Forum menu
I find the daily 9-5 grind totally unfulfilling and the thought of spending another 35 years doing it is a depressing one.
Has anybody successfully made a change that allows to them forgo a traditional, full-time steady job, do something constructive and helping people whilst still having enough to live reasonably comfortably?
As somebody who has no interest buying the latest gadget and is more keen on repairing/improving things, I can cope well without a 50" TV and a BMW X5. I'd like to be able to buy bike and car parts when required though!
I retrained as a photographer - don't really think it could be described as a 'helpful' job, but 9-5 it ain't.... Ended up at usual default setting of wedding photographer but am absolutely loving it.
I'm thinking about doing somethine like this as well. By the end of the year I'll have cleared my mortgage and by the end of this contract I'm currently on I'll have some capital to play with.
When I've done this I reckon I'll be in a good place to do something else with my life which will give me more time to ride. I'm not suren what yet but I've got a few ideas.
I gave up a crappy full time admin job to do community work running music workshops and organising festivals and events etc. I have pretty much ultimate flexi-time and manage my own work/hours etc - I love it.
It was voluntary at first, then on a freelance basis, now I'm on a 30 hour a week contract. Very lucky I think. I'm not rich but I do ok.
i dropped out 19yrs ago...so happy..
Look at health care work doesn't pay good at first but has good time off and security. After many years and working your way up it pays good, more time off for staying with them and of course the same security.
I dropped out of corperate sales, to look after my children whilst wife built career. After lots of crap jobs to help make ends meet, ended up as a support worker. i love it.
BB
My brother in law was an electrical engineer earning around 35k a year with overtime at 25 years old.
While he and friends were travelling to a site for work one morning a car they were following was involved in an accident and ran of the road overturning in the process , they pulled up sharpish and pulled everyone from the car which soon after burst into flames.
He decided later he wanted to do something worthwhile and meaningful with his life and joined the fire service , hours are a bit all over sometimes but not 9-5 apart from when he's on smoke alarm fitting duty. He loves the job and gets loads of riding time during the week , but most importantly doesn't feel part of the rat race.
Look at previous threads for dizinaustria
she set up a bike guiding business (guess where) and used to taunt, tease and tempt us regularly on here with what a great move it was
I don't think she's posted on here recently, possibly because:
1. the business is so successful she's no time to waste on here, or
2. it all went tits up and she's too embarrassed to come back
Persoanlly, I hope to God it's 1.
9 to 5 = Easy life
Try a career in Engineering and you'll do 8 to 6 + overtime!
Only half-joking. Find something that really interests you and try that.
I remember Diz - she's nice. Hope she comes back on here.
Retire.
Then go work in a bike shop for peanuts.
Try a career in Engineering and you'll do 8 to 6 + overtime!
Too late! and I didn't thank that 8:15-5:45 had the same ring to it....
Retire.Then go work in a bike shop for peanuts.
That would be great. Could somebody provide me with a decent pension please?
At around the same time as Diz I also set up my own MTB hol co.
Handing in my notice was sooo liberating.
And 9-5 it is not, 24-7 yes!!!
9-5 is fine as long as the job is fulfilling
decide what you want to do and do it
are you sure its a fulfilling job you want, or just an easy life?
"are you sure its a fulfilling job you want, or just an easy life? "
or just want it all
you say.... "I'd like to be able to buy bike and car parts when required though!"
= wanting it all ways......
as do we all
just sounds like you dont know what you want
Had hoped to be made redundant a few years ago and was going to do my own thing, swimming teacher and bike guiding, hrs to suit me.
10yrs on and still grinding away.
I have an office job that is approx 9-5, it's not ideal, I work at team lead level with non of the official responsibility and none of the pay, but it's a 5 minute walk form home and I have a reasonable amount of disposable cash/savings so it's not all bad. Would still prefer a perfect life living on the Vancouver coast though and not having to work I guess!
Try a career in Engineering and you'll do 8 to 6 + overtime!
Hmmm, and I though we did software development here I didn't realise we were qualified Engineers. My mistake.
I've dropped to a 4 day week to look after my son, works for me but has made things tight in terms of money as that missing 20% was my play fund! 🙂
Try a career in Engineering and you'll do 8 to 6 + overtime!
Hmmm, and I though we did software development here I didn't realise we were qualified Engineers. My mistake
Pah, I work in software development and it's 8am-9pm 7 days a week as standard, extending to 8am - 3am and beyond at crunch time, all overtime hours (ie outside 9-5 mon-fri) unpaid.
And crunch time can last months.
I kid you not.
SammyC,
the rewards you will reap from being able to spend the extra time with your son will far outweigh any loss of earnings.I work 5am-12.30pm and my wife works 1pm-5pm .For the 1st 2 or 3 months it was really hard when she dropped 20 hours a week from her pay packet but you soon adapt.
My son starts school in September and as much as I'll enjoy being able to get out riding in the afternoon again I'm gonna miss our extra time together.
I'm hoping to move from a 40 hour week to a 20 hour week next month and start my own foody company in the remaining time. If it goes well then I can drop the main job and concentrate on my business.
i was working 60+ hours a week then bought a customers bizness(bike shop)i work more hours but its my choice...i love it.not much chance to ride apart from the commute.but almost every day i get to open a parcel with shiny things in!
im earning more,feel loads more fulfilled and most importantly it doesnt feel like work
we all hate you
yup jacked in job in London sitting in office working 9-6 every day and bored! Gave it all up to join the police ..definately not 9-6pm at first it's hard work getting used to it but it's brilliant as get days off in the week, 4 days in a row! I love it!! Definately worth getting out of commuter rush hour hell!!!
I'm fortunate in that I'm paid pretty well for being home-based (with site visits being approx 4-5 days/month). A key benefit is being able to knock off around 5-ish and head out on the trails.
Area of work is elearning/training (LMS, bespoke course design, etc), but am frustrated that a lot of the projects I see in my sector (delivered both by competitors and inhouse by clients) are actually quite poor, plus there is so much ignorance out there. Am working out ways to go it alone and hopefully "address" some of these "issues."
Am also looking at starting a family soon, so have a fair amount of thinking to do.
Whatever you choose Aristotle, give it your best shot.
SM
I didn't realise we were qualified Engineer
Well I am - not that a CEng is worth a damn. 🙁
>Pah, I work in software development and it's 8am-9pm 7 days a week as standard, extending to 8am - 3am and beyond at crunch time, all overtime hours (ie outside 9-5 mon-fri) unpaid.
Been there, got tee-shirt at both my last place (consultancy) and current one - both electronics/sw eng. It used to be like that here when I first joined - pretty much ended when we were bought by a v large company some years back - we now have no effect on the share price and there's now not much employee ownership. But at least most people now work sensible hours - downside is the work isn't what it was, but that's more to do with market segment and operating practices rather than anything else.
Was a Mechanical Engineer, making good money but lots of evenings and weekends away, some pretty anti-social working hours/conditions. Packed it in, moved to the Alps, started a bike guiding/ski chalet business. Loving it. Probably "work" (a lot) more hours, but blissfully happy!
Pah, I work in software development and it's 8am-9pm 7 days a week as standard, extending to 8am - 3am and beyond at crunch time, all overtime hours (ie outside 9-5 mon-fri) unpaid.And crunch time can last months.
I kid you not.
Why would you choose to do this?
Money I'd guess
I work offshore. 7 months a year off, and the moneys not bad either.
Ive just today begun 6 weeks paid leave. 🙂
I did try a mon-fri job on the beach a couple of years ago, but the daily grind bored me to tears. Hence only lasting 10 months then coming back offshore again.