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I have had two totally different careers now where I thought I was pursuing what I loved, devoted a lot of time and sacrifice toward pursuing the education and experience required to get a job in those fields, and then neither worked out and left me feeling so badly burned out, I almost don't like to do those activities anymore.
Ok, to be honest the first thing wasn't something I LOVED but was something I held a longtime interest in, knew I could find a job easily and it would pay well. The second thing I really did enjoy doing, though I knew jobs would be much harder to find and pay less.
I am deciding what to do next and am unsure because I still have interests left, but am afraid to pursue them as careers because I don't want the same to happen again, to where I won't enjoy doing anything I used to (LOL but not LOL at the same time).
What do you think? Do you/have you done something you enjoy as a career and have it work out?
Mind being more specific? Maybe you can take those fields of education and apply them to something new without having to spend money to get in a different field? What burned you out?
Got a bachelor's in computer engineering, as I started programming computers when I was 7 years old. I worked many internships to put myself through school and get experience. Then after I graduated, was heavily recruited and chose to work for a large corporate firm (will not name names, but world's largest chip maker let's just say that) in design engineering (logic design) couldn't stand it, people were very anti-social (typical engineers, and I am personality type ENFP - extroverted etc), the environment is very competitive, and 100 hour workweeks were not uncommon. I stopped putting in all those hours and then people started looking at me as a slacker. I felt so bored at work I almost wanted to make a computer program that would randomly greet me and have conversations with me each day since no one else would talk and just liked to sit in their cubes and be by themselves. Moved to product marketing, it was better but still felt like I wasn't "doing anything" for others besides trying to maximize corporate profits, and wanted more of a worldview, so I left.
Traveled the world for two years as a photographer, loved it, came back for an MBA, couldn't stand everyone talking about money money money and what fortune 500 company they were aiming to work for, so I left the program and went to career counseling and through that decided to get my masters instead in Journalism, focused on photojournalism/multimedia design. I knew jobs would be hard to find but it wasn't as bad at that time ('06). I went from my previous 6 digit salary to working low paid/unpaid internships to gain experience.
Got a full-time job as a newspaper photojournalist for a top 50 newspaper. But, if you know anything about the newspaper biz these past few years, I don't think I need to say anything else. It sucked in a nutshell, overworked, paid less and less every year, had bad, uncreative management as well, "you should be lucky you have a job so shut it" type mentality. I feel bad for the people still in it.
I have done other things alongside these things all the time. I'm an avid athlete and have worked as a certified personal trainer on the side before and enjoyed that. I've flipped five houses and hold two as rentals, so that is an other interest of mine.
I am also considering something like a multimedia specialist position, in which I'd do a bit of video/photo/web, but not for a newspaper.
I've also considering starting my own business in any or all three of these areas. I'm not sure how successful people are in doing multiple things at one time, it seems better if you focus on one area, but that's just my thoughts, I've not had my own business before aside from freelancing. Well, I do own properties I have flipped and kept as rentals, and that is a licensed business.
I kind of think the multimedia idea is the most realistic, but if you ask me what I do most of the time, it's workout and play sports. That's what I LOVE to do, and aside from that, I renovate houses, right now am completing work on part of my Mom's house and just did a lot on my sister's house, haven't bought my next property yet because I am deciding where I will live. I ask myself if I want to do multimedia, why am I not doing that all the time? Well, I used to, before the newspaper, and now it's like a part of me has an aversion to it due to my old job burning me out so bad.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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There is nothing wrong with changing careers at times if what you loved becomes mundane, it's just hard on the retirement plan. I enjoyed my post-\graduate career of 17 years, but left to move to another state and
do something I really enjoyed with my own business for 16 years. Then that
became a bit of a challenge (OK, a big challenge) when the economy tanked,
so I found a position with full benefits and retirement while still young enough to qualify for a pension, that combines what I did in the first two, but in a much more fun place, at higher pay and have had 2 promotions in 4 years. I have more hobbies than most people, but would never try to work doing anything related to them. Hobbies are for recreational fun, not work.
It stops being so much fun when you have to do it 8 hours a day.
Yes, it sure does. That's one of my concerns right now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140
...I have more hobbies than most people, but would never try to work doing anything related to them. Hobbies are for recreational fun, not work.
It stops being so much fun when you have to do it 8 hours a day.
I agree to a point, but at the same time, I am not the type of person that can just go to work for a paycheck only. If that were the case I'd go back to/stay in engineering, but that's why I left. I felt like I had no soul left and was mechanically going in, doing the same thing every day like a robot. So how did you choose your fields of work, if not from something you directly enjoyed?
I think doing anything +40 hours a week for years on end produces the same results. It all becomes work. Most people don't enjoy doing anything they are forced to do. The best you can hope for is that you don't totally hate it.
When I was growing up, I enjoyed tinkering in my dad's garage. I loved making things with my hands, and later with tools and machines. I took trade classes in HS and served an apprenticeship in the machining trade. I loved using my mind to make various contraptions, which ranged from simple scale models to mechanical things like alcohol powered engines. My final year, I got to work with the robotics team to design and build a competing robot, and enjoyed watching it in motion.
5 years later... My job is to make what's on the print. The work is often dry, I have no freedom in what is designed, and I can only consult with a customer to recommend practical design changes that might help cut costs or improve performance. The only fun in the job is figuring out more efficient ways to get the job done. Do I love the job? Well, it's about as good as it gets, but it's still work. Most folks wouldn't want to stand 8 hours a day, but it's better than sitting for the same period of time. Of course, it serves the most important function of all... It pays the bills and leaves enough left over to enjoy my free time. Technically, I'm doing what I love every day, but it's a much more watered down version.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,599 posts, read 81,297,702 times
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"Hobby" fun and enjoying your work are two different things. Like I said, I really enjoy my current job, and am happy to do it 8 hours a day, but it has nothing to do with anything I do in my personal life for fun. For me it's the challenge of
managing a group of people that when I started, were in a bit of a mess. Being able to analyze the work and improve processes, bring in new technology to help them do a better job, work on improving their attitudes, and solving multiple problems that come up all the time. Never a dull moment, never bored, and feel like I have accomplished something when I go home.
I've never had a job that I've loved or liked. I had one that I hated and the one I have now I guess I could say I am indifferent towards. I just do it. It pays the bills and allows me to invest about half of my paycheck for hopefully a retirement in my early 50s. Retirement is something that I will love- doing what I want, when I want and not having to answer to some boss. I'll probably do some kind of volunteer work, but nothing with a strict schedule and if anyone is even slightly rude or nasty to me, I'll leave!
I have never enjoyed any of the jobs I've had because none of them utilized my skills.
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