Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 10:44:21 GMT
I am bored with my job, people are beginning to irritate me, but I AM STUCK HERE IN A FREAKING COUNTRY TOWN where there are no jobs and am damned lucky to be able to work 3 days from home so that I only have to commute for 5 hours a day, 2 days during the week.
Someone please tell me how good I have it and how I could spend the rest of my career where I am because I have it so good EVEN THOUGH SOME DAYS I JUST WANT TO PACK IT IN and even if I wanted to leave I can't because there's nothing available out here in my field and I would never get the money I'm getting now.
AAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!!
Glad to have gotten that off my chest.
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welle
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Post by welle on Feb 10, 2009 10:48:53 GMT
It's a good thing in this economy! (Though I'm not sure how it's affecting Australia).
Have you ever considered pulling up stakes and going to a bigger town? Given you and hubby find a job there prior to moving of course.
Any vacation time in sight? And your job sounds like a good job.
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Post by spindrift on Feb 10, 2009 10:49:31 GMT
It's AWFUL to be stuck in a "freaking country town" and it's equally horrible to have to "commute for 5 hours a day"....I don't know what I'd do....
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:08:08 GMT
Hi welle - I wish we could just pull up and move, but we have a mortgage and no equity in the house and it would ruin us financially to pull up stakes at this point. Besides, I love the house, I just can't stand not having any job opportunities, unless I want to serve customers at a bakery or something for $10 an hour.
I have a week of vacation during Easter week - for which I am counting down the days!
spindrift, sometimes I just say to myself - suck it up. At least I have a good job and people find me valuable - but honestly, I think I am burned out and the commuting is old. I come home exhausted on those days and have no time for anything except to get dinner together, veg for an hour or so, then off to bed, just to repeat later in the week. But the thought of doing this for another 15 - 20 years (until I retire) is making me ill.
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Post by spindrift on Feb 10, 2009 11:13:18 GMT
I can understand that it's extremely stressful. You can't do that for another 5 years , never mind 15 - 20yrs. Are you in Australia?
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:15:34 GMT
I am - in NSW. Everything here is centrally located - which was something I learned the hard way when I agreed to move outside of the city.
Am I allowed to pout?
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Post by palesa on Feb 10, 2009 11:16:11 GMT
Aussie, I cannot imagine how that travelling must exhaust you. I travel to my office, which is 600 km's away, (by air) once a month and it takes me days to recover. So doing it twice a week must be a killer!
I think you need to stick it out, just as long as you need to. Can you start working on a plan that will enable you to leave in the next (1,2,3,4 years). Having a plan sometimes makes things easier.
Do I remember correctly that you do web-design, can you not start doing web design on a part time basis and slowly build it up until it can sustain you?
Sucks to be unhappy at work!
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:21:36 GMT
Hi palesa - I'm not a web designer as such. I'm a web producer - I manage all aspects of web production, including multimedia, coding and technical issues, search engine marketing and optimization, and some design (although I have designers that I manage. I don't do a lot of design myself.) That's what's allowed me to work from home three days a week - I can do that with my broadband connection. The issue is meetings - meeting with people to discuss projects, which requires me to be in the city two days a week. I wish I could cut the cord, but we can't afford for me to be a start up.
To quote sodelicious from TT: sucks to be me (right now, anyway). I am seriously going to look at local council jobs to save my sanity, even though it would mean a big pay cut.
P.S. Flying to the office every month has got to be awful!
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Post by happytraveller on Feb 10, 2009 11:28:57 GMT
I am bored with my job, people are beginning to irritate me, but I AM STUCK HERE IN A FREAKING COUNTRY TOWN where there are no jobs and am damned lucky to be able to work 3 days from home so that I only have to commute for 5 hours a day, 2 days during the week. Someone please tell me how good I have it and how I could spend the rest of my career where I am because I have it so good EVEN THOUGH SOME DAYS I JUST WANT TO PACK IT IN and even if I wanted to leave I can't because there's nothing available out here in my field and I would never get the money I'm getting now. AAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!! Glad to have gotten that off my chest. Welcome to my world
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Post by happytraveller on Feb 10, 2009 11:30:44 GMT
One day you will have to decide what is more important to you. The money that you make now or the satisfaction you get at a possible new job. I know it sucks, I am right in this situation too.
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:30:51 GMT
ht - we can wallow in our misery together.
If it wasn't' for our mortgage and the fact that I have to pay exorbitant prices for airfare every couple of years in order to see my sons, I'd take the lower paying job.
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Post by palesa on Feb 10, 2009 11:33:40 GMT
Aussie, is there a way that you can video conference rather than go in for meetings, and maybe only travel every fortnight, while it is not a solution, you will have a bit more energy!
Travelling really can tire you.
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Post by happytraveller on Feb 10, 2009 11:35:29 GMT
ht - we can wallow in our misery together. If it wasn't' for our mortgage and the fact that I have to pay exorbitant prices for airfare every couple of years in order to see my sons, I'd take the lower paying job. Yeah... I'm with you there ! If it wasn't for my hubby flying to australia every couple of years to see his folks I would cut down and only work part time.
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:36:15 GMT
It is very tiring, and I think that's a huge part of the problem.
