[Closed] Has any one found their true vocation / career??

Yep!

I'm a Playboy 🙂

.....so you're still stuck in IT too then?!? 😉

I know a guy who gave up a 40k/yr job to go and do a thatching apprenticeship.

he lasted three weeks.

I am the same but replace "IT" with "engineering"

So dull it is unbelievable, I would much rather me outside chopping logs or in the gym or running my own business, but in what I have now frickin idea!

How do people decide what they actually want to do once they know that what they are doing isnt it?

Haha brilliant! A good story if slightly reckless! 🙂

You could opt for the carefree option of starting out on your own and avoid all those problems! 😀

organic355 - Member

I am the same but replace "IT" with "engineering"

So dull it is unbelievable, I would much rather me outside chopping logs or in the gym or running my own business, but in what I have now frickin idea!

How do people decide what they actually want to do once they know that what they are doing isnt it?

You are me?

Organic, i consider myself to be reasonably bright, but trying to fathom that question out feels like im banging my head on a wall....

I am the same but replace "IT" with "engineering"

I am the same, but replace "IT" and "engineering" with business copywriting and investor relations. 😯

How it ever came to this I'll never know.

In my mid 30s too sort of work in it or engineering. Quit the pseudo public sector retirement home of an industry and moved to Oz. I now work about 2.5 days a week and the missus covers the rent. Travel and see the sights just heading back home from auckland Brisbane on Sunday. I really like the training courses I teach and I think in 18months I have achieved more than I did I 7 years in my previous job.

The thought of being in my 40's and dealing with all the corporate sh*t and the jokers you find in middle management fills me with dread

! Love the idea of being out in the fresh air, love riding, skiing, fitness etc

Hey, I'm in exactly the same situation.
my current contract is ending on the 25th Oct and I have no idea what to do.
I don't like what I do, but I can do it well and it pays well enough to make it worthwhile.

I have no direction and would be more than happy to retrain but I don't know as what.
In the back of my head I don't know if this is just 'me' and I'd dislike any job, or just the ones I've already had.

I suppose I must have. - Geotechnical Engineering. Good mix of inside and outside. Generally deal with other professionals who are sound. Salary OK.

@Ferris-Beuller
feel the same , esp. about IT and management. Personally as soon as the mortgage is done, i'll be part-time stacking in Sainsburys and the rest of the week MTB/road riding/skiing etc etc

but then i worry about mt (lack of) pension....

No
Next question

Ooooh boy.

I started feeling something wasn't right with the world in 99, left my long term (IT) job, started afresh in another (Phone) company. That didn't work out so after a year I left there for another phone company, that didn't work out so after a year I left there for a management consultancy, that didn't work out so I decided that the whole corporate thing was a problem and left there to retrain as a garden designer and worked for myself for a while. Then I nearly died and my world fell apart.

That was when I finally got some help to address what was really wrong and you know what, it was nothing to do with the corporate world. It's all to do with me and how my mind works. I couldn't have been happy no matter what I did. I'm still sorting that out but the garden design business died with the economy and now I can't even get an interview, let alone a job.

So my advice is to take some time and look at what's really making you feel the way you are. If it's the career then go ahead and change, but if it's something else then try changing that first.

[i]I'm sure i'm not the first to feel like this[/i]

In IT?!?! 99% of IT people I reckon!

Redundancy looming and how to get motivated to apply for a new IT job? I think I'd rather spend the rest of my days on a park bench with meths in a paper bag.

Yes.

I really enjoy my "paid work". I was lucky to be introduced to some ideas and skills by an Australian in the mid 90s and have made a living on the back of them since.

The biggest step was going freelance 8 years ago.

My brother (IT) is finally (after a lot of abuse and kicking from me) looking like he too will be going freelance soon (on the back of an existing corporate client) and I really hope he takes the opportunity to re-balance his life properly.

My ability to control my work/life balance means I get the time to play with a landy, chop wood, go on plumbing courses, build stuff, spend time with Mrs Stoner and of course look after the kids outside of the school day, unlike my dad who I hardly saw until gone 8pm each night.

But then other days, like today and yesterday, Im sitting in front of the computer threashing out some work, hitting problems, finding solutions, but getting a bit annoyed as there's a new part to fit to the landrover in the kitchen and I dont have time to go out to he workshop to do it.

