Service/Pride in Work

Re: Service /Pride in Work

very interesting topic...

i think it comes down to each person's attitude to life... what is the most important...

1. is it career
2. is it job satisfactions
3. is it job enjoyment
4. is it status focussed
5. is it money focussed
6. is it quality of life
7. is it family focussed...

to say each different generations have different focuses is a gross generalisation... its more down to the individual...

(i am in my 20's)... i have plenty of friends who value quality of life above career and status, so seek to earn just enough money, but not pursue all the promotions, etc, that will allow them to earn more, but then have to spend > 45 hrs a week at work!!!

then there are those, who so love the job they are currently doing, they actually don't want to be promoted to managerial roles so that can keep doing what they are doing...

but then most of them are single, so I wonder whether that will change once the wife, mortgage, kids, etc, turn up.

likewise i have friends who work > 60hrs a week, not really enjoying the job they do, but do it, so that they can earn money, to invest and maybe break out of rat race earlier...

then there are those who are already married and have to work real hard so that they can afford a house, pay of mortgages, etc, etc...

now... a question to those of the older generation... is this much different to your thinking when you were younger???

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Now… I will make some general comment….

While all you older generation complain about the younger generation, think about this...

we are now living in an era where house prices are at record highs, students finish unis with record HECS loans, students have to go to uni cause the older generation (who occupy all the managerial positions) demand this of new recruits, the older generation (politicians and employers) have also drastically cut trade places, apprentiships, etc and devalued the function/prestige of the tradesperson. The older generations have also more and more moved away from teaching religion/social structures at home and at school, you have the present govt promoting a highly individualistic agenda, where is each to their own... its hardly surprising that most of the young people are atheist, and have no sense of community... and hence don't really care about most things other than numero uno and their immediate family/friendship circle...

young people, in the end, are a reflection on their parents and the society they grow up in.... and if they are no good, its probably more a sign of weak parenting and misguided social policy of govt's, legal system, television producers, etc... who all happen to be people from the older generation!!!

ok.. that was my general comment on the topic...
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personally, i work to earn money to invest, i trade shares to earn more money, so that i can pay off this massive mortgage that I have on my property as soon as possible...

I can tell you this, my job is OK... but hell, i'd rather be doing other stuff. I have a university degree, but that’s only cause that’s what companies and managers (incidentally all of the older generation) seem to value... but I definitely didn't learn much from that degree, i've learnt more on the job. I would have been much better off working straight after school and getting straight into the property market then doing a 4 year uni course, then getting a paid job, than trying to get a house, when the house prices had trippled thanks to cashed up older generation investors!

i know all this now... but hey, when i was going to school and looking for advice on what to do... i didn't hear a single older person tell me anything contrary to this...

Re: Service /Pride in Work

Rafa said:

-----------
Now… I will make some general comment….

While all you older generation complain about the younger generation, think about this...

we are now living in an era where house prices are at record highs, students finish unis with record HECS loans, students have to go to uni cause the older generation (who occupy all the managerial positions) demand this of new recruits, the older generation (politicians and employers) have also drastically cut trade places, apprentiships, etc and devalued the function/prestige of the tradesperson. The older generations have also more and more moved away from teaching religion/social structures at home and at school, you have the present govt promoting a highly individualistic agenda, where is each to their own... its hardly surprising that most of the young people are atheist, and have no sense of community... and hence don't really care about most things other than numero uno and their immediate family/friendship circle...

young people, in the end, are a reflection on their parents and the society they grow up in.... and if they are no good, its probably more a sign of weak parenting and misguided social policy of govt's, legal system, television producers, etc... who all happen to be people from the older generation!!!

ok.. that was my general comment on the topic...
----------------------

personally, i work to earn money to invest, i trade shares to earn more money, so that i can pay off this massive mortgage that I have on my property as soon as possible...

I can tell you this, my job is OK... but hell, i'd rather be doing other stuff. I have a university degree, but that’s only cause that’s what companies and managers (incidentally all of the older generation) seem to value... but I definitely didn't learn much from that degree, i've learnt more on the job. I would have been much better off working straight after school and getting straight into the property market then doing a 4 year uni course, then getting a paid job, than trying to get a house, when the house prices had trippled thanks to cashed up older generation investors!

i know all this now... but hey, when i was going to school and looking for advice on what to do... i didn't hear a single older person tell me anything contrary to this...

Click to expand...

Rafa,

Good post. And I agree. Us Boomers have been a rather selfish and self absorbed lot as a group. We have created very difficult conditions for your generation.

...and for the record I'm agin' it. A nice cleansing depression should sort things out

Cheers

Re: Service /Pride in Work

wayneL said:

Rafa,

Good post. And I agree. Us Boomers have been a rather selfish and self absorbed lot as a group. We have created very difficult conditions for your generation.

...and for the record I'm agin' it. A nice cleansing depression should sort things out

Cheers

Click to expand...

I don't want this to turn into a us VS them.... but I do think that the issues facing society are a lot greater that simply its our fault, or its their fault, or look at them, look at us...

