Your 9 to 5 experience

[Happy]

There’s a few threads going around at the moment touching on financial independence, making money, etc. and the 9 to 5 has been brought up a few times from a more macro perspective.

I’d like to know what your individual experiences of the 9 to 5 are. I’m curious to see where this goes.

Spoiler

In my own case, I work a 9 to 5, and I don’t find it all that bad. Actually, I usually enjoy working. I think I can attribute this to a large degree of autonomy, and the freedom to lead and take risks. Additionally, as time has gone on, I’ve become more and more driven to perfect my craft, which I think equates to meaning for me.

I’ve found it awful in the past, but was able to move on to a better situation. I think people should be more open to changing their own circumstances.

 

[lightfire]

I used to work 8 to 5.

I am not working due to important family commitments at the moment, but I'll get back to it soon enough. Probably in 2 more weeks.

I really enjoyed having a schedule and a routine, it felt great. I woke up before the sun rose, during my drive to work, I saw the sunrise. On the way back, saw the sunset. That made me happy. The drives were long especially traffic hour, but I made it enjoyable with good music or listening to something like a podcast.

I truly enjoyed interacting with people: the light hearted interactions, small gestures, sometimes catching breaks together or saying Hi to randoms in the hallways. Its cool how you can make friends just by saying Hi sometimes. I actually made friends that way.

I like dressing up to business standards all the time, and it becoming my regular dress code. I also miss the gym that was on the first floor. I didn't even look at it as much as "UGH gotta go to work", I just saw it as a cool way of life. It's what you make of it.

For the work itself I found it challenging and enjoyable, I remember training on a new product a few weeks before I was leaving. I miss the constant learning and application. It wasn't repetitive type of work.

My coworkers made it enjoyable, I didn't really focus too much on negatives as the positives outweighed everything else. I realized work environment and attitudes of people matter a lot to me, just as much as the work I do.

I've been in work environments where I disliked the people and enviroment, but the work was doable and okay, it made for a very bad experience and I left. I'm so glad I did, because then I found the new place where I was the happiest ever. I don't settle for just "okay" when it comes to things in life, I have perfectionist standards. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing but its a me thing.

Now that I'm not working (short break), I completely miss that experience, you have no idea. I think I enjoy schedules and routines. To compensate, I have created my own routine (mostly working out). I am hoping to get back to work sometime soon in the next 2 weeks so yay I guess.

 

[cheese]

What did you do for work? Sounds so positive.

 

[lightfire]

Finance stuff. Different people felt differently there. Me and this lady were hired at the same time, and she hated every single thing. She did the exact same thing I did and was just as new as I was. She used to complain to me every single time about everything and everyone, and I just couldn't relate to her personal experience at all. I distanced myself from her and just kept myself around like minded people.

 

[Minuend]

I only did random grunt work, and I'd say it's fine for a limited time (a few years max, maybe more if it's possible to work your way up). If I work with something I enjoy, I'd be fine with doing that for longer. I don't mind the "9 to 5 experience" in itself. I don't imagine my life would magically be meaningful and amazing if I had a source of income where I didn't have to work, or could work less, so that wouldn't be a goal in itself except for wanting that security (I never used much money outside living expenses, so I had plenty of money for what I needed/ wanted). Even if I had that, I'd still do some random jobs because of wanting something outwardly engaging, stimuli, observing, learning

I did enjoy the exercise aspect of doing physical work, with a lot of fast paced walking and lifting. I was a lot more muscular back then. I guess I also enjoyed quite a few of the personalities in one of my jobs. It's nice having friends in different ages and with different personalities, from the scary looking guy in his 40s (who's actually super nice), to the stoic old lady or the funny 50 year old woman.

I do think I'm somewhat able to find something to enjoy or preoccupy myself in, even when it comes to random jobs. Like even when I did fairly simple work, I'd challenge myself by trying to do it in new ways, or doing multiple tasks at the same time (I got a lot of shit done). And I'd enjoy the banter and silly humor with some of my coworkers. But doing those jobs for years without anything changing would still feel empty.

 

[Cognisant]

I do tier 1-2 (sometimes 3) onsite tech support and have been doing it for some time, I used enjoyed the lack of responsibility which allowed me to work on personal projects outside of work, assured that if I showed up to work tired I wasn't going to have anything too difficult to deal with. For example if a machine has a non-hardware/driver issue I can't fix by merely reinstalling the relevant software I just backup the profile, loan the user a laptop (most of their shit's on the network drives anyway) and re-image the workstation, I only check logs and look up error codes if I'm feeling bored.