My new air rifle has just arrive din the gunshop too, so I am going to drive into town later to pick it up. But not until I finish this piece of work. So I really ought to shut the STW page down and crack on... 🙁

Your not the only one. I believe very few people do things they love, most just do it for the money!
I know people who have taken different paths, it's a lot of hard work, but it can be rewarding.
My brother is setting up a ski chalet and will do summer Mtb. At the worst, it will be "at least he tried". At best he gets away from the daily grind. I doubt it will make him rich. He's had to save a lot and work hard to get it started.
Others I know work abroad for high pay, lots of time off and early retirement. Lots of hard work though and away from home.

I work in a job I hate, that I got into by accident, shit wages, but I work 9-5 (I refuse to do overtime), it's a safeish job in turbulent times. Best of all I can afford to bike and hang with my friends and family (the important things in life). But I don't like where the job is going.;
Unfortunately I'm being pushed into management. Management people are in general cocks, I hate all the stupid meetings. I hate the contractors I have to deal with.
Need a way out of management that's all.

My brother is setting up a ski chalet and will do summer Mtb. At the worst, it will be "at least he tried". At best he gets away from the daily grind.

This is my route for the next couple of years. Have thought about it for years. Finally time to take the plunge. (I've got everything crossed)

Oh yeah forgot to mention I'm an independant consultant, so like stoner have a lot ability to manage my time. - I think this is very important to maintaining sanity. The downside being, I'm very rarely completely on holiday.

The thought of being in my 40's and dealing with all the corporate sh*t and the jokers you find in middle management fills me with dread!

Kinda similar story to you - I had a proper graduate career path, left Uni for a well-paid IT job, then one day about 6 months in I looked around the office. A big open-plan office full of tubby, balding men who think postcode databases are the most exciting thing in the world, and realised that I couldn't live my life that way, So I quit to start a bike shop.

The problem I had was the big jolt between being independent and showing initiative and creative thinking in Uni, and being a small cog in a corporate machine. Now, after 15 years of working for myself, I'm pretty much unemployable anyway, so looks like this is it for me. Which I'm more than happy with.

Love my job, manage a YHA in the lakes and whilst it has it's ups and downs (I should be cleaning showers not typing this) it's still something i enjoy doing and want to develop in after 14 years.
Got into YHA whilst i was thinking about going into instructing but discovered that you get way more time to play in the hills if you are free in the afternoons and don't knacker yourself out leading the same walks and abseils all the time.

Since then, i've realised that the world of IT doesnt do it for me anymore and i have no idea what would now i stop think about it!!! Love the idea of being out in the fresh air, love riding, skiing, fitness etc

The thought of being in my 40's and dealing with all the corporate sh*t and the jokers you find in middle management fills me with dread!

So go work for a small startup type company and there won't be any middle management. Or start freelance consulting. There's also a reasonable amount of variety in IT, albeit nearly all office-based and using computers - obviously.

Is IT my dream job? It's not far off, I'd rather be doing more technical stuff than I am at the moment, and the risk of being driven into management is always there, but given a good client or project the job's creative, intellectually satisfying, and reasonably well paid.

Sure, I sometimes wish I had an outdoors job, but then you realise it's been raining everyday for the past week, and the appeal starts to fade...

I know of a guy who got sacked from a well known theme park. Needless to say, he sued for funfair dismissal....

I think he won the case.

Basically work is shit;if you enjoyed it they would not need to pay you

I was made redundant a month or two ago and have been enjoying being unemployed. Unfortunately it does not pay well but on the up side doing sod all is great.

Junky's kind of right... but I know folk who genuinely love their jobs.

My brother, for example. He's a chemistry lecturer at the Uni of Liverpool, with loads of research papers in progress and several free trips around the world each year... Loves it.

My Dad was a senior manager at a clay company... and (before he retired) lived for his work.

I am the failure of the family. 🙂 😯 😳 🙁 😥

Grass is always greener. I think especially office folks tend to think their real calling is working outside, getting all romantic about the idea, tending the land, chopping the wood, stroking the cattle or whatever.
Some of them make a move into that sort of thing and then find out it's freezing, backbreaking, the cows poo on you, wages suck etc.

