Work Doldrums...Is Career Change The Answer?

[Gvac]

I've been in my field for 15 years. I'm knowledgeable, respected, and pretty successful. I make a good salary, commissions, bonuses, company vehicle, full benefits, etc. - and I am BORED TO DEATH.

Recently I started opening up a new territory for my present employer. It's one I'm very familiar with and I'm sure I'll get a ton of new customers out of the deal and make more money, and yet I don't feel challenged.

I guess I'm a little burned out.

Maybe all I need is a vacation and some time away, but I can't help but wonder if a complete career change might be the answer. I know these are uncertain times and I should count my blessings for what I have, but I feel like I need MORE.

I don't dislike my job; in fact there are times when I genuinely enjoy it. And yet I can't help but feel I could be doing something a bit more meaningful and satisfying.

Anyone else ever feel like they're in a rut? Did you just wait it out or did you pull the trigger and try something completely new?

[lleeder]

I think the thing to do is try something else. I feel the same way and it probably is the way to go. The only problem is its scary. I hope to find the courage to take the chance soon.

[mdr55]

I'm thinking into getting into a different line of work too.

[sailor]

do some volunteer work on the side.


or, just lose your mind on a message board and post that you hate everything.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I don't dislike my current job, but I'm not in love with it. It's like I'm just passing time to pay down my debt and save for a house.

[Fallon]

Don't quit. I'll miss GvacMobile!!

[IamPixie]

I haven't been working at my current job nearly as long as greg. However, I really feel that I am being exploited because of my age. I work for a really small organization with a boss who doesn't do anything all day except smoke cigarettes and bitch. She passes most of her responsibilities on me in addition to my work load. I don't have any benefits or vacation time and my wage is abysmal. Don't get me wrong i'm learning a lot and hopefully this position will help me get further in my field. But she's been pressuring me to make another year commitment lately.....dunno if I can do that.

[sailor]

I haven't been working at my current job nearly as long as greg. However, I really feel that I am being exploited because of my age. I work for a really small organization with a boss who doesn't do anything all day except smoke cigarettes and bitch. She passes most of her responsibilities on me in addition to my work load. I don't have any benefits or vacation time and my wage is abysmal. Don't get me wrong i'm learning a lot and hopefully this position will help me get further in my field. But she's been pressuring me to make another year commitment lately.....dunno if I can do that.

what field?

[IamPixie]

what field?

Art

[suggums]

I haven't been working at my current job nearly as long as greg. However, I really feel that I am being exploited because of my age. I work for a really small organization with a boss who doesn't do anything all day except smoke cigarettes and bitch. She passes most of her responsibilities on me in addition to my work load. I don't have any benefits or vacation time and my wage is abysmal. Don't get me wrong i'm learning a lot and hopefully this position will help me get further in my field. But she's been pressuring me to make another year commitment lately.....dunno if I can do that.


just from that paragraph, i wouldn't.

p.s. also, dunno what kinda art it is, but im a store sign artist for trader joes and get vacation, benefits, retirement fund, etc

[sailor]

Art

i got nothing. best of luck.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I haven't been working at my current job nearly as long as greg. However, I really feel that I am being exploited because of my age. I work for a really small organization with a boss who doesn't do anything all day except smoke cigarettes and bitch. She passes most of her responsibilities on me in addition to my work load. I don't have any benefits or vacation time and my wage is abysmal. Don't get me wrong i'm learning a lot and hopefully this position will help me get further in my field. But she's been pressuring me to make another year commitment lately.....dunno if I can do that.

Pix, if you feel that it's unfair - then you should start actively looking to see what's out there.

[IamPixie]

Pix, if you feel that it's unfair - then you should start actively looking to see what's out there.

yea....i've been looking for a couple of months now. I'm really looking for a change of scene geographically. And her slaves jokes are really starting get on my nerves. Seriously, slave jokes.

[FezPaul]

What you need, Gvac, is a change of scenery.

And there is plenty of great scenery in Flagstaff.

I'll let you drive my jeep!

[Gvac]

What you need, Gvac, is a change of scenery.

And there is plenty of great scenery in Flagstaff.

I'll let you drive my jeep!


I'll bring mine!

I honestly don't think it's just scenery, though. I need some gratification from my career.

This is going to require some thought.

And Pixie...take shit from no one.

[sailor]

What you need, Gvac, is a change of scenery.

And there is plenty of great scenery in Flagstaff.

I'll let you drive my jeep!

this thread is aboot pixie. stop trying to derail it.

[IamPixie]

this thread is aboot pixie. stop trying to derail it.

:glurps: I was just trying to share...

[mdr55]

yea....i've been looking for a couple of months now. I'm really looking for a change of scene geographically. And her slaves jokes are really starting get on my nerves. Seriously, slave jokes.

