Career Angst

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Hey there,
Is anyone else experiencing career angst at this juncture, or is it just me?  :o

I've been the computer guy forever.  I've reached total burnout, and I'm not sure what to do with all this experience.  This job is good, benefit wise, but spiritually, I feel like a salty slug, shriveling...

I know, the economy is in the toilet and I should just stay put.  But I'm restless, and starting to hate coming to this place everyday...thoughts?

[my_evening_jacket]

no advise, but I am right there with you - except I don't even think my job is all that great - benefit wise

I am going to ride it out until the economy changes

or the jacket hires me as tour support

or I win the lottery.........

[DD]

quit your job and start a band.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

While that sounds fantastic, I have several problems.

1.  Unless the world needs another Morphine, I'm outta luck.  I've been trying to learn the guitar for longer than I care to remember...and no matter how hard I try, it seems I'm destined to 5th grade band class and the baritone saxaphone.  Sigh.  Can't rock out too hard on the bari sax.

2.  Quitting my job sounds keen, but the mortgage don't get paid with dreams...as my dad once said, "you can wish in one hand and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first"...I guess that made him a pessimist by nature.  ;)

3.  I already had a band in high school, and we sucked.  BAD.  Somewhere out there in the world exists the only tape ever made of us playing...my friend John on drums, my friend Jeff playing my guitar that I got for Christmas, and me, with a broomstick posing as a microphone...wailing away drunk assed pontifications about school sucking, beer, getting more weed, bongs, sex with the neighbor's daughter/wife...the usual high school stoner fare.  We were called "Bloody Semen" and you can see why we didn't continue, mainly because even our friends laughed at that name.

With that behind me, I don't see a career as a fledgling performer.  :-[

But, I do see a future in Public Relations with somebody in the music industry.  Maybe someday...

[igor]

i'm in the same boat john, we just got offerred a separation package that is very tempting. i'm still thinking about it long and hard. i need to figure out what i wanna do outside of IT first. i have til nov. 14 to decide whether i should take the money or not.

 ???

[plank10]

What is it with IT people lately. Seems like alot of my other friends in IT have been wanting to change careers lately. Is it IT work in general or are you not getting to do anything new at work?

I think you'd change your mind once you were away for awhile. I was laid off twice. First time I was out of work for 2 months and the second for 8 months. It comepletely changed my view of work and everything else. I went through a series of jobs that were not really what I wanted to be doing but they paid the bills. Now i'm back to a real sys admin position and its great. I get to work on good projects and keep learning new stuff.

That was kinda rambling but hope it makes sense

[igor]

plank, you're probably right. i might just move internally within the company once everything is settled.

john, you might wanna think about getting a horn section together and tour with the jacket.  ;D

[DD]

being in a band is like my second job.  but its a fun job where i get to work on it when i want except the days i HAVE to go to practice...which isnt so bad considering.  but i dont think i would really WANT it to be my job.  that would suck.  then there would be pressure and all this other shit that would just make it no fun.  i already have a job job, i dont need two.  of course i might have to get another job job soon since i hemmorhage so much money into my band.  :P

[lfish]

Al of you guys should be happy to have a job.  Already for three months, I'm looking for a job but I don't find anything. And I haven't been invited for an interview yet. It's horrible when you have nothing interesting to do that makes money.  On the other hand, I'm still enjoying my extended vacation, but nevertheless I hope I find something soon otherwise I can't pay my bills anymore.

But I can understand your point of view too. When you don't have any time to eat or to relax, it's also frustrating.

[lfish]

Al of you guys should be happy to have a job.  Already for three months, I'm looking for a job but I don't find anything. And I haven't been invited for an interview yet. It's horrible when you have nothing interesting to do that makes money.  On the other hand, I'm still enjoying my extended vacation, but nevertheless I hope I find something soon otherwise I can't pay my bills anymore.

But I can understand your point of view too. When you don't have any time to eat or to relax, it's also frustrating.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Belive me, I am thrilled to be working.  It's just that I could be working, doing something else, something completely different.

Sorry bout your job problems;  where are you in the world, exactly?  

[lfish]

Hey nothing you can do about it.

I am from Belgium.  For the moment not the place to be if you are looking for a job.  Ford just fired 3000 people who are now flooding the labourmarket.  And besides that the european economy sucks bigtime.

They say american economy is doing great with good growth rates, but I don't think this will last forever,because a huge deficit is coming america's way.  So I think the whole world will be in a dip for another half a year or a year.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

It's funny that anyone thinks America is in recovery...not so.  Really short term stuff, but nothing long term.

No one understands that jobs=recovery.  No amount of tax cutting or short term gains on Wall Street are going to equal a recovery-if you're not working, you're not eating out, buying CD's, etc.

I'm sorry for your troubles, that sucks.  Hmmm, I've thought of opening the world's first MMJ commune in Montreal...maybe you could come along!  ;D

[lfish]

Yeah I sure would if I have the money to come over.  ;D  
Then we can listen to the jacket and other music while philosophysing which way to go with the economy.  All day doing nothing, drinking beer, no career angst anymore. And no more worries for not finding a job.

PS.Why do you want to open it in Canada? (besides the reason being a beautiful country) Tired of Louisville?

[ben grimm]

Hoorah! its not just me that hates going to work! I run a club in Liverpool, England, and I'm really starting to hate coming in every day, I play in a band too but couldn't afford to just quit my job and play, plus we use the club as our rehearsal space which makes us really lucky I guess.

[dtrain]

John...I'm not sure if I know you but I feel your pain...I've been making the same rant for a few years.  I too am in the IT business, and it sucks!!!  It seemed like the logical progression from my unmarketable liberal arts education. I thought it would be exciting to work in a technical field, but I was so wrong. It's pretty interesting how many people hate it.  Part of my theory is the fact that as the industry has progressed and as you advance, your job becomes more administrative and less technical and that is fucking boring.  I don't know if this is your experience but I find myself sitting in meetings listening to what people should or shouldn't do with their computers more than I fix stuff these days. Anyway, working in an office sucks.  I hear people who do manual labor bitch at me about how they'd love to trade places, but this cubicle is nothing more than a stairway to hell.  I think that working in an office is worse for your soul than watching Carrot Top do comedy.  Get the fuck out of there...train yourself to do something else...you're obviously a smart guy if you've learned to do all the things that allow your job to be secure.  After you have done this, please tell me how nice it is so I can vicariously live through your experiences as I will no doubt pussy out on my goals of finding something new.  

[DD]

cmon dtrain.  just DO it!!  pack up that hobo sack and that lovely wife and hop a freight to san fransisco and then hop that steamer to hiwaii.  there you will teach mainlanders how to ride on the northshore while you and the wifey live in a grass hut on the beach.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

wow man, I know what you mean...so many meetings where I find myself drifting away to the beach, the mountains, the desert...some other place I'd been to, just anywhere except there!

You are absolutely right.  I need to find a new direction, and fast.

[Oz]

Well, I'm turning 21 in about 2 weeks and I'm studying Dutch literature at the moment. If I do it all well, I can be finished with that in 2 years. I'll be 23 and I'm going to have to find a job. And I'm telling you, I'm gonna try anything I can to delay it. I definitely don't wanna reach that moment. I wanna be a student for at least 3 or 4 years... That moment is the scariest moment I can think of.

[dtrain]

Stay in school as long as you can, Mr. Stipe...you have the right idea...anyone who thinks the career life (oxymoron) is exciting has been served too many sitcoms and processed foods.