I wouldn't like to work in an office but I studied hard to do what I do, same time as a lot of office-based roles and so it kind of annoys me that there is such wage disparity between a lot of office roles (IT) and skilled manual work.

I trained in cabinetmaking. It has good points and bad points same as anything. I'll never earn decent very wages but I suppose what I do is tangible. I teach it now so the rewards are more evident.

How I would love to be kayak23 right now...

Just this year I've discovered how much I like working with wood - and I'm actually pretty good at the basic stuff. Making a cabinet sounds awesome compared to writing about crap natural resources companies...

Basically work is shit;if you enjoyed it they would not need to pay you

Oh man, you sound like you need a hug.

A very good friend of mine (kind of like my godfather) is a cabinet maker. Very talented.
Burglars turned his workshop over last week, took every tool they could lift. He has no savings or insurance (uninsureable premises or somethign). He has no family so my family has been helping fund replacing all the tools. It will take him a long time to get back to where he was.

Stoner, that's crap. Poor guy. 🙁

I'm guessing you have never worked outdoors then. Growing up on a farm taught me that a job inside can be very good.

Oh man, you sound like you need a hug.

Your going to be a busy fella giving them all a hug 😉

How many would keep working if they did not need the money?

I reckon most people would continue to do some form of work if they became mega wealthy. If I suddenly didn't need to work I wouldn't spend all my time shuffling about in my slippers, I would look after my kids, write some open source software, help out in the village a bit more, look after my grandparents more often, probably get dragged into some mad cap scheme and find myself working like a slave again. All of those things are 'work' to someone.

similar thought shere though in my early forties, made all the more real by my Dad dieing in April whhih has really made me think..

He worked from 15 - 85 and loved every minute (a sailor and latterly a captain of a big yacht thing) retired when the yacht was sold and died a year or so later!

At his funeral there were many amazing stories and none of them started "one day in the office..."

Would really like to do something I love, maybe in bikes or something, that would let me spend more time with my family and have a bit more flexibility..

Run a little cycling event company with a mate but never going anywhee that would make it financially viable,also have a bit of a windfall from my dad which means my mortgage could be paid off very soon...

I just hate sitting in an office at a company that is going nowhere...

what to do....and would i have the balls???

Not staying in bed for the rest of your life is not necessarily working

I am sure i would do something to but it would be something i wanted to do not something i had to do to get money - Big difference

in answer to the original question

no

I don't know what my ideal job would be, probably something creative that had a good sense of achievement

or driving a car around a track all day

got bored of engineering after 20yrs - tried a few things and ended up where i am now (dealing with scrotes and whinging people) - have worked outside most of my career and love it, I tried an office job once, I lasted 3 weeks.
I'm now at a crossroads in my mid 40's, off work with stress (not the job, the f*-&*" management) and now working on my exit strategy - I am desperate to work for myself and do something that I enjoy so have a few plans that are gradually coming together. The most desirable one will be a gamble despite all the reasearch but I'm 100% sure that It'll work out - won't know till I try.

Yes,I went for something that I really enjoyed and it has always suited the quality of life I wanted for me ,and then my family.
I have never chased the big money.Enough is enough.Some people get too distracted by cash and ladder climbing.Happiness and peace of mind is a tricky recipe.IMO it takes an open mind,staying curious and the ability to be flexible to change .
The only times I was less than happy with things was when I was offshore and had less control over when I could be with the people that I wanted to be with.
Oh, and I never take what I have for granted.Life is good,so don't be scared ,get out there and grab it 😉

I've not found a job, never mind an ideal job...

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/giving-up-a-proper-job-to-work-in-the-lbs-pursuit-of-happiness-content

Handing in my notice on Monday, will let you know how it turns out 🙂

In order to avoid the rubbish handed down by middle management, get promoted to a senior manager position.

yep but too late in life and now it's dumped me 🙁

A very good friend of mine (kind of like my godfather) is a cabinet maker. Very talented.
Burglars turned his workshop over last week, took every tool they could lift.

Another downside of skilled manual work is that you generally have to buy all your own kit, and on a humble wage too. How many of you megabucks IT dudes had to buy your own computers? Huh? 😉

Self employed so all IT bought and paid for.
But even if you tot it all up, it still comes to less than the price of a small s/h table saw...

sadly, canal boat driver is not a viable career option any more and starship captain won't be for a while.

