Im a teacher, I work 12-14 hours most days (bar weekends which is ~4 per day average) for 10 months of the year, pay starts at £20 000 - is it worth it? Yep, making a very positive contribution to the community by moulding our new generations into good hearty members of society- I wont own a ferrari any time soon but im also not going to starve
Job: Retail Branch Manager (clothing company) Wage: £23k plus bonus Is it worth it?: Yes - provides the money i need for me to look after the wife and kids ( who are the most important people in my life) No - Because its not want i wanted to do in my life i graduated with a industrial design degree
Job: Software Developer Wage: £~30k/year Worth it? Yeah - office politics aside. I consider myself lucky to be in this position as a graduate, but I reckon I'm worth the money at the end of the day
Job: Healthcare Science Practioner (Genetics) Trainee Wage: Just over £20k Is it worth it? Well it means I have the longest job title of anyone I know, and more money too. It's also just a little bit relevant to what I did at uni - medical genetics - considering I now work in a genetics lab for the NHS. The only real problem is it's a pilot for a new training scheme so it doesnt really fit in with how the lab normally does it's training. For example, I've just spent the last 3 months doing training in cytogenetics, while they would normally train people for longer than the entire duration of my contract (which is only 2 years to cover both molecular genetics and cytogenetics). Basically it's for too long for a brief overview, but nowhere near long enough to enough in-depth training to actually be useful. I've spent most of the last 3 months sitting around reading books and it's got a little bit annoying by now. Also I'm a little bit annoyed that they dropped an academic component complete with full BSc degree on the grounds that everyone on the scheme already has one, but kept an MSc in the higher level Scientist training scheme, where most of them have PhDs. Still, when I do actually have work to do it's generally quite interesting, and it's in a field that I enjoy, so I can't complain too much. And with the NHS powers that be deciding they want to role out similar schemes across other 'healthcare science' areas after this pilot is done, I'm hoping that some jobs will be made so it doesn't end up as a complete failure. Of course, if that doesn't happen I'll still have 2 years of lab experience, and a bit of cash saved, which can't hurt if applying for an MSc or a PhD.
Job: SAS programmer (Data Management) for a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) Wage: No comment, but it should be higher (the trouble with working in Wales). Is it worth it? Jobs easy enough (usually), it's close to where I live (handy 'cos I can't drive), and most of the people I work with are a good crowd. There's only 7 of us in the Data Management department (2 Stato's, 2 Data Managers, 2 Data Entry and me). Currently trying to cope with learning about the CDISC standard (as this seems to be the next big thing with clinical trials submissions (and will be a requirement within a few years) and it's really doing my head in. CDISC seems to be a lot of work (and expense) with very little pay off (from our viewpoint). Unfortunately it seems like no two companies have the same idea when it comes to interpreting the CDISC data layout (which is where the headache kicks in) and getting time to actually research the standard is hard when we don't seem to get a quiet 5 minutes (due to some extremely tight (and some downright impossible) deadlines from clients).
Job: Carer for a mentally ill person Wage: ~£30pw +food and accommodation Is it worth it: Yes, I am making a huge difference to their quality of life and facilitating their recovery with a view to getting life back on track and learning how to keep the condition under control. Money is poor, but I'm not doing it to get rich. Hopefully once my work here is done I can continue my education and go into IT.
For a job I've had to go back to something I thought I'd finished with 6 years ago. Phone tech support. I get paid half of what I got in my previous job. It's only worth it as it keeps a roof over our head.
Job - Right now, freelance audio/studio engineer. Income - Whatever the job is worth. Is it worth it? - Emotionally, yep, every second. I'm so in love with working with sound its silly. Hugely rewarding having artists thank you for your work etc. However, financially it's pretty terrible right now. The music scene in my area has died in the last couple of years, work is VERY scarce. To the point where I'm back in college for a couple of evenings a week picking up some I.T qualifications.
Nice, we need more people like this in the world! Job: [junior] software developer Wage: enough to be a high rate tax payer Max wage: as a developer ~£140k, moving into management obviously the sky is the limit. Is it worth it? I enjoy it, it pays relatively well and the hours aren't generally too bad (typically out the office by 18:30). So I'd say yes.
Job : Aircraft engineer Wage: Depends who I've sold my soul too. Is it worth it: Again depends who I've sold my soul too. Been doing some work for the big oil companies, worked for the police and ambulance service, done some private machines. The end of the day it just a job, and i have to put up with dam pilots!
Job: Au Pair (I'm a Manny) Wage: 800 chf/month plus benefits and living expenses Worth it? If you like kids. A whole lot. I mean, you reallly have to like kids. I guess I'd say it's worth it, since it's only for a year and a half (almost up) and I lived in another country and had an amazing expereience I could otherwise not have had. But the pay, the pay sucks. Especially in Switzerland, 800 bucks does not go far.
