Take this job and shove it!

judypilot

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Judy Parrish
Well, I didn't exactly say that; I'm not that in-your-face (only almost that in-your-face).

I took a flying :yes: leap with my career last week. I'm the dean of science at a university around these parts, and it's a tough job. I know it's a tough job, I knew it when I took the job, I'm not afraid of tough jobs. In fact, I'm a challenge junkie.

But for reasons I won't go into, this was just not worth it. :D As of July 1, I will no longer be dean, "just" a professor again. As I did pretty well when I was "just" a professor, I'm really looking forward to it.:goofy:

Fortunately for me, I have never defined myself by my title or income. I can take or leave the title, and I never let my lifestyle expand to match my income, so stepping down will be neither a psychological or financial hardship. I will miss the long fund-raising trips I got to do, mostly in my own airplane (meaning the flying was mostly paid for), but oh well.

My friends in my profession (geology) are ecstatic. I can't wait to get back into the field and writing papers again. And teaching. As dean, I don't get enough contact with students.

The stress of trying to do right when I didn't know what the heck was expected of me was getting so intense that it was affecting my health. For the first time in my life, I've used up all my sick leave, and at my age, you can't let that go on too long or the effects will be permanent with consequent loss of medical. No WAY am I going to risk that. In addition, my husband, whose health isn't that great to start with, had a big scare in October. It was one of those events that makes you rethink your priorities and what's important to you. Of course, these kinds of decisions are complex. Suffice it to say that there were a whole bunch other things going on that all pointed in the same direction.

I am thrilled, and as soon as I finish this post, I'm going to look up when the event at Gaston's is. I still haven't been there, and I really want to meet more of the folks from this forum.

Judy:rofl: :blowingkisses: :wineglass:
 
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June 8,9,10 Judy. We hope to see you there.
 
Good on ya, Judy. I pretty much decided the same. I had a doctor tell me I have to get away from the stress.

They've made my job impossible. My team lead said, "Do the best you can." I said, "You know I can't do anything else. That's why I can't take much more." I will tell the boss I want to be released to find work elsewhere in the company.
 
Judy,

Congratulations! As James Taylor said, "The secret of life is enjoying the passing of time." Sounds like you've got it figured out. You go.
 
Good on ya, Judy. I pretty much decided the same. I had a doctor tell me I have to get away from the stress.

They've made my job impossible. My team lead said, "Do the best you can." I said, "You know I can't do anything else. That's why I can't take much more." I will tell the boss I want to be released to find work elsewhere in the company.

Darn! I was going to include a poll. Now I'll have to start another thread.

Judy
 
I am so glad there are professors out there that actually LIKE students. Way to go Judy for making the decision that best fits you.
 
Judy - doesn't it feel great to leave a job where everything's just wrong?

I'm glad you made the right decision for yourself professionally. You gotta scrap the cessna thing and come to Gastons!
 
Judy - doesn't it feel great to leave a job where everything's just wrong?

I'm glad you made the right decision for yourself professionally. You gotta scrap the cessna thing and come to Gastons!

I probably shouldn't admit this here, but CPA is my main forum "home". I know a lot of those folks and like them a lot. I actually organized a flyin last year here at KPUW. We had >50 Cessnas (and one Mooney--oh well) and >100 people. It was fantastic.

Next year.

Nick, remember this experience. Yer justa young whippersnapper. Believe me, it gets a lot harder to do this sort of thing when yer my age. I have gray hair! My DOGS have gray hair!

Judy

P.S. The poll is up--I think you were trying to answer it while I was still composing it.
 
Judy----- That stress is a killer take my word for it. I kept getting more and more jobs piled up on me and I had to do the same as you. It isn't worth it beleve me. If you go to Gastons you will love it. The year my wife and I went we started from up your way. We were at a College get together at Kooskia. we flew from there to Bloomington IL. Picked up our son and his wife and on to Gastons. A super trip to meet and spend some timewith some super people. Bob PS We got the award for coming the farthest. :yes:
 
A lot of people doing that these days, Judy. My parents' neighbor was telling me (when I was home for surgery/holidays) how he took a step back from being a manager and went back to being a physical therapist, best move he had ever made according to him even though he had to tighten his belt a bit at home.