Do you got anyone in your company that you can report her to for cultural insensitivity or the like???

[DiabloSammich]

My two cents... for what it's worth.

During high school I worked for a landscaper for the summers. Went full time after graduation. 16 years later I was at the same place you are...great pay, knew my shit, was as high in the company as I could get without being family, loved my profession, and yet I was sick of going in every day. I needed a change.

After much soul searching my wife and I both quit our jobs and started our own landscape company. It has been the most exciting and rewarding thing I have ever done in my life, and even though the stress level is through the roof, I've never regretted a moment of it.

Do something dramatic, so you don't have to sit around when you're old and gray and wonder why you never did anything dramatic.

[Gvac]

My two cents... for what it's worth.

During high school I worked for a landscaper for the summers. Went full time after graduation. 16 years later I was at the same place you are...great pay, knew my shit, was as high in the company as I could get without being family, loved my profession, and yet I was sick of going in every day. I needed a change.

After much soul searching my wife and I both quit our jobs and started our own landscape company. It has been the most exciting and rewarding thing I have ever done in my life, and even though the stress level is through the roof, I've never regretted a moment of it.

Do something dramatic, so you don't have to sit around when you're old and gray and wonder why you never did anything dramatic.

I like the way you think Sammich...seriously.

Thanks a lot.

You've inspired me.

[Fallon]

yea....i've been looking for a couple of months now. I'm really looking for a change of scene geographically.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3493/boston1nh6.jpg
:wink:

[TooLowBrow]

if you change where you sit at work it's called chair-apy. it works.

[A.J.]

I know the feeling. I've been getting more and more bored with my present job lately. However, I wouldn't change my career because I do like it. But I'd be willing to try something else in-house.

Besides taking Ronnie Wood's spot in the Stones, what would you ideally like to do? And, would you ever be willing to relocate?

[A.J.]

yea....i've been looking for a couple of months now. I'm really looking for a change of scene geographically. And her slaves jokes are really starting get on my nerves. Seriously, slave jokes.

I'm thinking lawsuit here. With a nice payday for you of course.

If you're in the art world, remember: DC has lots of national galleries and museums.

[Tall_James]

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3493/boston1nh6.jpg
:wink:

YEAH !!!

[topless_mike]

if you have bankroll, then go for a career change.
i was bored at my last job, but i had job security like you would never believe.
i decided i was being oppressed by the man, and basically showed them my rod.

jumped into a year-old company. i <3 it here.
there are only 4 of us here- our boss lives and works in sweden, as well as the rest of the company (no, not ikea).

with the digital age, we are all becoming very replaceable by trained monkeys. looking to make a bold move can actually impress a "could-be" employer. they like to see that candidates have balls (or a nice vag) and think big.

pix, start shopping around. seattle, dc, philly, etc. make a move. tell your boss to eat a fat one.

gvac- if your gonna do it, now's the time, mang. you seem to be quite bold in your steps. take the chance, man. or, you can find something on the side since you are stackin' cheddar from your 15 years in the industry. open your own bidness. that is a goal of mine.

[cougarjake13]

I've been in my field for 15 years. I'm knowledgeable, respected, and pretty successful. I make a good salary, commissions, bonuses, company vehicle, full benefits, etc. - and I am BORED TO DEATH.

Recently I started opening up a new territory for my present employer. It's one I'm very familiar with and I'm sure I'll get a ton of new customers out of the deal and make more money, and yet I don't feel challenged.

I guess I'm a little burned out.

Maybe all I need is a vacation and some time away, but I can't help but wonder if a complete career change might be the answer. I know these are uncertain times and I should count my blessings for what I have, but I feel like I need MORE.

I don't dislike my job; in fact there are times when I genuinely enjoy it. And yet I can't help but feel I could be doing something a bit more meaningful and satisfying.

Anyone else ever feel like they're in a rut? Did you just wait it out or did you pull the trigger and try something completely new?



not only have pull the trigger and tried something new i've done it twice

and im finally in a place where i want to be

[lleeder]

yea....i've been looking for a couple of months now. I'm really looking for a change of scene geographically. And her slaves jokes are really starting get on my nerves. Seriously, slave jokes.

Thats fucked up there's no place for that anywhere. Accept maybe in the bedroom...wait what forum is this thread in again.

[Gvac]

Besides taking Ronnie Wood's spot in the Stones, what would you ideally like to do? And, would you ever be willing to relocate?

Therein lies the problem, A.J. I have no idea exactly what I'd like to do. It's the reason I went to college 3 different times and wound up dropping out each and every time. Nothing jumps out and grabs me and makes me say "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!"


gvac- if your gonna do it, now's the time, mang. you seem to be quite bold in your steps. take the chance, man. or, you can find something on the side since you are stackin' cheddar from your 15 years in the industry. open your own bidness. that is a goal of mine.

