20 years
10As of May 22nd I will have been employed at the “same place” for twenty years. I really don’t know how I feel about this.
I said “same place” because I started with a company back in 2000. That company created a new branch (that I became a part of) and sold us off. We all kept our original start dates.
The company that bought us held on to us for a couple of years and sold us again. Once again we got to keep our original start dates.
I might be the only one, but this concept is a little bit confusing to me. At the time that we were sold originally I was employed (I think) 15 years. We were held onto for 2 years and sold again.
By my reckoning, (because we kept our original start dates) this means that at the time we were acquired the second time I had worked with company A for 15 years, company B for 17 years, and company C for 17 years. This means I have been working (just with these three) for 49 years. That’s longer than I’ve been alive!
Anyway, back to real time. 20 years at basically the same place and feeling like nothing has changed in 20 years (though, of course, a whole awful lot has changed). I don’t really know how I feel about this. I mean it. I really don’t.
I’m going to ruin the last sentence by trying to figure this out. Part of me just wants to leave. Just up and quit because it’s been just such a long time and I need a change. Part of me is just worried because I don’t really have a education for what I am doing and I think I couldn’t do anything else. There are times when it would be a relief to be fired or just let go. I mean in pre-Corona times of course.
It’s likely I just won’t do anything. This job, <sigh> career, is the best place for me. I know it. I just have to keep doing what I am doing because the grass really isn’t greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it.
TLDR: Just another meandering meaningless post from me. You’re not missing anything.
- 11 comments, 13 replies
- Comment
This is something I’ve been trying to tell myself, but as dissatisfaction intensifies all that other grass sure does look pretty green.
@djslack
I keep this idea in the forefront of my marriage as well. That’s been going on for over 23 years now.
It’s a bitch when you don’t have credentials. Hopefully they gave you titles so you can at least use the experience in lieu of education at most 2nd tier suppliers and retail.
@cranky1950
I’m not really thinking of leaving. It just sucks feeling like you don’t have any options.
@jst1ofknd Actually you do, they’re just not great options.
@jst1ofknd Well since you are apparently south of 49 yo (by your own admission above)perhaps part time education while you work (hopefully employee benefits pay for this) to get credentials that might be useful to switch companies if that is what you actually would do if you could do?
The other thing that will cause anxiety is the fact that youve never filled out a resume or application in 20 years. Even that while process has changed, where nobody actually prints CVs any more.
I doubt you can find anyone who can even tell you what bond paper is.
It’s all online, and digitized and worst for everyone, automated keyword matching and ranking - so the resume becomes a game to match the most keywords by writing keyword salad resumes, like you’re gaming the search engines with SEO tools.
It’s a huge time-suck if you really want specific jobs to craft an application that can make it past the auto-filter selection gauntlet for a real person in HR to give you a callback.
Oh, and don’t expect any courtesy notes, not even a text or email telling you you didn’t get the job, but thanks for all that personal info!
You might look into retraining or job placement training companies that help people that have been laid off or “downsized” re-learn how to look for their next job in today’s world with today’s technology.
It also depends on your field. Get hooked into whatever community exists for what you think your next role might be.
Most of all, choose your job wisely. If you are doing something because you love doing it, then you will never “work” a day in your life.
Also, always be learning.
@mike808 Bond paper is paper with a license to kill.
@mike808 In other words there’s no point unboxing my Panasonic daisy wheel printer and stash of fancy paper to print my updated resume on.
@mike808 Isn’t that the truth (bot word matching/screening). There is an entire industry that has sprung up that you can pay to flush your resume though against the job description (and who knows what else) that then tells you your odds of making it past the bot and how to to improve your chances.
Maybe, as @mike808 mentioned, some certs? Or other career-related edu?
Freshen up your work-mind and skills a bit, even if the work just continues in as-is?
And … keep some for yourself stuff that demos your achievements?
So that, if you have to or want to job-search, you can “prove it”.
