Is it time for a new career in my life?

Life’s too short to spend it doing something that you hate.

Standard of living vs satisfaction with work. People say if you follow your passion, the money will come. You probably have no idea the stress you are under due to the lack of fun you are having at work. It can shorten your life. Then, lack of health insurance could shorten you life, too.

If you don’t have dependents, then go. Follow your passion. If you do have dependents, discuss this with them before you make your decision.

Bill, you state that you’re with a “global corporation.” Might there be other opportunnities in the company where you could find a better fit/greater happiness?

I’m all for following your passion, and I’ve seen great success with many who have done that. In a sense, I did that myself—first taking a fairly large cut in pay to follow my dream, but certainly overcoming that in a very short time.

I have also seen a fair number of people make a mistake by thinking that their success lies elsewhere. You certainly have described your unhappiness, boredom, dissatisfaction, etc.; but I’m not necessarlity sensing huge problems here. Bill, I don’t know you—didn’t even know you before Initech burned down—so take my advice with a grain of salt. Were I you, I would really, truly question what I could do to change the current environment I’m in or if there is another department in which I could make a contribution. As you approach the higher-ups in the food chain, always be mindful of how you can frame the discussion so that THEY see the best possible outcome. Right now, it’s all about you ;-)

Good luck!

I currently work for a place that pays me about half of what the average CNC Machinist at my level of experience makes. However, I have not looked elsewhere for a job, even though I see placed that start at 150–200% of my current wage hiring like mad.

You may think me crazy, but here is the deal. Like many people, I have a list of things I look for in a job. Pay is definitely on there, but so are things like security (my current employer has never laid people off while the last place that paid me average wages laid me off after a month), and the work environment.

I can give my supervisor the finger and he will just laugh and call me an asshole; try that where you are! Can you call the VP/co-founder of your place of employment by their first name without getting reprimanded for a lack of respect? If you need a day or a week…or a month off because you need a day/week/month, will there be any repercussions beyond lost wages if you lack the vacation/sick time to cover it?

See, I am quite severely underpaid, but that is the only thing I don’t like about my job. I never dread going in. I don’t fear my superiors. I don’t worry about being let go. I still make enough to pay the bills, and I don’t have to spend any of that on therapy or anti-anxiety meds. I do what I love (playing with computers and making stuff) in a relaxed environment full of people I get along with, and that more than offsets the fact that I should be earning more since if I worked almost anyplace else, I would be willing to take a pay cut to enjoy the benefits I do now.

You are like my step-father; you wear Golden Handcuffs. He was roped into a job he felt neutral about working for people he hated simply because he was earning ~$100K/yr. I earn around $20K/yr, yet I am far happier at my job than he ever was at his.

My uncle is another example. He spent many years in a commercial kitchen because he loved to cook. In his early-40s, he burnt out and decided to go with jobs that used his mechanical aptitude; building superintendent, furnace repair, etcetera. Sure, it meant his real estate agent wife had to pick up the slack due to the pay cut, but he was so happy to be out of the kitchen that he could finally actually enjoy cooking dinner for his family.

So tell us; what are your priorities?

I made a career change back in 1965. I was a disc jokey in Nashville. The pay sucked and you are never at one radio station more than three years. I had always wanted to be a police officer. So, one day I walked into my police department and filled out a job application. I was hired on the spot. They knew I was in the National Guard and that background check would be sufficient for this one. I had to wait 6 months, in order to handle a firearm. I retired from there two years ago.

I have never regretted the action I took. I knew a had a wife and a child on the way and I needed medical insurance and everything else that goes with a government job.

I did finish two years at The University of Tennessee. That helped with my pay and raises.

I want to move on from this job, but there is nothing out there! How do I simply change my career?

1) Figure out what you like to do.
Like I said, I like computers and making stuff. What are your interests?

2) Figure out what job(s) intersect with that list.
The first C in CNC stands for Computer. Machinists make things; we take hunks of material and make them into interesting shapes. CNC machinist use computers to make things. Perfect fit!
So, are there any jobs that fit your list?

3) Research which of those are in demand, possibly looking at related fields.
Database Administrators use computers, so that job kind of intersects my list. CNC Machinists overlap my list more though, and both are in demand. I got lucky with my choice, but you might get lucky too.

4) Do it!
Just do it!

You lose nothing by starting to look around, registering with some job agencies, networking and letting people you trust know you are looking.

Also, if you don’t want to stay in the same field, think about doing some training/courses to get you the qualifications to move into another area or to get the paperwork to support experience you might already have.

Sometimes I think knowing you are taking action to get out of a situation helps you feel a lot better about it.