Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

[jacob]

Like this? https://www.peacecorps.gov/

[fuyu]

Do your parents really like their jobs? Why did you originally have such an optimistic view of work?

Even before I started working full-time, from how my parents and friends' parents felt about their work, I thought a job was just being an obedient minion while selling time and energy for money and I can stop when I'm 65.

[The Old Man]

I agree that international travel broadens your perspective and may be warranted here. Joining the Peace Corps for a stint would be a productive and worthwhile means to that end. The time in also counts towards a government pension. I also think you should give consideration to a career in diplomacy - Foreign Service Officer in the US Department of State. A tour in the Peace Corps with your prestigious education and Hispanic background would serve you well in the FSO application.

[James_0011]

IMO the peace corps is a classic example of virtue signaling: https://bir.brandeis.edu/bitstream/hand ... sequence=1

[TopHatFox]

I agree that international travel broadens your perspective and may be warranted here. Joining the Peace Corps for a stint would be a productive and worthwhile means to that end. The time in also counts towards a government pension. I also think you should give consideration to a career in diplomacy - Foreign Service Officer in the US Department of State. A tour in the Peace Corps with your prestigious education and Hispanic background would serve you well in the FSO application.

How does one go about applying for Foreign Service Officer? I don't even know how to apply through the Peace Corps, let alone be a Foreign Service Officer. Heh...

Yes yes, virtue signaling. That's all well and good, but I need something to do that I can actually do. If it makes you feel any better, I don't use social media besides LinkedIn out of necessity.

[TheWanderingScholar]

Well I can show you where to begin:

https://careers.state.gov/work/foreign-service/officer/

This is a good starting point page wise.

[EdithKeeler]

Peace corps is great training for living cheap... my friend’s kid spent 2 years in Sierra Leone teaching English and health stuff in a pretty remote village. She was the only Peace Corps person there and lived just like the villagers. It was rough, aspects were great and she had wonderful and horrible moments, including a health scare for herself. She ended up getting a full scholarship to grad school largely on her PC experience (and impeccable grades in college), and got a good job with the government.

[George the original one]

Health scares are the biggest negatives for Peace Corps. The two people I know who did PC both had scares. One now has an annoying minor condition for life.

[Gilberto de Piento]

IMO the peace corps is a classic example of virtue signaling: https://bir.brandeis.edu/bitstream/hand ... sequence=1

I sure am getting tired of some bystander pointing out "virtue signaling!" every time a person wants to do anything that isn't completely to benefit themselves. It's a great talking point, whatever right-wing propagandist came up with the idea of using it to shut down people who care about other people or the environment or anything that isn't self-centered ruthless capitalism should get a bonus on their next Koch brothers paycheck. It's genius. Yeah, some SJWs are full of it and I'm just as tired of them as anyone, but there are also people who just want to clean up the litter in the park next door or buy a homeless dude a meal or help people in a poor country learn to read and aren't necessarily doing it to impress anyone.

Health scares are the biggest negatives for Peace Corps.

I too know someone who got permanently messed up from an illness in the peace corps, though it happened something like 40 years ago.

[James_0011]

That paper I linked to was written by a left winger. It’s about how the whole thing is really just part of the American imperialist agenda.

Maybe virtue signaling was the wrong word. It’s more like “misguided attempt at altruism”

[TopHatFox]

Yes, well, I've come up with an action plan whenever securing access to a new area:

1. Identify the right area: this is key, good research into fitting places to live pays in spades
2. Identify the right housing unit: pick a place to live that is clean, safe, and close to work and food
3. Share the housing unit: apartment-mates and room shares are essential to reduce financial stress and increase community
4. Identify income streams: secure fitting work that is within manual distance
5. Secure proper transport: kick scooter, bicycle, electric conversion, rented cars, buses, subways, and trains
6. Identify community groups to join: important for increasing community and support

[TopHatFox]

That paper I linked to was written by a left winger. It’s about how the whole thing is really just part of the American imperialist agenda.

Yes, James, the Peace Corps is part of the Capitalist-Imperial agenda. It co-opts us from changing an inherently inequitable and unjust system by relieving some of its symptoms. Same with many non-profits. In fact, many non-profits spend more time commercializing themselves and fund raising than they do helping folks.

BUT - THF needs a job that he likes, and relieving some symptoms doesn't sound so bad. Besides, all of us here are filthy capitalists making the complacent work for us while the planet decides to kill us all off. Permanent illness on the other hand.

