Live to Work? Work to Live?

This is a guest article by MG

I'm sat here typing this during a period of our system's downtime at Furness College. Yes, Furness College. For once in my life I'm not at an educational institution in the interest of obtaining academic honours - I'm actually here to earn money.

It came about from nowhere. Following a period of carrying out some research for DEFRA via South Lakeland District Coucil, via Simmonds Technical and Drafting Ltd (a work agency here in the UK - their website looks ridiculously professional for the stereotypical types they cater for), I received a phone call asking whether I was available to work in Furness College's Finance Departement, solely based on the fact that I had worked temporarily in BAE System's Finance Dept in Barrow during my HND studies. I accepted, and since the 21st of September, the near majority of my waken hours have been spent working at either this desk, or the desk next to me. This has been part foreign to me. Prior to the aforementioned date, I have never worked full-time as such for a sustained period of time. You may think that I might be lazy for waiting 23 years until I reached such a position, but now I'm here, I don't think I'd have it any other way. Here's why.

The UK Government realises that the population is a) living longer and b) increasing in average age. It can't fund this long-term. Solution? Make people work longer. I'm 23. 47 years later, I'll be able to retire. What's the rush? I may be in what's deemed to be a poorly paid temporary post, but what's the merit of being any further up the ladder at this stage? Better pension? Probably. Career progression? Undoubtedly. But I think that there's still plenty of time. Stereotypically, the older you are, the more pay you are eligible to get (don't look too much into equal opps - there are still different levels in operation that relate to age alone), and as a 23yo post-graduate I think that if I am to remain alive for any sustantial period of time, something will probably crop up which will move my earning level in an upward direction. But for now? I'm enjoying being at the bottom wrung. Few worries, no monetary problems for the time-being and the licence to celebrate. Hey, I won't be celebrating much at 70, so even if I get there, I may as well do it now (hysterics).

This is a guest article by MG, imported from Wordpress. Please ignore the 'author/contributor/posted-by' tag on this post, which is incorrect.