I am staying put. Just curious about the position of others and why.

If the poll choices don't fit, feel free to add some comments.

I work in a pretty small field and there aren't many jobs, I was lucky to get one that wasn't in a tiny town somewhere. I'm planning to stay probably 10-15 years at least, until I have the experience to get one of the much-coveted jobs in a city I'd rather live in (plus I need to wait for someone to retire in one of those cities). I love Albuquerque, and it's way better than some of my other options were (I was *so* lucky to get a job here first without having to put in my dues in in a tiny town). So I'm not planning to stay forever, but I'm not leaving any time soon.

Money's good, it's challenging, no chance of promotion with the current structure here but that's okay, I'd hate to be in charge.

I am leaving due to below-inflation raises in 05 and no raise in 06 and the complete disappearance of the bonus.

For the most part I love my job. I've been in that office for nearly five years now - i took a six year sabbatical from it to raise my son after having worked there four years before.

There are 3 of us ladies in the office, which sometimes causes drama but by and large we are friends.

My bosses are the nicest men in the world, they care about us personally, they aren't slave drivers and the hourly rate is not bad - but they are 'businessmen' and they WON'T put me on full time unless they are making raging amounts of money. Plus only one of the girls has insurance and she's taken that in lieu of raises. In short, they are cheap.

I NEED full time work and benefits. I've been looking for nearly a year. I won't apply for things that pay crap wages - I've got loads of experience and great skills and I'm not going to work for another employer who might treat me badly. At least I get treated as a human being where I work.

I plan on leaving after jumping all the immigration hurdles because of my work hours. I deliver papers...hours are 3:30AM to 5:30AM 365 days a year. It gives me lots of time with the kids, who are still fairly young, thus expensive to put in child care...BUT no time off at all, and the lack of sleep that go with it start to wear on a body. Yes, I really am responsible for distributing the paper 365 days..if I'm sick I have to pay someone else to do it, same goes for vacation or any other sort of time off.

Editted to say quitting doesn't come until after a green card has been granted and the SO finds work.

I am not working right now.... I haven't worked outside the home since I moved to the US about 2 years ago....

something always came up... we didn't have a 2nd car, I was pregnant etc.....

I would like to work so I can help my hubby out but yet again we don't have a 2nd car... we did for awhile but hubby's car was falling apart and needed a lot of work done so we had to get rid of it......

I am also terrified of working.... I don't know what I want to do.... basically the only kind of job I have had was being a nanny... and I am not sure if I can go back to doing that right now

i cannot answer this poll. I am happy (relatively) where I am, however I am leaving my job, not actively searching, or looking for something better.

Mine runs middle of the road, not going to make me rich, good benefits tho, been here over 10 years, and where else could i look busy and still talk on here so much

I am staying put, the money is fair....but the benefits are awesome!!!! I mean AWESOME!!! SInce I have a chronic illness, I need a place that has good cheap health insurance, that can send me to all of the specialist that I need to go to....and buy get a cheap price on all of the meds that I have to take.

As a matter of fact my insurance personal choice (futurescripts) is giving us FREE generic perscriptions from now until march...this is saving me some major $$$$$

Forgot to mention that they pay more than half of my college tuition.

That is awesome!

I love my job. I'm using my skills and getting recognized for it... I have flexibility to establish my priorities and can work from home when necessary. Compensation is fair and the area I live in provides a 10-min commute every day. Would appreciate less travel, but that's not going to continue indefinitely. I've been with this company for 19 years and 'finally' feel like I'm coming into my own. Life is good.

The upsides of my job: flexibility, relative autonomy, good bonus structure, awesome company and nice people, use of company car, great earning potential above quota.

The downsides: my boss leaves something to be desired, my commission plan is horrible, pressure to meet quota is high (but then, I am a salesperson!), a lot of unpaid work outside of work hours is expected. High stress, and I can't leave it at work at 5pm.

So, I'm staying put because of what I've built up in my pipeline over the past year, and because I know the product I'm selling and I can't face starting all over in another sales job. I have looked, but without a college degree I didn't have much luck finding admin work, I couldn't get a job as a property manager and I'm not licenced to be a real estate agent (all things I have done previously). I don't know how long I'll stay, because my husband works in New Hampshire and commutes from Maine every day and it depends how long he can hack the drive.

