Job sucks the life out of me.

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Similar situation.
I stuck it out, retired early, grabbed the retirement bennies ASAP, never looked back.
I knew I did a great job, that is what was important to me.
Don't let your job define who you are.
Jobs and companies come and go, you will always be you.

You don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
For the time being stay at your current job, reapply for the union job .


Good advice!
Does the union contract with the other company have a seniority policy?
If that company ever has a reduction in force / lay-offs, you may be one of the first to go.
 
Work to live not live to work.
There are plenty of folks who'd be happy to be in your position.
I'm in a similar spot, but I have the option of retiring on any given day, we are well past having young children, our house is long paid for and we have significant savings/investments along with defined benefit retirement plans, so that's a bit different.
You may not love your current job, but it may be more typical than you realize.
There's a reason that the Dilbert cartoons had so much resonance for so many people.
It sounds like you need to develop other interests.
A walk thorough the stacks at you local public library might be a start.
So many interesting things to read.
I could recommend some fascinating non-fiction if you'd like.
 
Things dont magically happen nor do you need to take drastic steps to change.

Write down what are some options. Write down what it is you want. If your boss says what is it you want, do you have an answer of what you want changed?

If what you want to explore is a job change, that also doesn't happen by itself. But dont fall into the trap that this is a drastic rash decision you have to make now and cant undo later.
You seem to be slightly already caught in the spiral of this means I have to move and find new friends and so on so why even look.
Typically you can take some steps to pursue and develop options without quitting your day job. Explore. Don't say no until you need to.

See whats out there and take those steps up until the point that you have to choose. There's no risk in just talking to people and developing the options.

Ultimately though you have to take the first steps and do something different if you want change. It may feel like a leap but it really isn't a leap at this point. Instead it's a series of small steps until you have to make a final decision.
 
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Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
Its a smaller company in a smaller city so the only people that seem to get hired under the current regime are friends and family of people there who are department heads, or employees that matter.


This is why I absolutely HATE small towns. Everyone is related,or they're all friends,or their kids play together,blah blah blah. I can't stand cliquish environments like that. They're all little booty buddies. They'll go to lunch together,go party together with the boss,etc. If you notice,they can all get away with murder,while any "outsider" is expected to go strictly by the book. I've been in environments like that and it's repulsive.
 
Try to approach this from a different point of view: one of the key concepts of Emotional IQ is that you own this problem. you can only control your own response to a situation. Since you clearly can't change your coworker, or the management attitude, change your own view. It's not easy, but has the most potential impact.

Just make sure that you continue to do YOUR best each day. as others have suggested, find something else in your life to be your focus for enjoyment and life-improvement. It does work. Some of the people that I work with are complete idiots. I spent 4 years bored and finding no worth in my job. things are good now. what changed? my attitude and approach.
 
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Every place has office politics, petty [censored] and coworkers that are idiots. You said the job is easy and you only work 40 hours a week, those two things don't happen everywhere.

My take is if you aren't happy here, you won't be happy at the next place either...so start looking inward for ways to feel satisfied.
 
Originally Posted By: bigj_16
Keep the job. Find something meaningful outside of work.


That was the first thing that came to my mind.

Sounds like OP wants it all and nothing at the same time. More money, more rewarding, more challenge, but not 50hrs, not far away, etc.

That's not a jab, just a crossroads that makes a decision tough, if a decision at all...

If there's other meaningful stuff, do it. If you need more money, that may be tougher.

Out of curiosity, if it's about who you know, why aren't you finding those people you need to know?
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
Its a smaller company in a smaller city so the only people that seem to get hired under the current regime are friends and family of people there who are department heads, or employees that matter.


This is why I absolutely HATE small towns. Everyone is related,or they're all friends,or their kids play together,blah blah blah. I can't stand cliquish environments like that. They're all little booty buddies. They'll go to lunch together,go party together with the boss,etc. If you notice,they can all get away with murder,while any "outsider" is expected to go strictly by the book. I've been in environments like that and it's repulsive.


