Absolute Beginners

By count von count

Hello, I'm count von count and this is my new shitflog.

I'm at the beginning of my career-shift. I have yet to decide what I want to do or where I want to go, I just know I can't carry on with my current situation.

"My current situation": I have been with the same company for six years and until last year really enjoyed my role: busy, varied, involved, valued. Following a change of management and a re-organisation I find myself bored, marginalised and reporting to people whom I neither trust nor respect. I could have walked away last year and picked up some free money but bizarrely I fought to win this new role in the re-shuffle, through fear of unemployment, wanting to keep the financial benefits that accrue with long service and wanting to be able to leave when I chose, on my terms.

So now I have a job that is dull and un-fulfilling but which is also easy, convenient, well-paid and has the added incentive of a large sum in free shares if I stick around until next spring. I realise there's not much to pity here but believe me, it's much harder to walk away from a well-paid job than from a poorly-paid one.

I could probably get another job in a similar role for not much less dough fairly easily but what would be the use? Sooner or later I'd arrive back at the same point: feeling trapped and unfulfilled, a few years older and facing an ever-shrinking job market. So I have to take the time to figure out what I really want from a job.

I've never really had a career, a path, a plan. I fell into accountancy by accident and never fell out again. I've always seen work as a means to an end: an effective method of gathering sufficient cash to fund my lifestyle. Somehow, without ever really trying too hard, I've found myself making a decent living. That justification - it doesn't matter what you do as long as you get well paid for it - doesn't work for me any more.

Somewhere there's a job for me that balances adequate financial reward with real fulfillment, stimulus and challenge. All I have to do is find it...

Next time: laid bare by the psychometer; breaking out of the comfort zone.

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By Selina Barker on 29 June 2007 at 11:56

Our new freestyle-careers expert has answered your shiftsurgery question. I think you'll be inspired! Let us know what you think in your next post.
Great to have you blogging on the site - I like your style! looking forward to reading more from you.


By essjai on 26 February 2008 at 22:40

Hi Count,
I've just come across Careershifters, and am hoping to get some insight into the big shift. I've tried a few things in the past which didn't pan out - and I'm back (for the second time) in the same safe, steady rather dull world of employment once more. I'm still searching for the fulfillment factor, but I wanted to ask what situations are you putting your self in to find out where you really want to be.


By Selina Barker on 29 April 2008 at 19:46

Essjai - I can tell you some of the things I went through - you can check some of them out in my own blog on the site...but when I was career shifting I wrote regular wish lists of things I wanted to try out. I looked back to what I loved doing as a kid for inspiration, or looked at who my heroes were and what inspired me about what they did.
My wish list had all sorts on it from 'explore the UK, work at a festival, work on an icecream van, have an adventure in a campervan, make jewelry, talk more Spanish...'. Whether having this list made me focus in on where to find these opportunities or whether these opportunities found me I don't know - but I got to do them all. Not only was life full of fun and new experiences but in the process I got to learn about my skills and strengths and what environments and activities really made me tick.

I honestly believe that forgetting about 'work' for a moment and going out and enjoying yourself can be one of the best ways to open up new career paths.

Good luck with it all.

x Selina


By Beetroot on 25 April 2008 at 14:19

Hello Count,
The best book I've ever read on this 'what is my thing?' issue is one called 'What Should I Do With My Life?' by Po Bronson. It's not a self-help book, it doesn't make you do tests or quizzes and it won't tell you what to do - it's basically a collection of interviews/stories about a whole load of different people who have asked that question and tried to figure it out. I found it really supportive (it helped me realise I wasn't mad to be thinking 'is this it?' in my old job) and made me realise that there's not necessarily one 'perfect' answer, and that people find all sorts of routes into doing things they love.
I'm now at the stage where I know the kind of skills I want to use and the areas that interest me most, and am now trying to find a way to balance getting the training I need without sacrificing have some sort of a life, or taking out monster-loans... so I'm still 'shifting' but reading that book made me a lot more flexible and positive!
Good luck!


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