I want to quit my career

Lauri

If I had known ten years ago that I sucked so badly at data manipulation, and that sucking at data manipulation would cause me to still be doing data manipulation all day 10 years later, and never getting promoted to a point where I can do the stuff I AM good at, then I would have graduated from college and gone to Figi to sell coconuts right then and there.

I don't want to just quit my job, I want to quit the whole thing. I'm tired of doing things I don't want to do and that I'm not very good at just to please someone else.

pjhawks

you could always marry one of those guy friends of yours who wants to sleep with you as we all told you about in a previous thread (....runs away ducking from flying objects...)


just kidding - it sucks to have a job you are not motivated for. it is very difficult to live a happy life if you hate your job since you spend most of your time in it. If you are that unhappy I'd say get out as quickly as possible - might suck to lose money and seniority but at least you won't be unhappy on a daily basis. that's just my take though.

dimitrispearljam

tough call..not easy this one...

Lauri

pjhawks wrote:

you could always marry one of those guy friends of yours who wants to sleep with you as we all told you about in a previous thread (....runs away ducking from flying objects...)


just kidding - it sucks to have a job you are not motivated for. it is very difficult to live a happy life if you hate your job since you spend most of your time in it. If you are that unhappy I'd say get out as quickly as possible - might suck to lose money and seniority but at least you won't be unhappy on a daily basis. that's just my take though.

you know I've been trying to start looking for a new job, but they all seem like the same old shit. What's the difference if I put up with it here or somewhere else? I'm just tired of being a failure. I wish I could afford going to grad school again, it's the only thing I'm good at.

missisles

in my old job it seemed the worse you were at your job the faster they promoted you
if you were good at it they left you were you were cause they needed people that could complete tasks

one day i just stopped trying
withing 6 weeks i got promoted

(i should probably add it took them 4 years before this happened, then they sold the work offshore and shut us down completely)

The Champ

If you want to quit, then quit and move on..

81

sumif, vlookup and & are your friends.

if you know how to use those 3 things, life is easy.

Claireack

Save up some money and go and travel. If you concentrate on the work as being a means to an end it might make things a easier. Just an idea.

Lauri

81 wrote:

sumif, vlookup and & are your friends.

if you know how to use those 3 things, life is easy.

I'm actually really good at Excel (I mean you should see these INDIRECT functions-across workbooks-I wrote with embedded VLOOKUPS) I just make typos and stuff and numbers never mean much to me on the surface, so I can't tell if I made a typo. But I'm just tired of being judged on how well I blindly execute orders to support someone else's ideas that they don't even tell me all about. I want to do something substantive.

dcfaithful

This is a tough call, but you gotta do what ultimately makes you happy. Unfortunately we'll never get a take two on life.

81

just curious, what's your title? what department do you work in?

Lauri

dcfaithful wrote:

This is a tough call, but you gotta do what ultimately makes you happy. Unfortunately we'll never get a take two on life.

ain't that the truth. interestingly enough, the other day I got this feeling about something that might make me happy. I don't think I'm qualified for it now, but I can't seem to figure out what kinds of things I would have to do to make myself qualified (or if I could ever be qualified). I've started researching, but nothing yet.

Get_Right

well
start looking, sometimes even just a change of environment can make all the difference

But at the moment, be happy you have a job. Its not the best time to be ditching a secure job.
If you are that unhappy, try offering your consulting services through craigs list or other online sites-when you are not working-it may or may not work, but it might make you feel as if you are doing something other than just showing up for work.

perhaps you can parlay that into your own business-when the fees you earn equal three time your salary-you can quit.

justam

Lauri wrote:

pjhawks wrote:

you could always marry one of those guy friends of yours who wants to sleep with you as we all told you about in a previous thread (....runs away ducking from flying objects...)


just kidding - it sucks to have a job you are not motivated for. it is very difficult to live a happy life if you hate your job since you spend most of your time in it. If you are that unhappy I'd say get out as quickly as possible - might suck to lose money and seniority but at least you won't be unhappy on a daily basis. that's just my take though.you know I've been trying to start looking for a new job, but they all seem like the same old shit. What's the difference if I put up with it here or somewhere else? I'm just tired of being a failure. I wish I could afford going to grad school again, it's the only thing I'm good at.

Lauri, don't waste your time going back to grad school. It's really just delays the problem.

I spent the time to get two graduate degrees (MM, and DMA) so now I'm having to deal with the problem of saving more for retirement NOW at my age because I was in school spending money on tuition, etc., while most people were putting money away early.

