[ale] OT: How to live (and work) happy forever (was: ot:hitler's draft)

[BruceG]

On Wednesday 06 October 2004 23:18, Jim Popovitch wrote:
>
> FD&H is a bit harsh, I prefer "settled" or "afraid of change".  Imagine
> driving the same car for 25+ years or eating at the same cafeteria for
> 25+ years.  How about working with the same people for 25 years!  OK, I
> know that those big (bureaucratic?) entities have many nooks and
> crannies to hide in, however I can't go to work just to hide or
> "exist".  I have to be doing something I like, staying motivated,
> learning new things, making impressions, and most important: enjoying
> it.  I find that changing my career focus every 5 or 10 years is a good
> way to keep my mind sharp and myself satisfied.  YMMV, but to me working
> at the same place for 25 years is boring.  Go see how other companies
> function.  Besides, if your motivation is $$, you can always get a
> bigger "raise" by jumping ship.
>

You can have a lot of ways to move in a larger company. Just because you work 
for the same employer for a long time, doesn't mean you do the same thing. I 
also did the night school shuffle while working. It was a great way to get a 
degree, and a much better choice than my original - which was taking English 
Lit and Philosophy at a private Christian college. Nothing like working to 
change your focus and improve your grades.

Did computer operator, SNA networking, telecom project management (frame-relay 
networks, routers, switches, pbxs, voice mail systems, acds, cabling  
stuff, ...). Then worked for one of the smaller companies the big one owned - 
getting a lot more hands on. Jumped to a different smaller company owed by 
the big on, doing routers and firewalls (and moving a data center). Then we 
got bought by another big company. Did routers for a while, now doing 
something else.

But - it's time to move into a different position. I think you need to move on 
to a different thing every few years. It helps your skills, helps with 
promotions (and cash), and keeps the job interesting. I think the key is to 
keep learning, keep growing, and keep moving.