Does anybody feel this way about their job?

[Flyerfan]

I know I shouldn't be complaining about my job given the shape of the economy, however I have been doing the same job for 18 years and I am just tired of it.

I'm 42, married with no kids and have been feeling this way for several years. I work in a very small office with only 3 other girls. I started out basically doing A/P and A/R with only partial college completed and my job has changed a bit in ways over the years. The company is great to work for and it really is a great job. I'm just tired of doing it. I'm tired of working in an office. I want to do something more with my life. My coworkers are very nice and no one is out to take anyone's job but I'm just tired of the daily drama with everyone's personal lives. We all kind of treat our workplace like a therapist office and that probably is not the best thing to do. Most of the time, it just gets tiring. I don't love my job. I don't even like it anymore. I'm finding it hard to get up and go there everyday but I know I just can't quit.

It's not like I want to sit home, watch soaps and eat bon bons, I just want something different, something I'm going to love. Is that so much to ask? Other people have jobs they love. I've always wanted to write and I've been taking baby steps toward achieving that. I'm aware that I may never make it as a writer which only furthers my need to find some other line of work. I know that if I got another job, it may be worse. Of course, it may be a lot better. I won't know if I don't try.

I guess I feel this way partially because of my age and the fact that I have no kids. I just don't want to be doing this for the next 20 years.

Anyone else feeling the same way?

 

[Hillbeans]

I know I shouldn't be complaining about my job given the shape of the economy, however I have been doing the same job for 18 years and I am just tired of it.

I'm 42, married with no kids and have been feeling this way for several years. I work in a very small office with only 3 other girls. I started out basically doing A/P and A/R with only partial college completed and my job has changed a bit in ways over the years. The company is great to work for and it really is a great job. I'm just tired of doing it. I'm tired of working in an office. I want to do something more with my life. My coworkers are very nice and no one is out to take anyone's job but I'm just tired of the daily drama with everyone's personal lives. We all kind of treat our workplace like a therapist office and that probably is not the best thing to do. Most of the time, it just gets tiring. I don't love my job. I don't even like it anymore. I'm finding it hard to get up and go there everyday but I know I just can't quit.

It's not like I want to sit home, watch soaps and eat bon bons, I just want something different, something I'm going to love. Is that so much to ask? Other people have jobs they love. I've always wanted to write and I've been taking baby steps toward achieving that. I'm aware that I may never make it as a writer which only furthers my need to find some other line of work. I know that if I got another job, it may be worse. Of course, it may be a lot better. I won't know if I don't try.

I guess I feel this way partially because of my age and the fact that I have no kids. I just don't want to be doing this for the next 20 years.

Anyone else feeling the same way?

Yes, absolutely. I left my FT, well paying job 4 years ago for a number of reasons (commute far, kids were little, husband was traveling a lot) but mostly because I didn't like it anymore.

I took off just a few weeks but then started working with a Staffing Agency and I worked through them for the better part of 3 years at 2 different Pharmaceutical clients. It was a nice change, and I actually liked the fact that the job wasn't perm.

It can't hurt to get your resume together and send out a few and see if you get any interviews. Good luck!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I understand totally!

My advice is to first find a hobby you love: volunteer with a cause you find worthwhile or think of something you love doing and start doing it! I do avocational archaeology and volunteer with a cat rescue. It gives me diversion and different interests.

Secondly, if you don't like your current workplace, examine if it's just ennui or real dissatisfation. If it's just ennui, the above may be enough to get you out of your "rut". If it's real dissatisfaction, brush up your resume, get it online, and start hunting!

Finally, if you can't find other work, try making yourself think of one different thing you like about your job every day for a month. This sounds a little corny, but just try it. Write these things down, then go back and look at your job again.

 

[sms]

Why not try to get a job at a bookstore? Maybe that way you can get your writing career started and maybe have some kind of connections! Take a chance! No reason to be miserable!

 

[skelfbsfb]

A few years ago I decide to leave my job after 17 years, oh how wrong was I to do this. I was stuck in a job which I hated for 2 years dreading each day and thinking of an excuse not to go in. I eventaully managed to move on again to another post. The only advice I can give is that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Best of luck on whatever you decide to do.

 

[Flyerfan]

Thanks for the replies

Why not try to get a job at a bookstore? Maybe that way you can get your writing career started and maybe have some kind of connections! Take a chance! No reason to be miserable!

I would loooove to do this and having been thinking about this very thing for several years. It would be so awesome to surround myself with books. I think I'd really enjoy going to work everyday. The problem is (and I hate to look at this negatively) the closest bookstore is 40 miles away. That coupled with the steep cut in pay that I would probably take...I don't know if we could do it. I do keep it in the forefront of my mind, though.

 

[loveysbydesign]

You could work at a bookstaore and then maybe when the economy gets better open up your own. If the closest one is 40 miles away maybe other people are looking for one closer by as well!

 

[CanadianPaco]

I'm sort of in the same situation as you. I'm the same age and at the same job for 18 yrs. I have pretty much exhausted what I can do and if I stay, I'll be doing the same thing til I retire. I had a chance a new job back in the spring but it did not work out. Thank goodness because soon afterwards DH lost his job and we would have lost our benefits. I don't know if it is an age thing or what but I have friends feelign the same way....