Twenty years is a long time at one job! In my case, I liked what I did (make custom window treatments) and my employers were OK but didn’t think I’d want to start over at another workroom. And I was right! When they closed last year, I used my 31 years experience to start my own business. So far, so good!
As much as we are naturally given to believe it, YOUR JOB DOES NOT DEFINE WHO YOU ARE.
Period. Use your familiarity with your job to allow you to pursue other hobbies or community service.
@zinimusprime
True enough.
But, I believe, @jst1ofknd just posted his meandering musings in this one subject here in this topic. .
He’s kinda proven that he does not define himself by his job or his career.
He prob defines his self-worth more in terms of his cleverness with children and candy. And with his home haircuts.
Highest of admirable values, his masteries demonstrate. And he’s well proven to be a notable ethicist and philosopher within these - and other - specialities.
@f00l @jst1ofknd Oh, I thought he was struggling back and forth with it. Probably why I went into engineering and not a writing career - I can’t comprehend what I’ve read. lol
@f00l @zinimusprime
This made me laugh!
@f00l @jst1ofknd @zinimusprime
I didn’t go into a writing career because if I can’t comprehend what I’ve written, how can anyone else?
@jst1ofknd @mike808 @zinimusprime
Hey! That the whole point of the writing career! Don’t you wanna have any fun in life?
‘Cause, (if you are among the 99.999999%), you sure ain’t gonna have much fun trying to live off your writer’s income.
I am in a similar situation with three differences:
Nevertheless, there is always that little voice in the back of my head that says, “What if…”
I hear a quote recently that kind of encapsulates what I feel:
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.”
― Abraham Maslow
Nevertheless, it is very important to be employed (i.e. money coming in) in all times…at least until you win the lottery.
Choose wisely.
Good luck.
I am also approaching my 20th anniversary at my current job. I was planning to retire next month but with the current situation, I have decided to put that off for the time being. Also, I’m really liking working from home and will continue that even after things open up.
I have only ever worked at 3 different companies in my (post-college) professional career. And in almost all of that 40 years (plus 1 year as a part-time paid intern while I finished my degree), it has been connected to one product line. One-trick-pony I guess, but the SW/computer biz has evolved and changed fast enough to keep it interesting.
20 years is a long time. I haven’t applied for a job since 1990. I worked for that company for about 5 years then they sold us to a competitor. So that’s two major companies with one original application. Many promotions and lateral moves given without asking for them.
After 11 years, I got recruited from another third company competitor and stayed with them for another 17 years. I did not apply for that job but employees heard about me through word of mouth from former employees of company #2.
Didnt apply for any jobs since 1990 so it was 27 years in many companies and many positions and several levels as low as customer service over the phone to vice president of HR technology.
Got laid off 27 years later in 2017 and have no ambition to go through the application process and interviews because I’m so out of touch with the new age process.
I worked from home for the last 17 years so leaving the house to go into an office is stressful and the thought of it causes anxiety and panic attacks. So I decided to retire with very limited income but is okay as long as I curb my impulse spending. FYI, VMP doesn’t help limit spending.
I honestly think that society is changed on both sides about company / corporate loyalty. My father only had one employer his entire work life after high school - the US Navy - first active duty, then civil service. I’ve worked for several, 3 were one job, buy outs / mergers as stated above. Came back 11 years ago to the first place I worked. Got all my original years of service back added, So came in earning max PTO, etc. COVID will change that more I think.
@Cerridwyn My cousin has only had one employer too. Started as an editor and now is one step below the CEO. Another cousin has had not only worked the same company but has had the same job his entire working career (writing user manuals for computer programs. He has never wanted to be promoted. He says the job is easy, why have a harder one? Certainly the some of the younger generations tend to change jobs far more frequently.
On the other hand research documents that it is more likely for professionals to have their primary loyalty to their profession and not to the specific company they where they are doing their job.
I find that a good question to ask oneself in a situation like this is:
Is the pain of change greater than the pain of staying the same?
If not, then it’s probably time to try something new.