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Work-related: 2 positives and negative
Okay, I deleted what I had orginally posted here because IF by some weird chance the folks I work with or for saw it they'd be upset.
So I'll do a more generic one...name two positives and a negative about your job/career.
TWO POSITIVES:
1. I work in a very pro-woman, family friendly environment which is wonderful as a new mother.
2. I get to do a lot of creative work despite being in an administrative and upper manangement position.
ONE NEGATIVE:
Working for a member-driven non-profit has its challenges because the governing board of directors is all members and therefore has a one-sided approach to many of the staff requests. They are all volunteers and sometimes have similar expectations of us, the professionals they've hired, which can create and awkward situation.
Re: Work-related: 2 positives and negative
I hear you Lori! Every time the gov't changes, we get a new Education minister who knows NOTHING about education it seems. If you haven't been in a classroom, how can you possibly understand what does on in there?
Positives:
1. My job is intensely entertaining! I teach 105 students every day which means interacting with 105 different personalities. Unlike desk jobs, every moment I spend in the classroom feels like I'm on stage. I perform (and educate, I hope) for an audience and get their feedback immediately. It's both totally energizing and draining at the same time.
2. The benefits I get are insane... and my pension plan is probably the most powerful in Canada, possibly North America. We own Bell, several sports teams, malls, etc, etc. That means, provided I stick with this career for the next 28 years, I'll be able to retire pretty darn comfortably.
Negatives:
1. Because I'm performing most of the day, it IS totally exhausting... but more than that, it's the hours of marking that are killing me this year. =( That and the idiotic parents I have to deal with occasionally (though 85% are awesome).
Alyson & Phil | Planning Bio | Married Bio!
Dates & Quinces Blog
TWO POSITIVES
I really enjoy the work that I do. It's not always challenging (I am at basically an entry level job in the field, after all), but I just like being in the environment. I've had a few jobs where I liked the work but hated the environment, so I appreciate what a good thing this is!
This is more to do with working for a government institution than my particular library, but I am immensely grateful for their amazing maternity leave policy. 28 weeks at half pay and then an additional 30 weeks where I only have to go in for 3 days a week but get paid for 5...it's very generous and makes me happy I work there.
ONE NEGATIVE
Libraries can often be...hmm, how do I say this? Difficult places to implement change. For people who work in libraries, there's already a love of routine in their personality - I think you have to have a certain OCD element in your personality to thrive in a library (and I'm not excluding myself here lol - it's mild, but it's there). Multiply that times 50 people who have been doing something a certain way for 35 years, and you can see the problem. Things end up becoming part of the task that are completely unnecessary and a waste of time, and if you try to change anything - no matter how small - you're treated like some kind of heretic. It can be...challenging. And really obnoxious when you hear, "Because that's how we've ALWAYS done it" for the 587th time.
Two positives:
1. My work always keeps me interested. New cases come up every day with new scenarios and often new crazy people involved. The job is never boring and it is hard to get stuck in the same ole routine... sometimes it's like watching a Jerry Springer show unfold, and then you realize you have to figure out all the pieces of that Jerry Springer couple/episode - which is where the challenging part comes into play.
2. I love helping people and talking with people. I know the work I do truly has a purpose... and I love being able to work with people, have access to some of the best equipment and training and experience so many things many agents/investigators don't get to deal with during their entire career. I like being able to tell a victim or a family that something is being done or we have found the person involved.
1 Negative:
1. My job is stressful to no end. I work long hours with lots of paperwork, lots of things to get done with each individual case (and we all have at least 4-5 open cases alone). It's hard not to get frustrated when a case isn't going well. It feels like all your hardwork doesn't matter or you're not doing enough to get things done. Also, the people that I work with here specifically are miserable and constantly negative. I know part of its because the workload at this location especially is INSANE but it's hard to not let the other people around you bring you down.
Good poll, Lori. But now I am curious about your original post!
Two positives:
1. I love pretty much everyone I work with. I have worked in offices with unpleasant personalities before so this is a huge thing for me. I think it's pretty rare with 40+ people to have found so many people I really like and admire and truly enjoy working with.
2. I am working with someone who has been one of the leading figures in the independent film world for the past 15 years. I am learning so incredibly much on a daily basis about the business of film. I am lucky to have a job where I get to be involved with cool people and amazing projects.
Negative:
The woman who had the job before me (she left suddenly about a year ago), basically lied and cheated and stole money and lied on taxes and left the company in a complete financial shambles, which a year later we are still trying to clean up and recover from. It is incredibly stressful, every pay period I am basically struggling to scrape together enough to try to get people paid, which is a lot to rest on my poor little shoulders! It's not that we are not bringing in money, but that this woman so entirely screwed up our finances that we owe on so many things that we should not. (And yes, we do plan to bring her to court, but then that's another thing we are having to pay for - the months of work on behalf of forensic accountants to help build the case.) It's like having our own personal Bernie Madoff!
two positives:
1. my company is pretty laid back wrt deadlines and schedules - it's a lot less stressful than my last company. i can get away with not doing much work outside of work hours
2. my company treats us really well. we have some pretty ridiculous benefits (eg: (free) healthy meals, subsidized massages), the pay is decent, and our mat leave policy is very generous
negative:
1. i'm not super excited about the actual products that i work on. i'm not passionate about what I do, and I don't really enjoy it. i don't hate it, but it doesn't get me fired up. i often feel very unmotivated to go to work, and can tend to waste a lot of time at work if i'm not careful - which leads to me feeling pressure to work outside of work to catch up. not good. i wish i could figure out something i actually want to do (that would still pay the bills, haha).
MH and I agreed long ago that I would have the option of being a SAHM after we have kids. everyone who knows me says i would hate it, but you never know! we'll see...
Positives:
1 - there is usually work for me no matter where we go/move to, plus I have the flexibility of working part time w/o sacrificing much pay by doing contract work
2 - I get to make people's lives better by helping care for their four legged children
Negative:
1 - much of the time, people's choices are dictated by finances, and even though I can recommend the best treatment plan, they can't always afford it. even worse, sometimes they get mad at me b/c they can't afford it (maybe out of guilt?) or they accuse me of recommending unnecessary things b/c they think I have a financial incentive to do so, not b/c it's what is best.
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
kudos to you and to all teachers out there - I did that job for 2 years and almost had a breakdown by the time I left. I loved parts of it, but in the end it was just too draining for me.
TWO POSITIVES:
1. My workplace is very flexible on hours - as long as you put them in and are there during the "core hours" of 9-3, you can make up the rest at any time. This is great as a new mom! Even if you have a medical appt during those times, that's ok as long as you are there most of that time.
2. I work with mostly intelligent people, which cuts down immensely on the factor of dealing with stupid people (and thus my stress level), although it does happen from time to time!
ONE NEGATIVE:
My comfort level here is so high that it makes me lazy sometimes.