
I really don't think your job will be an issue, it will more likely be about your personal relationships; good husband/boyfriend, good father/son, nice family etc. A job is essentially just a means to give the persons you care about a good life. And if you can do it and enjoy your work even better. For me, that part would be if I had managed to have a number of interesting, critically acclaimed buildings realised. Most top architects are in their late 50-ties anyway so there is a good chance that I will still be working while on my death bed.



Tbh I think the pleasure you get out of your job has far more to do with the people you interact with then what you actually do/produce.

I've worked in 5 architecture firms in the past 10 or so years (starting as 6 months work experiences for college around my 18th) and the big difference has been the people. I've been at firms where I've had better work but it didn't click with the collegues and I was bored while I've also been at firms where the work was less interesting but had far more fun with the collegues and it's been a far better experience.

At the moment I'm very fortunate, I've still got a job (fixed contract) which is good considering about 30% of architects have been made redundant, fun work and good collegues.

Have you ever done those career tests to see where your interest lies? Instead of looking at what you like, as you don't know, you could try and look at what you can do well and see if which industries need those qualities. If your a bullshitter you could go into marketing/sales, creative there are loads of directions, good with numbers ( or bad looking at the state of banking in the world) you could go into finance. There are loads of companies that do trainee programs (some receiving full pay).

Although, as I said a while ago, this is a perfect time to go to college/uni as the market is shit anyway.
 
Last edited:
Why do you work?

To have enough money to enjoy my time away from work. I'm very much a work to live person and I'm not very career-driven. Work is purely to earn the money I need to pay the mortgage/bills/put food on the table and then enjoy my interests and the finer things in life.

What do you do?

Crane Driver at Britain's largest container port. It's far removed from what I originally planned to do, but it's quite well paid and I work a nice 4-on-4-off shift pattern which gives me plenty of time away from it.

How did you get into it?

The typical case of falling into something you don't intend to do. I studied an Engineering course at uni but struggled to get any decent job offers afterwards. I worked for Tesco for a short while just to earn some money until I could find something more long term. I applied to work at the Port as I could double my money to start with and six-and-a-half years later I'm still there.

Would you say you'd be proud to retire/you'd be on your deathbed and look back and say 'that was a worthwhile life choice'?

I don't really care. There's not a great deal of job satisfaction to be had where I work, you're just one of 2,500 people that keep the place going. But the pay and time-off is good, and I've made lots of friends there, and that's what is most important to me.

What would make me proud is to have earned enough money to live a good life and provide for my family. Few people genuinely make a difference in their work roll.

-----------------------

Just to put things into perspective here, we in the developed world need to realise how lucky we are and how much opportunity we have. What I consider a miserable existence is working in a sweat-shop in India for 14 hours a day earning a pittance. No matter how bad you think your life is just remind yourself how good you actually have it here in the UK.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom