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It doesn't matter what anyone here does for a living, you need to do what will make YOU happy!For example, my 9 yr old daughter LOVES animals and has said since she was one that she will either be a Vet or work at a Zoo and I truly think she will because she loves animals so much! What are your interests? Start with that and then look at careers that would fit into that. Such as, do you like to exercise? If so, then an example of careers that might make you happy would be a nutritionist or a personal trainer, see what I mean? Write down what interests you and go from there!
Hey OP,
I went from hating my job (and indeed my entire career) to loving it. It was very stressful and didn't pay well for many years. But eventually, I carved out a unique niche for myself at my company and I'm really good at what I do. I also appreciate the flexibility that my bosses allow me and the fact that I adore my coworkers. The work is still kind of boring, but the stress has become manageable.
It's not the career I would have chosen when I was in my 20s, but it's really working for me now. I'm living the life I always wanted.
Part of what makes a difference too is the fact that I have really cultivated a full life outside of work. I am an avid reader and participate in dog sports. I have two dogs and a cat who provide hours of entertainment and social fun with other pet owners. I have friends through my writing group. I can afford to travel to my hometown to see friends. I can afford most of the things that I want. A large part of the reason I love my job is that it allows me to live a life that I fully enjoy.
Is there any way that you can work your way around to that mindset?
I freaking love my job. But I'm not sure how hearing about it is going to help you.
I think you need to look very carefully at what, exactly, has you so unhappy with IT. "IT" is a huge and varied field. If you just hate technology and computers, then yeah, you've wasted ten years of your life and there's no redemption for that other than to just quit and start doing something you do want to do. The fact that after ten years in IT you're still looking for something that pays $50-60K suggests you've been stuck in low-level grunt work. Why? Why haven't you progressed on to other things? I had some crappy IT jobs years ago... my first was working out of a spare bedroom in the owners house for $7 an hour while he blamed me for everything that went wrong with his cheap, crappy computers. Six months later, I quit and was getting $13 an hour at more of a help desk role, and there was plenty about it that sucked, too. But as I progressed and learned more, I got into progressively better jobs. Today, I make ridiculous money working from home doing, as one of my compatriots calls it, the best job in IT.
If you just can't bring yourself to love learning new things, IT isn't for you. You'll always be stuck in the worst part of it. But if that isn't the case, you cannot wait for someone else to hand you opportunities to learn new stuff. You need to play around on your own. But only you can answer why things suck so much. If tech is a hellhole for you, quit. Someone who makes crap money but does something they love is far richer than the person who makes a mint at a job they hate.
The most important questions are when did you start hating your job and why do you hate your job? And sometimes the light bulb goes off and you finally realize it's you and not the job.
Most places Ive worked, the job has been ok to very good. The people/environment on the other hand? A crummy company, work environment can't pretty much suck all happiness from the job if you have bullies/bi-polars/sociopaths running crap.
As many have said. Most people don't quit their job, they quit the crappy management/company whatever.
I thought I hated my job, then I was part of a big layoff... and I realized I missed the pay/benefits more than I hated work. I was out of work for about 8 months and now I'm back to the same kind of job and I have to remember that I like the money and I'll force myself to be happy and maybe it will change my mindset!
The job itself is not bad. It is just too much. The people are terrible. I feel like I am in the twilight zone when I enter that place. I have eight long months to go. God help me.
I thought I hated my job, then I was part of a big layoff... and I realized I missed the pay/benefits more than I hated work. I was out of work for about 8 months and now I'm back to the same kind of job and I have to remember that I like the money and I'll force myself to be happy and maybe it will change my mindset!
In other words, be happy... it can get worse!
Yes, I understand. I have been there. Eight months is a long time to be out of work. I am grateful that I receive a check every two weeks but the work environment is hell. I have experienced things that I never thought could happen in a place of employment. It is stranger than fiction.
It is toxic and unhealthy. The average length of stay is about three months.
I agree. It can be worse. I cannot tell you how terrified I was when I was unemployed. However, I want better for myself and I have decided I am worth the risk.
I worked IT for about 25 years. Programming in several languages and never really mastering any of them. I transitioned to software support with outsourcing gaining in popularity and hated that even more working 20 hr shifts until I tried retiring after a move across the country.
After taking 2.5 years off, I found temp work doing reporting and ultimately found a job doing data entry in a department that does environmental compliance for a fortune 5 company. I discovered most of the people are non technical and quickly carved out a niche doing technical stuff and amazing these non technical folks. They love me and I was surprised that data entry didn't bother me too much.
I'm expecting a fairly sizable bonus this march (more than I ever got working IT...even when I was earning $100k) life is great, the hours are easy and the job is ever changing. Unfortunately, the reorganization and layoffs are always happening and it's a matter of time before my area will be affected and the resulting atmosphere is never as good as it used to be.
Yes. I love my job. But it took YEARS OF HARD WORK to get here. Not everyone has this in them to do lol. I have always had drive it just was suppressed for awhile...
Here is what I did... first I spent years trying to figure out what I liked. I always was interested in the mind and I've spent my whole life helping people so I finally settled on becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner. This posed a problem at first because not only was I not even a nurse yet haha but I was working in a cushy government job with golden handcuffs. lol. Most people stay there for life for the bennies.
So...anyway once I settled on a goal...I worked in my crappy government soul-crushing job by day while I took nursing school pre-reqs by night. Then I continued to work days and went to full-time nursing school by evening/night. After graduation, I continued to work days and did nursing jobs in the evening/weekends to gain experience. During this time period I HAD NO LIFE and my relationship suffered but I gained much-needed nursing experience. Finally, I quit my job 2 years ago (despite cd advice NOT to lol) and did nursing work per diem and full-time nurse practitioner school. Guess what? Now I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner and I LOVE MY JOB! Plus I am making well into 6 figures now (Over double my old salary) whereas I used to make 60k as a supervisor for the state. Go for your dreams. Life is too short not to. That being said this was no easy fix...it was a long-term plan. I mean I have been in school pretty much nonstop since 2006. Not fun or easy. Next stop DNP. lol
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