BTDT (been there done that)

All what you said...........small town, company culture, bro-in-law, in-bred all look alike two limb family tree types.
One mis-step from me, it was boot-on-my-neck time.
Any of the "family" violated policy.........swept under the rug.

But I was there long after all the "family" was gone!
The right administration finally showed up and put an end to that freak show circus.

Skills and know-how trumped all the good 'ol boy tactics.
 
I’m in the utility industry as well in a power station. Theres good things and bad things about it like everything else in life. For me, the days that there is something bothering me i channel that energy into studying for more certifications. This way, when the right higher paying job comes up i’ll be ready for it. It gives me something to look forward to at least for the professional side of my life instead of falling into the victim mentality.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
I think you need to try to focus on a hobby or something on the side.. I wouldnt worry too much about the guy who works with you.. I would however find someone very skilled at the role and do all you can to learn from them if thats what you want to do. If you learn more will it enable to provide you with more credentials for work elsewhere if its ever needed? Think of it as, a fallback plan. See if they can cover any type of skill training or certifications on their dime, so at least if you decide down the road to walk away, you have some credentials and experience that will be valid for other roles. I think just doing a side class or hobby a couple times a week would change your mindset. You need something new in your life to break the mold!

Good advice. Learn as much as you can in this job. Get certificates if possible. Be ready if something better comes along. If it does great, if it doesn't, you'll have the satisfaction of having been the best you could be - in this job anyway. Through your training, get to know people in similar and not so similar companies. Opportunities come along over time. Watch the want ads. And meanwhile have some fun too.

When I got my last, best ever job, my wife saw the ad in the paper in the morning before I went to work. I immediately knew it would be my next job. Over the course of the day 3 people from the new employer called to say I should look in the paper because my next job was there. That job was to take over a whole department, of over 100 staff, including the 3 who called.

It seemed I needed every skill I had picked up along the way. It was like I had spent my whole life preparing for the new job. Over a few years we were able to go from "not very good" to the "top performing department" in a large and very good company. And we kept it that way.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Work to live not live to work.
There are plenty of folks who'd be happy to be in your position.
I'm in a similar spot, but I have the option of retiring on any given day, we are well past having young children, our house is long paid for and we have significant savings/investments along with defined benefit retirement plans, so that's a bit different.
You may not love your current job, but it may be more typical than you realize.
There's a reason that the Dilbert cartoons had so much resonance for so many people.
It sounds like you need to develop other interests.
A walk thorough the stacks at you local public library might be a start.
So many interesting things to read.
I could recommend some fascinating non-fiction if you'd like.


I do realize that it is fairly typical to have a dysfunctional workplace unfortunately. I will say I have been luck in this regard in my previous jobs.

My hobbies include doing some woodworking, keeping our 40 year old house from falling down, cutting oil filters open lol..., Thinking about hypothetical situations about our vehicles and discussing them double lols...., Gaming, ect.

I LOVE reading. I love non fiction as well. Please do suggest. I typically only read non fiction, true crime, history, pretty much anything except for books that are heavily political.
 
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Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
Its a smaller company in a smaller city so the only people that seem to get hired under the current regime are friends and family of people there who are department heads, or employees that matter.


This is why I absolutely HATE small towns. Everyone is related,or they're all friends,or their kids play together,blah blah blah. I can't stand cliquish environments like that. They're all little booty buddies. They'll go to lunch together,go party together with the boss,etc. If you notice,they can all get away with murder,while any "outsider" is expected to go strictly by the book. I've been in environments like that and it's repulsive.


We moved here because I always wanted land and its cheap here. I have learned over the last 15 years that you get what you pay for. The county in which we live has a lackluster police force, terrible schools, and is in the midst of one heck of an opioid epidemic among other things.

I will say I work with some good people, just not the guy I spend my whole day with most of the time. It wears on you after a while. My immediate boss is great, and he is in a similar situation as me.

There is no way I can send my daughter or future children to the local public school, and it has turned out that she is gifted and that compounds the problem. My wife and I are both debating homeschooling which I was initially for and she wasn't. Now she is 90 percent for homeschooling and I want to send my daughter to a school for the gifted. This would entail a long drive everyday which I do not want to subject her to, or moving to some very specific areas which makes the job search even harder.

