What job to choose? (collect, non-profit, payments, jobs)

[povar81]

I apologize if I posted this thread to wrong forum, please redirect me and move the thread in that case.
I'm 28, and by now I've already tried several occupations, and still haven't found the right, the best one, and right now though it's not the best time for experiments, I'm thinking about changing job once again. I'm currently working as translator/interpreter as this is my speciality in diploma, but I find this job very boring - I work in banking sphere.
I like IT stuff so for some time I've been working as systems administrator and at the beginning I was happy and proud of myself, but after a while I got frustrated with that job, especially when I got married, cos it takes a lot time even personal time, and most people don't even appreciate this work.
I also tried myself as a psychological training manager - I used to call people and invite them to the training, collect their payments etc., but I didn't really like it, I just did it for a discount I received for the training for myself.
I also worked as a call center operator - the easiest job I've ever had, but once again after a while I got borried and frustrated with the job.

Now, I'm thinking maybe I'm missing something, maybe there are some other specialities of which I'm unaware.
I've always been interested in history, information about different countries, cultures. But I don't know what kind of oppurtinities are there in that sphere.

Well, thanks for reading my post, I hope you can recommend me something.

[brightdoglover]

Given the economy, perhaps you should do whatever job is available and suitable for you, and follow other interests in avocation- reading, volunteering, joining others who share your interests...
I really believe in keeping what you care about as an avocation, not as a way to keep food on the table, unless you're rare and lucky enough to have both in the same place- a job/career that you really care about, and where you can actually make a decent living, especially these days.
Best wishes.

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by povar81

I apologize if I posted this thread to wrong forum, please redirect me and move the thread in that case.
I'm 28, and by now I've already tried several occupations, and still haven't found the right, the best one, and right now though it's not the best time for experiments, I'm thinking about changing job once again. I'm currently working as translator/interpreter as this is my speciality in diploma, but I find this job very boring - I work in banking sphere.
I like IT stuff so for some time I've been working as systems administrator and at the beginning I was happy and proud of myself, but after a while I got frustrated with that job, especially when I got married, cos it takes a lot time even personal time, and most people don't even appreciate this work.
I also tried myself as a psychological training manager - I used to call people and invite them to the training, collect their payments etc., but I didn't really like it, I just did it for a discount I received for the training for myself.
I also worked as a call center operator - the easiest job I've ever had, but once again after a while I got borried and frustrated with the job.

Now, I'm thinking maybe I'm missing something, maybe there are some other specialities of which I'm unaware.
I've always been interested in history, information about different countries, cultures. But I don't know what kind of oppurtinities are there in that sphere.

Well, thanks for reading my post, I hope you can recommend me something.

But, I would love to have a boring, frustrating job that takes too much time...but this is about you.

In a perfect world, work would be fun and interesting with few hours required. In this world, not so much.

You don't like:
translator/interpreter - boring
systems administrator - too much time
call center operator - boring AND frustrating

You like IT and are interested in history, information about different countries, cultures.

How about part-time opportunities in the travel industry or in a museum, maybe? As long as it doesn't take too much of your personal time of course.

[povar81]

Originally Posted by wannabee

But, I would love to have a boring, frustrating job that takes too much time...but this is about you.

In a perfect world, work would be fun and interesting with few hours required. In this world, not so much.

You don't like:
translator/interpreter - boring
systems administrator - too much time
call center operator - boring AND frustrating

You like IT and are interested in history, information about different countries, cultures.

How about part-time opportunities in the travel industry or in a museum, maybe? As long as it doesn't take too much of your personal time of course.

Thanks, but I'd like to specify the part about personal time - see after staring the monitor 8 hours a day, or running along the city as a madman when I was a systems administrator - I'd like to have some rest to see my wife and have some good time, but no! I have to stay another couple of hours to complete suddenly appear super-urgent work.
For me, my family is the most important thing, not the job, but anyway, I just want my job to be more interesting at least.

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by povar81

Thanks, but I'd like to specify the part about personal time - see after staring the monitor 8 hours a day, or running along the city as a madman when I was a systems administrator - I'd like to have some rest to see my wife and have some good time, but no! I have to stay another couple of hours to complete suddenly appear super-urgent work.
For me, my family is the most important thing, not the job, but anyway, I just want my job to be more interesting at least.

I completely understand about the work/life balance issue. It will be far easier to find work with fixed hours than to find one that is interesting as well. If you had to pick between a job with fixed hours (to be able to enjoy life) versus an interesting job (to be able to enjoy work) and with family being the priority here, wouldn't you choose the former, even if boring?

Not that it's impossible to do both - just difficult, that's all. I hope you find it, it will give ME some hope too!

[South Jersey Styx]

I'm glad to see that you know what you DON'T want to do. We may not always know what we want to do but that's okay. At least you know what you do not want to do. Here are a few ideas for areas you may be interested in:

* museums
* cultural centers
* historical societies
* non-profits
* international organizations
* community organizations

Just remember that many of these jobs are interdisciplinary, meaning that that they require different types of backgrounds and skill sets. Not everyone is an academic/researcher, historian, etc. You'll find jobs like the ones you've worked in (i.e., translater, IT etc.) as well as other areas such as marketing, accounting, grants and contracts, program development, project management, facilities mgmt, administration, education, etc. A few things to keep in mind:

* Alot of these jobs are in a hidden market -- they hire by word of mouth or recommendation,
* you may not get the salary you desire,
* could be short-staffed due to budget cuts so you're doing the work of several positions

However, there's alot of reward in these kinds of positions. most of the time you're helping other people, work odd schedules, and have close co-workers if the organization is small, work under super-tight deadlines, and there's a laid-back attitude.

You may choose not to leave your full-time position and work part-time, volunteer, or take an internship (yes, you do not always have to be a student to do an internship) to obtain some experience. Then move on to full-time positions.

Good luck! I hope things work out for you!

[Pushing60]

taking the interpreting into another arena outside of the banking industry. There are some very large interpreting companies nationwide that do interpreting for a huge variety of sitautions. That could be part of the boredom you are feeling.

Depending upon where you live are there any Embassies around or anything along those lines in which you might be able to provide services?

[povar81]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

I'm glad to see that you know what you DON'T want to do. We may not always know what we want to do but that's okay. At least you know what you do not want to do. Here are a few ideas for areas you may be interested in:

* museums
* cultural centers
* historical societies
* non-profits
* international organizations
* community organizations

Just remember that many of these jobs are interdisciplinary, meaning that that they require different types of backgrounds and skill sets. Not everyone is an academic/researcher, historian, etc. You'll find jobs like the ones you've worked in (i.e., translater, IT etc.) as well as other areas such as marketing, accounting, grants and contracts, program development, project management, facilities mgmt, administration, education, etc. A few things to keep in mind:

* Alot of these jobs are in a hidden market -- they hire by word of mouth or recommendation,
* you may not get the salary you desire,
* could be short-staffed due to budget cuts so you're doing the work of several positions

However, there's alot of reward in these kinds of positions. most of the time you're helping other people, work odd schedules, and have close co-workers if the organization is small, work under super-tight deadlines, and there's a laid-back attitude.

You may choose not to leave your full-time position and work part-time, volunteer, or take an internship (yes, you do not always have to be a student to do an internship) to obtain some experience. Then move on to full-time positions.

Good luck! I hope things work out for you!

Thank you for the reply, you're right about these area and about their disadvantages - the low salary and other stuff, right now I don't think it'd a good change, I think I'm gonna try myself in vending area - my wife's got a good idea about that, so I guess we're gonna try it so far.