Does anybody feel this way about their job?

[Angelhalo]

Working in IT , I've spent most of my career doing 6-12 month contract jobs, but a few times I have taken "perm" jobs with companies over the course of my career. A couple of times, I have negotiated more vacation time to start with. Larger companies tend to scoff at the notion, but I prefer working in smaller ones anyway and have gotten 3 or 4 weeks to start before.

The current place I'm at is a good company with good people. The work has its ups and downs, but the 4 weeks of vacation is nice...especially considering they don't really keep track of it anyway. Now if I could just move the company to a better town/city for me, I'd be happy. Just hope DW doesn't hop in and see this post...
As for the OP's issue...if you're burnt out...you have to leave. I speak from first-hand knowledge on that one. Worked as a programmer at Disney for almost 5 years. Was hoping to get vested in the 401k and pension (they offered one then) before I left, but I had to get out of there for my health.
If it's just general malaise, then maybe a hobby or something can help. Life's too short to let things get ya down

Too late!

yeah Yeah I know you don't like it here.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Wow, I am surprised at the "work at a bookstore" responses. The reality is that bookstores as we know them may not have much longevity at this point. It's probably only a matter of time before the Kindle/E-readers change everything about bookstores and not for the better. Not sure that's the place to switch to!

I relate to the OP - I couldn't survive in a cubicle setting with the same people and the same office politics/atmosphere day in and out. So I switched to working with the public (I am a librarian) and every day is different, you always see different people coming and going, and things are not static by any means. I really like my job, but I worry about the future. I am waiting for the Kindle/e-reader to start affecting us too, and reduce our use. Sigh.

Oh well - good luck OP!

 

[beaucoup]

I've been there at about the same age. Took the leap and left. Not something the conservative me would have ever done, but if I didn't, I could see myself there until the building caved in around me 100 yrs from now. Same kind of small office group therapy drama setting you described.

Since you don't have children, it might be easier. Only you to worry about. No one else to worry about providing for while you figure things out. And may even be in a good financial situation since not having children.

I say go for it. Whatever IT is. Even is you haven't figured it out beforehand.

Good luck. Yes, everyone deserves to be happy. Or at least happier.

 

[piglet50]

i agree with the above poster who suggested volunteer work. There are many places who could use help. i don't know if you're a people person or not but you'd be surprised at what an impact you could have on an elderly person's life by volunteering at a nursing home. you could also volunteer for the book cart at your local hospital.

by volunteering you're able to try something different without losing the security of your regular job. i'm sure others have different ideas about where to volunteer.

good luck in whatever you do.

 

[Flyerfan]

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I appreciate everyone's input.

:

I relate to the OP - I couldn't survive in a cubicle setting with the same people and the same office politics/atmosphere day in and out. So I switched to working with the public (I am a librarian) and every day is different, you always see different people coming and going, and things are not static by any means. I really like my job, but I worry about the future. I am waiting for the Kindle/e-reader to start affecting us too, and reduce our use. Sigh.

Oh well - good luck OP!

Hugs: This is me. I feel like I'm hanging on for dear life. I'm getting to the point where I just don't care about my job. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it, but I don't feel like putting much into my day-to-day work. Know what I mean?

I can't handle the cubicle setting anymore. I'm looking for a career change, not just a job change. I don't want to work in an office anymore.I love working with the public and this is something I'd like to do. I was a waitress years ago, and I'm not saying that's what I want to go back to, but I really liked it at the time. I met a lot of the people back then that I know today. I thought about Librarian but you need a Master's for that. Not impossible, but I would probably be way over 50 until I finished.


Well, off to my job....

 

[Disney Darling]

OP, I could have written this very post. There are days when I feel like my life is being sucked right from my body.

I work at a nice place. The people are all nice. My boss is nice. It's all nice, nice, nice but, for the amount of time I spend here (and think about it, we spend more of our waking hours here at work) I'm just not happy. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up but it's not this!

 

[PatsGirl]

Nearly 20 years for me and I've held every position in the facility that I'm qualified for with the exception of Business Office Manager. The person in that position started one week before me and, while I spent many of those 20 years waiting for her to leave, I have to admit now that she is a lifer

After the first ten years and six position changes (some promotions, some lateral), I was offered the menial, entry-level position I started at but at my current rate in middle management so I took it. As a single parent with two small children at home I needed to reduce my work stress and the job offers great flexibility. It was a godsend ten years ago but as DD gets older I don't need the flexibility as much and need to be working at something more challenging.

Unfortunately, I cannot find a job at the same rate of pay and benefits (5 1/2 weeks of PTO) and God knows I've been looking. I've added a Bachelors to my resume as well as 1/2 way to my Masters, but even then...