You won't get a balanced answer to that question here - all those who have found their vocation are too busy enjoying their work to be spending time on STW!

FWIW I've found being a contractor the best antidote to surviving the insanity of corporate life - gives you a bit of distance from the whole thing

@steelsreal @stoner good to hear your stories

There are some great sentiments on here and i feel slightly better for reading peoples experiences and thoughts.

It is a bit of a tightrope it seems with financial stability and the desire to do something different.....

Whats the phrase? Something about being stuck up a rock with a hard paddle.....oooo err!!

i set up my own buisness two years ago and yep i really love it for many reasons, i was of the same mind (engineering) and in many ways had given up. I stopped whineing about it and went for it. It was/is a massive challenge but not once have i not wanted to come in to work and the feeling of actually achieving something is great. It also allows me to spend way my time with my kids and do more things with them. I cant deny that the money is an influence but if i could afford it i probably would do it for nothing!. I was 40 when i got to that point and made this choice so similar in some ways to others here. Bottom line is if it went belly up tomorrow id still have made the right choice.

Needless to say, he sued for funfair dismissal....

Another downside of skilled manual work is that you generally have to buy all your own kit, and on a humble wage too. How many of you megabucks IT dudes had to buy your own computers?

That is a big downside, having to buy this computer - the advantage is no-ones going to moan if I spend all day surfing [s]porn[/s] STW on it.

Hmm. Tried big corporates, small start ups, started two of my own companies, they ended up getting quite big and stressful, but then corporate life seems to fit you or it doesn't. i saw a lot of defeated people in cubicles who were trapped in a job they hated.

Eventually just sold out and went mercenary. Yeah it's still doing stuff that doesn't massively excite me, but it pays bloody well on a day rate and there is a lot of work out there, non of which means I have to travel to London anymore.

I keep thinking 'after this contract, I'll quit for a year and do something else'. And every time a new contract comes up I think 'yeah but if I do I might not get another one'.

Compared to some of the horrible dead end jobs that many people have to endure, I tell myself I should be bloomin grateful to have found a way to make a decent living and not actively hating it on a daily basis. Thats about the limit of my aspiration 😉

I agree about the contracting statement ^ Have done it on and off for a number of years. Recent difficulties in finding work (I didn't want to work in that London) meant I rejoined the corporate world.

I'm 45 and have worked in IT for almost 25 years.

My happiest days were when I was hands on; now, I work for a large [i]blue[/i] corporation as a "consultant".

I really don't like it. I wouldn't say hate or despise it because of the client I'm working with; the people are great. However the corporate machine is very unpleasant. Like a poster on the previous page, I've also jumped from corporate giant to corporate giant after initially being Tupe'd into one. I've been unhappy since it first happenned. Maybe the previous poster is right. Maybe no-matter what job I do, I'm never going to feel fulfilled. Time to go and have a sit down and a good hard talking with myself.

I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up, but I do know it isn't working in IT. I've often fantasised about opening a little bistro (I love to cook) but it isn't compatible with wanting to see more of my children.

😐

I'm with a lot of Alex's sentiment, especially this:

Compared to some of the horrible dead end jobs that many people have to endure, I tell myself I should be bloomin grateful to have found a way to make a decent living and not actively hating it on a daily basis.

If you want a job you love so much that the money doesn't matter, then don't expect to be well-paid for it... stands to reason, the employer doesn't need to pay a lot to find people who'll do it.

If you want wealth, either take the risk and set up your own enterprise, or find that delicate balance between enough money without too much boredom/stress/meaninglessness.

IME most people feel pretty negative about their jobs - even the most successful of my friends say similar things... and happiness comes from letting go of expecting your job to bring you happiness... it gives you cash to go and do the things that bring you happiness...

Without wishing to get into some kind of virtual backslapping, I find Brooess analysis spot on. The things I really love doing would be rubbish jobs as a) I'm not good enough at them b) even if I was the pay is terrible and c) if my hobby was my job I bet it'd lose some lustre as a hobby.

At least I currently work for people who are doing some good (Charitable Org) and I genuinely want to help them be better at it. When I used to make money for Partners in a large consultancy I despised (both the individuals and the company), that use to be very conflicted!