An interesting read. How did you get into it and would you ever consider moving to the public sector? Whereabouts exactly do you work? Why do you like this part of the country? All the money down here is a joke. And whilst it's a gorgeous place to live (at least when the sun's out), there is absolutely nothing going on here. IT bores me to tears most of the time (although I have enough of a clue to be tech support to friends half the time) but major respect for this post. Did you start off employed and then get "stickittotheman-neosis"? Or have you always wanted to be your own boss? As for this, I'm extremely envious. I've worked for Allen & Heath twice in the past and know a fair few people in and around the industry. Work is slow and low paid until you reach the upper echelons and few do. But respect to you for doing what you love. Music is fundamental to our existence IMHO and your job is vital. If only every band in every venue had an engineer with your attitude. As for me: Job - Guest Relations Manager for a holiday resort Wage - late teens + accommodation Is it worth it - simply question with a far less simple answer. I could turn the question around and ask what defines "worth it"? For the purposes of this thread, I could/should be doing something more important to me. I am not passionate about my job and when that happens I generally move on. However, I've done 8 jobs in 10 years and though I've learnt a lot about myself, I have yet to find a job where I feel I fit. It could be a lot worse, but down here options are so few that I'm trying to enjoy the time I have here to the best of my ability until I inevitably leave and have to find somewhere else to live at the same time.
Job Service Desk / Systems Access Analyst Hybrid (Essentially I work across two departments depending on time of day) Wage Around 20k, 22k with on call work Is it worth it? Very much depends on my mood and how the day is going. Most days I'm fairly content, but occasionally I feel really good when solving a tricky issue, or when I get good feedback on one of my many side projects. On the flipside, when the excrement hits the air distribution device, spreading a malodourous aroma in it's path, then no. This is usually caused by issues that affect masses of users, or days we are short staffed, and the stress levels the the roof. Also after two years of doing the Service Desk side of my job, I'm thinking it may be time to move on soon to pastures new...
job: supervisor (retail) wage: at the moment, around 12k, which is apparently incredibly low, but when i've finished all my training off it'll rise to around 15k. apparently. is it worth it: no. the job itself is incredibly easy (aka: boring) and i hate having to start at 6:00am (getting up isn't a problem, i just hate having to go to bed early or deal with a lack of sleep) but apart from that it's alright. my main problem is that i've worked in retail for a huge chunk of my working life and i'm sick to death of it.
Job: Field Robotics Group Technician (or some such official sounding name) Wage: £11k - £uni_tuition_fees Is it worth it?: Yep great fun, lots to learn and best of all big feck off robots to play with
JOB: IT Branch Manager (3 days) + CCTV Techncian (1 day) + Field Technician (1 day) Wage: 15.5K Worth it ?: not with the level of responsibility i have and the fact i have 3 jobs from 1 salary. looking to move if anyone is hiring ?
Job: 'specialised' (if you can call it that) security Wage: around €38,000 per year, plus some bonuses for some reason (before tax) Worth it: yes and no. I was going to whine about how I should be paid more but then I read this: I don't think I have the right to whine anymore.
Job: Product Design Engineer Wage: £18k First Year Worth it: Well I spent 22k on my degree, numerous negative credit ratings for my bank forclosing my student account during my final year and demanding the overdraft back, but there is a silver cloud. I ****ing love my job, I live breathe, eat, sleep product design. There is nothing in the world which would make me reconsider doing what I do as I directly influence peoples lives through the objects the people in my company sell. I couldn't even face the possibility of changing job to the likes of the never ending death of accountancy, or becoming a **** (lawyer). I am also a part-time troll, which i do voluntarily to improve the quality of internets for everyone.
Job: Saturday sales assistant @currys Wage: £1.323k plus bonuses if i hit sales targets. Worth it: Yes definatly, i'm 17 and still at college so it fits in nicely, gives me invaluable experience to put on my CV, plus monies to go towards a car, which is currently my number one target. Plus, im really good at it, second highest sales out of all the staff there in my second week Although i would like to work more hours, to get more of the previously mentioned monies.
'Official' Job - Retail 'Team Leader' (Assistant Manager) Pay - £15.5K Like it? - It's OK at times. When it's so busy you don't have time to breath I love it. When it's quiet I hate it (mainly because that's usually the time I have to talk to the people I work with lol - or the big cheese's start sniffing around) Sometimes the horrific amount of pressure your get put under makes you want to chuck in the towel but things have a habit of working out well. I've been doing a lot of computer based work (repairs, new systems etc) for the longest time, pretty much anyone in a 5 mile radius has my mobile number so I get a lot of work and recommendations, it averages about £200 a week extra cash in hand but the downside is that I do this along with my 40 hour a week job in the evenings and days off so it's difficult to balance it with free time for the Mrs. As soon as I have enough capital behind me to start my own business that's the way I'm going to go, not sure if I'm going to stay down the IT route or something more hands on, I'm the type of person that can put their hand to anything.
