Appreciate the feeback. Perhaps we can touch base for a one-to one on this?

Bring a shovel.

You’re thinking small again, JCB is the way forward 🙂

Turns out i got this wrong. What im being asked is, what do I want out of life? This is on the basis that work will help me toward that goal. Examples are earning loads, a certain position at work, paying off a mortgage before X years, organising a charity event, a travelling break, pretty open really.

I have my meeting about it at 9:30 tomorrow. No idea what to say.

That really is none of their business!! Make it about work – what you do or don’t want to do outside work is eff all to do with them. This thread reminds me how glad I am not to have to do civil service or corporate PDRs ever again. Whilst the principle may be good the reality is an unwholly mash up of bulshit & half truths. If it’s something you have to do then play the game, but don’t imagine it’s anything more.

And what exactly is wrong with lack of ambition? What’s wrong with not wanting to climb the greasy pole?

I received an Email today essentially asking me to apply for a job as software development manager, managing a team of 6 developers.
Why on earth would I want to manage people? There are more important things in life than that. Not to mention the commute…

Glad I’m a contractor now

john_drummer – Member 
Glad I’m a contractor now

+1 to that.

Number of times I’ve been offered or pushed in the direction of management and each time it pushed me further to contracting. I’m glad I did. Now I see stressed out friends doing the management job after the previous managers jumped ship or upgraded to something more senior that’s dumping them on the redundant heap when companies go through hard times and they fear losing their jobs as they’ll never get the same job again with their (lack of) skills.

There’s the entrepreneur though. Having ambition to set up a business, see it succeed. That’s a worthy goal in life/career. I think about that direction, but once said business needs more than one person then I’m into management again 😮 .

Anyway, priorities. Bikes. Buying more bikes. Riding bikes. Buying a bigger house to store more bikes.

I initially thought I wanted a career. Turns out what I actually wanted was paid.

Was a quote from I can’t recall where, but a very true one in my case.

Turns out i got this wrong. What im being asked is, what do I want out of life?

That’s what they want you to think.

Turns out i got this wrong. What im being asked is, what do I want out of life?

I quite fancy opening my own bike shop so as my employer you can help me achieve this life goal by giving me unlimited time off on full pay until the business is highly profitable and then you can make me redundant with a generous severance package.

Don’t worry, I plan on opening four hours per day 3 and a half days per week unless it’s nice weather outside or I’m tired. I’m sure I’ll be raking it in before too long.

My wife was asked this question about 8 years ago, or something along the lines of “what do you want out of life / where do you see yourself in 10 years”

She responded with “I see myself with 3 children and a dog at home”, bizarrely it didn’t impact her career at all and she continued to move up through the ranks and is now at Vice President level / national head despite having has 3 children in the last 5’ish years and spent well over half of that time on maternity leave, the last stint being 11 months off.

It’s not like it’s a small company she works for either, think the eagle of banking.

Personally I see myself as regional head in the not too distant future and that’s about it.

My wife was asked this question about 8 years ago, or something along the lines of “what do you want out of life / where do you see yourself in 10 years”

She responded with “I see myself with 3 children and a dog at home”, bizarrely it didn’t impact her career at all and she continued to move up through the ranks and is now at Vice President level / national head despite having has 3 children in the last 5’ish years and spent well over half of that time on maternity leave, the last stint being 11 months off.

It’s not like it’s a small company she works for either, think the eagle of banking.

Personally I see myself as regional head in the not too distant future and that’s about it.

no dog then. quitter.

no dog then. quitter.

Yep, that’s a PDP fail.

It’s not like it’s a small company she works for either, think the eagle of banking.

Fairly typical of the Blue Eagle. PD submission is still a pain though – unless you’re into that corporate schtick.

footflaps – Member
no dog then. quitter.
Yep, that’s a PDP fail.

That’s down to me, I can’t stand them and mini-me No.1 is scared of them to the point he gets as far off the ground as possible when he sees one

I’m so glad I never wanted ‘a career’ or wasted time and money on university.
I did an easy job for decent money for many years and now I’ve got a job I like and it’s more than likely we’ll have no mortgage before the end of the year. We’ll be looking for a 3-4 day a week jobs to pay the bills. Sod careers and climbing the ladder for a lark. 🙂

I received an Email today essentially asking me to apply for a job as software development manager, managing a team of 6 developers.
Why on earth would I want to manage people? There are more important things in life than that. Not to mention the commute…

Amen brother.
I’m with JD. Cycle to work for a few days (not yet but soon) have a giggle whilst I’m there, then loads of time to live and do stuff that’s not work.

I’ve managed people, been in charge, responsible etc. Not any more thanks.