To people who've worked in the same place for decades...

[eyesroll]

How do you do it?

I've been here 7 years and I'm sick of the people (there's nothing *wrong* with most of 'em; I'm just sick of 'em) and sick of the work and sick of this office. (Yes, I'm doing something about it.)

I don't consider myself a job hopper -- I'm 30 and have had two post-collegiate jobs, and have left/am leaving for good reasons (laid off from the first, returning to school from the second), but I know some people graduate high school or college, get a job, and stay with that company until they retire. How do they do it and not go bonkers?

[kick-ass-bob]

1. I've been here for 7 years, also.

And I spend a lot of time here on DU - what does that tell you? :think:

Those people are in the old school mindset, that the companies will look out for their best interests, which is painfully apparent that they are not. These people tend to get shafted in one way or another, because they are not looking out for themselves.

It may have been different 20-30 years ago, but to do that today is really selling oneself short.

[newportdadde]

2. Kids and mortgage go a long way.

I'm your age and I've found those two things have done wonders to keep me chugging along. That and you must submit too and have your spirit broken, thats suppose to happen after 5 years, you must be resisting.

[eyesroll]

3. I had a mortgage and yeah, that helped.

I'm about to move in with my SO and (part-time) his 3-year-old, and we'll likely both be students by next fall, relying on savings (both of us are in good shape in that department, thankfully), student loans (and hopefully a visit from the Scholarship Fairy in my case). Should be interesting.

[eyesroll]

4. Dupe

dupety dupe

[raccoon]

9. You said that right, newportdadde.

"you must submit too and have your spirit broken"

[ProfessorGAC]

5. I'm One Of Them

Been here 26 years. Of course, i was also teaching graduate school for a long time, while i was working here.

I think it's because i have a unique skill set, which is beneficial to the firm, and i set my limits a LONG time ago. So, people from the shop floor to the board room pretty much leave me alone and let me do what they pay me to do. I set my own priorities, my own schedule, and i choose which projects i wish to work on, and which i don't. So, it's pretty easy to stick around in a situation like that, i guess.
The Professor

[kick-ass-bob]

7. I think a University would be one of those places that IS advantageous

in which to stay for a long time.
That was my initial goal in college, but then I realized the field was more into research than teaching, which is what I enjoyed more.

[Crazy Dave]

6. Previously...

I worked with the company I'm with now for six years, got fired over personal bullshit, worked at two other companies for four years, got begged and apologized into coming back, demanded $8,000 more a year than the place I was working, now here I am, back for a year and a half in September till I piss the big boss/owner (same one) off again or he pisses me off first.

[Tikki]

8. Mr. Tikki worked 30 years same Co. same division (same people)....

...the 'full boat' retirement package at the end of the Rainbow got him through many
boring or troublesome days...he retired three years ago.

The retirement package they offer now is noticeably less....I believe he got out just in time..


Tikki

[MissMillie]

10. Well, besides the few faculty that get tenure

The people around here change all of the time. Other people in my department that do the same thing I do typically move on after a few years.

Hardly anyone who was here when I started 20 years ago is still here.

(And I have to add that I have been very lucky to work for some of the nicest faculty in the school since I have been here.)

[asthmaticeog]

11. I started at my workplace 7 years ago, too.

:boring: