I Love My Job

I know no job is perfect, but I sure am happy about my new job. I worked here several years ago and was really excited to come back. It makes the day go by a lot faster when I enjoy what I'm doing and the people that I work with.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a story on what it's like working for Google.



I was pretty impressed with all of the stuff that they offer their employees. It's got to make for happier workers when you can offer such services. It was a little turn off, though, when they talked about how everything is designed and analyzed for a reason (like the lunch line lengths). Kinda a little too Big Brother-ish for me. But, one of the things I really liked was that they offer their employees free rides to work on their Google vans, complete with wireless internet. I would imagine that this service really cuts down on the "warm up" time in the office each morning - time spent checking up on email and such.

Although my company doesn't offer us free on-site dry cleaning or gourmet lunches, they do have some pretty awesome perks. They really do try to hire technically competent and motivated employees, and it shows. A lot of the field experts in town work here, and they also teach graduate-level courses at UAH. I've never seen so many PhDs in my life!

I also love our break room. I know it sounds silly, but I really do. We have big flat screens in them that keep us up to date on company announcements and national news. We've also got big stainless appliances that we're free to use (from fridges to warming trays, microwaves, toaster ovens, etc.) and lots of dishes and silverware. When we're done with the dishes, we just put them in the dishwasher and the cleaning crew takes care of it all.

I also like that all of the new employees are introduced to all of the departments of the company, as well as the benefits and other info through a short series of breakfast briefings (with free breakfast... I love free food!).

But, I think it boils down to a handful of things that really makes working here a pleasure. The employees are all top notch. The company really values education - they don't just pay lip service to it. (We offer in-house courses as well as pay for qualified higher education degrees - both of which I'll be taking advantage of in the coming months!) And finally, I really love the work I'm getting to do. It's been challenging and rewarding at the same time. I hope I still feel this way in 25 years!

What's your favorite part about your job (at a company, or for your family)?