My high school and college jobs all lasted about two years (erm, some of them concurrently), and stayed until I couldn't take it anymore, or something better came along), but, I have to say, over the past seven years at my fabulous job!!! I have had moments where I think I've just got to throw in the towel... that the interesting work, the good company atmosphere, the pride in my employer, the knowledge that my work is positively affecting SO MANY people in indirect ways... and the good pay and bene's... weren't quite worth the childish, old-boys-club BS!

Yeah, I've looked at other companies and other positions. But, in the end, my imperfect job, has still remained my perfect job.

This has been a nice reflection for me, thanks! :-) And your post, as always, is so well-written, identifiable and enjoyable.

Melanie Perry
***not all who wander are lost***
Mistress of the Dorkness

Like I said, I highly doubt that any job is ever completely perfect, nothing ever is. I suppose I'm just wondering if people who are all "I love my job! Puppies, Rainbows!" really mean it and do feel like their jobs are the greatest thing in the world.

Anyway, thanks for the compliments. I do appreciate them immensely.

Heather B.
Personal Blog: No Pasa Nada
BlogHer CE: Business, Career & Personal Finance

How is it possible to feel like that about anything? It simply isn't life!
I can't even begin to tell you about my last job, it was so challenging in so many, mostly good, ways. When it began to feel destructive instead of constructive, I quit, on a whim to finish my book - I had a few savings to keep me going.
Now I can speak from the other side of the fence and honestly say that there are plusses and minuses to every situation that we find ourselves in. The last six months of working by myself has been the most incredible learning curve. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. At the same time, I cannot deny that there have been days when I have longed for the simplicity of waking up, going to work, knowing exactly what I need to do, doing it, going home and getting paid at the end of every month.
I have come to the conclusion that all situations are learning opportunities, and that we learn just as much through adversity as we do through the moments of plain sailing happiness. The last six months have been an uphill struggle at times but the rewards that much greater when they come - starting a blog, pitching for and getting some fabulous bits of press as a result, and, hopefully, finishing a book. Ironically, I now need to go back to work to earn some money. I wonder to myself how this experience will feel now that I have 'been the boss of me' for six months....watch this space!

I went to a business coach a few years back to try and learn some new strategies for handling difficult situations that regularly came up with a colleague of mine. I lamented a bit, as you do in this article about the fact there is always that one idiot, or that one irate customer raining on your sunny day in any job.

This coach said that, in life, we are only given a set amount of times to get things right with those who are near and dear to our heart. So, in order not to totally screw up with those important relationships, we should consider trying out the affectivity and adaptability of our behaviour on our colleagues. Think of your office, your colleagues, as a training field, and your friends and family, as the race.

This might sound like crazy advice to you, but it helped me enormously to put the problems on the job in perspective. It didn’t diminish the problems; it just allowed me to try out some rather radical strategies, which I wouldn’t have risked otherwise. For example, I finally learnt to develop a don’t-mess-with-me look, something I should have learnt twenty-five years ago.

lia from luebeck, germany

Author of the media safe 101 page on the Red Tent Blog and the personal yum yum cafe

You are so right. I began to see a CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy) councellor around the time that I landed my last job and boy was the timing good! My work was an absolute minefield including my relationship with my two bosses. However, even then, I was completely aware of the fact that this was rich and fertile ground for which to test out much of the idea's and new thoughts that we were generating in our CBT sessions. I used the situation to futher myself and without the trials and the tribulations, I would never in a million years have had the front to quit two years later and follow my own path.

I really enjoyed reading this post. I've had so many different jobs in the last 10 years - from working at a huge consulting company, doing my own consulting, working in the ultra male-dominated world of venture capital, and now running my own company: no job is just all great, each has issues. I think one's general outlook on things is important in how we feel about work - some people can let things go easier than others, some are more sensitive and let things brew inside and lead to job dissatisfaction. I don't have a great answer to this issue, but something I've tried to do personally is always focus on things that I am getting out of a job and things that I am accomplishing that further my career. This doesn't mean that I don't need some Merlot to help me get rid of stress from my workday, but it helps me keep things in perspective.

Nataly
CEO of www.workitmom.com