I don't expect to get anything like the joy from work that I do from family/bikes/dossing about drinking beer and I'm fine with that. One funds the other. What's that phrase 'if at first you don't succeed redefine exactly what you mean by success'

And on that happy note, back to this powerpoint deck 😉

I'm trying to encourage my kids to do something they will enjoy and give them the freedom to make those kind of choices.

For me, I didn’t really have many options, I was looking after myself by 15 so the jobs chose me not the other way round.

Having said that it’s worked out ok. I've actually now worked in the motor industry for 30 years in one way or another and whilst recently that’s been for a big corporation. The work is interesting (Telematics) I have good degree of freedom and feel reasonably well rewarded.

Given a choice I would be a painter (pictures not your ceiling) but maybe it would spoil a hobby by making it a career.

As somebody above said, the grass is always greener...

Some of the guys I ride with have manual jobs and they think I am lucky to be in a warm office, injury free, drinking coffee and being reasonably well paid. I sometimes would like to be outdoors actually achieving something rather than playing the corporate game.

I keep sane by working hard enough to have a pretty good quality of life without living for my work. I spend as much time as I can doing stuff that makes me happy. Stuff I couldn't do if I didn't do the job that I do.

I also always have some sort of project on the go, be it MTB, motorbikes, a DIY project or anything that keeps my mind occupied.

I think even your dream job will get repetitive and soul destroying after enough years.

Head of Science at a large college,

Love teaching and could not imagine wanting to do any other job. I take all the comments about those than can do, and those that can't etc on the chin, I put up with ofsted, because at the end of the day I love sharing knowledge and helping students achieve.

I get good holidays, although not full school holidays, reasonable pay, and I work with some amazing people.

Out of uni I did research for a few years, I am so glad I decided that teaching was what I wanted to do with my life.

I retrained as a physiotherapist after a spending a few years working as a driving instructor. I was lucky and parachuted into working in elite sports. I love my job, and seem to be good at it. Would I do it if I wasnt paid for it - probably a yes.

I joined the TA and found out I am quite good at that.

It does make me wonder whether I would have been as good at it if I had joined straight out of uni and gone the conventional route to where I am now. I don't think so, but it does make me a bit wistful for the 17 years I may have wasted. I could have been a company commander by now.

If you don't like what your doing you've nothing to lose by leaving and trying other things, I've done 10 years in the Army , been a gas and heating engineer, fitted solar panels now I'm a mechanic on an Oil Rig and I'm 33 so theres always opportunity to change direction in life.

My mates just left the Army he's doing a bike mechanics course and is now in whistler doing a MTB guide course, he was a Mechanic then a Dog handler

I guess I'm saying you don't want to get to 80 and say I wish I'd been an Artist or something

Yes.

Not particularly happy with my current company, but that's going to end in five weeks - and I'm on holiday for one of those.

Had a long series of dead end sales jobs, then changed course and now get well paid for doing something I mostly enjoy. It pays for lots of toys and holidays and I'm incredibly lucky and happy with it.

I hated the sales thing, but I did meet my wife through one of those jobs, so it all worked out well.

Changing career CAN be done - I was in my mid-thirties when I did it - and it can be great. Will my work change the world? No. Never mind, it works for me. I'd be happy to help anyone else to do the same as I have if I could...

Happy days!

Might be worth reading what colour is my parachute...

Head of Science at a large college,

Love teaching

not so good at cyclo cross though 😉

I love teaching too except when I have to deal with the adults in the school, then I hate it.

Me and the Mrs quit jobs with big 4 accountancy firms in our late 20s to buy a chalet business in the alps. We moved from Leeds to Meribel, sold our house a year later and will go into our fifth winter season this December. All I can say is that it's hard work but we bloody love it. We're earning substantially less than we used to but in terms of quality of life there isn't much comparison. Mind you I'm on the lookout for a new bike at the minute and I've got a carbon Bronson wishlist and a second hand Spicy budget....