So I continue in my dead-end job, knowing that I'll most likely retire from there. It is a terrible company (we were bought out several years back) to work for, the benefits have been downgraded and raises are now 1% a year, and both middle management and upper management loathe their jobs and it trickles down.

So yeah, I know what you mean and if I didn't have children or if I had another income in the house, I'd take the cut in pay and do something more rewarding.

 

[alliecats]

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I appreciate everyone's input.



Hugs: This is me. I feel like I'm hanging on for dear life. I'm getting to the point where I just don't care about my job. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it, but I don't feel like putting much into my day-to-day work. Know what I mean?

I can't handle the cubicle setting anymore. I'm looking for a career change, not just a job change. I don't want to work in an office anymore.I love working with the public and this is something I'd like to do. I was a waitress years ago, and I'm not saying that's what I want to go back to, but I really liked it at the time. I met a lot of the people back then that I know today. I thought about Librarian but you need a Master's for that. Not impossible, but I would probably be way over 50 until I finished.

Well, off to my job....

Not necessarily. I am finishing mine in 3 years (that is with a whole year off, so just two years of classes). 2 classes a semester. You can get an MLIS with an accredited university online (University of Alabama is one), take two classes a semester and finish in 2 years. 2 classes a semester is totally doable with a social life and/or other priorities. I did a ton of homework this weekend and still read 2 books *I* wanted to read.

Now the library field is hurting right now, but was doing ok job-wise in my area when I enrolled. I am still glad I did it and hope there will be more jobs when the economy resolves. I am tired of marketing/copywriting and I should have done this in the first place. The best job I ever had was a library assistant in high school. I loved everything about it. And the best thing about getting my MLIS is that in times of trouble, I have two careers. I can fall back on marketing at any time if I need to until a library job presents itself. Not so risky when I think of it like that!

Good luck to you!

 

[JLTraveling]

I thought about Librarian but you need a Master's for that. Not impossible, but I would probably be way over 50 until I finished.

As Ann Landers used to say, "And how old will you be in the same number of years if you don't get your Master's?"

I'm a firm believer in leaving a job that doesn't make you happy, particularly when there are no kids involved. My first job ever was at Universal when I was 16. I went off and did other things, but for a variety of reasons kept ending up back at Universal. It's a great workplace (way better than Disney, IMO, and I've worked for both). But there was really no career track for me. I'm not the middle management type (theater geek, love performing, hate directing), but didn't want to do the same show dozens of times a day forever. In 2006, I realized that something had to change once and for all.

I gave notice and walked out two weeks later, expecting to spend the summer at a performance job in Alaska while figuring out my next move. When that job fell through, I started trolling the internet...what I didn't realize is that I was really looking for a new career, not just something to get me over the hump.

I found one, in the most unlikely of fields. I got a writing gig for a website about Disney! One thing led to another, and now I've been a consistently employed freelance writer for four years. Even in this economy, I've been fortunate enough to be on an upward career track. Working for myself is tough sometimes, and I do put in long hours, and sometimes I get really frustrated with a client...but the rewards are so worth it!! I recently signed a contract for my first book!

I know it's scary to walk away from something solid, especially in this economy, and even more so when there's nothing really "bad" going on. But it can honestly be the best move you ever made. Best of luck, whatever you decide!!

 

[Flyerfan]

I found one, in the most unlikely of fields. I got a writing gig for a website about Disney! One thing led to another, and now I've been a consistently employed freelance writer for four years. Even in this economy, I've been fortunate enough to be on an upward career track. Working for myself is tough sometimes, and I do put in long hours, and sometimes I get really frustrated with a client...but the rewards are so worth it!! I recently signed a contract for my first book!

I know it's scary to walk away from something solid, especially in this economy, and even more so when there's nothing really "bad" going on. But it can honestly be the best move you ever made. Best of luck, whatever you decide!!

How did you get that writing job? Did you have writing experience or education? Please, I'd love to know. That sounds like a dream to me.

 

[sunnyday123]

OP, I feel your pain. I'm in a job I absolutely cannot stand, and stopped caring about 2 years ago. I'm not the only one either-people have fantasized about what they'll do when they leave. It's hands down the worst work environment I've ever been in-they tell us we're doing things wrong and hold it against us when they've never told us about the change in the first place, and outsourced so much we barely have work.

However, I started school again, and (hope to ) in about 2 1/2 years will be doing something I enjoy and making a heck of a lot more money. Good luck and go for a change! Life is too short to stress about something you have control over.