Halp!

By salsera

Hi all

I hope there is someone out there who might be able to help me find some direction. It's almost 5 years since I graduated in Graphic Design and I have drifted quite far away from that path.

At the moment I am working as an Administrator within Education. It is extremely dull, and I have no opportunity to contribute apart from on what feels like a very basic level.

I have worked for the last 4 years mainly in professional services generating all their publishing output, i.e. books, brochures, web material. So it was kind of creative and specialist but in a more conventional environment.

I have never really been able to stick at my jobs before and I am not sure why. I was not good at coping with corporate and high stress environments, but now I do miss working in the big city.. the social life and money was great.

I do know that I am extremely individual and come alive when I am working on my own, using my own ideas and working autonomously.

I've been considering opportunities to write either fiction or for women's features in magazines but haven't done much research yet.

I also am dying to travel more, all I have seen is the big grey smoke of London and various soul crunching offices! But I wouldn't like to do teaching (hate public speaking).

Anyone else stuck in admin? I don't know whether it's worth sticking it out for a year or trying to move sooner rather than later. I am scared I have lost my opportunity for a more interesting career by settling for a menial office job. 

 

 

How can we make Careershifters better?

Do you like following our shiftloggers' progress? What else would you like to see on this site?

Give us your feedback

By salsera

Hi The writing placement fell through as they offered it to grads who can stay abroad for at least a month. I could not afford to quit my job or take longer than 2 weeks leave. But I went away on my own for the first time to Spain and it opened up a new world for me. It was so refreshing and I practiced my Spanish. I really enjoyed this and found myself picking it up quite well. I think this could be my 'thing'! I am going to sign up for some evening/weekend classes now. I have returned with more ideas and still a stronger pull towards a certain direction. Very exciting! Now I have rested I am going to start looking for something more interesting over here, or the possibility of working abroad. I did do my own travel writing on hols which is a start :) Will post my blog up soon.

By salsera

I feel very energized. Maybe as it is 4pm on a Friday afternoon, and it's sunny, but finally I think things are moving in the right direction.. I may be on the verge of getting a writing stint, unpaid, but it is experience. I am sooooo excited?!? Looking back on my previous posts I am glad to see I am not depressed any more and I am spending all the time I can to doing more of what I love. This is leading me to make new and useful contacts who are helping me rather than say: "Yeah right", and I've realised how valuable time is.. I am still in my boring job but undercover I am really putting effort into developing myself.

By LizH

Hi Salsera! The writing experience looks great and I'm really happy to hear things are starting to look up for you. As a fellow writer I understand how important it is to surround yourself with people who believe in you and are rooting for you. All the best with the writing, sounds like you are taking all the right steps!

By Sab

Thank you for sharing such a positive comment! And as you find out how valuable your time is, you'll also see how valuable YOU are and these opportunities will come your way! Good luck for the writing job, let us know how it goes. Also, if you have a personal blog for your writing let us know about it so other readers can take a look! Sab

By salsera

Starting to take ACTION: Hi I feel I am doing all I can in terms of research and have determined things I enjoy and want to pursue. I have spoken to two life coaches and attended the Careershifters workshop - all of which has helped me build quite a vivid picture of the life I want. I have yet to have an "epiphany" of the perfect job I should be going for, but I do have more idea of things I want to develop (creative writing + travelling, maybe both). I've not tried the massage course yet but recently started blogging about my career change (it looks more like a long moanfest and is read only by myself at the moment to track my progress) and I found that I was really enjoying writing. I had some online counselling this year and the counsellor thought I could write beautifully! This gave me a real buzz. I was recently offered a month's work experience to work abroad and write for a travel guide, and wasn't able to do it, because I couldn't get a month off work :( I am really frustrated!!! Feel like I am going to be trapped here forever. It would be a gamble to go and do unpaid work but will be a necessity it seems. I was glad to get a good response so early on though. I would love to be as brave as the people I hear of who've up and left their job, but I have done that before and suffered months of unemployment. I cannot do that at the moment. Anyone have any advice?

By salsera

Thanks Sab, Really inspired just through reading this site and I am already trying to do some of the things you suggested. Career transition will take some time but as long as I am doing something every day I feel I am learning more about myself and taking small steps to finding more fulfilling work, as well as enjoying life more!

By Sab

i wouldn't worry yourself thinking that you may have 'lost an opportunity', - you can always find and create opportunities for yourself. So don't freak out! There are huge amounts of resources available in terms of books, online articles, right here at Careershifters we have the Guide (http://www.careershifters.org/node/1065) as well as workshops. If you feel you need to, you may want to get one-to-one advice from a career coach (http://www.careershifters.org/resources/Career+coaches). In the meantime, congratulate yourself for taking the decision to change your career and continue to explore possibilities. You sound like you could be very creative, so perhaps one way to 'deal' with your current admin job would be to start an art project on the side (could you even do it in your lunchbreaks?!) Sab x

By salsera

Are there any extra resources I can use? I really would like to talk to someone about my career crisis and am really struggling to get through the day in my job, as I am so bored and frustrated.

By Selina Barker

Brilliant! If you ever worried you'd end up stuck in an office job for the rest of your life, I think it's safe to say you never will be. Not with this passion to be out of there! You're in a perfect place - with the push of not being able to stand your office job and pull of your interest in alternative therapies. This will keep you moving forward.

I would recommend doing a short course in massage therapy, if that's what appeals most, so that you can really try it on for size and start to get a feel for what it would be like spending your day doing it.

x Selina

ps Often it's when you're feeling TOTALLY fed up with your current situation that you're getting really close to making a break through with your career change...keep us posted ; )


By salsera

So I am really starting to get sick of working in this dull admin job. I feel half dead. I am like a zombie. I have almost passed a 6 month probation but am already planning my escape. I know I cannot settle in this sort of job.

I noticed that as soon as I step out of the office I come alive again, it's like a breath of fresh air. I have spent most of my career in these sort of jobs and I don't know much else. There must be more interesting ways to make a living.

I am thinking about what my biggest interests are at the moment and I am currently being treated with a range of complementary therapies for health/stress reasons.. I am thinking more and more about taking up massage therapy as a possible career. I am a big fan of massage and am finding that it is healing me in many ways. I would like to learn how to give massages as well and work in a calm and holistic environment. I am going to ask at the place I usually go to where their therapists train.. Dare I say I am becoming an addict to this sort of stuff.

I have always been interested in health, nutrition and have benefited greatly from alternative therapies. I ordered a book called Find Your Dream Career still haven't read it yet but I will make a start.

Really hating office job I only like it for the steady and decent wage but it is no way to live!


25 Top Tips to Kick-Start Your Career

Recent comments