To tell you the truth I am about a 50c cab ride from doing the same myself up here - my current job has been nothing but a roller coaster of personal frustrations. I didn't become a US Park Ranger to ride a desk and formulate budget and policy all the time. One day you just wake up from your ambitions and wonder "what the hell was that all about?" Remember Kevin Spacey's character in American Beauty? MY perfect job right now would be to go back to being a river guide/ski instructor.

Of course I still need to pay for the plane and the health insurance and the retirement and...and... :rofl:
 
I can't wait to get back into the field and writing papers again. And teaching. As dean, I don't get enough contact with students.
I had the same problem with being a "high-heeled nurse". I missed the patient contact, and finally got back to the people part of it instead of the less fulfilling paperwork shuffling.

The stress of trying to do right when I didn't know what the heck was expected of me was getting so intense that it was affecting my health. Suffice it to say that there were a whole bunch other things going on that all pointed in the same direction.
Judy, that's commendable that you acknowledged the source of the problems and took action to fix the situation. You sound happy with your decision. Life's too short to be doing things you don't enjoy.
 
I've tried being a manager a couple of times. Both times I went back to "individual contributor" status and was much happier for it. Something about playing Daddy to some so-called adults just didn't make it for me. It's a completely different skill set that what you're trained for as an engineer. Sounds like you did what's right for you, Judy. And you get to stay at PUW, so it sounds like a win-win to me.
 
Bravo Zulu, Judy! Kinda like aviate, navigate, communicate--or breaking the chain of mistakes (only instead of mistakes, it is the chain of stressors).

Similar here: I absolutely, positively love my job, and for the most part, my coworkers (colleagues, for all you academic types:p )--being a metrology technician. I love the fact that my anal retentiveness can be put to use in the calibration of measuring and test equipment and reference standards.

But the nuclear-powered utility for whom I work seems to have lost complete focus on the care and maintenance of its "assets" (most folks would call employees "people", but that is no longer in the company's vocabulary, or so it seems). So, five months hence, I'll be unemployed:)eek: ), and being paid to be that way to boot:) (though not enough, or so I think--Mary thinks otherwise--to be able to afford a plane:( ).

Meanwhile, back to you: good on ya. Now: stop taking all those headache pills and dump the prozac (just kidding!), and enjoy those bright inquisitive students!

Jim
 
Judy,

The thought crosses my mind sometimes, too. I left a job about 2 years ago, and I've been looking for the right opportunity since. I'm working on a partnership deal that may or may not work out - it will require a move back to the East Coast. That's OK because my parents are not getting any younger - in fact, I focused on the DC area after my Dad's health problems last summer.

In the course of networking for my job search, I've met a number of people that went from the business world into the non-profit sector. Each has found new fulfillment in their lives.

Good luck on your decision - it sounds like it's right for you....
 
Judy - good choice, I think. I did the management routine twice. Once, when I was fairly young, and managed a remote office for a software development project. I was the youngest one in the office (a couple of folks were my parents age) and it turned out quite successful. I moved on, did some consulting work and then took a management position with a very aggressive software company in their consulting division. I worked for a maniacal micro-manager, and most of my very sparse free time during my last year there was spent in marriage and family counselling trying to hold my marriage, my family and myself together. Opportunity and motivation arrived together one day and I moved back to independent consulting again, and until recently, loved it and did well with it. Huge changes in my business area and my desire to not travel for business has brought me back to being an employee again, but in a place that seems to believe in people and family first. Fortunately, it seems to be what I need right now as my wife faces some medical issues that are going to demand my time and attention - more than consulting would have allowed.

Good luck with your future endeavors! Piece of mind and mental health is more important than the title on the desk and the size of the paycheck.
 
I've tried being a manager a couple of times. Both times I went back to "individual contributor" status and was much happier for it. Something about playing Daddy to some so-called adults just didn't make it for me. It's a completely different skill set that what you're trained for as an engineer. Sounds like you did what's right for you, Judy. And you get to stay at PUW, so it sounds like a win-win to me.

I had that decision made for me a few weeks ago ... got a lateral promotion ... wait ... I got layered ... well ... I really got demoted ... but now I like what I do and I don't have any more employees to babysit. So not all is bad. Thanks for giving me a positive spin on this work situation! :yes:
 
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