Hi Everyone...

[hardyboy]

Hi Everyone, First post: I know wrong forum for that. Anyway, I received a BS in Political Science '92. Next, I started a printing business which I sold five years later but I only walked away with the shirt on back. The only good thing was I didn't have to file for bankruptcy and it was a great learning experience. I then landed a job washing test tubes and beakers for a major pharma company. Cut to today and I'm now a supervisor for their compound library. I wish I were washing glassware again. Being a supervisor blows but I'm hoping I can
build my retirement accounts to roughly $300K by the time I'm 45 (eight more years). Then I'll find a less stressful job (security guard) and let the nest egg grow until I can FIRE in my early sixties. I really enjoy reading this site. It's fascinating and I'm really learning alot from you old geezers and geezerettes

 

[Lazarus]

Welcome. Your plan sounds workable to me.

 

[REWahoo]

Welcome to the forum hardyboy.

You will notice I moved your initial post to the "Hi, I am..." board. Don't want to see you begin your relationship here by committing a faux pas, or at least not a series of them.

Judging by the last line of your intro, it appears your Poli Sci degree left you heavy on the BS and short on diplomacy. But maybe that's just the geezer in me talking.

 

[MooreBonds]

Judging by the last line of your intro, it appears your Poli Sci degree left you heavy on the BS and short on diplomacy. But maybe that's just the geezer in me talking.

Don't worry, REW...I'll be leading the well-armed 20-somethings to keep those 30-year olds struggling with their walkers moving along.

 

[eriter]

     Hi Everyone...
« on: March 05, 2006, 04:16:40 PM »   

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I received a BS in Political Science '92....Next, I started a printing business I then landed a job washing test tubes and beakers for a major pharma company...I'm now a supervisor for their compound library...I wish I were washing glassware again...Then I'll find a less stressful job (security guard) and let the nest egg grow until I can FIRE in my early sixties.

What a depressing post.  You have spent your entire adult life doing work you don't like or work you are not qualified for.  Even worse, now you want to waste the next 8 years of your life marking time.

Wake up, life isn't just a destination (retirement), it's a journey!  Do yourself a favor,  either get a job you really like or get some professional help as soon as possible...

 

[hardyboy]

eriter,

This board is filled with people who dislike their jobs and are using those feelings as motivation to FIRE. I'm doing it now. I live simply enough that I could quit my current job and pretty much do whatever I like but then I'd have another factor to stress over. Outliving my money. My hobbies and interests don't pay very well. I'm willing to do what I have to do the next eights years so that the second half of my life has more options/fun than the first. Please don't let my life story depress you. Believe me, there are plenty of others more deserving of your pity if not your judgemental attitude.

 

[Martha]

Welcome hardyboy. When I was in college I had a job washing glassware for a researcher. That is where I learned that rinsing in cold water doesn't leave spots.

How long have you been a supervisor? It might grow on you and become less stressful the longer you do it.

Or you might find something else down the road to carry you to financial independence.

 

[brewer12345]

hardy, do you have a spouse, kids, etc. depending on your income? I have to say that if I were in your shoes I would probably seriously think about coming up with an alternate plan or occupation. If you have a low expense base and few obligations, try something different if what you are doing won't get you where you need to be and sucks on a daily basis. Find a different kind of job. Relocate to another part of the country or the world. Start a business. Something. If your opportunity cost of doing so is low, time to spin the wheel of life again.

 

[hardyboy]

Martha I've been a supervisor for three years. I think I'm good at it. The people that report to me and my management have all given me good feedback. My problem is basically an INTJ thing about having to regularly interrupt my personal work to deal with people issues. I've expressed my desire to return to a non-supervisory role but most people think I'm nuts. My bosses are ignoring my request. The reason I'm reluctant to leave is because the moneys good and I don't have a science degree. It severely limits my options in moving into other jobs around the company/industry. I started out washing glassware because after running my printing business I still needed to make a living but I wanted a very low-stress job where I wasn't responsible for everything and everybody.
After I regained my sanity I thought I'd see how far I could go in the pharmaceutical business. I tripled my salary in six years but I'm now at a ceiling and I feel sorta like I did when I had the business. Wish I had taken the personality profile at a younger age Either way, not every day is bad and at least I have good people working for me. I couldn't do it without them. Brewer, I don't have any children; just a girlfriend. I love the area I live in so I don't want to move. If I get laid off or something I may try teaching high school. I don't think I could handle the younger kids. The security guard reference I made earlier was so I could work and still do what I enjoy (writing fiction) at the same time. Thanks to both of you for your suggestions.

 

[Martha]

A writer! I understand better where you are coming from now.

One of our lawyers writes fiction and has had a number of his stories and poems published. He gets up at 4:00 in the morning and writes for a couple of hours then goes to work for 9 or 10 hours, and spends evenings with his family. Don't know how he does it.

 

[SteveR]

Hi Hardyboy,

I have read your comments on this thread and understand where you are coming from. I have been in management in the pharma. industry for over 32 years and I started out at the bottom of the pile. It is a very demanding industry to work in and is getting more and more difficult every day. I have exposure to many people in the industry on a frequent basis and it gives me the chance to compare notes of what the financial and employee climate in the company. Overall, the past 10 years have not been good. The top executives get richer and middle and lower management gets the shaft; longer hours, fewer people and $$ to do more work and no appreciation for what it takes to balance it all and still keep the department together and functional. The tide is carrying US and EU pharma out to sea and to the shores of India and China. Plant closings in the US are going up and the jobs are moving to these places. It is a slow movement today but over the next 5 years it will be a tidal wave.

There are many here that are in retirement now; be it full or part-time, that can give you a lot of insight into what it is like and what it takes to get there. I am looking forward to my second ER in 18 months and this one will be my last from this industry. We are investigating a number of small business options but most seem like too much work at this point. Maybe after we decompress from the work world for a while things will look different and we may then have the energy and desire to do some small business for fun and a little profit.

Good luck with your decision. Supervison is a very tough area especially if you don't like doing it. Take your time in making your escape plan. Keep writing, this can be a good outlet for many things.

Feel free to drop me a message if you want to talk specifics about the industry.