My Job

[Danneskjöld]

I started university a year ago and I now got kind of an apprenticeship (for 3 months) in the State Office of Environment besides the studies. My job: Measure the watermasses in rivers and creeks.

It's a typical office. Wasting time, talking nonsense, complain about everything and everyone. Somehow I feel like steeling money... This money comes from taxes, so the whole population of that part of Switzerland is paying me for working neither as much nor as fast nor as good as it would be possible. It is not asked (probably not even wished) from my employer.

Furthermore, I don't really see the sense of my work. Sure, you can forecast a flood half an hour before it happens... But in the long run, is it worth spending thousands of dollars every month? Especially, because it is impossible, to get "real" results, always only some kind of approximations?

On the other hand, I'm "working" 8 hours a day. So in some respect it IS earned money from my part.

What do you think of it?

Cheers Danneskjöld

[JeffS]

I'm wondering why you have the job. It doesn't sound like you feel productive at all. How can that bring you any sense of happiness?

[L-C]

What do you think of it?

I would never do it unless I had to in order to survive long enough to do something else.

[Danneskjöld]

Actually, my post is some kind of nonsense. How could anyone (including myself) approve of what I'm doing? I already knew the answers before...

Well, I've been thinking about it for a couple of days and today I made the final decision to quit the job tomorrow morning.

I even start to question university itself. But I need more time, so I guess I'll do another semester at university before I definitely decide whether to continue or not. But the more I think about it, the more going on strike (refusing to study and accept these professors and mindless learning-by-heart students as equals,refusing to use my mind to maintain the Swiss system directly or indirectly) is an option...

Ragnar

[Zip]

Are you using this job to pay for your education? Will quitting the job mean that someone else will wind up paying for your schooling?

Rather than quit University, why not find a field of study that interests you?

Sometimes we have to make due now in order to get what we really want later. The instant gratification society we live in is part and parcel of the problems our society is facing.

[DavidOdden]

I suggest that you focus of whatever it is that interests and is of importance to you. If there is some particular intellectual area that you want to pursue and might want it to be your career, for example geology, then evaluate the alternatives in terms of that presumed purpose. In a worst case scenario, you could be doing manual office labor (xeroxing, stapling, licking envelopes) as a means towards the end of receiving an education. If the work that you're doing is actually in some way related to whatever it is you want to do, so much the better -- maybe the problem is that you haven't figured out in what way the work is actually related to whatever you eventually want to be doing.

If you find the job intolerable, then by all means quit, but don't quit just because of a rationalistic principle that one should never accept government employment or other government "benefits". The government is everywhere: you can't escape. Don't evade university training just because you find some students or professors that are dullards; you'll find that in industry as well. Rather then defining your actions in terms of other people (avoiding dullards, avoiding taxpayer-supported work and research), concentrate on what is specifically important for you, given your nature.

[Fujitsu]

As I'm sure you know, you have to look out for #1. And that might mean doing some pretty nasty stuff. You'll always have to judge for yourself just what you're doing. Are you busting heads for the taxman or measuring some worthless pond somewhere? Clearly the two have different ramifications on the ethical nature of your job.

It sounds like make-work. Fine if you can stomach it. I've done a lot of stupid jobs. But each one was the best deal I could get in the time/money trade at the time. If possible, learn as much as you can from it. I've learned what-not-do-do so well from some of my past jobs, making mental notes "Man, I'll never do that in my company!" or "That's a pretty good technique, remember that."

Your time on their earth is short. Make your own goals and work to reach them. The building of financial assets oftentimes plays a big role in that. Do not screw that up. If the job sucks and it sounds like it does - make plans to wash your hands of it.

For me, the only really cool job I've had was working for myself.

[Danneskjöld]

Are you using this job to pay for your education? Will quitting the job mean that someone else will wind up paying for your schooling?

Rather than quit University, why not find a field of study that interests you?

[...]

No, this Job WAS not essential to pay for university. My parents are borrowing me some money to pay for the expenses. Whether I need some months more or less to pay it back is irrelevant. It would have been money to enjoy holidays abroad in winter.

If you find the job intolerable, then by all means quit, but don't quit just because of a rationalistic principle that one should never accept government employment or other government "benefits".

Actually, I find the Job intolerable BECAUSE of this ratinalistic principle. If it's avoidable than there's no reason to accept government employment apart from taking unearned benefits... and THIS is a reason which is intolerable.

However, I finally quit the job. Instead I'm going to work in a public swimming pool area, where I'll sell food and drinks behind a counter. Sure, I earn less money than I did in the government job, but it's more a honest work and the people come and spend their money willingly and freely to their enjoyment.

Whether or not to continue university I have not decided yet.

Thanx for the thoughts anyway.

Cheers Ragnar