Look for a new job if you want to, but don't think more education is the answer. You already have a master's degree. That's probably enough for most jobs in the business world, isn't it?

norm

Lauri wrote:

dcfaithful wrote:

This is a tough call, but you gotta do what ultimately makes you happy. Unfortunately we'll never get a take two on life.

ain't that the truth. interestingly enough, the other day I got this feeling about something that might make me happy. I don't think I'm qualified for it now, but I can't seem to figure out what kinds of things I would have to do to make myself qualified (or if I could ever be qualified). I've started researching, but nothing yet.

numerous people are working in jobs they weren't originally qualified for...if you can land the job and you believe you'll be happy at it, you should try for it

LloydXmas

Lauri wrote:

If I had known ten years ago that I sucked so badly at data manipulation, and that sucking at data manipulation would cause me to still be doing data manipulation all day 10 years later, and never getting promoted to a point where I can do the stuff I AM good at, then I would have graduated from college and gone to Figi to sell coconuts right then and there.

I don't want to just quit my job, I want to quit the whole thing. I'm tired of doing things I don't want to do and that I'm not very good at just to please someone else.

pull a George castanza and do the opposite of everything that you would normally do. Scored him a job with the New York Yankees.....

JS81606

I don't know if this will help, but when I interview individuals to work for me, I ask how is this position going to help them achieve/advance them to what they are passionate about/dream job? If I find out they are crazy about dogs, music, or anything and they give an answer to how this job I offer will parlay into what they want to do with their life, I hire them. Most individuals I come across have absolutely no idea how sweeping a floor can lead to owning and operating their own international distribution company. I like to challenge people to think outside what they believe they can do to what they truly know they can do. I also send individuals packing when they say "I need a new environment/ gig/ look." I say if you are truly passionate about what you say you are, then the answer is right in front of you, although difficult to see, worth the reward immeasurably. It all sounds foo-fooey, yet it works somehow, someway?

JOEJOEJOE

Get_Right wrote:

well
start looking, sometimes even just a change of environment can make all the difference

But at the moment, be happy you have a job. Its not the best time to be ditching a secure job.
If you are that unhappy, try offering your consulting services through craigs list or other online sites-when you are not working-it may or may not work, but it might make you feel as if you are doing something other than just showing up for work.

perhaps you can parlay that into your own business-when the fees you earn equal three time your salary-you can quit.

In addition, stop using the phrase "and stuff" !!

dcfaithful

norm wrote:

Lauri wrote:

dcfaithful wrote:

This is a tough call, but you gotta do what ultimately makes you happy. Unfortunately we'll never get a take two on life.

ain't that the truth. interestingly enough, the other day I got this feeling about something that might make me happy. I don't think I'm qualified for it now, but I can't seem to figure out what kinds of things I would have to do to make myself qualified (or if I could ever be qualified). I've started researching, but nothing yet.

numerous people are working in jobs they weren't originally qualified for...if you can land the job and you believe you'll be happy at it, you should try for it

No doubt. Ever been to the DMV? Now there are some underqualified folk.

Just kidding, for those that may work at the DMV.

Music For Rhinos

My advice? Start looking around for other things now. It's tough, but try to make something happen. If you can get hired in somewhere else you can kiss the job you hate goodbye. But I wouldn't just up and quit my job with nothing to fall back on.

PJGARDEN

Making a job change or a career change is a huge decision. The best advice I can give is don’t take it lightly. Decide what your career goals are and figure out what the best path would be to achieve your goals. I think the worst decision you could make right now is to start looking for a new job without having a clear picture in your head of what you want. If you are really unhappy in your job right now, and it sounds like you are, everything you come across will look like an attractive position. Odds are 6 months or a year from now, you will be in the same position you are now. In the meantime, find things outside of work to keep your spirits up. It will help, trust me.

pandora

Sometimes we take things for granted- be very thankful you have your job when so many are wondering what will happen for them in 2010.
If you are good at what you do that may be all you can ask for- liking work is often not the case and thats when you have your free time to do what makes you happy.
If you have a hobby you can turn into a career, that you would, love go for it. I was a floral designer BC (before children) which I loved but even a fun job like that has drawbacks- like forget your holidays and get ready for arthritic hands later in life. Everything is a trade out.
Good luck to you and its like what PJ says- sometimes its just a state of mind.

polaris_x

first thing is you have to understand yourself and what it is that you want out of your life ... and then work towards it ... if ultimately you want more out of your job - then you need to work towards that ...

i would suggest volunteering at organizations that has the type of work you may be interested in ... and try and get some first hand experience ... if it's something you want - then keep trying to find an in ... although currently painful, your current job at least allows you the luxury of not worrying about how to pay for rent or food ...