Is your job the right one right for you?

Discussion Open Forum
21

I don’t know. When I was a kid I wanted to drive the dustbin lorry which came round on every Wednesday morning. I was aiming high.

I spent much of my first school years playing the “A-team” under the classroom tables with Christopher Jones and James Hynton. I remember an eraser which was a little smelly, and in our fantasy games, if you smelled the poisonous gas coming from it you could die.

I should have become a script writer or something, but it didn’t occur to me at the time and my parents and teachers didn’t discuss my restless imagination during their frequent “problem student” meetings.

Anyway, from the age of ten I always wanted to fly, and that’s what I’ve strived for ever since.

But I was lazy and spent A-levels dossing around and being in a band. During the summer holidays at school I had millions of jobs from driving to working at McDonalds to working at TESCOs. I scraped by and got good enough grades to get into the RAF where they part sponsored my degree.

After three years I stupidly left the airforce and spent nearly a year in Taiwan.

Then I went back to the UK and got my Commercial Pilots Licence which cost me a fortune. I managed to get a short term job as a co-pilot/observer with the company that trained me to fly, but they lost the contract for the stuff we were doing and I lost my job. I quickly found out there are more pilots than planes and with no hours in your log book and little experience, no-one wants you.
I’d thought about joining the police when I was in high school, so I did just that. It was cool, but I found myself increasingly at odds with my stupid government, so now after two years of plodding I’m on a career break and back in Taiwan, teaching English, dossing around and being in a band (sometimes, at least, and I would be now, Chief :wink: ) while I figure out what to do.

Am I happy? I’m OK.

But I’ll never be completely happy until I’m zipping above the clouds AND being paid for the privellage. I daydream about it sometimes, but perhaps with the current market it’s best to look at something else.

I nearly got there, and I’ll get there one day. But until then, it’s back to printing off the the handout “Hope vs Wish” for tomorrows class.

22

Lowered expectations (In Living Color). I’m just joking.

23

[quote=“Tomas”][quote=“Durins Bane”]
I learned about Mrs.Bane’s first pregnancy when I was in Jerusalem and her second when I was in Paris. Didn’t want to spend my life missing life’s important events so I gave that up that kind of life.[/quote]

Well I certainly hope you were in town for the conception :astonished: .

When I was young, I wanted to do what others thought I should do–become a lawyer, then go into politics. What a laugh–I have absolutely no talent for political analysis, don’t know from one minute to the next whether I’m a Republican or a Democrat.

It took me 35 years to figure out that what I really love to do. I’m doing it now.[/quote]

Ahh . . . that’s not fair. :s WHAT is it that you’re doing?

Bodo

24

Lowered expectations (In Living Color). I’m just joking.[/quote]

I’m just sorry that you are in a line of work that you feel deserves ridicule.

25

I didn’t read you card. I just looked to see if there was money in it. No money. I even held my computer upside down to see if any would fall out.

Was it a card?

Anyway, I was only joking (like I said). I think it’s quite a noble position.

26

No way is my job the right one for me. As it has continously taught me the power of stepping out on faith, and doing what your heart desires. I plan on quiting very soon, as it my current situation has produced such stress in my life that it has become a deteriment to my mental, emotional and spiritual life.

I have always believed that one should follow their dreams, but I never could do what I said. I support others and cheer them on, but never could for myself. But with my back against my wall, I’m stepping out on faith and saying ‘be dammed with it all, life is way to short to bullshit anymore’.

Go for what you want. Have faith in something, at least yourself. If you fail, at least you know you tried.

27

After teaching English to kids for about 2 to 3 years I started to feel a bit of underachievement guilt. But before too long, came up with a rationalization tht has worked well for me most of the past several years. Since the major part of my ambition involves making the world a “better” place, what better way than through spreading the English language? "Tis a noble profession, because the world needs to communicate better and English is the defacto choice language for cross-cultural communication.

So I fantasize that I may in fact be well-placed in life careerwise if I can make the teaching of English a success. So I do think a lot about EFL methods and stuff. This approach works for me most of the time, but there are still pangs now and again when I read about all the amazing careers that other people have, like discovering new life forms in ocean vents or photographing supermodels.

As far as job satisfaction goes, I think teaching kids is great. The best thing about it is one seldom has to deal with adults at all. Or even behave like an adult. It is mindblowingly liberating in that respect. I really can say to a kid in all earnestness something like, “This sticker of mine is way cooler than that one of yours.” It doesn’t require any acting or mock enthusiasm. I just feel decades younger when I’m in the classroom, and I think it’s gotta be healthy.

