Work, work, work!
Here is my take on employers, this is inspired by respected bagira
Those loyal lj fans of mine that managed to stick with me since the beginning, and russian13 ’s existence dates back all the way to ancient 2001, know that I rarely speak good about my employers. Crap, I started writing in lj just because my work back then sucked balls. I wasn’t making much money, I had very little to do and when I actually had something to do, it was most of the time some boring paperwork. So I started writing in LJ to entertain myself and others, while laughing at things that in retrospect were not funny at all.
But I never gave up looking for other professional opportunities. Every night I’d start my 3 beer ritual when I’d scan the latest job postings on career web sites while drinking trusty labbet blue. I’d apply to every newly posted engineering position on daily basis with determination of a bulldog that is chasing a squirrel. I thought that if only I could find a job that would pay more money, at a financially healthy company where I can count on long term professional growth, all my problems would go away and I’d be a happy man. Empty labbet blue cans were piling up in the kitchen as my resumes in MS Word format were pouring in headhunter inboxes. And there it was, right about when pile of empty cans in the kitchen area begun approaching Chichen Itza size and shape, I found my dream job.
I got a job at a financially stable company that paid better salary. It was a lot more challenging as I daily had actual design engineering tasks to do. I was working on new commodities using new software. It was like a whole new universe to explore. I was finally happy…for about two weeks. I got tired of my new job real quick as I was overwhelmed with work. I was working at Japanese company where working 60 hours a week was a norm. Add to that night school and you end up with one tired russian13 . Pretty quickly I resumed my work complaints on lj and begun drinking labbet blue while sending out my resumes. Recruiters again were getting my wonderful emails on daily basis as labbet blue market share that took a deep dive during my 2 week euphoria was climbing back to normal.
In my new job search I was aiming high though. I wanted to get even more money, I wanted to be a customer not a supplier and I wanted a bigger title. Because in corporate world, as we all know, the higher up the ladder you are, the less actual work you have to do. I learned it the hard way too, 12 hour shifts of seat structure design sucked balls. Countless design reviews with Toyota engineers that would show up and mark my drawings up everywhere, they’d even comment on the quality of my drawing’s fold. Yes, Toyota has a specification for folding drawings properly. I was being taught Toyota way vehicle design, samurai style.
And so, after a while, my 3 beer ritual had worked for me once more. I landed what I thought back then was a perfect job. I’ve got another double digit raise but most importantly I became a customer. I’ve got design engineers now working for me, busting their balls like I once was. My job tasks were reduced from doing actual work to merely critiquing what someone else did for me. But believe it or not, after few weeks even this job got old as well.
I am not using my 3-beer job hunting methodology anymore as I stopped looking for another job. I realized that the root cause of my work related unhappiness is that I just don’t like working; it has nothing to do with each and individual employer that I've had during past 7 years. Even if I'd land another dream job, which I am sure I would, it would get old very quickly and I’d start hating it again.
Future plans? I don’t know. A college professor. Or maybe Russian national soccer team coach. I haven’t decided yet. Or maybe I can be a proud owner of JJ Restaurant , does anyone want to go 50/50 with me?
Those loyal lj fans of mine that managed to stick with me since the beginning, and russian13 ’s existence dates back all the way to ancient 2001, know that I rarely speak good about my employers. Crap, I started writing in lj just because my work back then sucked balls. I wasn’t making much money, I had very little to do and when I actually had something to do, it was most of the time some boring paperwork. So I started writing in LJ to entertain myself and others, while laughing at things that in retrospect were not funny at all.
But I never gave up looking for other professional opportunities. Every night I’d start my 3 beer ritual when I’d scan the latest job postings on career web sites while drinking trusty labbet blue. I’d apply to every newly posted engineering position on daily basis with determination of a bulldog that is chasing a squirrel. I thought that if only I could find a job that would pay more money, at a financially healthy company where I can count on long term professional growth, all my problems would go away and I’d be a happy man. Empty labbet blue cans were piling up in the kitchen as my resumes in MS Word format were pouring in headhunter inboxes. And there it was, right about when pile of empty cans in the kitchen area begun approaching Chichen Itza size and shape, I found my dream job.
I got a job at a financially stable company that paid better salary. It was a lot more challenging as I daily had actual design engineering tasks to do. I was working on new commodities using new software. It was like a whole new universe to explore. I was finally happy…for about two weeks. I got tired of my new job real quick as I was overwhelmed with work. I was working at Japanese company where working 60 hours a week was a norm. Add to that night school and you end up with one tired russian13 . Pretty quickly I resumed my work complaints on lj and begun drinking labbet blue while sending out my resumes. Recruiters again were getting my wonderful emails on daily basis as labbet blue market share that took a deep dive during my 2 week euphoria was climbing back to normal.
In my new job search I was aiming high though. I wanted to get even more money, I wanted to be a customer not a supplier and I wanted a bigger title. Because in corporate world, as we all know, the higher up the ladder you are, the less actual work you have to do. I learned it the hard way too, 12 hour shifts of seat structure design sucked balls. Countless design reviews with Toyota engineers that would show up and mark my drawings up everywhere, they’d even comment on the quality of my drawing’s fold. Yes, Toyota has a specification for folding drawings properly. I was being taught Toyota way vehicle design, samurai style.
And so, after a while, my 3 beer ritual had worked for me once more. I landed what I thought back then was a perfect job. I’ve got another double digit raise but most importantly I became a customer. I’ve got design engineers now working for me, busting their balls like I once was. My job tasks were reduced from doing actual work to merely critiquing what someone else did for me. But believe it or not, after few weeks even this job got old as well.
I am not using my 3-beer job hunting methodology anymore as I stopped looking for another job. I realized that the root cause of my work related unhappiness is that I just don’t like working; it has nothing to do with each and individual employer that I've had during past 7 years. Even if I'd land another dream job, which I am sure I would, it would get old very quickly and I’d start hating it again.
Future plans? I don’t know. A college professor. Or maybe Russian national soccer team coach. I haven’t decided yet. Or maybe I can be a proud owner of JJ Restaurant , does anyone want to go 50/50 with me?