Poll of the Day > How long after graduation were you working at your ideal job?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I must have these answers.
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what constitutes an ideal job
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I dont know what my ideal job is.

I do enjoy my current work, though.
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Sarcasthma posted...

enjoy my current work

Crap, then I should have put "work you enjoy", instead of

Sarcasthma posted...

ideal job

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The topic title doesn't really match the answers in the poll question.

I got a good job with a good salary about 4 months or so after I graduated, but it certainly wasn't my ideal job at all. Heck, many years later, I still have never actually worked at my ideal job. Few people ever actually do find their ideal job, college degree or not.

Also, the best thing you can do is to start working while you are still in college. Do internships. This is extremely important to get experience in your field before you graduate. I never did internships or anything like that, and in hindsight it was my biggest mistake in college. I therefore had zero real experience when I graduated. Sure I had the degree, but I had no real experience.

As a consequence, I had a very difficult time finding a job after I graduated because many employers would not give me a chance with no experience. As I said it took me 4 months or so to find a job, and it can actually take you much longer to find a job if you have no experience like me.

I got a bit lucky because there was an opening at a place where I knew a few people who worked there and therefore had some connections. With them giving me a good reference, the employer decided to take a chance on me and hire me. I got really lucky with that. If you have no experience, then you better have some very good networking connections to make up for it.

In the real world, experience >>>>> networking >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> degree

I learned that lesson the hard way. Don't be like me. Do some internships to get experience while you are still in school. Also, network like crazy while you are in school too.

rogerskg1979 posted...

your field

I don't know what that is, yet, and I'm about to graduate in the spring.
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EclairReturns posted...

rogerskg1979 posted...

your field

I don't know what that is, yet, and I'm about to graduate in the spring.

Jesus Christ. You're doomed. How the hell can you be about to graduate without knowing what it is you are getting into? That's a very good way to get stuck working in retail your entire life. If I was you, I would delay graduation for a year or so and get your shit sorted out.

I was working right before college, took a few years of classes unrelated to the job, then decided to stay at the same place. I'd rather enjoy what I do than make top dollar and be miserable.

DPsx7 posted...

I'd rather enjoy what I do than make top dollar and be miserable.

That's true. I don't make a huge salary, but I like my job. I know I could definitely get a better paying job, but I may not like the job itself as much.

Think of it this way. Your job is something you are going to be doing for 40+ hours a week for 50 weeks a year for the next 40 years. That's a lot of time spent at your job. If you hate your job, you will hate your life.

On the other hand, you do need a good enough salary to live. Rent/mortgage and bills and stuff are not cheap. You're unlikely to be self-sufficient if you work a minimum wage job. You also need to make enough money to save for emergencies and for retirement. You never know when an emergency may hit and you need the cash to pay for it. You also don't want to still be working when you're 70 years old. If you don't save for retirement, then you will be working when you're 70.

rogerskg1979 posted...

I got a good job with a good salary about 4 months or so after I graduated, but it certainly wasn't my ideal job at all

This. I actually was working at a decently paying job (for the time) in my field of study while going to college, and never stopped (it's been 16 years now...).

But I switched jobs a lot... some underpaid me, some treated me like crap, some didn't have interesting projects, at one place some dude physically threatened me until I quit, one place tried to make me work 100 hour weeks for no good reason...

Only a couple of years ago did I hit my "ideal" job. So it took well over a decade. But the way the question is framed and with the options given, it sounds more like "how long until you found a job in your field". That's a very different question.

rogerskg1979 posted...

doomed

I was planning on studying to become an actuary or pursuing a field in data science, but certain obstacles made me sure that I am unable to go for neither of these fields. For one thing, I haven't much experience in programming, statistical or otherwise. I'm trying to learn R at the mo', but I just can't help but feel alone and miserable all the time, which makes me lose my concentration and willpower to continue studying; all the while remembering disturbing events from my past just detracts from my ability to concentrate further. Same thing for studying for actuary tests. I was planning on doing it, but then every time I think of studying, I remember how alone, miserable, and tired I am while doing it, which makes me not want to study. In any case, I'm already taking the rest of the courses I need to graduate in the spring, and I don't think they won't offer me financial aid after I get my degree, unless I want to go to graduate school, which is not something I really want to do right now. The more I think about the future, the more I wish I were a dead man. All my therapist does is give me false hope; he tells me that lots of people would like to hire someone like me. But all he succeeds in doing is pissing me off for not giving any real advice.
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I mean, it's not ideal, but it's something that I was good at, so I thought why not. Salary is pretty decent but sometimes isn't worth it. I still want to go back for Film, but nowadays, most people don't care about your degree, mainly who you know.
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Sarcasthma posted...