I'd love to be my own boss, but I kind of am now. I go out and sell and the owner and company GM just stay the hell out of my way. And like I said above, I have NO idea what kind of business I'd like to be in.

Oy.

[furie]

i remember getting burned out in my old job. after months of searching, i changed jobs, and i felt fantastic. everything was fresh and interesting. i actually enjoyed going to work.
sometimes a change is the best thing in the world.

[lleeder]

Nothing jumps out and grabs me and makes me say "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!"


That statement has me really scared. I'm the same way and assumed that with age it would come to me.

[Gvac]

Honestly, I think a BIG part of my problem is that I left my old employer on a Friday and started with the new job on a Monday. I wanted to get right back in front of all my customers to let them know where I was. I haven't had a vacation in almost two years.

Maybe some time off will prove to be just what the doctor ordered, or at least it'll give me time to think about what I might possibly do otherwise.

[CofyCrakCocaine]

Mentor of mine goes on vision quests in Vermont every year. I think he has another name for it, but he picked it up from the indians. Sits on a mat and meditates for a couple days without moving a muscle. Don't think I'll be doing it, but he recommends it highly, and I can vouch that he is wise.

[Gvac]

Mentor of mine goes on vision quests in Vermont every year. I think he has another name for it, but he picked it up from the indians. Sits on a mat and meditates for a couple days without moving a muscle. Don't think I'll be doing it, but he recommends it highly, and I can vouch that he is wise.

Funny you should say that CCC! A good friend of mine has recently gotten deeply into Native American spirituality and he's a changed man.

Maybe I'll head out to Arizona and do peyote with FezPaul in the desert.

Jim Morrison lives!

[Hottub]

I would LOVE a career change right about now. But at this point, it is way too scary. The kids, the mortgage, the financial responsiblities... *shudder*
Hopefully next year, MsTub will realize her dream and try to get into teaching. That will get her from part time to full time, excellent benefits, a real salary. Maybe at that point, I will have the stones to move on. I can't risk it right now.
Unless an offer is handed to me.:bye:

[Bulldogcakes]

I would LOVE a career change right about now. But at this point, it is way too scary. The kids, the mortgage, the financial responsiblities... *shudder*
Hopefully next year, MsTub will realize her dream and try to get into teaching. That will get her from part time to full time, excellent benefits, a real salary. Maybe at that point, I will have the stones to move on. I can't risk it right now.
Unless an offer is handed to me.:bye:

What else would you do? Do you have anything you always wanted to do but for all the reasons you mentioned couldn't?

To me, starting something new was always the hardest thing I've had to deal with work-wise. Plus there's the old Woody Allen line about success and "just showing up". After 8 very hard years in my biz, I'm finally getting some big (read that expensive) projects done and finally getting ahead to where I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. I'd hate to think now that I would have quit a few years ago.

BTW-Good luck to Mrs Tub!

[Bulldogcakes]

I've been in my field for 15 years. I'm knowledgeable, respected, and pretty successful. I make a good salary, commissions, bonuses, company vehicle, full benefits, etc. - and I am BORED TO DEATH.

Recently I started opening up a new territory for my present employer. It's one I'm very familiar with and I'm sure I'll get a ton of new customers out of the deal and make more money, and yet I don't feel challenged.

I guess I'm a little burned out.

Maybe all I need is a vacation and some time away, but I can't help but wonder if a complete career change might be the answer. I know these are uncertain times and I should count my blessings for what I have, but I feel like I need MORE.

I don't dislike my job; in fact there are times when I genuinely enjoy it. And yet I can't help but feel I could be doing something a bit more meaningful and satisfying.

Anyone else ever feel like they're in a rut? Did you just wait it out or did you pull the trigger and try something completely new?

I don't think that's what you need at all. I find that the LESS passionate I am about my work, the better I am at it. Because I don't take it so seriously, I don't get too wrapped up in it. I'm much more professional about it now, and therefore I'm more rational about the decisions I have to make. Rational decisions beat emotional ones in business 9 times out of 10.

I think you need to get excited about something outside of work. My Dad didn't love his job (Worked on Wall St for 40 years) so he took up gardening in his spare time and later took up woodworking. You should have seen some of the stuff he made (Cabinets, wine racks, doll houses, etc) all with amazing detail. And our backyard in the summertime was unbelievable. You name it, he had it. Half the time grown from seeds. He got started doing all that stuff watching TV shows like "This Old House" and "Victory garden".

I don't know what will get you going, but here's some ideas. Maybe you could learn another music instrument. Learn to cook like Rielly keeps saying. Start an exercise program. Buy a classic car and restore it. Go to Home Depot and imagine how some of that stuff would look in your house. Just do whatever you've been wanting to do for a while but haven't found the time for.