28

At any one point in time, I’m doing a dozen different things, but none of it well or in a way that give me intrinsic satisfaction. I teach English to adults, but am often bored with, or itimidated by my students; write for a number of international news agencies, and fear the deadlines like a colonoscopy; occassionally teach politics/political economy at university, and loath the fact that I’m so rarely on top of the subject matter; do consulting research for corporate clients, and wonder if anyone takes even a bit of notice of what I up come up with. I’m living Marx’s communist dream (you know, a farmer in the morning and a philosopher in the afternoon), yet feel that none of it fits together into something you could call a career, let alone a life.

If I had my time over, I’d have learned a trade like my dad. I’d have a decent workshop with some good people working for me by now. And some money in the bank. The irony is, of course, my dad wishes he had my breaks and my life experiences… Go figure.

29

[quote=“j99l88e77”]I didn’t read you card. I just looked to see if there was money in it. No money. I even held my computer upside down to see if any would fall out.

Was it a card?

Anyway, I was only joking (like I said). I think it’s quite a noble position.[/quote]

Well, sometimes it is. If you’re working yourself into the ground because of it then you’re probably doing more harm than good.

30

Some of you might think I

31

Some of you might think I

32

An insightful post ML, as always, but let me focus in on this sentence because I have so little time for the fat bastards that front-up the foreign missions (trade offices, whatever) here. [warning: rant follows] They are generally lazy, overfed, incompetent fools, who speak awful Chinese and typically no Taiwanese at all. And the locally engaged staff that pander to their every need are, more often than not, painful sycophants. It’s been my unfortunate need to travel to the Oz Office on several occasions over the last few years, and each time they’ve managed to screw-up the most basic of requests. And charged me for the pleasure, no less. Well done children! You’re a credit to that mediocre performance we’ve come to expect from our civil servants! God help the rest of us if anything really bad were to happen here (bird flu? a war?). You guys would be the first to line-up for the evacuation plane.

Working in the foreign service is a career option that I never hankered after. I’ve done a lot of stupid things over the course of my working life, but consciously take-up a job where effort and initiative are frowned upon aint one of them.

Ah, thank you. That feels a lot better. BOT…

33

[quote=“dearpeter”]After teaching English to kids for about 2 to 3 years I started to feel a bit of underachievement guilt. But before too long, came up with a rationalization tht has worked well for me most of the past several years. Since the major part of my ambition involves making the world a “better” place, what better way than through spreading the English language? "Tis a noble profession, because the world needs to communicate better and English is the defacto choice language for cross-cultural communication.

So I fantasize that I may in fact be well-placed in life careerwise if I can make the teaching of English a success. So I do think a lot about EFL methods and stuff. This approach works for me most of the time, but there are still pangs now and again when I read about all the amazing careers that other people have, like discovering new life forms in ocean vents or photographing supermodels.

As far as job satisfaction goes, I think teaching kids is great. The best thing about it is one seldom has to deal with adults at all. Or even behave like an adult. It is mindblowingly liberating in that respect. I really can say to a kid in all earnestness something like, “This sticker of mine is way cooler than that one of yours.” It doesn’t require any acting or mock enthusiasm. I just feel decades younger when I’m in the classroom, and I think it’s gotta be healthy.[/quote]

:laughing: :bravo: :notworthy:
Very nice post. Thanks for that. I felt very much that way when I was teaching English too - it’s fun realizing other ppl share one’s own feelings/thoughts/experiences. Thanks for sharing.

Bodo

34

I almost commented on that post earlier. I second what Bodo said, dearpeter is on to something here. Of course at 8 in the morning with kids running around, it’s not always easy to have that frame of mind but everytime I do, I’m having a blast in the classroom. Well said dearpeter and I’m sure both of you are/were great teachers. :notworthy:

bobepine

35

Teaching is an honorable profession.

36

After studying two years of Mandarin in college (in the US), I applied for a fellowship from the Ministry of Education and got it. It was to last for a year. Truth be told, I hoped my wife and I may really get into Taiwan and want to stay there for longer. Asthma put a quick stop to that. I simply couldn’t breathe in Taiwan. After three months I came back home, more disillusioned and disappointed than I’d ever been if my life. I grudgingly finished out my bachelor’s degree in government, and then drifted through various jobs. Tried law school and hated it.

