Full Careers
What type of career should I pursue because I am miserable now?
I have been feeling miserable in my current position for quite a while now. All the time, I get yelled at, made fun of, and made to feel second-class. Now, I want a new direction in life. The problem is that there are very few technical positions in my region, and moving away would mean that I would lose any emotional support I have left. It seems that whenever I come up with an business/entrepreneurial idea, it's not practical (aka don't have education, it's technically not possible, etc etc). All I have is a basic biology bachelor's degree, am 20 credits away from electrical engineering degree (can't finish that because of required senior design course that wants me to make TONS of presentations IN A SUIT to impress departmental donors), and I'm exploring civil engineering now. I don't have many skills beyond the degree, so what can I do for a career, given that I don't like social situations?
Public Comments
- You don't like social situations, in a limited market for the skills you current have makes this difficult to answer. You need to develop new skills so you can find another job while you complete your civil engineering degree looks like the current situation. If you think you would like a career in management check my site and read my Psycho Manager Handbook. www.verycyber.com It sounds like you work with psychos. You should not work in an environment where you are yelled at or made fun of. Tell your boss you will quit if that behavior doesn't end.
- Everyone working in an organization will plateau off, some sooner, others later. In fact, high potential people plateau off earlier and sooner than those who are not. The only difference is when and how long will it take to reach a level beyond which we shall no longer rise. Plateauing is defined as leveling off, or slowing down the rate of progress. We can experience in our job, in our career, and in our life. We can take proactive steps when we discover ourselves plateuing off. These steps include the following: 1.Reassess our skills, abilities, interests and values. a. Ask for reassignment within the department b. Request for lateral transfer to other departments c.Create our own variety and challenge in our job by looking at new and innovative ways of doing the same things. 2.Ask for training and use the new skills to get a lateral transfer to other sections, divisions or departments. 3.If our organization does not provide the desired training, invest our own resources (money and time) to get one. 4.Finish a course and use this as a basis for a career change. 5.Re-define what success means to us, then set new, challenging and attainable goals. The reenergized commitment of working towards those goals will eliminate negative plateauing. Peace and every blessing!
- First of all, your misery at work is the first thing that needs attention. You don't give much info about it, but it sounds like a complaint that could be taken to a supervisor or the labour board. To deal with your emotional needs, see if your company has an EAP (employee assistance program) or talk to a therapist, counsellor, or your family doctor. Second, you need to find work that will make you happy. Visit your local employment centre and ask for an interest and aptitude test. It should be free, it will take a couple of hours, the results will be interpreted by a qualified employment counsellor, and they will be able to guide you in making choices about your education and career goals. Third, presentations are a difficult thing for some people and I used to be one of them. I started volunteering as a tutor, one-on-one with individuals needing help, then small groups (no more than 5 people), then 10, then 20. I couldn't teach a class of 30 or more people or a lecture hall of 100, but I gradually felt more comfortable with small groups. I should mention that it took about 15 years, but I thought it was something I would NEVER do. Good Luck. I hope you find something that you truly love.
