Career Comedowns

[Turkish]

This is apparently now a thing and it's causing a lot of people to feel depressed and unfullfiled. It's basically when you've spent a good part of your life in a career, got a few pay rises and promotions and then realised that it isn't what you want to do. So basically it's everyone who isn't doing their dream job and have got a bit bored. Are you feeling depressed because you are unfulfilled in your career, or are you grateful for what you've got?

[buctootim]

I'm bored. I could do something more interesting but then I probably wouldnt be able to work from home 4 days pw or get paid as much. I've done edgy, worthwhile, famous people stuff in the past which means its easier now to sell out, bank the cash, go on holiday and get new tweeters for the car stereo.     

[Holmes_and_Watson]

"I never had a career. Only work." - Professor Bernard Quatermass

[Fan The Flames]

Hasn't it been standard for decades to get to a certain age and get a bit bored or question decisions you made when you were younger. 

It's possible to be both grateful for what you've got and wistful for the paths you didn't go down. I know I'm both.

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, Fan The Flames said:

Hasn't it been standard for decades to get to a certain age and get a bit bored or question decisions you made when you were younger. 

It's possible to be both grateful for what you've got and wistful for the paths you didn't go down. I know I'm both.

Well yes, but apparently it's now a thing and cause of great depression. Im same as you, what i do now wouldn't have been what i dreamt of doing at 10, 16, or 20 but it's given me a good lifestyle, i enjoy most aspects of the job and it has it's perks, yesterday i got paid to go an play golf all day for example. If i was 18 again i'd do something in Sport as that is where my passion is and always has been. 

 

I think generally people these days chase the coin and dont really care so much about what they do, then regret it when they realise there is more to life than money. For example my niece has just finished her GCSEs, she is going to sixth form, isn't particularly bright or academic yet she's going to study A level law because she thinks she can earn lots of money in that career, she isn't interested in the subject whatsoever, guarantee before Christmas she'll be wanting to change her course. Her parents were trying to make her do Computer Science FFS, she's nether interested or intelligent enough to make a career out that. her parents are very materialistic so pushing her down the make the most money as you can route, not actually what she wants to do, it saddens me to see it,

The dream scenario is do something you're good at, passionate about and can earn enough money to support yourself then you've struck gold, even 3 out of those 3 things are better than 80% of the population have it.

Edited 14 July, 2023 by Turkish

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

On 14/07/2023 at 15:16, Turkish said:

Yesterday i got paid to go an play golf all day for example. If i was 18 again i'd do something in Sport as that is where my passion is and always has been. 

Agreed, golf isn't a real sport.

[whelk]

Natural to get a bit disillusioned about careers and comes a time where it probably too late to change dramatically without a significant salary hit. I think I have done ok and have reasonable amount of autonomy although if had my time again would be more committed to running my own company.

Is amusing seeing younger careerists investing so much in an organisation and do think can become too unhealthy if work too hard.  A couple of mates have done phenomenally well but at expense of their marriages. Also see some young managers who have huge ambition but not wisdom and wherewithal to make good decisions. Also some can’t cope with responsibility or have the character but want the money and kudos of being management.

 

 

Edited 16 July, 2023 by whelk

[Smirking_Saint]

I think a lot of the fires of disillusionment these days are stoked by the swathes of social media accounts that portray their lives as being idyllic (which is all part of the algorithm) or even being smashed round the face by get rich schemes etc

Times are very different in that case and as a bloke in my mid 30s I sort of feel I have a foot in both camps, one in the older world pre SM overload and one IN this new world of SM overload

I started as a youngster with a dream of a job in sport, and through some connections I have managed to get plenty for coaching experience as well as my badges… fortunately in the back ground Id also embarked in a career in engineering and, long and the short I had to weigh up what I wanted and frankly the rewards were better in engineering

Its a career that gives me a LOT of autonomy for a very good pay, I just have a significant level of responsibilities and the odd unsociable hours of which I sort of don’t have to do ‘officially’ but also due to my employment I have to to avoid critique

 

FWIW I also, couple of years ago had a semi successful SM career, I earnt about 1k a month out of it but it was SO much work to stay on top of and so I let it slip, so despite the promise of riches it really is a hellish landscape and takes up FAR too much of your time

[Turkish]

3 hours ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Agreed, golf isn't a real sport.