[James_0011]

The paper honestly did change my feelings about the peace corps.

I agree with everything you wrote about finding a place to live btw.

[EdithKeeler]

Do your parents really like their jobs? Why did you originally have such an optimistic view of work?

Even before I started working full-time, from how my parents and friends' parents felt about their work, I thought a job was just being an obedient minion while selling time and energy for money and I can stop when I'm 65.

This.

I think this idea that you have to LOVE your job, that you should have PASSION for your job is, well, baloney. I’ve come to this conclusion after 30 years of work.

It’s GREAT if your interests and passions coincide with work that you can get paid a good wage to do. I just don’t think that it really happens for that many people, truly. I also think that for a decent sized subset of people that say their job meets their interests and passions—well, a lot of them just haven’t done or seen much to compare it to.

I know a woman that just loves her job—she answers the phone, types a few letters, and has no intention of retiring until they carry her out in a body bag. That’s great.... but she literally has never been further away than 100 miles from her house, the same house she lived in as a child, she reads an occasional romance book and goes to church 4x a week. I’m not denigrating her at all—she’s very sweet and kind—but I’m just saying that I suspect she’d be less satisfied about her current work if her life experiences had been different. “You can’t keep ‘em down on the farm once they’ve been to gay Paree.”

No one should have to work in a job that sucks out their soul. You spend too much time there for that. But you don’t have to love it and be passionate about it, either, to earn a good paycheck and find opportunities for growth and self-actualization and prep for ERE. They key is, I think, being realistic about work. And sometimes you have to make a compromise or two. “I like most aspects of this job, benefits are good, it offers opportunities for personal growth. However it requires a car and commute, but realistically that’s only going to set my plans back by 2 years.” Or however that equation looks like and works out for you personally.

Or in the words of the immortal Rolling Stones: “you can’t always get what you want... but if you try, sometimes you get what you need.”

Job is a paycheck to finance everything else, for most of us.

[TopHatFox]

@Edith, I agree that a job is a paycheck to finance everything else, including being FI. But yes, there is a stark difference between a job that sucks out your soul (my previous two positions) and something that is tolerable. My goal here is just tolerance. I don't have to LOVE what I do every day every minute. I just have to like it and get paid enough to be on an upward trend financially. Ideally in a central location where I can commute via bike or public transit.

[distracted_at_work]

You remind me of myself right out of University. The difference being I stuck with it and leveraged that into getting a job I liked. I think you need to lower your standards and/or work harder. Life isn't liberal arts school. Reading this journal is very frustrating for me.

To add some substance.. we all come out of school at the top of the totem pole, that should be nothing new. Then, all of a sudden, you are at the bottom. Then you need to work to climb it again. Why is that surprising? Did it not happen between junior high and high school? High school to University? Between years in University when your classes became more difficult? I'm stunned that you were able to achieve a 60K net worth but can't work longer than a month at a job. How? I actually need to call bullshit. I don't believe it.

If you did manage it I imagine that taking food from the needy probably helps...

[TopHatFox]

Wow! I'm so glad it worked out for you. That's awesome! You must be like, 10x more determined than I. Kudos to finding a job you like, it's not like I'm scouring boards and calling people every day. Yes, I'll try to lower my standards to lower than "I just need something I can tolerate that pays me more than $145 per week." I'm really quite sorry that reading my entries makes you feel bad. My condolences. Oh, and I'm glad you don't believe what I write. That's nice. Bonus points on suggesting I stole it from the needy.~

[distracted_at_work]

Big meh here. Write a private journal if you don't want legitimate criticism. I've been here a year and I know your type. Millennial (I am one) that wants everything for free.

[TopHatFox]

Please refrain from typing me. I grew up in an immigrant family and I learned to work hard for everything I have. Free college? I needed a perfect GPA and resume since middle school. 60K? I needed to work 60 hour weeks in the summers and 20 during school, not to mention learning how to live frugally. Medically necessary jaw surgery? I needed to scour insurances, orthodontists, and surgeons to find the right fit. Do not come to my journal if you are spewing vitriol. Just because something worked for you, does not mean it will work for me. I wish I could just find a job I can tolerate and do that. I try every day. Unfortunately, I find myself to be the 1 in 100 that has a personality that does not fit with most work. My goal is to find a workaround, not to feel defeated by being told I want life to be free and that I don't work hard enough.

[distracted_at_work]

If this is vitriol to you then I apologize. I sure as shit had a harder time to succeed than you did. Good luck amigo.