[WindRide]

At times, in our office cubicles, we tend to get philosophical and start asking questions like 'what am i doing here', 'is this really what iam meant to be doing', etc.

In a nutshell, we undergo the 'mid-life' crisis and start looking at our bread-and-butter employment with distaste. And wish we were doing something else.

Are you one of them? If so, it will be interesting to know which other career you think you are capable of succeeding in, taking your latent skills and interest levels.

In my case, IT is fast losing its charm, and wish i can become a 'son of the soil' by taking up agriculture. I know, with the labour problems in Kerala, getting into agriculture looks quixotic. Still, i live on hope that one day .. sighhh...

[Abhay]

IT lost its charm a long time ago for me. I still need to figure out what I want to do in the future though.

[sanman18]

Very good topic. I think all of us have the same feeling one or other time. I also fed up my 9 to 5 job with same routine .
sighhhhhh

[StarrySky]

Yes! I am one of them!

Did not vote because I am not completely fed up as yet. For me, the motivation was:
1. Finding a second/alternate source of income - because IT is not "safe" enough. To this end, I invested along with my brothers-in-law in business.
2. Find more time to spend with family. If everything goes well with the business, I will consider a career switch at a later point of time.

I didn't get to the point where I became philisophical But, I was thinking about the two points above for some time - and I will credit the "Reclaim Your Life" ad (When you look back at your life, what would you like to remember?) with finally pushing me over the edge.

[Alter_Ego]

Originally Posted by sanman18

Very good topic. I think all of us have the same feeling one or other time. I also fed up my 9 to 5 job with same routine .
sighhhhhh

And its worse if its 9 to 8 instead of 5.

IT started sucking for me when I came back to India.Realised that all the crap work had been outsourced here.All good work was still being done in US and EU.

I have already started my startup and give 25% of my time to my startup.
And its not related to IT

[sanman18]

Originally Posted by Alter_Ego

And its worse if its 9 to 8 instead of 5.

IT started sucking for me when I came back to India.Realised that all the crap work had been outsourced here.All good work was still being done in US and EU.

I have already started my startup and give 25% of my time to my startup.
And its not related to IT

For you,Very Good Article on working late-

Email from the boss :

Mail sent by Narayan Murthy to all Infosys staff:

It's half past 8 in the office but the lights are still on...
PCs still running, coffee machines still buzzing...
And who's at work? Most of them ??? Take a closer look...

All or most specimens are ??
Something male species of the human race...

Look closer... again all or most of them are bachelors...

And why are they sitting late? Working hard? No way!!!
Any guesses???
Let's ask one of them...
Here's what he says... 'What's there to do after going home...Here we get to surf, AC, phone, food, coffee that is why I am working late...Importantly no bossssssss!! !!!!!!!!! '

This is the scene in most research centers and software companies and other off-shore offices.

Bachelors 'Passing-Time' during late hours in the office just bcoz they say they've nothing else to do...
Now what r the consequences. ..

'Working' (for the record only) late hours soon becomes part of the institute or company culture.

With bosses more than eager to provide support to those 'working' late in the form of taxi vouchers, food vouchers and of course good feedback, (oh, he's a hard worker... goes home only to change..!!).
They aren't helping things too...

To hell with bosses who don't understand the difference between 'sitting' late and 'working' late!!!

Very soon, the boss start expecting all employees to put in extra working hours.

So, My dear Bachelors let me tell you, life changes when u get married and start having a family... office is no longer a priority, family is... and
That's when the problem starts... b'coz u start having commitments at home too.

For your boss, the earlier 'hardworking' guy suddenly seems to become a 'early leaver' even if u leave an hour after regular time... after doing the same amount of work.

People leaving on time after doing their tasks for the day are labelled as work-shirkers. ..

Girls who thankfully always (its changing nowadays... though) leave on time are labelled as 'not up to it'. All the while, the bachelors pat their own backs and carry on 'working' not realizing that they r spoiling the work culture at their own place and never realize that they would have to regret at one point of time.