Probably should point out i meant I was getting paid whilst playing golf at a corporate golf day not being paid to play golf. Just for the benefit of some of the thick cunts on here who thought I’d been shot down 😀

Edited 16 July, 2023 by Turkish

[Smirking_Saint]

25 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Probably should point out i meant I was getting paid whilst playing golf at a corporate golf day not being paid to play golf. Just for the benefit of some of the thick cunts on here who thought I’d been shot down 😀

Teflon Turkish

[S-Clarke]

Hasn't this always been a thing though, people not happy with their job on a Sunday evening/Monday morning? Is there a generation now making more out of this than need be? (as with everything else). Or does it translate to them being out of their depth and not able to do the job they're in??

A career is a means to an end really, but like others on here looking back I'd have probably done something different. I think it's important not to focus on the chase the most dollar, don't rush it thinking you need to earn x by year 2026 or whatever. First and foremost is to find a career you know you'll fit into and grow in, the money will usually follow after that - and at the end of the day, what's more important? Having tons of money, hating your job, and not having any time to do anything or see your family? Or somewhat enjoying your job and earning enough to live a comfortable lifestyle? I know what I'd choose tbh.

No one has ever loved 'jobs' or loved working though, only a tiny, tiny select few ever get that dream job. In the main it is a means to an end - you just need to find the right fit for you so you can make the best out of it for yourself. 

Edited 16 July, 2023 by S-Clarke

[Ted Bates Statue]

 

On 14/07/2023 at 15:16, Turkish said:

I think generally people these days chase the coin and dont really care so much about what they do, then regret it when they realise there is more to life than money. For example my niece has just finished her GCSEs, she is going to sixth form, isn't particularly bright or academic yet she's going to study A level law because she thinks she can earn lots of money in that career, she isn't interested in the subject whatsoever, guarantee before Christmas she'll be wanting to change her course. Her parents were trying to make her do Computer Science FFS, she's nether interested or intelligent enough to make a career out that. her parents are very materialistic so pushing her down the make the most money as you can route, not actually what she wants to do, it saddens me to see it,

The dream scenario is do something you're good at, passionate about and can earn enough money to support yourself then you've struck gold, even 3 out of those 3 things are better than 80% of the population have it.

 

Does your niece know what she's good at or interested in? I certainly didn't really know what I wanted to be at that age and I imagine a huge amount of people end up in their long-term careers either by accident or by a very convoluted route. I always feel a bit astounded to come across younger people being single-minded enough to pursue a certain career path, let alone achieve it.

What I would say is I believe that careers and work experience, but particularly vocational careers don't get promoted well enough at school, all at the expense of academic subjects and exams towards the conveyor belt of sending everyone to university. The modern expectation of needing to be a graduate to get almost any job, and then being saddled with student debt in the process has to be a significant factor. In that respect maybe it's not the worst thing to aim high, but that assumes that the student can grind it out for three or more years - otherwise it's just more money down the pan.

I think a lot of this comes from the misplaced notion you hint of, that we should be happy all the time. In reality, as long as everything's not totally shit, then maybe we should be counting our blessings. The trouble is knowing whether the grass really is greener on the other side. Often it isn't.

Personally I find there's a fine line between finding work mentally stimulating and being overwhelmed. I might dream of the quiet life on a regular basis but if things get too straightforward, it gets mind-numbingly boring which is no good at all, not to mention the desire to stave off any threat of redundancy.

It definitely helps to try and identify the positives, however small they might be at times. Certainly, working with decent people is a big plus and probably quite a rare occurrence in life.

The main thing is that most of us probably wouldn't want to work for a living if they didn't have to, so the best way to handle that is finding some meaning in whatever we do end up doing, and that's way easier said than done. Even if it is something you might be initially passionate about, once you have to do it as a regular job, surely a combination of the hours and the competitiveness in the field are liable to evaporate a lot of the enjoyment out of it.

