Finding the profession that suits you.

[Pre98]

Anyone have those subconscious thoughts about things you don't like about work that eventually break free from your mind and become reality? I'm a web designer and I've found just recently that sitting on my ass for 8-10 hrs a day has really taken its' toll on me. I really enjoy the work- but do I enjoy how I accomplish it?

Really there is no other way to accomplish digital work except sitting on your ass, lol. So it just has me wondering if I'm in the right field for myself.

I made this job switch from labor work because I enjoy creating computer art, it's fun. But man there are days I want to go into a stock room and take charge of it again. Of course that job is a dead end, like I don't know that

Anyone else encounter these weird "quirks" while on the job? Or am I just finding out early that I'm not in the right field?

[TGO]

don't be surprised to find yourself changing careers a couple of times in your life.

[Jeb Hoge]

Ever see the end of Office Space? I have days that that REALLY appeals to me. Otherwise, it's just finding my way into some vastly different projects, and also trying as much as possible to not live at the office. Work/Life balance is a huge deal for me.

[Buddy Palumbo]

I'm actually in the midst of needing a change . I'm pretty sick of what I'm doing , where I'm doing it , and where I'm going at my job . I need a job change (maybe a drastic one) , but am unsure what I want to do . I'm sure one day something will hit me , like things usually do , but I hope it's soon . I'm not gettin' any younger !

[Pre98]

Work/Life balance is a huge deal for me.

So true. I wish my boss could understand that (I mean he does- but at the moment the development department is understaffed) My beef is also because of my duties at a lower wage than I'd expect. The lead programmer quit without training the replacements (in which they know how to program, they just don't know the system) So here I am making sure they are doing their jobs, knowing what they're working on, ontop of my already growing tasks in web design work. All for beginners' pay. Hourly. And requesting 40-50 hrs/wk of me. I'm not sure if I'm cool with the last aspect of my duties, do I suck it up as The Real World as I normally do, or slow down how fast I do my work so I can actually stay that long (and waste company resources).

The joys of decision making

[Fmr12B]

I too dream of the old days before my college education got me into public accounting. I was a supervisor in a crowd management company and ran events and dealt with promoters. Everything from concerts to AMA MX events and lots of college athletics.

So much fun but only $12/hr and the job was a dead end as Supervisor was the highest you could promote without having a job in the corp. office.

Sure I'm not having as much fun but I'm getting paid a helluva lot more so when the 1st and 15th roll around I smile.

At least I have the memories.............Ahhhhhh the memories!

[SquareHead]

I just changed jobs 4 months ago. It is the best thing I ever did! My wife was chicken "Oh, but what you have is secure". How do you figure? Huge Corperations downsize daily. We went back and forth for months. But now that I make 15k more yearly, the comments have stopped.
I still resent her for this. It felt like she didn't have confidence in my abilities. I'm exelling at my new job. I put 110% into it. I hated my old job as it had no room for promotion at all. I had gone as far as possible after 13 years.

Pre98-you need a raise or change my friend! Don't let fear hold you back. You will only regret it.

[TGO]

I'm actually in the midst of needing a change . I'm pretty sick of what I'm doing , where I'm doing it , and where I'm going at my job . I need a job change (maybe a drastic one) , but am unsure what I want to do . I'm sure one day something will hit me , like things usually do , but I hope it's soon . I'm not gettin' any younger !

wiz3rd. I put in for a job in Manhatten, doing IT for a brokerage (or whatever they call a place that trades stocks). More of a friend of a friend referral thing...supposedly they liked what they saw in my resume', however I haven't received a call yet. From what i understand they're in the process of getting rid of a couple of people.

I really hope it comes through - the money would make my life 1000x easier, and the medical insurance would help alot too. Not to mention less stress, and a "normal" job environment.

In the meantime i'm anxious as hell over here.

[frenchblueC2]

I hate how I sit at a desk everyday.
The pay is just too hard to pass up, especially when it comes to performing at a level that will provide for all my husband's dreams.
Frankly, I'd love to be a waitress, just so I'd be on my feet, busting my ass everyday, instead of sitting on it and wasting away.
Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to make ends meet.
Eventually you'll get yours.

[rouar]

Dunno if this helps you any, but my experience thus far in life:

I went into something I can tolerate doing (majored in MIS at college and am now working as software QA) rather than something I was truly passionate about. As long as I can remember, things I enjoy are not made 'fun' when I am forced to do it. This is one of the reasons I am in the computer field and not architecture (one of my passions), since I never want to lose my love and appreciation of historical building design. (I had a bad project experience in junior high school which compromised that passion and I won't let that happen again.) I also thoroughly enjoy teaching people computer tips and tricks or how to use their new machine, but when I did it as weekly volunteer work it became tedius and undesirable.

I really liked my last job (document scanning, lol) but like you that was a dead-end position. I was actually offered a project management position there, but declined because it was only $1/hr more than I had been earning and the most you could make at that small company without being the president.