So what's the moral of the story??
* Very clear, LEAVE ON TIME!!!
* Never put in extra time ' unless really needed '
* Don't stay back unnecessarily and spoil your company work culture which will in turn cause inconvenience to you and your colleagues.

There are hundred other things to do in the evening..

Learn music...

Learn a foreign language...

Try a sport... TT, cricket..... ....

Importantly, get a girlfriend or boyfriend, take him/her around town...

* And for heaven's sake, net cafe rates have dropped to an all-time low (plus, no fire-walls) and try cooking for a change.

Take a tip from the Smirnoff ad: *'Life's calling, where are you??'*

Please pass on this message to all those colleagues and please do it before leaving time, don't stay back till midnight to forward this!!!

IT'S A TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY THAT WORKING FOR LONG HOURS MEANS VERY HARD WORKING & 100% COMMITMENT ETC.

PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY SIT LATE IN THE OFFICE DON'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THEIR TIME, SIMPLE !

Regards,
NARAYAN MURTHY.

[kutlee]

yes me too. IT...hate it. but don't regret picking up IT. but time to move on.

[Alter_Ego]

Originally Posted by sanman18

For you,Very Good Article on working late-

Email from the boss :

Mail sent by Narayan Murthy to all Infosys staff:

Yeah this mail is doing the rounds since aeons.
but I guess my boss has never read it

[chaunfa]

I think if you have a nine to five job with the weekends off, life is good. Did eighteen years of advertising creative work. Finally hated staying in office after sundown. Hated being on call 24X7 and hated being talked down to by the young turks...so took a leap and quit. Joined a job paying 1/4 the the salary lived lean till a better paying job in the same field turned up and now enjoy running home at six pm. Have to work a few saturdays but that's cool. In advertising I'd have to suck up and develop high Bp to earn the same salary. Now I sit here most of the day reading about jeeps.
So if the gravy train is coming your way hang on to it, find other hobbies...fast cars...fishing...and enjoy your life.

Chaunfa

[Alter_Ego]

Originally Posted by chaunfa

I think if you have a nine to five job with the weekends off, life is good. Did eighteen years of advertising creative work. Finally hated staying in office after sundown. Hated being on call 24X7 and hated being talked down to by the young turks...so took a leap and quit. Joined a job paying 1/4 the the salary lived lean till a better paying job in the same field turned up and now enjoy running home at six pm. Have to work a few saturdays but that's cool. In advertising I'd have to suck up and develop high Bp to earn the same salary. Now I sit here most of the day reading about jeeps.
So if the gravy train is coming your way hang on to it, find other hobbies...fast cars...fishing...and enjoy your life.

Chaunfa

You said the fact bro.Some things which we feel are trivial are indeed indispensable.

[mkh]

Found a way to create a back up income sometime back, worked hard part time and made it decent. Now not willing to stress out for that peanuts which are doled out, in fact i had little choice in what i am landed up with now.
Will like surely to get out soon and be own boss, do some trainings etc, even if less cash. Just a little while longer, i hope there are more like me, who just want more control of time and money and not tied up doing things they do not want to!

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

me from Auto industry, seriously looking for a change, it's not the way it looks (glamorous) from outside.

Spike

[black12rr]

There should be option added in the poll " Do you feel like quitting " ?

What are you guys thinking of doing ? if you don't like 9 -5 .
All the guys who voted 1 , should do a get to gether and brain storm to do something .
BTW I do DRAG to office sometimes , If i get some nice opposition along the way .

[zenx]

Am a little past this stage and just blogged about it today as well : Why Do I Do What I Do ? - bangalorekaapi

Sometimes, the only thing to do is to do it. Check this guy's sudden decision out: Hey guys, I'm making a major life change and I'm scared shitless. : AskReddit

But really, its usually a bad idea to quit anything reactively. Do it when the going's good and because its something else you want to explore/do. Prepare for the changed circumstances mentally, financially way in advance. The uncertainty takes a little getting used to!

[H_Zoom]

Well, what do you do when your work is interesting enough, but all the back door politics at your workplace kind of switches you off.
This situation kind of made me to pick option-1 for the poll.