As my 31st birthday rapidly approaches, it routinely surprises me that I have been a working adult for a decade. As I reflect over my career, I wonder what the impact of my pursuit of FIRE has had on my career.
I started my career in the military as a member of the Air National Guard. I realized military culture and I were not a good fit, so I said farewell to doing 20 years and got out after my initial 6 year enlistment was up.
When I graduated college, I started working for a Fortune 100 company. Many people joined the company young and stayed for 30, 40, even 50 years. They offered excellent pay, benefits (which included 10% 401k matching and a traditional pension), and a sense of stability. It was incredibly difficult to be let go from the company. You were set for life if you managed to get in as an employee and not as a contractor.
But that company, despite paying me close to six figures in my mid-twenties in a low cost of living area, was flawed. They were very bound by the rules and did not bend them for any reasons whatsoever. I grew frustrated when the answer to my “why do we do it this way” questions were always “because we’ve always done it this way”. Career progression was limited once you made it to a certain grade. At the time, I was 110% into early retirement, so I left that career possibility.
I regretted that decision for a solid two years but I have made my peace with it now. My friends still at the company have told me I got out at a really good time, as they have a new CEO who has made a lot of changes (and not really for the better).
Then I got involved in the military industrial complex when I got a job in Washington, DC. Working at the Pentagon quickly reminded me why I left the military. I lasted 6 months. My next job at a military contracting company lasted a mere 7 months. I didn’t like being on the East Coast.
Nearly 2 years ago now, I moved back to the Midwest and started working at a quasi-governmental agency. I really enjoy working for my employer (and no, I’m not just saying that because they pay me). My coworkers are fantastic and I am 100% sold on the company mission. I feel like we’re doing really good work for the community and the country at large.
Since I’ve started pursuing the FIRE life, it has given me courage and flexibility in my career. Courage to leave a very comfortable job. Courage to move across the country and back again a year later. Flexibility to take unpaid days off or buy more vacation when 10 days didn’t cover all the things I wanted to do.
But I also wonder if it hasn’t hindered my career. I’m 31 and a Senior Analyst. I’m still on the lower end of the individual contributor scale. I have friends in the military who are now senior enlisted. I have friends that have started million dollar companies. I know people who are already retired at my age. I’m nowhere near earning six figures. (I realize $78k is a lot closer than many people and I recognize I have nothing to complain about — but the gap between $78k and $100k is significant at my company.)
I have absolutely zero motivation to move up the ladder. I’m content doing what I’m doing. I don’t want to manage people. I don’t want to manage projects. I can barely manage my life from falling apart. I don’t want the weight of being responsible for other’s careers.
So I’m left wondering, where does this take me for the next 24 years of my working career?
“But Gwen, 24 years is super far away and oddly specific. Why not save a bunch of money and retire early if you don’t have any idea what you want your career to be?”
Great questions.
I will be working until I am 55 as that is when I am eligible to stay on our bomb-diggity health insurance plan at employee rates as a retiree. My health insurance plan for just me costs slighly over $100 a month with zero deductible and low copays. That is a set of golden handcuffs I cannot ignore, especially with a partner who is immuno-compromised and requires all sorts of medical care/supplies.
Another reason I don’t ramp up my savings rate is I don’t enjoy saving tons of money any more. I get super stressed out. I don’t enjoy hustling every minute outside of work to earn more money. I want to enjoy my time on Earth and it’s easier to do that when I don’t worry about whether my savings rate is 60 or 65% that month.
What’s sparked all these thoughts is a reorg of our division and group. As part of that reorg, my current manager will become a senior manager over my new direct manager. I had a meeting with my new direct manager this week where I told them I would be an easy employee because I have no aspirations, and a difficult employee because I have no aspirations. Fortunately, both my current manager and new manager are a part of the FIRE community, so both of them know where I’m coming from and why I think the way I do about my career.
Maybe I’ll figure out how to join the podcast team. Maybe I’ll take over as the guru of retirement benefits. And maybe, I’ll stay in my current role for the next 24 years. One thing is for sure and that is there is no such thing as a dream job. I don’t mind working as long as it doesn’t suck. And right now, working doesn’t suck.
