Here we can all be heard for a little while. Part 3

Pyxis · 4 October 2016 at 9:38AM

codemonkey wrote: »

The sellotape thing is how I get rid of dog hairs from my clothes, so it definitely works. If you still have residue, wash them again. We've all done the tissue thing.

The midlife crisis thingy started before this whole work thingy, sort of around my birthday when I got closer to 40 and realised I still have as long as I've been alive left to work (manager is awol again so another day spent counting the minutes and trying to look busy). With the retirement age ever increasing, I find it hard to picture myself as a 72 year old programmer and I don't want to be a manager as I have no patience for meetings and management nonsense. I just like to be left alone to write code. Ono, it's difficult to explain what. I actually do as it's a bit of a dark art and there aren't too many of us. I'm confident that if it doesn't work out here (and it won't if someone doesn't give me something to do soon), it won't be too hard to find something else - I've had a few companies contact me about jobs in the last couple of weeks. Just not...excited by it anymore. Meh, anyway, going to try not to think about it too much.

So, how can I spend the next 7 hours, 10 minutes looking busy?

If there aren't many people doing what you do, could you look into the possibility of doing freelance work? Maybe not immediately, but perhaps take the time to look into it and mull it over. Then possibly do freelance work alongside the job for a while, until you get established.

As I said before, don't feel it's all got to be right now; maybe have a 5-year 'plan' of thoughts and mullings. It may all happen sooner than that - you might get a light-bulb moment - but it takes the pressure off you to 'act'.

An alternative....... for now or later, or to build into the 'plan'........are there agencies that specialise in your sort of skills? That way, you could do work for a variety of firms, and spread your reputation around the industry, which might make going completely freelance at some point a whole lot easier.

It took me a long time....5-6 years to decide what I wanted to do. (First of all, was deciding what I didn't want to do!) Then another four years retraining.
So please don't think it has to happen quickly.

codemonkey · 4 October 2016 at 9:46AM

That was kind of my thinking in taking this job, which is in an entirely different sector to my old one - opens up the market a bit. I think the problem is that I don't really want to work, I just do it so we can pay the bills and go on holiday. Left to my own devices with enough money, I'd just have loads of dogs and potter around the house :rotfl:

Maybe just need to plan my next trip to give me something to look forward to.

tea_lover · 4 October 2016 at 9:49AM

Know what you mean code. I'm reasonably confident that I could find other similar jobs, the problem is that I'd rather do something completely different (but have no idea what!)

Pyxis · 4 October 2016 at 9:54AM

codemonkey wrote: »

That was kind of my thinking in taking this job, which is in an entirely different sector to my old one - opens up the market a bit. I think the problem is that I don't really want to work, I just do it so we can pay the bills and go on holiday. Left to my own devices with enough money, I'd just have loads of dogs and potter around the house :rotfl:

Maybe just need to plan my next trip to give me something to look forward to.

Well, your five-year plan could be concerned with setting up a dog-related business, which you mentioned before. Researching the practicalities, whys and wherefores, etc.
Would Mr. CP be amenable? That may have to be worked on over the five years! You could drip-feed every little step and research outcome along the way! Softly, softly catchee codemonkeyhusband!

onomatopoeia99 · 4 October 2016 at 10:19AM

codemonkey wrote: »

I don't want to be a manager as I have no patience for meetings and management nonsense. I just like to be left alone to write code.

I could have written that, word for word.

When it's not frustrating me (like yesterday!) I like what I do, but given enough money I'd give up and just potter around, visit museums and galleries, do courses on things that interest me and go on holidays to interesting places.

Pyxis · 4 October 2016 at 10:22AM

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

I could have written that, word for word.

When it's not frustrating me (like yesterday!) I like what I do, but given enough money I'd give up and just potter around, visit museums and galleries, do courses on things that interest me and go on holidays to interesting places.

That's called retirement!

(And it's lovely!)

codemonkey · 4 October 2016 at 12:09PM

Pyxis wrote: »

That's called retirement!

(And it's lovely!)

Better hope I'm healthy in my 70s. :rotfl:

tea_lover · 4 October 2016 at 12:16PM

Yup! My retirement age has gone up three years since I graduated. In theory I've got 31 working years left, so heaven knows how much more it will increase in that time.

onomatopoeia99 · 4 October 2016 at 1:06PM

Mine has "only" gone out two years to 67 because I was born before 1975. Still seems a long way off though! I don't imagine it will still be 67 for me when (if) I get to 67 in 2036.

codemonkey · 4 October 2016 at 2:31PM

Mine is currently 69, which would be 32 years 4.5 months, but I have no doubt it will increase well into my 70s by the time it gets there. I think I need to win the lottery so I can set up a lovely bull terrier friendly home boarding thingy in the country with some donkeys too and it won't matter if I make loads of money or no money. :rotfl:

Of course, the biggest concern is that the whole medical condition thingy will outpace me and I won't be able to work at all. Not sure what I'll do then.

Here we can all be heard for a little while. Part 3

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