 

[Flyerfan]

I don't know if it is an age thing or what but I have friends feelign the same way....

It must be. Eighteen years is a long time at one job. What do they say...every 7 years people change jobs? I guess that's to avoid burnout.

I, too, have no where to go in my company and I really am not looking for that anyway. I want to do something fulfilling or at least be happy to go to work every day. DH doesn't understand it. Men are different, I guess.

 

[tvguy]

It must be. Eighteen years is a long time at one job. What do they say...every 7 years people change jobs? I guess that's to avoid burnout.

I, too, have no where to go in my company and I really am not looking for that anyway. I want to do something fulfilling or at least be happy to go to work every day. DH doesn't understand it. Men are different, I guess.

I have never heard 7 years before. If it's correct, that's amazingly short. My wife has been in her job 32 years, as have I.
My mom worked the same job for 40 years, as did my MIL.
Most companies don't even offer their maximum weeks of vacation until 10 to 15 years on the job. I can't imagine only having 2 weeks of vacation forever.

As my wife says, there is a reason they call it a job.

 

[Angelhalo]

I have never heard 7 years before. If it's correct, that's amazingly short. My wife has been in her job 32 years, as have I.
My mom worked the same job for 40 years, as did my MIL.
Most companies don't even offer their maximum weeks of vacation until 10 to 15 years on the job. I can't imagine only having 2 weeks of vacation forever.

As my wife says, there is a reason they call it a job.

I think you're an exception LOL. Don't mean anything bad by that, I just don't know many people at all who have been at their current jobs more than 5-10 years max. And, that's not just folks in my age range.

 

[CanadianPaco]

I have never heard 7 years before. If it's correct, that's amazingly short. My wife has been in her job 32 years, as have I.
My mom worked the same job for 40 years, as did my MIL.
Most companies don't even offer their maximum weeks of vacation until 10 to 15 years on the job. I can't imagine only having 2 weeks of vacation forever.

As my wife says, there is a reason they call it a job.

Oh I have. Actually, I heard every 6 yrs. That's the way it has been for DH. And his holidays have never been more than 4 weeks. I am almost at 6 weeks.

 

[LoodlesNoodles]

You'll never be in a better place than you are now to take a chance and go for what you love!
I quit my job a few weeks ago, I've got 3 more days left then I'm out of there (don't go into retail folks, it's harder than it looks to get yourself out of!), sure I'm scared but I just don't want to end up working in shops being talked down to for the rest of my life.
My mum always taught me that it's never worth being unhappy and it's never too late! She's an inspiration really, she worked as a cleaner until she was 40 when she decided she wanted to become a nurse. Here we are 14 years later and she loves her job and is still going strong.


Good luck with your dreams! Do you have a local library you could possibly work at?

 

[runwad]

I have never heard 7 years before. If it's correct, that's amazingly short. My wife has been in her job 32 years, as have I.
My mom worked the same job for 40 years, as did my MIL.
Most companies don't even offer their maximum weeks of vacation until 10 to 15 years on the job. I can't imagine only having 2 weeks of vacation forever.

As my wife says, there is a reason they call it a job.

I feel the same way OP and I only work part time 3 days a week. One I could never replace the money I make, would need to go back full time, and two I couldn't handle only 2 weeks off either. I get 15 days/yr with my part time schedule that's 5 weeks!! I just suck it up and think tomorrow I"m off, but yeah to think of doing this till I retire

 

[RitaZ.]

It's not like I want to sit home, watch soaps and eat bon bons, I just want something different, something I'm going to love. Is that so much to ask? Other people have jobs they love.

Don't be too hard on yourself. 80% of people hate their jobs; even when they're very successful in their chosen profession or job.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[Flyerfan]

Oh I have. Actually, I heard every 6 yrs. That's the way it has been for DH. And his holidays have never been more than 4 weeks. I am almost at 6 weeks.

Wow! I envy you. I've had 3 weeks vacation for about 10 years now and that's all I'm ever gonna get. There is no more for me. I just said the other day that I would take more vacation over a raise. It's not really a raise anyway, it's "barely" keeping up with the cost of living. This year I got zippo. It really is a nice company to work for, there's just no more for me than what I have now (personally and professionally).

 

[CanadianPaco]

It's probably the only real reason I stay. But the stress doesn't make it balance out sometimes...

 

[Flyerfan]

My mum always taught me that it's never worth being unhappy and it's never too late! She's an inspiration really, she worked as a cleaner until she was 40 when she decided she wanted to become a nurse. Here we are 14 years later and she loves her job and is still going strong.


Good luck with your dreams! Do you have a local library you could possibly work at?

See, now that's what I'm talking about! She truly is an inspiration.

I thought about the library job, too. I'll have to check into that. Maybe even if I volunteer it would get me on a course to where I want to be. Who knows?

 

[Flyerfan]

It's probably the only real reason I stay. But the stress doesn't make it balance out sometimes...

I know what you mean. My 3 weeks of vacation are not worth the other 49 weeks of stress and frustration.

 

[VisionPilot]

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