For those who've left: any regrets?

[Vombatus]

Totally felt this way after getting tenure at my government gig. I intend this to be my last rodeo - no regrets.

Not without challenges like bad bosses, it's still been fabulous. Awards involving money, OT when I work OT and an unexpected promotion not quite four years in.

Plus awesome travel, aside, well, from the occasional explosions! You and tbf are the two posters that I always have in my mind when I hope that all of us are safe.

 

[Ace]

As a standup, do you like Louis CK? I was driving today for 45 minutes and heard a bit of his that actually truly had me laughing out loud. He was talking about taking his kids to Europe in his words "for some reason" and talking about how his daughter got bit by a horse. It truly was fricking hilarious and like I said I was laughing out loud in the car alone. If you haven't heard the bit (no pun intended) find it. Funny.

Yes. He's great.

 

[OscarMadison]

There are people who have taken the position I had, and at the first of the season, they say they think I'm crazy for leaving. Then they find out perks don't fill the kibble bowl.

 

[Spartan Squad]

One question to those who have had jobs outside newspapers for a while now: Do people in your new industries believe you when you tell them you worked 7 days a week 50 weeks a year and worked 60-70 hours a week yet got no overtime? Or do they think you are kidding. It's one, unique profession, journalism, that is for sure.

I'm about to go into teaching and I'm pretty sure if I said all of that they'd laugh at me. The only difference is the 8 weeks in summer, two weeks at Christmas plus spring break, but the hours I'm guessing are about to be just as bad if not worse.

 

[DeskMonkey1]

I'm about to go into teaching and I'm pretty sure if I said all of that they'd laugh at me. The only difference is the 8 weeks in summer, two weeks at Christmas plus spring break, but the hours I'm guessing are about to be just as bad if not worse.

The hours aren't bad. There are just a lot of them

 

[KJIM]

Plus awesome travel, aside, well, from the occasional explosions! You and tbf are the two posters that I always have in my mind when I hope that all of us are safe.

Travel is a priority for me, and, no matter your job locale, you make the effort for your priorities.

I really don't travel more than I did when I worked at my old, pre-Peace Corps place, but being plopped somewhere else for a couple years gives me a different starting point. Both tours so far have been to great travel hubs, so I've taken advantage, but, really, no more so than when I lived in Detroit. It's pretty much all I do, but it's important to me.

Next tour will be different, though, because I'll only get three times to leave the compound in the year I'm there (Baghdad), so no long weekends or anything like that. It'll be an adjustment. Three blowout vacations instead of going somewhere every three-day weekend.

Oscar, perks *can* fill a kibble bowl, depending on the perk. Housing, utilities, differential pay, R&R tickets, training and career development -- these are biggies.

There's life outside of journalism for sure.

Fun story: I am trying to fill a training schedule and I signed up for a writing class. I have had none of the prereqs and I had to take a WRITING TEST.

"We want to ensure that students who enroll in the course write clearly, concisely, and cohesively and have a solid understanding of English grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules."

I laughed and laughed.

(And yes, I passed.)

 

[Doc Holliday]

Eat a bag of dicks.


Pound sand.

Two of my all-time favorite lines. Thank you Cosmo.