Eventually I guess it boils down to being good enough to hold the job down without burning out, while being able to cherish the time with family or whatever you wish to do in the remaining spare moments in life.

 

 

 

[Saint Luke]

I would say that I don’t enjoy my job - where I am now. I have been here for nigh on 24 years so maybe a tad stale. 
I am in a senior position earn good money but it’s not what keeps me going. 
Pressure get’s to me at times.

I have not eat out really as mortgage runs until retirement age not that it’s that big but means I need to earn a certain amount which going and doing a more rewarding but lower paid job won’t cover.

Also at my age - 58 - getting a new job ain’t that easy and I also work in quite a niche market -  contract furniture design which is quite incestuous - every one knows everyone else - my boss would find out I was looking.

[sadoldgit]

11 hours ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Agreed, golf isn't a real sport.

True, and it spoils a good walk.

Still, it makes a change from him being  paid for trolling on a social media forum all day.

😉

[ecuk268]

11 hours ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Agreed, golf isn't a real sport.

There are only 3 sports:

Football, cricket and women's beach volleyball.

The rest are mere games.

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, sadoldgit said:

True, and it spoils a good walk.

Still, it makes a change from him being  paid for trolling on a social media forum all day.

😉

I see you’ve forgotten you’ve got me on ignore again. Caught out again absolutely full of shit 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Edited 16 July, 2023 by Turkish

[Raging Bull]

The 1 thing I wish I’d done when I was younger was do an apprenticeship and get qualified in something that I could fall back on - and is something I’m going to be guiding my eldest into when the time comes in a couple of years. 
 

I’ve had some big losses and big wins in business. Days when I’ve sat on my arse day after day making 3k per day on an 80% net margin, and months/years when I wasn’t sure if I’d ever stop working 7 days a week, month after month and completely burning out. 
 

But the 1 thing I crave now more than ever is time. Money is nice but definitely not something I now chase. I’m much happier for it, too. 

[SotonianWill]

Actually good advice here. I look forward to giving the same advice after neglecting all this information in the future. 

[Weston Super Saint]

11 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

True, and it spoils a good walk.

Still, it makes a change from him being  paid for trolling on a social media forum all day.

😉

Yet the Mods don't want to move this post that is completely off topic and is basically a jibe at another poster.

Weird how they are trigger happy some of the time @Lighthouse

Edited 17 July, 2023 by Weston Super Saint

[Smirking_Saint]

10 hours ago, Raging Bull said:

The 1 thing I wish I’d done when I was younger was do an apprenticeship and get qualified in something that I could fall back on - and is something I’m going to be guiding my eldest into when the time comes in a couple of years. 
 

I’ve had some big losses and big wins in business. Days when I’ve sat on my arse day after day making 3k per day on an 80% net margin, and months/years when I wasn’t sure if I’d ever stop working 7 days a week, month after month and completely burning out. 
 

But the 1 thing I crave now more than ever is time. Money is nice but definitely not something I now chase. I’m much happier for it, too. 

I think Ill definitely say time > money but that is an easy statement to make if you are at a point where you are financially comfortable 

What I ‘would’ say is time isn’t as important when you’re a bit younger, of course its lovely being able to piss it up all day if you wanted, in your 20’s, but its vastly more important to be able to witness your young family grow, so trying to get yourself into a position to do that is priceless imo

Of course thats no disrespect to those that actively chase the money hard, we’re all different

Ive always found chasing more knowledge/responsibility is better in the long run to chasing immediate recompense…. Knowledge/responsibility generally has more longevity and doesn’t work you into the ground

[Turkish]

19 hours ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

 

 

Does your niece know what she's good at or interested in? I certainly didn't really know what I wanted to be at that age and I imagine a huge amount of people end up in their long-term careers either by accident or by a very convoluted route. I always feel a bit astounded to come across younger people being single-minded enough to pursue a certain career path, let alone achieve it.