Essentially, it doesn't matter... cause we are all in this together...

If we are unhappy with the way things are going, we all need to collectively change the way things are done around here...

Bring on the depression I say... in the mean time, I am trying to make as much money as possible from this resource bubble to wipe out all my debts... and then focus on the only things that are real is this world, and that will actually be of real value to you... i.e. your family, friends, home, etc. and NOT the electronic number that appears on your bank statement when you log into your online bank account, that’s for sure!

Re: Service /Pride in Work

Rafa said:

I don't want this to turn into a us VS them.... but I do think that the issues facing society are a lot greater that simply its our fault, or its their fault, or look at them, look at us...

Essentially, it doesn't matter... cause we are all in this together...

If we are unhappy with the way things are going, we all need to collectively change the way things are done around here...

Bring on the depression I say... in the mean time, I am trying to make as much money as possible from this resource bubble to wipe out all my debts... and then focus on the only things that are real is this world, and that will actually be of real value to you... i.e. your family, friends, home, etc. and NOT the electronic number that appears on your bank statement when you log into your online bank account, that’s for sure!

Click to expand...

Mate, it sounds like you've got your priorities in exactly the right order...goodonya. Hopefully, more and more folks will start thinking like that!

Cheers

Re: Service /Pride in Work

Prospector

Fair enough...that's a good point.
OK...Rather than specifying one particular type of investment, the lessons could be aimed at showing kids what's possible by saving money, borrowing money, and making it work for you.
A whole range of investments could be covered...shares, property, managed funds etc, without recommending any particular one of them.
The lessons would need to include info on taxation issues as relating to investment.
The objective would be to get them thinking like investors, develop an investor's mindset.
It can be accomplished quite easily with kids. Once you show them how they can save money without stuffing up their lifestyles too much, once you show them what can be achieved by combining their money with borrowed money, once you show them simple things like how much money they can save by taking a cut lunch to work or uni with them each day, rather than buying expensive tucker from takeaway food shops or the on-campus canteen, they actually get quite enthusiastic about the whole deal. Well, some of them do anyway.
My 19 year old, for example, has saved more than 15 grand from income she earned from part time jobs during secondary school, and is mighty keen to start investing as soon as she has the income to back it up.
She has a vision about owning lots of real estate and being financially independent at an age when she's still young enough to enjoy her wealth. Being a wage slave for her entire working life holds no appeal for her at all.
Her vision is completely realistic and achievable.
The same sort of ambition can be developed in lots of other kids too, IF they're exposed to investment information in their formative years.

Most people retire on the pension. Just think what a difference it would make to our economy, not to mention quality of life, if the majority of people could be financially independent in retirement.
An impossible dream? Maybe, maybe not. The inclusion of investment and wealth creation strategies as part of the school curriculum would be a good start.

Another benefit is that a young person fired up with ambition to create wealth for him/herself is likely to stay on the straight and narrow, rather than run off the rails and get involved in drugs and anti-social activities like so many of todays young people are doing.
One of the prime causes of young people getting into trouble is that they've never been given anything worthwhile to aim for.
Weath creation strategies taught as part of the education system would go at least some way towards addressing this problem.

Bunyip

Re: Service /Pride in Work

Hey Bunyip - your 19 year old could teach my 20 year old something about saving!

He has all the same investment goals as your daughter, but somehow, he just manages to find something else to spend his money on! Think he gets it too good at home!

I agree that kids need to learn more about managing money, I just dont trust our education system to do it properly! So I would rather they dont touch it at all. My 16 year old is doing Economics in Year 11 and 12! Loves it. Funny thing, he was so good with money as a youngster and he was a mercenary little six year old that we always thought he might go into merchant banking

Re: Service /Pride in Work

A few points on different aspects of this discussion.

1. Responsibility and authority are directly linked. Whoever has the authority to make the relevant decisions is absolutely responsible for the consequences. If there's anything wrong with today's young people then it is the older generations who have raised them to be that way.

Ridiculous house prices, lack of job security, short-termism, failure to address economic, geopolitical and resource issues are all the consequence of decisions made years and in some cases decades ago. Someone who is aged under 30 today can't possibly be blamed for any of these (though they will be to blame in future if they fail to take action in the years ahead).

2. I was talking to a labourer today whilst standing on top of a tall structure. He commented that property developers would simply love to build flats with a view like that. I made some comment about everyone needing somewhere to live etc and his response blew me away. Suffice to say that he has a far greater understanding of the issues surrounding residential real estate than I've ever seen or heard from any so-called "expert". One of his key points was that the majority of people are worse off as a result of the property price inflation, only they haven't realised it yet. The exceptions he noted were speculators, downsizers, governments and those in the property industry whilst first home buyers, families "moving up the ladder" and long term investors seeking income are big losers. Never underestimate anyone based on their lack of formal education.

3. Whatever you do, be it sweeping the street or managing a company, be sure to do it well. Never underestimate the importance of what you do. Remember that everyone from the Prime Minister down would be stuffed without those who collect garbage, keep the sewer pipes running etc.