The conversation shifted to how work was going. Everyone went around the table and discussed their jobs, and how much they quasi liked them, I found myself saying:
Ehh... It's a job. The checks haven't bounced. What more can I ask for?
Right after that, I caught myself. I apologized profusely.
I'm sorry, I shouldn't talk like that. You guys are just starting out, you need to be energetic and driven. You shouldn't be coasting. You should be looking to advance and make the most of your careers. Even if they are short since you're following the FI path.
They're younger, they look up to me (possibly?). I'm their mentor (maybe?), I shouldn't talk like that in front of them. Regardless of how true it may be.
It got me thinking:
Why the hell am I so cynical?
I mean I have a job that other people would kill for. I get paid a handsome wage to sit in an air-conditioned office and type non-sense into a computer. It sure beats mining for coal or picking bananas or any other multitude of things I could be doing.
My Mentor
Imagine Mr. Wow fresh out of college, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to change the world. My engineering degree (mechanical, not software) in hand as I go bounding into the office, ready to design the next great feat of human ingenuity.
I graduated on a Thursday.  The following Monday, I was in the office. Red lining drawings, updating seismic calculations, you know, being an engineer.
Then, two weeks in, the guy sitting in front of me in the bull pen leans back from his computer,
Well, I'm outta here!
Wait, what do you mean?
I've never had a meeting with those three folks in my life. I'm getting laid off.
Sure enough, after that meeting he was escorted into our bull pen, where he grabbed his bag and then he was walked out the door. I was shocked, I had been working for 2 weeks. I sheepishly asked everyone in our bull pen:
What is he going to do?
They just looked at me and replied:
He's gonna go collect unemployment and enjoy his summer break! We're the idiots stuck here!
A month later, another round of layoffs, more guys going out on summer break. As a new grad, I was cheap. I kept making the cut.
Through all this, I befriended a salty old engineer, we'll call him Fred. Â He was in his mid 70's while I was 23.
I don't know what he saw in me, but Fred saw something.  We would talk to each other constantly. We would go to lunch often.  We got to the point where we were going ballroom dancing on double dates, and he would even come watch the lacrosse team that I coached.
From all the time we spent together, I learned tons of things. But there are certain stories that stand out to me that I wanted to share.
Per Diem
Per Diem is a benefit that temporary employees (job shoppers in the engineering world) get from the government. It basically says that if you are at a temporary job for under a year and the job far from your house, up to half of your salary is tax free.
So anyway, Fred was working with us for a year. They came in to tell him:
Hey Fred, your per diem is up. We can't pay you that any more.
What does he do? He stands up from his desk, and walks out the door. Didn't even turn off his computer. They asked where he was going, he says:
I'm not working here unless you pay me per diem.
And like that, he walked. It was 10 in the morning on a Tuesday.
The next day I come into the office startled to see Fred sitting at his desk. At lunch, I asked him what happened. As it turns out, they offered to pay him enough to make up the per diem payments he was losing. But that wasn't good enough, so he asked for more... They gave it to him.
Lesson #1: Know your worth. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, then ask for more.
The Pay Check
We had a new job shopper start on a Monday. The entire morning he was getting his stuff set up, he was getting his log-ins for his computer, he was meeting everyone. But strangely he was on the phone an awful lot for a new employee. He had never been there before, who exactly could he be talking to all morning? The guy left for lunch and never came back.
I looked at Fred.
What happened? Where'd he go?
Fred made a phone call to his temp agency. Turns out the guy had gotten another offer to do the same job for $.50 more an hour down the street. So he left, he was negotiating the new pay the entire morning.
I was kind of bewildered. I couldn't believe it. But, Fred looked me square in the eye:
Isn't there something else you would rather be doing today? You could be out with your friends, or fishing or coaching lacrosse, but no you're here, stuck in this office making them rich. (pointing to the executive suites) The only reason you are in this office is for the check. Don't let anyone talk to you about fulfillment, friends, and all that other garbage they try to feed you. You come to work for a check, and that's it, don't you ever forget it. They'll throw you out in a second. So, if someone down the street is going to offer you $0.25 more an hour, you take it and you never look back.
Lesson #2: Jobs are about money. Period. They're a means to an end. They don't define you.
Overtime
As a job shopper, Fred would make 1.5x his hourly wage for any hours he put in over 40/week. Now mind you, he wasn't working at the grocery store for $8/hr. He was a highly paid engineer with a specialty in seismic safety specs for nuclear reactors.
One day, the head of engineering comes by and tells him that he needs this calculation done by the end of the following week. Well, Fred looks at him and says,
I'm gonna need a lot of over time for that.
