Ever felt trapped in a good job?
Discussion
An odd one I know, lots of people are out of work, etc...
I seem to have spent 10 years painting myself into a corner career-wise. Now I'm basically a very good sales engineer, problem is, I prefer the engineer to the sales and I've not been an actual engineer as per my degree for 10 years. I can't afford to go back to a graduate salary, but I think my only way to progress in my current job is more of the sales, which means a couple of weeks at a time away from home, which is too long (currently do about a week max).
The not having savings and needing to pay the mortgage aside, I don't feel like I can work for myself as my main skill is selling other people's stuff and learning and understanding someone else's product. It's not like I'm a 3D CAD modeller who can now buy their own setup and freelance.
My job is fine, the people are very nice, but I don't see where I can go with it. I'm pretty much department manager in deeds if not title and salary. To be honest, a bit of recognition of that fact would be a good start.
I seem to have spent 10 years painting myself into a corner career-wise. Now I'm basically a very good sales engineer, problem is, I prefer the engineer to the sales and I've not been an actual engineer as per my degree for 10 years. I can't afford to go back to a graduate salary, but I think my only way to progress in my current job is more of the sales, which means a couple of weeks at a time away from home, which is too long (currently do about a week max).
The not having savings and needing to pay the mortgage aside, I don't feel like I can work for myself as my main skill is selling other people's stuff and learning and understanding someone else's product. It's not like I'm a 3D CAD modeller who can now buy their own setup and freelance.
My job is fine, the people are very nice, but I don't see where I can go with it. I'm pretty much department manager in deeds if not title and salary. To be honest, a bit of recognition of that fact would be a good start.
If you've got an engineering degree, you're an engineer, so don't worry.
If you've got issues with modern IT stuff go and do a CAD course.
If you feel like you are managing, talk to your boss and ask for a new job title, explaining all of the managing you've been doing. Chances are that if you don't want any more money, (and make it clear you don't want any more money) they'll not mind too much.
If you've got issues with modern IT stuff go and do a CAD course.
If you feel like you are managing, talk to your boss and ask for a new job title, explaining all of the managing you've been doing. Chances are that if you don't want any more money, (and make it clear you don't want any more money) they'll not mind too much.
I can sympathise as I found myself also wandering away from my core discipline and instead developing a vague and random bag of skills.
Did you complete your chartered qualification? Or have you drifted to here almost directly from your first graduate job, and thus have not really done just engineering?
The reason I ask is because there may be an element of "grass is greener". I've moved around a bit, veering from more technical to less technical roles. I see frustrations in people sitting on both sides of the fence, often wishing they were the other side. I've also seen people regret swapping.
If you are happy enough with the role, but are reluctant to increase the travel (that seems to be what you picked up on most) then perhaps having an open discussion with your immediate management team about what roles there are - including drafting a description to suit.
Did you complete your chartered qualification? Or have you drifted to here almost directly from your first graduate job, and thus have not really done just engineering?
The reason I ask is because there may be an element of "grass is greener". I've moved around a bit, veering from more technical to less technical roles. I see frustrations in people sitting on both sides of the fence, often wishing they were the other side. I've also seen people regret swapping.
If you are happy enough with the role, but are reluctant to increase the travel (that seems to be what you picked up on most) then perhaps having an open discussion with your immediate management team about what roles there are - including drafting a description to suit.
Can you split the sales bit?
In our world we would be sold to by:
In our world we would be sold to by:
- An account manager/sales person who leads the relationship, sales chasing, stakeholders, right through to the invoice and delivery. And then they vanish.
- A presales technical lead, who carries the technical conversation, integration issues, spec, etc. Less of a hard sell, more of a technical competence sell. Talks to different people. They generally sustain the conversation past delivery as well working with operations to ensure any tweaks are made, and that can lead to further sales.
Similar problems here, OP. I hold a degree in mechanical engineering although since graduating, the roles I've taken on have been progressively less technical and further detached from engineering.
I have also developed a very vague skill set as a previous poster mentions. I couldn't walk into any role even remotely close to engineering design now, I imagine even the simplest of mathematics would have me cowering under my desk like a scared animal.
