I want to start off by saying I've had some horrid management experience at my old jobs (promises broken, constant belittling, over worked/constant call ins when I had a family emergency, my job being threatened, etc. (not as bad as some of you))
It's been a journey to say the least. I've had severe depression to the point I couldn't work for 3 months (meds, girlfriend (now wife) helped a lot), had massive ups and downs at jobs.
I worked for 5 years at the local zoo (you got a raise of $0.25 per year you returned), then it got bought out… I lost 5 years of raises (doesn't sound like much but to a 14-year-old kid it was for me), got into Best Buy… my god never work there… then a horribly ran locally owned business, was begged to come in/forced to several times, got verbally abused by management. Not as bad as some of you here but it still sucked.
But this last year has changed for the better by a significant amount.
- I've gotten a job at Costco and got an immediate 40% increase to my pay compared to my old job (It's an actual livable wage in my area which is great),
- started investing so I can, hopefully, retire early off(its 100% tax free due to my TFSA (Canadian Tax-Free Savings Account) so I'm abusing high yielding ('income stocks') since I can get paid from them and just ignore everything else)
- Started the 'freeloader challenge'Got a bit of cash from that (~$300 for 2.5 months of playing games, watching ads, and doing surveys) it takes up A LOT of my free time, but ultimately its money I'm making from home… in my bed… I can't live off it but it's something extra.
Got married, moved out (wife's parent's basement suit (cheap rent)), got a new car (old one was hit by a drunk driver), and I'm in a mentally good place.
Looking back, it's been a ride for the past 11 years of working. But I'm just happy to finally say that I'm in a good place after all the headache, abuse, and mentally draining 7 – 5 jobs.
Even if you don't feel like you're working towards anything, or can't get anywhere, keep at it guys. If a loner, video game obsessed, obese guy can get to where I am you sure as hell can get to where I am or leave me in the dust in the near future.
Sorry about the horrid grammar and spelling I'm comfortably drunk typing this since I finally get a few days off after officially getting a permanent position (I literally had 0 days off for 3 months. When I was seasonal since I had to pick up shifts to look good to management so they would keep me) It sucked… but it was all worth it and should be for the future.