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I believe you like what you're good at and you're good at what you like.
I work with lots of engineers and there are other facets to an engineering degree. As suggested, another type of engineering. Or back it off and be an engineering technician. With your experience and education you'd be a dream ET.
The gov't hires lots of engineers and those jobs are decent and can be fun. If you want to relocate there are jobs EVERYWHERE. btdt, still doing it!
But people do this sort of thing all the time. Think about people who decide to go into teaching after having a successful career in the private sector. For some, they are finally pursuing that passion that didn't quite pay the bills back in the day. I think "you are seen as a risk" is a bit over the top.
It is because they have had a successful and want to continue mentoring and teaching, which is what they did in their successful business career -- they are not trying to change careers mid-stream. Yours is not an apt analogy.
It is because they have had a successful and want to continue mentoring and teaching, which is what they did in their successful business career -- they are not trying to change careers mid-stream. Yours is not an apt analogy.
People switch careers all the time, and sometimes take a pay cut while doing so. This is not a novel idea. What am I missing here?
It's interesting that I only seem to read the "oh, you can't do that!" Comments on forums like this. But in the real world, people I meet have vastly different, more optimisitic experiences. They should rename this sub You're not allowed to do that, it's against my rules rather than the Work & Employment advice sub.
I don't remember the source of this quote, but it was something to the effect of "be wary of becoming good at something you find boring."
The incentives to stay, ( raises, perks, praise, security ) become so attractive that you stay for years. 10 years later you're entrenched in this profession that you never really wanted.
Since you have a good work ethic and have stuck with it, you have been recognized by your peers and management. But...this isn't what you imagined your career to be so that's why you're having such cognitive dissonance.
It's tempting to think that there is something better out there, it's possible that this isn't it for you, but in the meantime, it beats a lot of other jobs out there (based on the continual carping here on the W&E form).
There's so much you can do to get additional training and search for other types of work - while you have a job where you are valued. Good luck!
I was in a similar position. I always just went to work to bring home a paycheck. I kept looking for other jobs and going on interviews but nothing panned out. In my early forties I found a field that I really liked and was lucky enough to get the job when their first choice baled on them. Really enjoyed the next twenty years until I retired.
I believe you like what you're good at and you're good at what you like.
I think that's true for most people, but some people really don't like what they do well. And some people do really lousy on things they love doing. Ask me how I know this.
THis is the employment board, but you should see a therapist. I've thought that for a long time - you have always seemed to have it made, but you are very down on yourself. I know how that goes - I'm kind of the same way. I think you need to feel more at home with who you are before you try to make any career change. Find your happy, sweets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HTY483
You could always be a math teacher. They need people to teach STEM related classes and you will make more, a small amount more, then other teachers. I'm just assuming that you're good at math and you took coursework up through differential equations and linear algebra.
Learn the software packages that the other branches of engineering use. So if you're a transportation engineer and currently use Microstation on a daily basis but would like to get a job as a mechanical engineer at say...Honeywell then you're going to need to teach yourself SolidWorks or ProE.
Thank you for the reply.
It's certainly not all in my head.
Others are definitely more valued than me.
I'm not the quickest thinker in the world.
I'd rather take a big paycut and not have to work in an industry where people are going to judge me intellectually because I make a mistake, say the wrong thing, or forget something.
I also have a feeling that moving to another form of engineering won't solve that problem...
I also don't understand what you mean when you say you suck at your job. How can you suck at your job and get good reviews? It makes no sense. What would it take for you to excel at your Job?
You have a serious misconception of how the world of work works. First, work of any kind exists to line someone's pockets and appeasing egos. Nursing and teaching is no exception. And bad nurses and teachers can do lots of damage and never help anyone.
I'm retired but I quickly figured out there are two classes of people, two tracks, at work for any large organization of any kind. There are the people that actually do the work the organization is in business for. People who know the job can expect to stay there and provide that service.
Then there are the higher ups whose only interest is their own success, power and salary. They are totally political and could care (and sometimes know) nothing about the job or people. They are corrupt and dishonest and perpetuate the scam that they are there for the organization, but they are only there for themselves. They get the majority of the financial and social rewards.
So you need to decide which class you belong to and make the best of it. If you decide you are a worker, you can be caring and giving and an expert in any job. But you have to be totally committed to knowing everything about it and becoming that go to person. If you get there, you can essentially be your own boss and enjoy your job. You won't get rich, but you will have gotten something better than money or prestige.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba
Another form of engineering could be interesting, but I haven't been able to even get an interview in years.
Teaching and nursing seem relatively accessible and at least if I sucked at those jobs, my hard work would be going towards something meaningful, instead of lining someone's pockets and trying to appease someone's ego just so I can keep my job (and line my own pockets...)
I've been through this before on here, thanks for asking though. Gotta take more action...
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Maybe you don't suck at it you just don't like it