I feel almost relegated to accepting side-step moves around company hierarchies or increasingly vague job titles and responsibilities. Why I can't just accept a good salary and be happy I don't know. What a funny thing the human brain is.
I have also developed a very vague skill set as a previous poster mentions. I couldn't walk into any role even remotely close to engineering design now, I imagine even the simplest of mathematics would have me cowering under my desk like a scared animal.
I feel almost relegated to accepting side-step moves around company hierarchies or increasingly vague job titles and responsibilities. Why I can't just accept a good salary and be happy I don't know. What a funny thing the human brain is.
Not so much a good job as the pay is s
t, but I live less than ten minutes from work and have been there almost two decades so the payoff would be decent if I got made redundant. I could earn more in the nearest major city but, factoring in train fares, parking charges at the station and losing an extra two hours of my life every day I'd need an extra £10k just to feel that I'd broken even. I could probably get that but I'd still have the insecurity of no real pay off if it didn't work out.
t, but I live less than ten minutes from work and have been there almost two decades so the payoff would be decent if I got made redundant. I could earn more in the nearest major city but, factoring in train fares, parking charges at the station and losing an extra two hours of my life every day I'd need an extra £10k just to feel that I'd broken even. I could probably get that but I'd still have the insecurity of no real pay off if it didn't work out.Vaud said:
Can you split the sales bit?
In our world we would be sold to by:
I'd say my current job is like the second one. After sales and maintenance worldwide. To "progress" careers wise I'd have to be a regional sales manager like the first one. Whereas what I actually want is to be recognized (title and financially) that I actually run that whole side of the business.In our world we would be sold to by:
- An account manager/sales person who leads the relationship, sales chasing, stakeholders, right through to the invoice and delivery. And then they vanish.
- A presales technical lead, who carries the technical conversation, integration issues, spec, etc. Less of a hard sell, more of a technical competence sell. Talks to different people. They generally sustain the conversation past delivery as well working with operations to ensure any tweaks are made, and that can lead to further sales.
I'm going to talk to my boss about it first chance I get. If it doesn't go my way I guess I have to either suck it up or eventually leave.
I feel incredibly trapped in a good job, now at the age of 24 with no qualifications other than a handful of GCSE's. I llearned a rather niche trade making carbon fibre composite components for the Motorsport industry and building racing cars. Stuck in the F1 money trap now as a self employed contractor, there's literally nothing else I could do to earn the sort of money I do now. Can't study as have bills to pay and no time for part time, and the opportunity to retrain Is very limited. Not much scope for progression in current role either, this is pretty much as good as it gets.
I often feel ungrateful when I complain about it really, but it's not what you imagine it to be, and since I haven't learned anything new or properly challenged myself since I was a trainee some 5 odd years ago. It's a tricky one.
You have a good advantage of having a degree behind you, and a useful one at that. I'm sure there's a way.
I often feel ungrateful when I complain about it really, but it's not what you imagine it to be, and since I haven't learned anything new or properly challenged myself since I was a trainee some 5 odd years ago. It's a tricky one.
You have a good advantage of having a degree behind you, and a useful one at that. I'm sure there's a way.
Edited by CX53 on Friday 6th May 22:53
Very interesting discussions. I'm left thinking that we all have choices. Of course there are compromises that go with those choices so we just have to decide on our own priorities. Being unfulfilled with your current role or indeed whole career is quite sad so I for one would compromise massively to escape that if ever I found myself in that situation. Money really isn't everything, it really isn't.
I feel trapped in my job too. Pay is reasonable but after 11 years, I've ran out of ideas on where to go with it and I can't imagine another 20+ years doing it.
I earn enough to see me fairly comfortably through each month but I think as I'm now in my mid 30s, im a bit too old to start again at the bottom. Mouths to feed and mortgage to pay it all adds to a pressure to get another decent job.
I earn enough to see me fairly comfortably through each month but I think as I'm now in my mid 30s, im a bit too old to start again at the bottom. Mouths to feed and mortgage to pay it all adds to a pressure to get another decent job.
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