It was approved.
Oddly, two days later I walk into his cube, and he's reading the news on his computer. Looks up and says,
Hey, let's grab lunch.
Again, my naivete set in,
How do you have time, aren't you slammed getting this calc out?
In his aged wisdom he replies:
Oh I just tell them that, so they pay me OT. I have been doing this for so long, I have all the calc's set up into excel sheets. I just have to fill out the cells, then write up a little synopsis. I even scan the specs into the spread sheet, so I have all the reference material right there. That way I don't have to track it down again. Besides, if I finish them fast they won't pay me overtime and they'll just give me more calcs to do. Anyway, whatcha hungry for?
Sure enough, he would have the calc done in two days, while charging the company two weeks worth of over time. He basically made it so that his time would be covered if he ever had to update the reference material or build an entirely new spreadsheet. Once he finished a new one, he would burn it onto a CD and add it to the collection for the future.
Lesson #3: Work smarter not harder. The only reward for hard work is more work.
Was he a good or bad mentor?
You could argue these are bad lessons for a kid straight out of college. Maybe I would be better off with some one that told me jobs are supposed to fill some intrinsic need. Maybe I would have been better off not watching wave after wave of layoffs within my first months of employment.  For better or worse, he had such an impact on my life.
Your first experience with things tends to shape your outlook on them for the rest of your life. I mean think about it. Everyone has that one booze they drank to much of and can't stand the smell of anymore. (Rum, urgh!!!) I look at my career and attitude towards work, and I can't help but see a lot of Fred's influence.
To this day, I keep nothing at work. I can pack my bag and walk out the door in 10 minutes without a trace. No pictures, no decorations, nothing. Lesson #4, perhaps?
That doesn't mean that I'm lazy, and it doesn't mean that I am not engaged. It also doesn't mean that I don't enjoy work, per se.
But, it does mean that I fully believe that a job doesn't define who I am as a person, or the value that I bring to the table. It's just what it is, a job... for a check.
That sure was a crazy place. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. You know... you never remember or talk about the times everything went right, do you?
I wonder what good ole Fred is up to these days...
Do you have a mentor? Or a crazy employment story?
💬 50 comments
Best of luck with all that!
I look at it as a 'no fear' approach to career... if you know your worth, the worse they can do is fire you. If you've internalized that and know what you'd do if that happens (ideally you've saved up your Efund already), and made your plans, then you can actually be relaxed about doing good work, speaking up about some of the stupid things, etc. Management has a lot harder time brow beating you if you're not intimidated & have the confidence to walk out the door.
Negotiating my most current job was interesting, I think an exact quote was, "I don't need this job, I'm happy staying home. So if you want me to come in there, you're gonna pay me what I want." The hiring manager was taken back a little, because I don't think they get that kind of response often.
There maybe be more leverage in tech careers, but the principle is the same, know your worth and stick to it. Don't let them tell you otherwise.
Great story!
There are so many more stories about him and that place. It's crazy to think about now. I look back on it fondly now, where at the time I thought it was nuts. I guess memories do that to us.
I'm glad that you finally learned the ropes... it's obviously served you well. :)
That old Dude was COOL. Even at 70, the guy just had cool swagging all over him. Reeeeelaxed. He played Jazz saxophone in some of the old clubs in that gritty, industrial city where I started my career. Word was he was a bit of a legend, also played in Swing bands as early as his teens (he was born in 1915).
All he cared about was that music. I wish I would have gone to see him play. Yup, Junior Lunceford. I'll never forget that guy.
Funny who has an impact on your life huh? Imagine... There's someone out there that's talking about that crazy old guy Fritz and how much impact he had on their life, interesting huh?
It really does make you laugh doesn't it? HAHA These folks are awesome to meet, and you never know where they come from!
In the end though... it's still a job, for a check. if you really enjoy it, you can continue to make a difference in many ways.
Always treat people fairly on the way up as you may well need their help on the way down!
When I retire in 4 months, I hope to be remembered by my colleagues as someone who offered help, had a good heart and didn't take himself too seriously.
And if they want to give me a gold star for being handsome, smart, witty, I'll take that too....(wink, wink)
I try my best to give everyone respect, and treat them with kindness and help them where I can. I can only hope that the folks that I've had working for me, or with me that are younger take good lessons. I'm sure, give them 10 years, when they're writing a bad PF blog, They'll be questioning whether or not I was a good mentor.
I'm sure you did just fine BTW. At least from my experience with you!!
I've had some great mentors and some so-so one's. I've also had some great times in my career where I loved my job and loved going in every day. I can't say it defined me, but it was awesome. Of course that didn't last, and I drifted around from "my job is ok I guess" to periods of "I can't go there again tomorrow".