I dont know what my ideal job is.

I do enjoy my current work, though.

This. I got my degree in Accounting and Maritime Logistics/Supply Chain Management. Now Im a freight train conductor.
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Depends on "ideal", I had a job right out of college, which I liked for the first few months, but then kind of grew tired of pretty quickly. Given my situation though, I stuck with it for about 2 years so I was in a better place financially to find something I was going to enjoy more. Then after about 2 months of looking I found my current job which I have been at for about 11.5 years. However, I am in the process of getting laid off, so I will be looking for something else in the near future.
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rogerskg1979 posted...

DPsx7 posted...

I'd rather enjoy what I do than make top dollar and be miserable.

That's true. I don't make a huge salary, but I like my job. I know I could definitely get a better paying job, but I may not like the job itself as much.

Think of it this way. Your job is something you are going to be doing for 40+ hours a week for 50 weeks a year for the next 40 years. That's a lot of time spent at your job. If you hate your job, you will hate your life.

On the other hand, you do need a good enough salary to live. Rent/mortgage and bills and stuff are not cheap. You're unlikely to be self-sufficient if you work a minimum wage job. You also need to make enough money to save for emergencies and for retirement. You never know when an emergency may hit and you need the cash to pay for it. You also don't want to still be working when you're 70 years old. If you don't save for retirement, then you will be working when you're 70.

Sure, there's a minimum threshold. Luckily I can do without silly crap like dining out, dating, phones, travel, etc. I've always kept things simple. Got my games, my cats, some savings, and a bit for fun extras on occasion.

I dunno, is it so bad to be working at that age? My previous boss was around that age before retiring and I think staying active (within your limits) is important to keep from falling apart. Some people retire to the couch, put on 50 pounds, and the story doesn't go far from there.

It's been almost seven years and I don't have anything close to an "ideal" job under my belt. I'd settle just for a "good" job at this point but apparently that's asking too much. I got an "okay" job out of college but then I had the audacity to tell myself I deserve something better so now I'm pretty much screwed.

I don't really know if most of my friends are really in ideal jobs either though, so it makes me feel a little less bad. Most of them just seem to still be in the same job they got after graduating, or a very similar second job at most.

Uh, I work for me but it took me 4 months to get started. I basically rely on the same 6-8 clients so if I lost one of those I'd have some problems.
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Well, given that there's been some back and forth over terms in the topic, it kinda depends. I was employed full-time in my field within six months of graduation. However, a year later I was working somewhere else I liked more and making better money. I still haven't found my ideal job, although it'd probably be game design or something.

Right now, my company's leadership team changed because the owner/CEO sold the company and I don't like the new bosses. I'm *hoping* to change jobs early in the new year, although I might be forced to take a pay cut to speed it along.
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Took almost 4 years to get a job in the field I got my degree in.

Ideal job? Not yet, probably never. Once I gave up on doing something I "loved," and settled for something I didn't mind, I found that I cared more about simple comforts like having my own office, low stress environment, and flexible lunch breaks than I do about the actual work that I do.

I finished my Education degree in December 3 years ago. I sent out applications to school districts over the Christmas break. I had a job the next week, and constant employment as a teacher ever since. Never even had to sub.
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I never went to college and I'm looking for work, ok?
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I had a multiple job offers before I left college and had a job immediately after, but it wasn't quite where I wanted to be. Three years after college I was in my desired career field. I don't love my job, but I make a lot of money and its in the field I want to be in so I don't mind it.
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i never graduated college. started my dream job about 8 years after highschool though
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