Feeling stuck - professionally...

**LanaBear** · 06-02-2011 09:15 PM

What do you do when you feel stuck in your job?

I use to love my job, now... Not so much. I loathe having to deal with the people I deal with every day. I took on a new client and they are challenging, to say the least. I feel myself getting very short tempered with everything, which I'm assuming is a direct result of my work. For the last three weeks, minus this week, I cried every single day from all the BS and stress. I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. Short staffed, new manager started yesterday, someone I worked with about 7 years ago and he's good. Maybe things will change? I don't know. I had a long conversation with him about it today.

I feel... stuck. It's long and complicated, nobody here knows the whole story, I wish someone did, so I could get an unbiased opinion. I just don't see myself doing this in 10 years, heck, I don't see myself doing this in 2 years.

The money is great and one problem is if I start over doing something else, I'm back to square one. Everything I've busted my butt for these last 10 years, then mean nothing.

Where do I go, what do I do? How in the world did I get to this place?

**MarkT** · 06-02-2011 09:32 PM

I've felt this way many times, I have had so many jobs in my life. I've walked off a job just because the foreman looked at me the wrong way one morning. lol I'm just pretty free when it comes to jobs. I'm disabled now and 46 yrs old and in the past I have worked for a Lot of employers, over 50 to be quite honest. Shortest job was 20 minutes and the longest was 12 years. I never went down in pay either. I always went to job interviews with a positive attitude, (positive that if I got messed around, I'd find another job), and always had fun while I was there. If a job drags you down to the point of crying, change jobs. It's not worth the pain is it? Find a job before leaving one though, I worked 30 years as a welder and only had a few weeks off due to quitting and not having a job to go to. Now a wise move at all. Right now is the employers market, people begging for jobs. In the employees market is when a person can mop up some money. If your job is so miserable, life is too short, find a job you will love and go from there.

**MarkT** · 06-02-2011 09:34 PM

If you need someone to talk to, you can always PM me. If you feel like it, just an option I thought I'd throw out there.

**Mes T** · 06-02-2011 09:42 PM

Aw Lana. I think the above suggestion is good - go look for a job while you still have this one. See what's out there, without taking a big risk and quitting right away.

Maybe you can do the same job but in a different company. That could make all the difference in the world. Different people, different settings, just a nice "change" could be very good.

If you really hate your job in terms of the work itself... Money earned and years spent at it don't mean squat!

Like you wouldn't advise someone to stay with a husband who's making them miserable... just because they've already "invested" 10 years in them, right?

What are your interests? Have you thought about some possible career alternatives?

**kristalyn_04** · 06-02-2011 09:47 PM

Oh Lana I've felt that way at times when I get a project that does not go the way that was planned (I have one right now that has been breathing down my neck for a year), difficult clients, etc. I absolutely LOVE my profession, but there's certain people and situations that come up, out of my control, that makes me want to bang my head on my desk and say "F- this!".

I understand not wanting to start over with something else too, when you've worked hard to get where you're at. Is it possible for you to just look for another job in your field, so you won't feel like your years of work and experience will go to waste?

**ccraig42** · 06-02-2011 09:52 PM

I hope things work out for you. Nothing more irritating than a job you can't stand! Wishing you the best..

**LanaBear** · 06-02-2011 10:17 PM

Ooohhh... How I wish it was as easy as just going and looking for another job. Like I said, it's long and complicated. Besides, what I do is kind of... specialized? Not sure if that is the right word or not, maybe more niche. Difficult to describe without laying it all out there.

I do like what I do, I think. Maybe I'm going through a rough patch and things will get better? I came close to resigning two weeks ago, had the letter all typed out. I'm beaten and defeated, I HATE that feeling, it's not a feeling I'm used to and one that I do not like.

I've thought about other professions, but again struggle with being the low man on the totem pole. I've been with the same company for 10 years, that's a hard thing to give up, there are a lot of pluses to my job but man, right now it sucks Donkey Kongs balls.

Maybe I'm going through a mid life career crisis, lol.

**kristalyn_04** · 06-02-2011 10:28 PM

Is there anyone higher up you can talk to about your struggles? I'd say stick it out for a few more months. If things don't start to get better, then perhaps then it will be time to rethink things. I'm not sure what else I can say except I wish you all the best and hope things work out.

**LanaBear** · 06-02-2011 10:36 PM

Yeah... I've talked to three of the owners (the situation is an odd one between me and the owners), a close co-worker and my new manager, all within the last 2 weeks. I was told today to stick it out, please, with a promise of some more assistance, I just don't know if it is too little too late.

Thanks though.... Maybe I just needed to get "some" of it out there, even if I can't talk about all of it publicly.

**WildChild** · 06-02-2011 11:34 PM

I would say don't throw in the towel too quickly. You were concerned a while back about some things related to your work, so it doesn't seem this is an entirely new situation. Even if you can't get employed doing exactly what you have been, you have many skills that will transfer to other fields. Sometimes its hard for us to get out of our box and see how much we can do objectively.

Instead of thinking of what you do,try thinking of the skills you have.

For example, if you ran your own business from home, distributing widgets which were manufactured for you, you might think that all you know about is this particular widget. You would be over looking all the skills and things that go into what you do; arranging for the manufacture and packaging, handling the shipping and advertising, maintaining a website to sell the product, attending business events where you can meet prospective purchasers, all skills you have to deal with difficult people, the self discipline it takes to work from home, the ability to listen and understand what people are really saying when they call with a complaint or a need, computer skills, bookkeeping and on and on. All these skills and experience would be valuable in many businesses.

The point is that we often have more going for us than we think we do. It just takes looking at it all with fresh eyes. I wouldn't recommend leaving until you have something pretty sure lined up, but does seem that you have been unhappy with the situation for some time now.