As always, thanks for reading! How has your pursuit of FIRE changed your career progression?
I love this! Thank you for going through your history I’m sure this will be relatable to so many people!
I find a lot of people go into the FIRE community because they are not fulfilled with their current work. You used your skills and courage that you have to keep searching and that’s something I love seeing for you 🙂
It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap, if it makes you feel any better, it took me until I was almost 35 to break 6 figures, and that also involved moving to a high cost of living area.
On that note, if you and your partner ever want to visit Boulder Colorado my door is always open!
Oh yeah — I try super hard to only compare myself to who I was in the past, and not anyone else’s story. But we’re all human and it’s in our nature to compare.
I’ll keep your offer in mind when we’re able to travel again. I’ve missed getting to see you around!
I’m still pursuing FIRE, but I’ve allowed my savings rate to go down from 70 percent to 50 percent. I’ve built up a foundation that will continue to compound if I continue to save or not. It is comforting to know that worst case scenario I will definitely be able to retire by 65. Not many people can confidently say that. Of course a 50 percent savings rate is still comfortable for me and I will continue to do it.
I still like the idea of FIRE because there’s more to life than work, and it kills me to go to work on a beautiful day when I could be on my bike. At least right now I am with a good company and with a good team, so I cant complain too much.
Thanks for the comment! It’s funny how much working for the right team and company can make all the difference!
I’m not trying to pick at your plan. I think you are doing great! But isn’t it likely that retiree health insurance will go away long before 24 years. I mean the college where I chair the trustee board dropped pensions two years ago, and that was the most sacred of sacred cows for college employees. Providing expensive benefits to retired employees is cost prohibitive and is being phased out for most organizations.
Anything is possible. I’m working with the information I have right now. It’s also possible we get Medicare for All or some other universal health insurance plan. I could what-if all day over any number of variables. If things change, I’ll re-evaluate then! 🙂
So…I’m curious about the things like what did you regret for two years? What do you enjoy doing when your not making money/hustling? Good luck with the reorganization, its handy that your managers are FIREd up too!
Budget Life List recently posted…Giving Up On Junk
I legit lol’d at you getting toned 🙂
Happy Birthday! I have a lot of conversations with 20-somethings who think they need to have it all figured out right out of college (or at the very least by 25). I know that my own path shifted significantly several times, and that many of those shifts have happened when I took the time to stop and reflect on where I am and where I’d like to be.
I discovered FI somewhere around my late 30s, and while I haven’t made any big career shifts (I’m still at the same government agency and team, though I was promoted), I’ve recently started taking action to make my life the way that I want it to be now, and not look to a far-off endpoint. We’ve been able to upgrade our savings rate due to a fortunate housing situation, which allows us more freedom to both save for the future and to spend on life improvements (my go-to, the Container Store). And once I started blogging earlier this year, I was able to detach my sense of personal and professional accomplishment from my day job. Once I didn’t need that to provide me with self-worth, I have found it easier to do a good job, but not be overly invested in the daily ups and downs at the (virtual) office.
From the blog, my latest was a piece on taking ownership of your life and career choices. So your update and reflections on how your goals have changed over the past decade definitely spoke to me.
Jacques recently posted…How to Take Ownership of Your Life After College
Welcome to that thing they call life. Ha ha.
Being 52 and planning on RE at 54, I had no idea on what I was retire at 54 over 20 years ago. Life happened, good and bad. Enjoy the ride and live your life.
Pensions get frozen all the time. This happened to me recently at a fortune 50 company. It’s still valuable if I stay to 55 (7 years away), but it’s a heavy burden to bear for me even at this point. I’m fine (like you) with having no aspirations for moving up to leading team or getting promoted, but one bad boss or project can turn a good job into a bad one. If you like what you do then it’s fine to stay, but I wish I had gotten out from under the ‘I need this pension’ mentality earlier in my career, even though I still like my company and my work. 24 years is a long time to assume everything will stay the same as it is today. Best of luck!