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I've been having one lately. I would describe it as the feeling that I'm not succeeding the way I thought I would in my career, or that I feel I've "chosen" the wrong career entirely. This is exacerbated when I go to large get-togethers with friends and see how well some of them are doing.
I've been having one lately. I would describe it as the feeling that I'm not succeeding the way I thought I would in my career, or that I feel I've "chosen" the wrong career entirely. This is exacerbated when I go to large get-togethers with friends and see how well some of them are doing.
You really need to get rid of that mentality. It's no win.
At best, imagine that you do succeed and 10 years from now, you're the most 'successful' of your friends (i.e. you make the most $). Now, you're the d*uchebag who is rubbing his success in his friends' faces and looking down on them in your mind, if not outright and out loud. You're deriving your self-worth and purpose in life by looking down on others.
At WORST, it will drive you deeper into a career that you hate, stresses you out, and brings you misery just to try and 'keep up' with your friends.
Yes, that is why retirement is but a pipe dream, and destined to work until the day I die.
With rampant age discrimination, that means living the life of the working poor, minimum wage job until I can collect social security and subsist on that in some cheap state/city.
I'm not an engineer, but work in IT, and I think this industry can really wear on people mentally in a way many other industries don't.
I'm 31, and had an interview a few years back with a company that asked if I was OK being managed by people younger than me, and they also asked if I was "set in my ways." I was probably 27-28 then. In many fields, a person is still a relative greenhorn at that age, but in IT, you're made out to be "dated." A physician or PhD candidate likely wouldn't be "done" by then. A pharmacist, attorney, someone with a graduate degree, etc., would only have a few years in, but in IT, you're supposed to "senior" by then.
Love your life, not theirs. I know, easier said than done!
I'll be 40 in January, and I sometimes feel this way. That being said, when I'm busy with new projects, that feeling goes away. Are you appropriately challenged in your position? If not, do you have other things going on in your life that challenge you? Work doesn't have to be the only thing fulfilling you. For example, I work with an organization as a volunteer, and that gives me some satisfaction, in addition to my career.
Only "career crisis" I'm having right now is "leaving for higher pay" vs "sticking with current job in cheap area, laid back policies, and preferred days off".
The only questionable things I've done is apply to a few places, get accepted, turn down job, then call back when things are getting a little rough at my current work. Then I realize how good I got it right now and then blow the other places off once more.
Some would say that's burning bridges, I say that's keeping me out of trouble in case it's one of those situations of "frying pan into the fire".
I used to. My company evolved over the years. Pay is good, work is a fair load rather than impossible. I remained because of the great bosses and coworkers, and I'll stay on for that and the decent pay and security. I'm not really ambitious.
I've been having one lately. I would describe it as the feeling that I'm not succeeding the way I thought I would in my career, or that I feel I've "chosen" the wrong career entirely. This is exacerbated when I go to large get-togethers with friends and see how well some of them are doing.
Sounds like maybe you are not a failure, just that you are using the wrong perspective in life. Look, maybe others are doing much better at a job that you really admire due to the salary, location wise, or reputation of the company. However, there are cons that they don't reveal to you.
You are making comparison with others, and that's the problem. Everyone has a different lifestyle to live on, so don't try to be your friend who make 100k a year. Maybe his or her expenses on a daily basis is 1k, so they are actually stressing out while you only need to live on a 10 dollar a day, but making 50k.
Life itself only becomes complicated when we make it complicated. It is the desires of wants that kills us.
I completely understand. A recent layoff really put things in to prospective. I have decided to pursue a Master's degree to broaden my career opportunities. I have a long way to go until I receive a check and not have to work for it. I need to make more money.
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