Work is a 4 letter word which some think means shit. I disagree. Ive:

Managed a supermarket
worked in a porn printers
night club bouncer
Musical stage show crew (Rocky horror was fun)
Concert rigger (the Prodigy)
sports therapist
Property Developer (self employed- property bubble surfer)
3G Telecomms Project Manager (all the usual networks all over uk)
Radio Engineer
Highways and Traffic Engineer
Engineering Consultant
Planning and Building Control Advisor
Currently a System Engineer

never been out of work, Happily married with 2.4 kids, am Chartered, have HND, Degree and Masters.

not yet 40.

could retire now but still enjoy my choices so far and the options open to me.

Are you still learning to live in the now like you may have done as a kid OP?, which seems to boil down to being interested in what you do, and concentrate on exactly what you are doing. Everything else falls into place. good and bad. circle of life.

The only good thing about my job is that it is safe. I am poorly paid and have no prospects of moving up in the company as there is only one person above me and he LOVES his job and isn't due to retire for about 20 years. I wish I had the cubes to give it up and do a job I enjoy or even work for myself but am too scared of it not working out and not being able to pay my mortguage.

Honours degree from uni followed by a global downturn in the industry I would have been employed in, so trained as a nurse. Been doing it for 26 years now, and am happy enough although I don't enjoy the nights, the 3 weekends out of four at work, the stresses and the canteen food.

I think it's a peculiarly specific aspirational class related thing to think that you can work in a job that you love and which fulfills you and which pays enough. The rest of the world, and the rest of the UK, work because they have to; to live to house themselves, to feed themselves and so on.

Vocation? Nah...anyone who thinks that is unfamiliar with the way nurses think.

Oh, I forgot, I'll also have a massive pension that I've stolen from angelic white haired orphans, or something...

(note the lack of any smiley at all.)

Quit engineering after two years to retrain as a teacher when I couldn't visualise spending my life doing my current career. Was a good job and all but just want ticking the right boxes.

Best decision I made in my life, the grass can be greener! Most days I cant believe I'm getting paid to "work" the hours might be long but they are all either fun or rewarding for the most part. And when I'm not doing a job I enjoy then I get some sweet long holidays. (True story, not trolling!)

Soo, jump ship would be my advice, life is to short. I did however spend over a year trying different jobs out at the weekend, calling people in different professions to discuss their jobs etc before taking the plunge.

Senior Manager (Director without the title or salary but with extra bullshit) in a faceless corporate entity.

35.

Can't complain at my career trajectory and future opportunities.

Married. 2 lovely kids. Mortgaged up to the eyeballs & permanently skint.

Bored. Unfulfilling for some reason. The more I scare myself on my bike, the less unfulfilled I feel.

Apprenticeship and 12 years in Engineering culminating in a lower management role within a large corporate company... Decided to have a year out and go travelling as I'd been working since 16. Met the ex wife and on return to the UK we ran a country pub...

The pub was brilliant fun made some good friends and being in control of your destiny was very satisfying but the 100 hour week and we made bugger all money for the time we invested... We moved into a restaurant at a NT house which was better hours and more healthy for us but the ex had a breakdown and lost it and everything went down the chute..... 🙁

I now work for a small company been here for the last 7 years , office based it's fairly technical and sales orientated but not stretching me. I've not had a pay rise for the last 4 years and I've reached the boredom that seems to affect lots of us (after reading some of the above posts) of someone approaching 40... I don't know what to retrain as or what to get into that isn't too risky or damage my home life and the pub trade is better stood on the pretty side of the bar.

I do feel better for this thread though as I am obviously not alone.

Quite happy as a househusband, thank you. No desire to search for alternate careers.

Quite happy as a househusband, thank you. No desire to search for alternate careers.

Secretly hoping this can be me when the Mrs returns to work after maternity leave next October!.

Left my desk grumpy last night, boring day, stepped outside and it was pissing down, got on the bike to ride home, got soaked, 1st time I had smiled all day.

I know a guy who gave up a 40k/yr job to go and do a thatching apprenticeship.

he lasted three weeks.

What was the last straw?

igm - Member

In order to avoid the rubbish handed down by middle management, get promoted to a senior manager position.

Done this; it doesn't help. There is always someone/something to answer to, and the pressure on you just increases exponentially. I look with envy at entry-level folk now.

I know a guy who gave up a 40k/yr job to go and do a thatching apprenticeship.
he lasted three weeks.

What was the last straw?