OUTSOURCING!!!!!!!!

I love my jobs, it's challenging BUT the major concern is the shift toward ASIA, so in the future the company will move to Singapore, right now they care calling it EXPLORATION stage, The asian countries are being labeled LOW COST REGION

Bye, Bye all the hard work you put up to make a successful product, now the emphasis is more on CHEAP than Quality. And the new DICTATOR corporate system, you either join us or you are against US. In the long run AMERICAN ENGINEERS are the one affected, not those guys at the BOARD LEVEL.
Just a few more million Bonus to them for Shipping Jobs overseas

Don't despair. My current employer is shifting work to India and Malaysia and I've been on the market since early December looking for a new job. I've already turned down one offer and I just got another verbal offer (fingers crossed, can't wait to get my hands on the paper) that is much more to my liking. The work is out there if you have the technical skills and the communication skills. The days when a techie could bury his head in his laptop and just bang out lines of code all day are disappearing. Buy a suit, get comfortable wearing it and take speech classes if necessary.

Good luck.

You know, I find it amazing that a useful poll has over 201 views, and only 14 votes.

Are the members of VJ not concerned about the employment climate out there?

Is someone’s smell more valuable to your life, than the sustenance of it?

Simply amazing apathy to life critical issues!!

Rock on VJ'ers...

I enjoy my job (well most of the time lol.) It's often quite challenging, it sometimes involves very long hours, and it requires me to be intensively creative at lightning speed. But there's never a dull moment, and I also get to have a LOT of fun doing my work. It's actually quite rewarding when I complete a project that I feel I did well.

My boss is great, my co-workers are great, and the company is very good to us. The money is pretty good, the job has a lot of side perks, and the benefits are excellent.

Sometimes the challenge gets the best of me. But mostly I enjoy it.

Still.... I'm always open to considering new opportunities



-MK

wife_of_mahmoud,

That is good stuff, thanks for your insight.

To that end, thanks to all that contributed to a useful poll; one that may help others considering a career change in an uncertain job market!!!

Anyone else?

I just graduated from college in June and I started my job in October. I plan on getting my CPA license this year (fingers crossed). My job is ok but it's hard for me to really love it because it's not really what I want to be doing. I think this fall I will start culinary school in San Francisco. I will always have accounting to fall back on though.

I like not being a starving student and having benefits for myself and Hicham.

if you look at the ratio for other polls, i would say the responses in this thread to views is average! i already stated that i am unable to vote, so i have clicked a few times to read some responses.

I can't really answer due to the lack of a "I'll be moving across the Atlantic relatively soon, so looking for a new job at this stage is out of the question, but a change is inevitable" option. Oh, and I'm in the wrong country so my answers are of no use anyway.

But for what it's worth... I'm not especially happy in my current job, but it has a lot to recommend it. Right now it's exactly what I need - I work shifts, including nights, which means I can keep some very strange hours indeed and can spend much more time talking to Mr. 5-hours-behind than I could if I had a regular 9 - 5 job. I can also earn extra money by doing as much overtime and as many extra night shifts as I can handle - no fun at all, but I'm telling myself that it's only for a few months and every pound I can save now will come in very, very handy in the not too distant future.

I've worked at the same place ever since I graduated - I've been there just over eight and a half years (in the same position for about five of those). It's actually a great place to work, with pretty good benefits, a good working atmosphere for the most part, lovely colleagues (again, for the most part), and the kind of laid-back and relaxed attitude where we have a lot of leeway that you don't get in a lot of jobs. I have some great colleagues who I adore, and who I count among my best friends.

The reason why I'm not so happy in my job is mostly because I've been doing it for so long, and it really is time to move on. There was a complete recruitment freeze for ages, so (despite having spent two years doing a postgrad course that would otherwise have opened up more positions for me) virtually no new jobs were advertised there for a long time, so I was pretty much stuck in the one I've got (which is no great hardship, I know I have it good). If I hadn't met a guy who lives in the US, and if our plans didn't involve me moving there to be with him, I'd almost certainly stay where I am now and go for different jobs within the organisation. As it is now, though, they're looking for volunteers for redundancy... I've had my name down for quite some time and am just hoping I get it - the redundancy pay would be very, very useful to us indeed! That's another reason why I'm not altogether happy in my job right now - if I wasn't planning on leaving anyway, the uncertainty about the future of our role would be very stressful to live with.