I'm glad that I don't need a job anymore :)
I'm the exact same way. There were times when I was super engaged, but as I've gotten older I've realized that people just aren't designed to sit in a cube and type on a computer. I do actually enjoy the work, when I'm doing it for myself, or my wife.
Well, I guess the question then becomes, is it the work you truly enjoy or is it the company and the community you developed? Because if it's truly the work, why wouldn't you take more money for the exact same thing regardless of the company???
I fully agree with the sense of purpose as well. That is nice, and I've gravitated toward a little more of that. I still have a little of Fred in me though. But then again, maybe I haven't found that one true calling?
I had mentors, but never one that told a story that would stick like this one. I did meet a guy at Uni who also knew the system well. He noted that you need to produce work at the right time (i.e. work smart) and hit your deadlines. The remainder of the time you can read a book or browse the web. The scary thing is, he was right as I'm doing the same right now, and it works! (this reply was proudly sponsored by my employer ;-) )
So maybe I'm better off since he told me at the beginning, so I didn't have to learn it the hard way.
Glad to see you are hard at work!! LOL
Do you have any insights into leveraging a Mechanical Engineering degree for a side hustle in retirement? It seems a little more difficult to work remotely than for those with a computer engineering degree.
That being said, you might be able to do some sort of remote drafting? or red-lining? Don't know if you're a PE, but there are always firms that need reviews and sign offs from a PE when they don't have one on staff. Food for thought? It's been a while since I was a ME. Also, my father-in-law wrote a book on non-linear system vibrations that he wants me to proof read and edit... I can get you a copy of that?? HA
I will say this, I'm super glad I have that degree in my back pocket. It really did teach about everything, and most importantly it taught me how to think and problem solve, which is way more valuable than stress and strain diagrams and carnot cycles? I think I still have some of the vocab?
I don't think it's so much criminal as it was unethical. I mean technically he was doing the work he was paid for.
P.S. Fred wasn't a textbook employee, but he taught you a lot of valuable lessons. We could all use a Fred in our work lives.
And you know, he might not have been a text book employee, but I don't know that any of us are. And I as I've aged I've actually come to appreciate the honesty that he shared with me. These are only a few things that he taught me. Some where even crazier. I don't know if it's the best thing to teach a kid fresh out of school, but you know... I'll take it!
I don't know that I would consider it stealing any more than I would consider going to the bathroom while on the clock or getting coffee while on the clock stealing. As a contractor, you are allowed to provide an estimate of time that you think it will take to do your job. If the company agrees to pay that and you get it done under-budget and before the schedule, the rest is profit for you. That's the exact way the company treated it's contracts with the DOE.
Yes there are ways to increase your income through additional responsibility, but if you aren't afforded the opportunity, or aren't interested in giving up more of your day/life to a company, then there are ways to get more money without going that route.
It's great that you enjoyed your job and your career, unfortunately I think you are in the very small minority. Most people just don't find it fulfilling to be in a corporate job. It's very, very few that ever make it to the top, or actually enjoy it. I'm thrilled that you were one of them. Congrats!
My first day or 2 there my mentor came in and wrote DGAFIAPTSA on my whiteboard. I asked what that meant and he said, "Don't Give A Fuck, It All Pays The Same Anyhow"., followed up with, "You've been around right? You know how this works, get me if you need anything, otherwise, just do your job and stay out of the political shit around here and you'll be fine." Truer words were never spoken. :) 3.5 yrs later, and I still love it here, even if there is politics around. I just remind myself and everyone else, "It's just work, don't take it so personal."
Again, I don't know if this is the way a mentor should talk to a mentee. Shouldn't they be building you up about some sort of intrinsic value in the job? It provides fulfillment, etc?
What great lessons to learn your first couple of years in the work force!
and one last lesson: HR is not your friend. i'm glad you wrote this post.
I was really interested in going back for an engineering degree a few years ago. Unfortunately, all of the California State schools said "hell no," since I have a BA already. Too bad. What sort of schooling does one need for the career you ended up in? I'd love to be able to work from home occasionally.
I kind of backed my way into my current career. I ended up as a business analyst after business school and all the coding stuff is self taught. Now, I do a lot of coding and statistical analysis. You could always look into some of the online course providers, uDemy, or Coursera are good. Look for anything with Web Analytics or Data Science. I'd say concentrate on SQL & Python. Those are the biggest ones in the Data field right now. You'll hear stuff about Spark & Hadoop, but really that's for a select few and super cutting edge stuff at the moment.