What I would say is I believe that careers and work experience, but particularly vocational careers don't get promoted well enough at school, all at the expense of academic subjects and exams towards the conveyor belt of sending everyone to university. The modern expectation of needing to be a graduate to get almost any job, and then being saddled with student debt in the process has to be a significant factor. In that respect maybe it's not the worst thing to aim high, but that assumes that the student can grind it out for three or more years - otherwise it's just more money down the pan.

I think a lot of this comes from the misplaced notion you hint of, that we should be happy all the time. In reality, as long as everything's not totally shit, then maybe we should be counting our blessings. The trouble is knowing whether the grass really is greener on the other side. Often it isn't.

Personally I find there's a fine line between finding work mentally stimulating and being overwhelmed. I might dream of the quiet life on a regular basis but if things get too straightforward, it gets mind-numbingly boring which is no good at all, not to mention the desire to stave off any threat of redundancy.

It definitely helps to try and identify the positives, however small they might be at times. Certainly, working with decent people is a big plus and probably quite a rare occurrence in life.

The main thing is that most of us probably wouldn't want to work for a living if they didn't have to, so the best way to handle that is finding some meaning in whatever we do end up doing, and that's way easier said than done. Even if it is something you might be initially passionate about, once you have to do it as a regular job, surely a combination of the hours and the competitiveness in the field are liable to evaporate a lot of the enjoyment out of it.

Eventually I guess it boils down to being good enough to hold the job down without burning out, while being able to cherish the time with family or whatever you wish to do in the remaining spare moments in life.

 

 

 

No she doesn't, she says she wants to earn loads of money. A lot of kids dont know what they want to do at that age which is perfectly normal but i find her parents forcing her to take subjects she wont enjoy and has no interest in because they think she might make a career out of it very weird. They were trying to get her to do computer science, she has no interest in that and would hate it.

To me GCSE and A levels are more about your aptitude to study, learn and deal with exams rather than the subject, obviously you need to grounding in Maths and English and it's a bit different if you go to university but i think there is far more value at  A level study a subject you're interested in and doing well at that rather than spending two years struggling along in a subject you hate, not doing as well as you could have because that's what people think you should be doing. When my son is choosing options and then post school education i'll be encouraging him to do stuff he enjoys and it good at rather than being able to boast to friends my kid is currently studying law, for example.

Edited 17 July, 2023 by Turkish

[Fan The Flames]

On 14/07/2023 at 15:16, Turkish said:

Well yes, but apparently it's now a thing and cause of great depression. Im same as you, what i do now wouldn't have been what i dreamt of doing at 10, 16, or 20 but it's given me a good lifestyle, i enjoy most aspects of the job and it has it's perks, yesterday i got paid to go an play golf all day for example. If i was 18 again i'd do something in Sport as that is where my passion is and always has been. 

 

I think generally people these days chase the coin and dont really care so much about what they do, then regret it when they realise there is more to life than money. For example my niece has just finished her GCSEs, she is going to sixth form, isn't particularly bright or academic yet she's going to study A level law because she thinks she can earn lots of money in that career, she isn't interested in the subject whatsoever, guarantee before Christmas she'll be wanting to change her course. Her parents were trying to make her do Computer Science FFS, she's nether interested or intelligent enough to make a career out that. her parents are very materialistic so pushing her down the make the most money as you can route, not actually what she wants to do, it saddens me to see it,

The dream scenario is do something you're good at, passionate about and can earn enough money to support yourself then you've struck gold, even 3 out of those 3 things are better than 80% of the population have it.

Part of the issue is that as you go higher up the food chain your job changes and invariably gets more boring. When I started out I was out on site a lot, or hiding driving between sites. Now I'm office based more and paper pushing, it isn't the same job but it's higher paid and I'm not being chased about by a shit boss, but it's not as enjoyable.

I think the key is to not just think about what you want to do, but how you want to work. I said this to my daughter and she worked out she doesn't want to be in an office, so is training to be a midwife. She's gone from being a less than average student to being top in her year at uni.