We have been basically homeschooling her since she was a baby, even if we didn't know it at the time if that makes sense. My wife is very committed to teaching her as am I. If my child continues on to have an accelerated rate of learning in the future she is going to need people a heck of a lot smarter than my wife and I to teach her.

This has compounded the whole job search problem and really limits my options. It is looking like we are going to home-school her for the meantime. There is a local home-school co-op but I am concerned the local small town mentality ruins that as well, or it may be people fed up with the terrible local school system and the terrible leadership there. My fears may be unfounded.

Having children really changes your perspective. It has really forced me to mature on many different levels. I thought I was mature...
 
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Originally Posted By: tomcat27
Try to approach this from a different point of view: one of the key concepts of Emotional IQ is that you own this problem. you can only control your own response to a situation. Since you clearly can't change your coworker, or the management attitude, change your own view. It's not easy, but has the most potential impact.

Just make sure that you continue to do YOUR best each day. as others have suggested, find something else in your life to be your focus for enjoyment and life-improvement. It does work. Some of the people that I work with are complete idiots. I spent 4 years bored and finding no worth in my job. things are good now. what changed? my attitude and approach.


This is a very interesting way to look at it for me. I need to really work on my perception of situations and my way of thinking.

This is really good advice....
 
Ahhhh utilities...will ride the willing horse into the deck.

You've received some good advice, that I hope to take advantage of.

As to your children's schooling...when I was a tacker, my sister with Spina Bifida was not allowed to go to a normal school, but was supposed to be institutionalised. My parents packed us into the car one Christmas Holidays, and took us 500 miles interstate...then found a house to rent, then found jobs.

Dad was a night watchman/janitor, and later a welder on night shift at a car factory. Mum picked up work as a teacher with fairly transportable skills...they moved on and up, and we moved 7 years later to another state, and some pretty good jobs for those two.

Substation operator and metering technician...you are portable...good Met Techs are gold.

As to getting decent references from your local "team", that migh prove difficult.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Every place has office politics, petty [censored] and coworkers that are idiots. You said the job is easy and you only work 40 hours a week, those two things don't happen everywhere.

My take is if you aren't happy here, you won't be happy at the next place either...so start looking inward for ways to feel satisfied.


This is what I am afraid of. Maybe the problem is Me. Many people would kill to be in my situation, Now I have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get where I am, but I am grateful for the opportunities I have had.

I know how rare the 40 hours a week is anymore. Especially in this industry. Now there are times of working 16 hours straight or more for days in a row, working weekends, ect.... but its not the norm.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Ahhhh utilities...will ride the willing horse into the deck.

You've received some good advice, that I hope to take advantage of.

As to your children's schooling...when I was a tacker, my sister with Spina Bifida was not allowed to go to a normal school, but was supposed to be institutionalised. My parents packed us into the car one Christmas Holidays, and took us 500 miles interstate...then found a house to rent, then found jobs.

Dad was a night watchman/janitor, and later a welder on night shift at a car factory. Mum picked up work as a teacher with fairly transportable skills...they moved on and up, and we moved 7 years later to another state, and some pretty good jobs for those two.

Substation operator and metering technician...you are portable...good Met Techs are gold.

As to getting decent references from your local "team", that migh prove difficult.


Wow, your parents made it happen. That is great how they would not allow the accepted norm to be their reality.

The good thing is My immediate boss is in a similar position as me and while he does not want me to leave he understands if I do. He can give me a great reference.

The skill set I have is in great demand right now. When the company treats us with such contempt it amazed me that they would spend so much money to train people, then treat them like garbage. I dont expect to be catered to, but to have a good team you must have mutual respect.

We sit in these meetings and they ask our opinion or ways to improve things, then if we make a suggestion that does not fit the narrative they get mad at you. I have learned to zone out in these meetings because with the current company culture they are a waste of time.

This is changing a bit. The powers that be have finally figured out they will never keep good employees if they continue treating people the way they were. Now their tune has changed some, but I think a lot of it is just lip service.

The people that have left and the amount of talent they took with them is staggering.
 
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