Ironically (well, I think it's ironic, after I've been waiting so long for it to come up) what I consider my perfect job within the organisation, a job which was last advertised four years ago, and which I had no hope of getting due to lack of experience... just came up again this week. Too late for me, though!

As for getting a job in the States... I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm quite terrified about that! Putting together my CV, filling in application forms, going to interviews... ugh, I really do have The Fear about that. But I'll happily take any job that anyone's prepared to give me (so long as the pay isn't TOO ridiculous) for as long as it takes... after that, I have noooo idea.

(Hah, bet nobody's read all the way through my ramblings - but it felt good to ramble nonetheless!)

I voted.

Another thing, tacked on to my comments in your other thread in off topic, is that if no one puts in a comment, it doesn't move the poll up on the 'view new posts' search. If I want to keep my poll moving I leave some of the choices with an "Other" which usually prompts more comments.

I'm moving this month so I'm "between jobs." I couldn't vote. (Where's the "unemployed" answer?)

I'd trade my job for a bagel with cream cheese.

I work for Chinese Communist bastards, the pay is crap, the hours are crap, the work environment is crap, the company is crap, the bosses are crap.

As soon as something better presents itself, I'm gone. Or, as soon as they remember that I'm the highest paid computer repair tech and fire me, I'll be gone. (They've fired all of the computer repair techs who made more than $12/hour... I was somehow overlooked.)

Pateince grasshopper... you only put the freakin poll up t-t-t-today, jr!.

The one about smells has been going for a while.

As to the poll question: I actually love my job; but hate my company. If I wasn't going to be leaving it in a couple months to go live overseas, I'd be breaking away from my company and doing this job as a contractor: I'd make more, and I wouldn't have to deal with the BS of working for tight-arsed idiots.

Alex+R,

Very good point, I thought the poll was comprehensive, but then again.........It could be improved...

luvaLimey,

Wow, where have you been? Your input has been missed. I know married life is good, but you can spend a few minutes with the VJ bud's, no? I know I am impatient.... This will improve over time...

It is nice to hear that some people at least, are happy with their jobs! Good points: I work in a good place with good people and commute is only 10 minutes. Bad points: the work is somewhat repetitive & boring, zero benefits, low salary, only 5 days a year paid holidays and no other vacation time, and no chances for salary increase or bonuses. I also want to live in a small, warm town where I do not need a car, but I am in a big, cold city. I have been looking for a year but no one wants me! (Though I have a lot of skilled work experience working in India, no college degree and not much USA work experience I guess play a part of me not getting a more ideal job.)

I currently **&^%$##@@$%hate my job.. I am Quiting soon as something better comes along. TURNING THE PAGE.....

What happened, shon? You used to love it.

I love my job.....until my husband makes enough money someday so that I can quit

Right now, however, I'm keeping us both alive. Good thing I'm happy....

Apparently your post in the K1 forum worked. I see 8 more people have stopped by since you created it!

I work for as an office manager for a doctor. Not only is the job challenging and interesting, but the doctor spoils me and lets me know I am greatly missed when I run off to see my fiance. I think he is praying harder than I am that my fiance arrives here soon so I'll stop leaving!

I've been around. Lurking mostly, posting very occasionally. And I'm not married yet.

but yeah, i haven't forgotten about vj, just not doing the k1 anymore, so don't post in that forum as much. I've actually got two friends i've pointed to this site, one is doing a dcf in OZ, and another is trying to get his norwegian girl over here... they've had the majority of my advice, as little as that is.

I am leaving as soon as I can, but I couldn't vote, because my reason for wanting to leave is not listed. The reason is - my job is part time, and I need to be working full time.

