I thought I would never become what I always despised, a person whose own identity boils down to his job only. The problem is of course work/ life balance.
I'm just wondering if you have more or less time here for your life outside of work?
18 replies (most recent on top)
Living pay check to pay check is the American way. It’s why the boomers won’t ever leave the work force until they get sh it canned.
@uca, sorry, but Singapore and London assignments only go to high pots ("business development" positions), and Perth is now closed to all but very special high pots. Take your spouse and kids to Angola or Nigeria, they'll be thanking you for decades to come as it's like bringing them to a minimum-security prison for 3 years. In other words, for the average Chevron employee, lucrative foreign assignments no longer exist. But take heart, you can always go to Midland!
I agree housing is far more affordable than most people realize. I would never live outside the Loop, but Garden Oaks has plenty of housing starting around $300k. Are you looking for lower than that? $200k? Another option is renting which in Houston makes a lot more sense in the long run, especially in the far suburbs where home appreciation is low or even negative. Plenty to rent close in for $3000/mo
@2htg I agree with your statement but you forgot the pay vs. housing cost. Rice Village, West U, Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forrest are all unattainable by a solo chevron workers with a family. Even with a spouse who works but just not in O&G or medical it would be razor thin margins living paycheck to paycheck.
Living near downtown is the way to go. Yes, housing costs more than in the burbs, but it appreciates much more as well. Think of it as another part of your portfolio. I settled near Rice Village. Sweet commutes, good neighborhood, good schools and a nice return when I moved on.
@1wyb First off the loop is 610. And Second off you picked two flood houses that still take 40-50 min to get to from downtown as 59 is a disaster.
Now townhomes (cardboard housing as I have heard them referred to as) that’s great to raise Johnny and suzie in, they have a remarkable yard to play in. Oh you want me to raise them in front of a TV
Houston is not affordable for anything other then a cr-p area or cr-p house.
Housing is very affordable in Houston, even inside the 610 loop. Zillow search for 3-bed, 2-bath inside the loop under $450k shows more than 300 homes.
Check out
8431 Hatton $359
3208 Shenandoah $399
If you are flexible on townhouse living you can do even better and closer, e.g midtown, EODT, etc.
etc etc.
@1bqt I hear you but the problem with that is the salary of a single earner especially at a company who underpays competition by ~+‐ 20% does not make enough money to afford a house in the city on a single income. And let’s not forget the houses to good school districts are even that much higher
What the should do is reduce all the freeways to two lanes. Then everyone would move in from the suburbs, 30 miles from the office, and just leave in town like they should.
This is what happens when you live in a major city and have to work in a large downtown office building. It’s miserable. Long commutes on the front end and back end of everyday makes it very hard on having time to do anything for yourself. Put in a spouse and a few kids and this is why there is almost no one who is dual income and kids outside the city, you can’t logistically do it and both work in downtown commuting. At the end of the day it’s not oil and gas it’s not chevron it’s not any of that. It’s working in a larger ever growing city Based on what I have seen in my time here is that it’s only going to get worse. Katy fwy is all ready clogged up. What should they do make it ever wider. As soon as they build a road the area around it explodes and 5 years later it fills up the road and makes it worse then before. We are becoming LA, San Fran, Chicago, Miami, NYC. Our congestion will only become worse and we will have less and less time at home because the commutes take so long. Don’t forget rising home costs and increased taxes. Got to love this place. But keep in mind it’s not chevron or O&G. It’s where you live.
Get out of the oil business. It is the same (almost) everywhere.
It’s going to become a lot worse when I have to commute 1-2hr each way three times a week
Haven’t you clowns been working from home the last 1.5 years ? What are you talking about.
I don't know, I was laid off. Thought this was thelayoff.com, didn't know that this was the CVX millennial new-hire girl's chat room. Seriously. work-life balance? Is that still a thing? Don't want to work for a living, quit. It's very simple. Someone else will gladly take your place.
If I didn't elect to attend so many stupid meetings I could complete my work in 3 hours per day, tops. The rest of the time is mine!
Don't believe it.... it is important that you craft work/life balance to have a successful career/life. Sure, I've worked for the manager who thinks your job is 24/7 (calls to my cell while I was home on the weekend; calls while I was overseas on business --- that could have waited, calls that I had to be on--- according to the boss-- while on vacation; you get the picture). Keep finding a way to have a personal life (snucj out of office at 4pm to coach my son's team--- then returned to office post-practice to get additional work done)
Well overseas is a bit general. No cr---y 3rd world places like Angola or Nigeria. But Singapore, London, Perth is awesome and you will makd bank. Trust me, 3 years in SG and it was amazing in every way.
It’s your choice. Rule #1 - no overtime, foreign assignments, don’t take work home with you. Go after the money and positions, and you’ll wake up at 45 or 50 maybe on your 2nd or 3rd marriage, with kids (probably in therapy) who don’t know you and you don’t know them. Because Chevron doesn’t value technical skills anymore, they leave the door open for you to craft your technical career and contacts at your pace, and maintain your sanity. You won’t make the LinkedIn videos, but remind yourself that Chevron is a job, not your life. High pots believe the exact opposite.