Of late expectations have increased to an unreasonable level, not in terms of workload as such, I mean that has increased but it's really the rudeness of the users who are accustomed to an incredibly high standard of service. It's a disaster recovery organization so in the event of a flood/fire/cyclone/godzilla we go "into surge" during which the organization rapidly increases in size and people are deployed to liaise with councils and do damage assessment. So out ICT department needs to be able to do everything immediately, no SLAs we operate on a RFN (right fucking now) because there's no charter flights going into cyclone affected areas, the RLOs and assessors are hitchhiking with the military and they either have their gear right now or they miss the flight.

That's fine, we're used to that, it's the people being rude that gets to me, people with big egos who ask for support but then won't let you touch their computer or make you wait while they read a document or interrupt you while setting up a new user to whisk them away to a meeting despite their setup not being finished yet (it takes 20min FFS) and you need them there for it.

I answered a call at 5:10pm (I finish at 5pm, stupid me answering the phone) only to end up with a guy demanding that I archive his emails for him because he's too stupid to do it himself and now his Outlook doesn't work, I told him I can't but if he leaves it on his desk I can get someone to do it at 8am tomorrow morning, that resulted in an emailed complaint direct to the ICT Director.

Anyway I've got leave in April and I'll be applying elsewhere, I already have a place in mind.

 

[baccheion]

I was a software engineer for 3 years about 8 years ago (haven't worked since; others say paranoid schizophrenia, but I say sabotage). I worked at eBay for 2.5 years and Google for ~4 months. I felt my life wasting away, then I started being explicitly harassed. And the recession didn't help.

I planned on moving on to my own business or another job if that didn't work out, but then I magically went insane.

 

[CatGoddess]

Well, I don't "work", but public schooling creates a fairly routine schedule (7-4, or 7-6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays). I dislike it and find it monotonous, but I think that's more because of the mandatory classes than anything (equivalent to doing work you don't like). I would have no issue with school if I only took physics, math, and music. So, no, I don't think there's anything "inherently" wrong with the concept behind the 9-5 (repetitive routine); it depends mostly on the nature of the work.

@Cognisant Lazy people, eh? My personal vaguely IT-related gripe is against those people who believe I'm some sort of technological wizard because I know how to use Google.

 

[Rook]

6:30-5.... sometimes 6-6.... wake up
Perform mechanichal function
Innovate if allowed otherwise follow tradition

Earn daily monthly wage
Save
Curse myself for not going off the grid
6-6
Save
Plan to go off grid
Tbc. ....

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

well, I had one like that. I lasted for about 2 months (I actually made a thread about it)

but I dunno, there were a lot of factors there which didn't necessarily have much to do with the structure of the job itself.

although, the lunch-break small talk almost fucking killed me. Shortly after quitting that one I jumped into another startup, which was definitely an improvement. In a startup you're always at the center of things, you deal with all aspects of the business, people are typically very focused and dedicated, and there is a sense of camaraderie.

 

[Polaris]

I have always been extremely resistant to the whole 9-5 notion of work.

So In the past I have worked very long hours over fewer days, but health took a nosedive after doing that for a few years. I changed profession and as a result have been working for 1/3 of the income I used to earn, which has instead taken a toll on my sanity as I had to worry about finances for the first time in my working life. But I couldn't go back to doing what I was doing as it clashed with my principles to the point where I was expected to lie to cover other people's asses.

I have finally been able to find work that is mildly stimulating, but it's still very frustrating because of the constant interruptions, etc., and I have to travel to the city centre, which I find very stressful. Add irregular hours and it became unbearable, so I have now managed to negotiate a 9-5.30 schedule with alternating three and four day weeks, and one weekend off each month which gives me 4 days off in a row each month, yay. I still wake up every day with a sense of doom and dread, but I don't think I'll ever shake that feeling....it's something that started when I experienced difficulties in my childhood and I'll just have to live with the anxiety.

The great thing about this change to 'normal' hours and resulting regularity and predictability is that it has allowed me to finish other projects, as well as hopefully being able to spend more time on more academic research projects which are now all way overdue. Isolation and health issues has not helped, but until recently I have had no desire or energy to see people out of work.

 

[sushi]

its 9 to 8 here in east, not like socialist utopia in other countries.

 

[ZenRaiden]

Id rather turn to crime, but I prefer going the business route. 9 to 5 makes me suicidal and the idea I do something that I dont care about and the fact I wont make a difference in my life time makes me feel like total loser. No offense to people who love it. I mean if you like it I think you are doing the right thing. It makes my stomach turn to even think about the fact Id end up going to retirement from a 9 to 5 job.

 

[ZenRaiden]

its 9 to 8 here in east, not like socialist utopia in other countries.

I am not suprised. Asians always kind of remind of brute force workes. Inefficient hamster wheel types. Still better than lazy people though have to say.