I love teaching. I really do. The money sucks though, because at the moment I am only an assistant teacher so I get paid a lot less than your average teacher. I look around occasionally to see if there is something else out there ( I used to be a draftsperson for a land surveyor firm) but I've been in the education field for almost 13 years now...I think I've been doing this too long to do anything else, despite all the computer skills I've garnered over those 12+ years. I am tired of the struggle and we would love to be able to just relax...go on spur of the moment trips...whatever. We'll see...maybe something will turn up for Joel soon. *sigh*

There was not a choice for me to answer why I am staying. I like my job. The money is mediocre at best but I LIKE my job. It's entertaining and is often very rewarding in other ways other than financially.

So "not enough money"?

I really enjoy my job. The agency I work at is a great place and, so far, there are less office politics than in past jobs. The hard thing for me is that I moved from Georgia to New Hampshire to take this job (have only been here 6 months) and don't really know anyone here yet. Sucks when the fiance is gone

I cant wait to quit and get a new one, but I'm stuck for the moment.

I really like my job.

The Company is really good to their employees.

I really lucked out, it was the first job I applied for when I received my EAD.

Been there 9 months now and enjoying it.

Nursing is not what I expected it would be. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have chosen a different profession. I'm thinking about doing my masters in another course and going a different direction away from nursing. Being burn-out after only 2 years of being an RN isn't good, but I'm almost there.

-Jamie

well i dont know what the future holds for me. i am working at delphi and if u have heard we are in bankruptsy now. they offered us $140,000 to leave our jobs...I stayed. now they are negotiating if we want to flow back to general motors we can keep our wages and benifits just the way they are. so if they say yes to this proposal i might be leaving and going to GM.

i didnt stay because i liked it or anything...just hate the idea of being unemployed.

That's weird.... Delphi in Indianapolis has been hiring people. One of my friends from work managed to escape the hell known as Foxconn and land a job at Delphi making $60k/year.

My own personal hell has been updated a bit... I am on first shift now, effective today.

Still hate my job, though. lol

that is wierd. our delphi has been hiring also but they are temporary. they get 120 days then out the door they go. they never hire making $60,000 a year to start. i think he may be lying to u. ive been there almost 14 years and i made $66,000 last year.

I don't get that at all. Lots of people seem to lie about what they make. I don't understand why anyone would feel the need to do that.

I am hoping to get a desk job at my alma mater when I go back to the US this spring. Doesn't pay the world, but the work is not bad and the benefits are great.

My weekday/part-time job has increasingly become full-time and taking up most of my weekends due to staff shortages/illness etc...so turning up to work yesterday to find me working all weekend yet again I decided to go to my boss and tell him I was quitting.....I meant it too, but I love my coworkers and the oldies and it really made me sad to have to leave.

Anyway, he immediately cleared all my weekend shifts and asked me to reconsider YAY!

Love my new job!

I'm a paralegal. I mostly like my job and adore the people I work with. However, I am looking for something else.

We have a close-knit office, and I'll stay friends with these people even after I leave, including my boss. We get relatively good health insurance, and there are other perks (our boss gives us bonuses for birthdays, etc). However, the wages are low, we get 10 vacation days a year max, and that won't change. I've been here 5 years, and I still have the same amount of vacation days as when I started. My co-worker has been here for 13 years, and she has the same amount of vacation days as well. We're often asked to handle stuff after hours or over the weekend whenever a deadline or a trial is coming up. There's really no where to move up. I also feel like a peon and sometimes like a glorified personal secretary when I'm asked to run errands for my boss, like dropping her car off at the repair shop or booking her a flight for a ski vacation. It's also really frustrating to see my boss go on vacations all over the place for weeks at a time, multiple times a year, and to get guilt-tripped because I'm planning a trip to Algeria for 2 weeks at one time, when I'll get no other vacation or sick days the entire rest of the year.

I have a college degree, a few grad. courses under my belt, speak 2 languages fluently, and feel like I have more to offer than what I'm currently doing. The problem is, I'm stuck in a rut and don't know where to go or what to look for. I took this job straight out of college, so I don't really have a lot of other experience to fall back on, so I feel like I'm turning in circles. I hope that eventually I'll figure out what I want to do and find the right way to get there. Until then, I'm looking around trying to find something that suits me better.

MHandMB,

The pitfalls of working for a small business. Have you considered using your paralegal experience to land a paralegal job at a large corporation? You could then use the corporations internal advancement and training opportunities (almost all of them have them) to move ahead from within.