Occupation choices

[GMFan]

Evening all,

I'm going to give a brief life history. I grew up in a blue collar household (and I still live in one). I grew up working with my dad in construction (electrician) and I did construction work myself when I was in high school and through college...I enjoyed it.

Long story short, I've been working in an office for 6 months and I long to be back working with my hands and doing physical work. I feel frustrated sometimes sitting in front of a computer.

I do like my job, but sometimes am not even sure if it's what I really want. Perhaps this is a totally normal feeling for people who enter the workforce?

Has anybody faced this before and is it something that one usually gets over?

I'm curious to hear from people who have 'worked both sides of the fence' so to speak.

I'm not really too concerned about salaries or the likes. I'd consider myself a non-materialistic person who appreciates peace of mind rather over fancy toys.

Thanks for any input.

 

[tomcat27]

certainly there are many considerations - but generally one is better off enjoying their work than not liking it. of course, One needs to be realistic and assess the demand for such work. right now is a really tricky time to predict career demand in many fields.

 

[hardcore302]

if you like what you do you wont work a day in your life.

id rather be happier...

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Has anybody faced this before and is it something that one usually gets over?


I don't know too many people who end up doing what they truly like. Most end up doing what they're good at and can make them the most money. Very few have the random collision of both of those things falling in the same place.

You've got the fortune of previously doing what you're considering moving to. Most merely get to navel gaze at the prospects of something different. They often find that the grass always looks greener from the other side of the fence. When they get there, it's not all that it's cracked up to be.

 

[lewdwig]

Hang on to your job but look around.

In the late '90s, with the tech bubble booming I thought I was in a dead end line of work (electrical utility). Now a lot of the tech jobs are gone (or moved overseas) and I still have mine and it looks stable. I also work outside some part of almost every day!

 

[Mr Nice]

I did field service for a medical equipment manufacturer a while back and I really do miss being on the road traveling from site to site, making my own work hours as I didn't work an 8 AM - 5 PM schedule, working with my hands and not having to deal with a boss on a daily basis. Plus I didn't have to wear a shirt and tie, just scrubs.

 

[GMBoy]

I know how you feel. I'm a production Manager for GM in an assembly plant. I have people working for me that build the vehicles...but I love to work on cars and sometimes want to trade the "shirt" for dirty hands, too. I used to work on the assembly line paying myself thru college so I know what both sides are like. While working the assy line is hard...sometimes I think the mental pain of being a manager is harder at times. So what do I do?? Deal with it, work on cars outside work as a hobby, and I do work the assy line from time to time with my employees - they like the help and it keeps me in tune with what they do so my decision making skills stay fresh!

 

[javacontour]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I did field service for a medical equipment manufacturer a while back and I really do miss being on the road traveling from site to site, making my own work hours as I didn't work an 8 AM - 5 PM schedule, working with my hands and not having to deal with a boss on a daily basis. Plus I didn't have to wear a shirt and tie, just scrubs.


This is very similar to my job. I'm a Systems Support Engineer for Sun (an Oracle Company.) Other than the Monday AM conference call and the occasional call to see if I can cover a call for another engineer or trying to find relief when my queue is overloaded, I pretty much work on my own.

Khakis and a knit shirt and a good balance of working with my hands and working in the office is what I have.

Plus, people tend to keep their data centers climate controlled, so I'm not out in the elements.

I think it's a pretty good balance.

 

[eljefino]

What are your coworkers like? They can make a lousy job interesting and sabotage a good one.

We hire our janitor as an independent contractor, he's a cool dude, comes in 2x a week on his own schedule, and he gets to see many different office buildings. And gets into the cool spots with his master key. Works his own pace, etc.

 

[benjamming]

A man finding satisfaction at his job is half of his life; family is or should be the other half. However, hobbies can help when you are in a less than ideal job. So, work on cars for your hobby. Everyone needs a hobby (or two).

 

[PandaBear]

I do miss my old job back at SanDisk. "cupertino fruit company" is too secretive for me, and sometimes it feels like I'm in prison for 8 hours a day. Well, the pay is good, and hopefully I'll get used to the work environment soon.

Many people I know enjoy the outdoor part of a blue collar job, and in many case they get paid more too during the good times. However I'm not sure how many people can work a heavy labor job past 55, but I know quite a few "office" type of jobs with people in their 65 still working and refusing to retire.

 

[nepatternmaker]

The trick is to figure out what you're good at. Most people will enjoy doing what they're good at. Then get the training, degree etc to get yourself in the occupation that allows you to do what you enjoy and what you're good at for a living. Caution: if you manage to find an occupation doing what you would do anyway for a hobby, you will need a new hobby. You will most likely not come home and do the same thing as a hobby. I am a foundry patternmaker now, and really like my work, but only after 20 years of job hopping and persistant job dissatisfaction. My experience finally built up to get me the job I am naturally very good at. I look at those molds and patterns in the foundry and I can see the iron pour in my mind and how the mold will fill up. Where turbulence will cause problems, where the casting will get shrink pockets, etc, etc. God just provided me with a gift in that, but it took years of experience to make me 'qualified' to do a job I had a natural gift for. So hang in there and figure out what you're good at. It won't happen over night, but it is worth the journey.

dave