We don't have video conferencing where I work - but I have told them that my long term goal is to only be there once a week and to work more as a consultant. That day may be closer than I think. Nature might be forcing my hand.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2009 11:36:44 GMT
If technology continues to advance as rapidly as it has over the last two decades, handling your job should become simpler, and maybe your town will develop more interesting activities.
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:38:15 GMT
happy - darn those Australian men.
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Post by palesa on Feb 10, 2009 11:39:20 GMT
Yes, I definitely think that the travelling must have a lot to do with it. Travelling like that can drain you! And if you are doing it 2x a week, then you are not really getting an opportunity to recover.
Am I correct in saying that you travel by train?
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:41:13 GMT
kerouac, I'd love to see some high tech industry come out this way. Sydney itself is full up and the city has to expand out this way. It really doesn't have many other options - but people are still stuck in the idea of "hubs", which is why it's a commuter's nightmare out here (amongst other things.)
If I had the money, I'd start my own business and hire a couple of people to work for me (a designer and a coder), but I think it's hard to change the dominant paradigm. People think that you can't be "good" if you're not in a highrise in the city.
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Post by happytraveller on Feb 10, 2009 11:41:38 GMT
happy - darn those Australian men. Exactly !!
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:42:50 GMT
palesa - yes, I take two trains to get to my office. Door to door it's 2.5 hours each way. And then my boss wonders why I complain if she wants to send me to some seminar in N. Sydney, which is an additional half hour's travel, each way. I think she just doesn't have a clue.
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 11:44:52 GMT
Anyway - bedtime for Bonzo (me.) I'll check back tomorrow, though, to see if there are more suggestions. They're all good - and I need to think positive.
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Post by happytraveller on Feb 10, 2009 11:45:26 GMT
Have a bonza night Aussie...
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 10, 2009 17:38:55 GMT
Aussie ~~ didn't I read in a thread here or on ttr that one of your strengths is being able to solve your problems? You are resourceful! However, I can understand your need to vent about this. My impulse was to say "take the bakery job", but I do understand how that would be a trap too -- if you leave your field, you'd be left behind in the dust, with no option to pick it up again in a year or two. And I surely understand the airfare problem, since I have to fly home as well.
When you said local council jobs, I started thinking about the fact that you're a producer. There has to be some way to parlay the organizational skills and ability to be in charge to a long term, really good council job. Maybe you could do it the way politicians do -- instead of going directly at it, have others promote you first, but always with the caveat that the council could never woo you over, because your job is too well paid, too prestigious, too satisfying yadda di yadda di da.
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Post by ninchursanga on Feb 10, 2009 19:16:49 GMT
Aussie, think of the 3 days per week that you can work from home! Yes, commuting for those 2 days sucks, but at least it is just 2 days and not all week. You are in a lucky postion to be able to work from home, most people can't do that or have employers who don't want them to.
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 10, 2009 23:03:16 GMT
Thanks for letting me vent, all - and I do appreciate the advice and the gentle kick in the pants. I am going to keep my eyes open for a council job that pays close to what I'm getting now. I will take a small pay cut if necessary, in exchange for less commuting. It may take a while to get there, but I'm sure that something will turn up. And I'm willing to take a left turn and change my career path to do it, as well. I can put my skills to use in quite a few fields, I'm sure.
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Post by spindrift on Feb 11, 2009 14:53:09 GMT
It's totally understandable that you are fed up with commuting...I would also dislike it.
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Post by gringalais on Feb 13, 2009 18:05:13 GMT
2.5 hours each way?!? No wonder you are burnt out. Even if it's only a few days a week that is still crazy.
I know the feeling, I have had it up to here with my work situation. At the same time, there is not much out there right now. People are getting laid off right and left. I applied to some other jobs, but only had one interview, and I was not enthusiastic about the position at all. Plus, dealing with a Chilean boss can really suck and I would be working longer hours and commuting (I work from home now).
Try to hang in there and keep your eyes open for other opportunties. That's what I am doing right now. You are definitely not alone. I know a lot of people that want a change, but with all the economic problems going on, there is not much out there. At least we have jobs. A good friend's department (construction-related) has already gone from 4 people to 2 in the last few months and she is very nervous she will be next.
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 15, 2009 8:42:06 GMT
I would be shocked if I got laid off from my job - as I know that people really depend on me (too much sometimes.) Now I've been asked to learn some new database software and train the department, as well. So - I think I am pretty safe.
Yes - the travel burns me out, and I've told my boss not to expect me to be happy about being asked to travel around the city in addition to the commute, to learn "extras" for the department. That might be the proverbial straw...
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Aussielover
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Post by Aussielover on Feb 23, 2009 9:12:00 GMT
Update: Well, I have politely pointed out to my manager that I currently am doing 80% of the work in our department, and even though we have one person on maternity leave, this doesn't mean I am taking her work on as well, and our temp will have to pull her weight.
Wonder if anything will change, though. Still, after Easter, I will be looking around for opportunities closer to home.
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welle
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Post by welle on Feb 23, 2009 11:27:24 GMT
Keeping my fingers crossed for you that you find something great-without a huge commute!
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