Career Change Inspiration needed

[Woodrow Wilson]

I have always been interested in how things work and enjoy making things, repairing things and learning about a very wide range of subjects. I'm generally regarded as fairly 'clever', although that is more down to a good memory, a range of interests and reasonable articulacy than it is to hard work.

I studied engineering at an 'old' university and really didn't enjoy the course. I hoped that the world of work would be an improvement and had some sort of notion that I needed to do a 'real job', like engineering....

Now in my early(-ish) 30s and a few engineering jobs later, I am in a fairly mediocre position in a consultancy in a sector that doesn't interest me. I am basically totally disillusioned with the world of work

I detest sitting alone at a PC in an office 40 hours per week, I detest paperwork, I detest the sort of detailed 'design' work I have to do (with its vague requirements and constant 'reviews') and I detest financial project management tasks. Admittedly, the hours are not long and the pressure isn't bad for the reasonable level of salary.

I still enjoy learning about things and working with technology, but I find the reality of the modern engineering workplace dull, dull, dull. I'm naturally very inquisitive and observant so I'm easily distracted from tasks that do not interest me to concentrate on things (anything!) I've happened to notice.

I am not blaming anybody else for my behaviour, but I now have 2 problems. I did not change direction when I had no responsibilities (now have a family, mortgage etc.) and, more importantly, I do not know what to do or where to look for something different.

Edited by Woodrow Wilson on Thursday 28th July 20:52

[Insanity Magnet]

Not sure if any of the following will be of help...


You sound a little bit similar to me in my early thirties, tho I wasn't encumbered with wife and kids.

I did a traditional mechanical engineering degree, which I grew disillusioned with yet somehow managed to pass. I then worked in a series of 'mechanical' jobs - not as a grad. trainee - of varying interest and variable amounts of paperwork and other bullst. Unlike you I actually became more interested in detail design as time went on and went to some length to get away from the other aspects of the job.

Recognising this, my second MD let me loose on the 'product design' aspects of the job, rather than sending out to design agencies. Unfortunately just as this was becoming interesting our unit was shut down and I found myself back on the job market.

Whilst job hunting I made an application to go to art college to study an industrial design related subject specifically targetted at wayward engineers. I worked up a portfolio and attended interviews, but nothing more was heard.

I then started work for a company in the food processing industry, and quickly learned that my role exposed me to all the aspects of the job that I had been avoiding and quickly grew to hate it. It didn't help that the design work I was doing didn't interest me in the slightest.

Fortunately, just as my probationary period was coming to an end I received a letter of acceptance form the college. I chucked work in to spend two years learning the sort of stuff I should probably have studied as an undergraduate.

The course cost me a lot, despite hot and cold running bursaries, and I had to rely a lot on my OH and her family to stay solvent. However I don't think I could have spent a more rewarding two years any other way.

I now work as an 'Industrial Design Engineer' which really means I am a design engineer with a brief to get involved at all stages of product development - from brief, concept generation, build and test, right through to production. I have worked in various smaller consultancies (through choice) as a bit of a jack of all trades and have had a laugh doing so. Projects have been varied and I have worked on everything from electronic packaging to furniture design and film props.

I have also managed to maintain a lot of flexibility with working arrangements so that I have been able to spend a lot of time watching my recently acquired kids growing up.

Interestingly, a lot of the financial / reporting bull has returned but it no longer seems such a chore - probably because of the varied nature of my work.

One word of caution - financially I have taken a step backwards from what I was earning in 'engineering' - ID pay is lower unless you are extremely capable and put yourself around a bit. Right now though I don't mind as I am having fun.

PM me if you wish to ask anything.

Edited by Insanity Magnet on Friday 29th July 20:04

[rog007]

Woodrow Wilson said:

I detest sitting alone at a PC in an office 40 hours per week, I detest paperwork, I detest the sort of detailed 'design' work I have to do (with its vague requirements and constant 'reviews') and I detest financial project management tasks.

I still enjoy learning about things and working with technology, but I find the reality of the modern engineering workplace dull, dull, dull. I'm naturally very inquisitive and observant so I'm easily distracted from tasks that do not interest me to concentrate on things (anything!) I've happened to notice.

Edited by Woodrow Wilson on Thursday 28th July 20:52

These are perfectly normal reactions from an individual who is not under pressure in the work place, whose core competencies are not being fully exploited, whose leaders are not engaging them in continuing professional and social development, and who is at that stage of life/career/family when he is, understandably, thinking "is this what it's all about?"

There are a number of courses of action available. One is to sit down with a coach or your existing mentor to get a better understanding of, for example, current motivations, aspirations, constraints (financial, qualifications etc), and to help map out a number of options; a problem shared is a problem halved as they say. Another, admittedly more risky, is to follow your heart and take a leap of faith in to what it is you wished you were doing. I would of course commend the former!

Good luck!

[Woodrow Wilson]

rog007 said:

These are perfectly normal reactions from an individual who is not under pressure in the work place, whose core competencies are not being fully exploited, whose leaders are not engaging them in continuing professional and social development, and who is at that stage of life/career/family when he is, understandably, thinking "is this what it's all about?"

Thanks. I've never felt that I was doing what I was good at and Monday-Friday have felt like an endurance event for the past 12 years, with very rare periods of satisfaction or achievement. I suspect that breaking rocks in a deep south chain gang might provide more job satisfaction.

The industries that I work in have all been fairly old-school, but without the sort of training and development that was given in times gone by. In fact, in my post-university years I was never a 'trainee' at anything and just used as 'chargeable resource' and dropped onto various clients. As these things tend to develop, I have since taken jobs that were related to the initial job. As a result of redundancy last year I have now ended up in a job that is further removed from what I have done before, but in which I have little experience, less interest and even less satisfaction. I suspect that this has been noticed and I am keen to move on, although to where and to what I have no idea. The idea of helping people rather than pushing paper around a desk appeals to me as it so different to my current position.

rog007 said:

There are a number of courses of action available. One is to sit down with a coach or your existing mentor to get a better understanding of, for example, current motivations, aspirations, constraints (financial, qualifications etc), and to help map out a number of options;

Having had a bad experience of a 'career consultant' (see the recent thread) I'm reluctant to throw any more money in that direction.

Edited by Woodrow Wilson on Tuesday 2nd August 20:08

[turbolucie]

You want to do a job that helps people...retrain as a doctor?

[Woodrow Wilson]

turbolucie said:

You want to do a job that helps people...retrain as a doctor?

It does appeal slightly, and it was recommended to me by a teacher at school, who wisely predicted that I would otherwise end up as engineer....We never listen, do we?


Unfortunately, I suspect that it would require lots of the following:





And I really don't want to commit myself that much....

[T84]

What kind of career do you think you're going to end up in where you don't have to work and commit yourself? Do you think that might be why you are unhappy now?

[Woodrow Wilson]

...It's a very big step to re-train as a doctor.

[turbolucie]

Woodrow Wilson said:

...It's a very big step to re-train as a doctor.

It is a big step, and yes it's 5 years (or 4 if you're a graduate) of money, time and effort. But then you could have 30 years as a doctor, 20ish years as a consultant. I see it as short term pain for long term gain. Not for everyone though.

[trix-a-belle]

OP I think you have put down on 'paper' exactly what I am feeling as well, thank you
& Rog007 what you say makes an awful lot of sense too.
now to figure out what I want to do