After that I did the most rewarding and interesting thing I’ve ever done. I wrote a book. It’s a 200,000 word long fantasy novel, and as you English teachers out there can imagine, I have lots and lots of editing to do. The bulk of the writing took me six months, and while I was kept very busy, I enjoyed every minute of it. I will have to get a job soon to help pay the bills, but I hope one day to make a living writing novels. That’s my dream.

I’m really enjoying this thread.

37

[quote=“gao_bo_han”]After studying two years of Mandarin in college (in the US), I applied for a fellowship from the Ministry of Education and got it. It was to last for a year. Truth be told, I hoped my wife and I may really get into Taiwan and want to stay there for longer. Asthma put a quick stop to that. I simply couldn’t breathe in Taiwan. After three months I came back home, more disillusioned and disappointed than I’d ever been if my life. I grudgingly finished out my bachelor’s degree in government, and then drifted through various jobs. Tried law school and hated it.

After that I did the most rewarding and interesting thing I’ve ever done. I wrote a book. It’s a 200,000 word long fantasy novel, and as you English teachers out there can imagine, I have lots and lots of editing to do. The bulk of the writing took me six months, and while I was kept very busy, I enjoyed every minute of it. I will have to get a job soon to help pay the bills, but I hope one day to make a living writing novels. That’s my dream.

I’m really enjoying this thread.[/quote]

Go for it man! Just keep in mind that most successful novelists worked as teachers, journalists, insurance salesmen, public defenders, editors, etc. for the first several years of their writing careers. It takes time to get established in writing, and very few fiction writers make more than a few thousand dollars a year for their efforts.

I think if you know that going in (I’m sure you do), you’re in good shape.

38

[quote=“Tomas”][quote=“gao_bo_han”]After studying two years of Mandarin in college (in the US), I applied for a fellowship from the Ministry of Education and got it. It was to last for a year. Truth be told, I hoped my wife and I may really get into Taiwan and want to stay there for longer. Asthma put a quick stop to that. I simply couldn’t breathe in Taiwan. After three months I came back home, more disillusioned and disappointed than I’d ever been if my life. I grudgingly finished out my bachelor’s degree in government, and then drifted through various jobs. Tried law school and hated it.

After that I did the most rewarding and interesting thing I’ve ever done. I wrote a book. It’s a 200,000 word long fantasy novel, and as you English teachers out there can imagine, I have lots and lots of editing to do. The bulk of the writing took me six months, and while I was kept very busy, I enjoyed every minute of it. I will have to get a job soon to help pay the bills, but I hope one day to make a living writing novels. That’s my dream.

I’m really enjoying this thread.[/quote]

Go for it man! Just keep in mind that most successful novelists worked as teachers, journalists, insurance salesmen, public defenders, editors, etc. for the first several years of their writing careers. It takes time to get established in writing, and very few fiction writers make more than a few thousand dollars a year for their efforts.

I think if you know that going in (I’m sure you do), you’re in good shape.[/quote]

Unfortunately I am acutely aware of the fact only a tiny percentage of authors actually make a living writing books. Micheal Crichton said he went to medical school because, at the time, only two or three hundred authors in the United States actually made a living writing books, whereas medical schools were turning out 4,000 new doctors every year. He dropped out of medical school when his books started to take off. I didn’t have the brilliance to simultaneously write a novel and study law, so I dropped out early on to pursue my writing full time. It was a heck of a lot of fun, but now my bank account is suffering for it :wink:

I’ve thought about going back to get my teaching certificate (I tutored English at a community college for years), but even that takes money that I conspicuously don’t have. Maybe I’ll just sit out on the road with a tin cup and cardboard sign that says, “Liberal arts major. Please help.”

39

[quote=“gao_bo_han”]Maybe I’ll just sit out on the road with a tin cup and cardboard sign that says, “Liberal arts major. Please help.”[/quote]Why not, if it’s the right job for you. :laughing: Actually, I used to do an activity with high school students. It was a conversational class and I simply asked them to tell me what they thought was the best job and the worse job. They had to elaborate on that of course. After a few times doing this activity, I knew I had to tell the students that thief and beggar aren’t jobs. It’s what people do when they do not want to work.(with exceptions) :stuck_out_tongue:

Seriously, hats off to you for living your dream Sir. Here’s a quote for you, just because I like it.

[quote]Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true
Someday I’ll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops thats where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow[/quote]

bobebine

40

Well done… That’s the inspiration that I need - that’s my dream too. Along with being an Indiana Jones-type archaeologist - but I only did one semester of history at university so I guess that doesn’t really cut it for that field. Still, I try to write as many short stories as I can in my free time, and I’ve been planning out a novel for the past two years…