Her boyfriend on the otherhand is chasing the money despite being warned by the older guys doing new build plumbing that ten years down the line you can get stuck. I'm telling him to invest in himself now, but he would rather have a £1000 coat, a car he can't really afford and waste time and money chasing bitcoin, dubious betting schemes and shit investment proposals, all because he knows someone who knows someone who reckons they made a shit load doing it. But when you see that they are bombarded with perfect life tix toks and the reality of house prices you can kind of understand.

 

[Smirking_Saint]

1 hour ago, Fan The Flames said:

Part of the issue is that as you go higher up the food chain your job changes and invariably gets more boring. When I started out I was out on site a lot, or hiding driving between sites. Now I'm office based more and paper pushing, it isn't the same job but it's higher paid and I'm not being chased about by a shit boss, but it's not as enjoyable.

I think the key is to not just think about what you want to do, but how you want to work. I said this to my daughter and she worked out she doesn't want to be in an office, so is training to be a midwife. She's gone from being a less than average student to being top in her year at uni.

Her boyfriend on the otherhand is chasing the money despite being warned by the older guys doing new build plumbing that ten years down the line you can get stuck. I'm telling him to invest in himself now, but he would rather have a £1000 coat, a car he can't really afford and waste time and money chasing bitcoin, dubious betting schemes and shit investment proposals, all because he knows someone who knows someone who reckons they made a shit load doing it. But when you see that they are bombarded with perfect life tix toks and the reality of house prices you can kind of understand.

 

Ahh tbf… there is plenty of money to be made from Crypto, although Ive changed my view on it as not something really that I would be comfortable investing anymore than 15% of my net worth into… but trading, if you are applying safety into your trades, is very profitable 

[badgerx16]

Sometimes it isn't the job that loses it's luster per se, sometimes it's ruined by crap management turning a job you enjoy doing into a nightmare.

[cloggy saint]

1 hour ago, badgerx16 said:

Sometimes it isn't the job that loses it's luster per se, sometimes it's ruined by crap management turning a job you enjoy doing into a nightmare.

That's exactly what happened to me. I was doing a job I loved for ten years and then my manager had a breakdown and I had to answer to someone else who was a complete tool, so I retired at 48 and haven't looked back.

[Turkish]

3 hours ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Ahh tbf… there is plenty of money to be made from Crypto, although Ive changed my view on it as not something really that I would be comfortable investing anymore than 15% of my net worth into… but trading, if you are applying safety into your trades, is very profitable 

tell me more....

[Smirking_Saint]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

tell me more....

Um… at a basic level, if you understand trading at support and resistance levels then Crypto, especially when its bullish is perfect because of its volatility.. you can trade it like any other asset or currency but it tends to offer you more opportunities 

The differences are trend reversals can be hard and the market always shits itself in either direction depending on Bitcoin price action BUT I made a fair amount during the last bull cycle leveraging support/resistance lines… just make sure your stop losses are super tight in the opposite direction.. i.e if you are longing support then set a stop loss just under support etc

Ive not traded again with it yet as the market got really stale post Russia/Ukraine so I moved most of my trading money into the S&P 500 so I might mess about again if the Crypto market starts to wake up abit

[Saint in Paradise]

On 17/07/2023 at 07:18, ecuk268 said:

There are only 3 sports:

Football, cricket and women's beach volleyball.

The rest are mere games.

I think you really mean Men's Football, Men's Cricket and Woman's ( NOT Men's ) Beach Volleyball. 😁

 

NZ Sky TV have started banging on about some Woman's World Cup thing starting next week or so.

I have managed to offend my wife and some female neighbours by suggesting that it's not the standard

of Football I enjoy watching even though they are 100% better than me.

[ashnats]

On 18/07/2023 at 23:05, Saint in Paradise said:

I think you really mean Men's Football, Men's Cricket and Woman's ( NOT Men's ) Beach Volleyball. 😁

 

NZ Sky TV have started banging on about some Woman's World Cup thing starting next week or so.

I have managed to offend my wife and some female neighbours by suggesting that it's not the standard

of Football I enjoy watching even though they are 100% better than me.

If you have "standards" when it comes to watching football, you have chosen poorly, not sure any of us saints fans can be critical of any other team, mens or womens, when we watch our utter dross week on week.