[A.J.]

Therein lies the problem, A.J. I have no idea exactly what I'd like to do. It's the reason I went to college 3 different times and wound up dropping out each and every time. Nothing jumps out and grabs me and makes me say "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!"

Yeah, but NOBODY ever really says that.

I'll come up to the next event. We'll talk.

[thomson]

Advising others to change career sounds very simple and a workable proposition. When it comes to us, it becomes one of the toughest decisions to implement. A career change needs lot of mental preparation. If you have a family, that may get disrupted by your career change.Making a career change takes courage. Most people hesitate to do it because of deep seated beliefs that they have. Some beliefs are empowering but the ones that hold you back are dis empowering. The only way to move forward is to identify the belief and either overcome or change it.For more information you can go for this site http://www.career-wise.com.au/

[Reephdweller]

I'd say at least explore a career change to see what's out there.

For me, I think I will soon have no choice but to change careers or find something new. Either my company is going to go away or they're going to sell to someone else who won't need the same size workforce. It's only a matter of time, but I have to start looking for something else. I just hope there is something else.

[Thebazile78]

I'd say at least explore a career change to see what's out there.

For me, I think I will soon have no choice but to change careers or find something new. Either my company is going to go away or they're going to sell to someone else who won't need the same size workforce. It's only a matter of time, but I have to start looking for something else. I just hope there is something else.

Now, the thing is, I consider a "job" and a "career" two distinct entities.

I have a "job" and it pays the bills. Mostly.

But, just like in grammar school, every Sunday night, I'm curled up in the fetal position, begging Matt to let me stay home in the morning. I dread going into the office, and each day more responsibilities are taken away from my teammates and I.

In fact, 95% of the work that we used to do will be outsourced to a vendor in India. We have a training session scheduled next Wednesday to learn how to instruct the vendor to do our jobs. Yay! We're learning how to make ourselves obsolete!

I hold a bachelor's degree from a highly-ranked research university, but this is something I could teach a high school kid to do. Needless to say, I'm insulted, aggravated and anticipating major layoffs within the next few months.

Whether I leave on my own or I am laid off, I intend on getting out of this industry and never looking back. I have seven years' experience in a "real world" office environment and a solid professional skill set that I can take to any industry. Plus I learn quickly, so anything I don't already know will be something I can pick up before it becomes a problem.

If you're serious about changing gears, meet with an employment agency or a career coach. Yes, there are such people. And they should be pretty goddamned easy to find in North Jersey! Talk about the types of things that really get you fired up and wanting to get to work in the morning. (You still have those days, right?) Among the things you can speak about is to figure out how to use your hobbies as a way to move you in a new direction...for example, I'm an editor (although I doubt I will be titled "editor" for much longer), but I've applied to marketing jobs because I have marketing experience with my volunteer work as an event co-chair at the alumni association... seriously, there are ways to get out of this slump.

[Suspect Chin]

Honestly, I think a BIG part of my problem is that I left my old employer on a Friday and started with the new job on a Monday. I wanted to get right back in front of all my customers to let them know where I was. I haven't had a vacation in almost two years.

Maybe some time off will prove to be just what the doctor ordered, or at least it'll give me time to think about what I might possibly do otherwise.

What do you sell? Did you end up leaving the job?

[Gvac]

I've been offered a general manager's position at my company's Buffalo/Rochester branch.

I'd be completely in charge of the entire operation and get paid handsomely.

I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to turn it down.

I really don't think I could deal with those winters.

[MacVittie]

I've been offered a general manager's position at my company's Buffalo/Rochester branch.

I'd be completely in charge of the entire operation and get paid handsomely.

I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to turn it down.

I really don't think I could deal with those winters.

Gvac moving to western NY? I smell a budding bromance...

[cougarjake13]

I've been offered a general manager's position at my company's Buffalo/Rochester branch.

I'd be completely in charge of the entire operation and get paid handsomely.

I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to turn it down.

I really don't think I could deal with those winters.

are they much diff then jersey ??


its not like youre moving from cali to buffalo

[Annie Waits]

You need a vacation before anything else.

Aren't you moving down here soon?This is the one and only time that you need to listen to Jimmy Buffet.

"Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"

[JackieJokeMan]

I hold a bachelor's degree from a highly-ranked research university

The only category Rutgers is highly ranked in is most grease trucks.

[TjM]

I don't dislike my current job, but I'm not in love with it. It's like I'm just passing time to pay down my debt and save for a house.

Same here. I'd love to try something new but I make decent enough money that I would have a hard time matching it somewhere else. Also I have to factor in that we're hoping to have a kid soon