Stuck in a massive rut
Discussion
Hi all,
Been "on the road" selling the same industrial products to end users for over 25 years as an area sales manager and it has bored me to tears for the last ten years but its a fairly easy number and pays OK.
I'm very competent at it and an "expert" in my field due to my experience and knowledge of the products and market but know little else. I have exceeded targets for the last 5 years and a bit more as far as I can remember.
Late 40's now and not sure if I can cope with the dull and mundane regime and the BS sales meetings etc.
Looking for a new challenge, I and very active and fit so anything is doable worth looking at.
Anyone been in the same situation/ rut and if so what did you do? Any recommendations?
Cheers
Been "on the road" selling the same industrial products to end users for over 25 years as an area sales manager and it has bored me to tears for the last ten years but its a fairly easy number and pays OK.
I'm very competent at it and an "expert" in my field due to my experience and knowledge of the products and market but know little else. I have exceeded targets for the last 5 years and a bit more as far as I can remember.
Late 40's now and not sure if I can cope with the dull and mundane regime and the BS sales meetings etc.
Looking for a new challenge, I and very active and fit so anything is doable worth looking at.
Anyone been in the same situation/ rut and if so what did you do? Any recommendations?
Cheers
You say that the current job pays ok and that you can do it with your eyes closed. For a lot of people that wouldn't be a bad place to be.
What do you want? More money - a new/more challenging role - change of industry?
You say you're in your 40's, is it your job that's bothering you, or is there a wider issue?
I'm in a similar position in the sense that I'm in the same industry that I started after uni, I've built up the knowledge/experience so that I can do my job/achieve my targets by working a 3 or 4-day week, and I'm just cruising. The difference is that I'm totally happy with this.
I'm a bit older, and for me, work isn't everything. I'm working to live, rather than living to work.
Sorry if this doesn't answer your question, but I think you need to identify what you're really looking for.
What do you want? More money - a new/more challenging role - change of industry?
You say you're in your 40's, is it your job that's bothering you, or is there a wider issue?
I'm in a similar position in the sense that I'm in the same industry that I started after uni, I've built up the knowledge/experience so that I can do my job/achieve my targets by working a 3 or 4-day week, and I'm just cruising. The difference is that I'm totally happy with this.
I'm a bit older, and for me, work isn't everything. I'm working to live, rather than living to work.
Sorry if this doesn't answer your question, but I think you need to identify what you're really looking for.
sunbeam alpine said:
I'm in a similar position in the sense that I'm in the same industry that I started after uni, I've built up the knowledge/experience so that I can do my job/achieve my targets by working a 3 or 4-day week, and I'm just cruising. The difference is that I'm totally happy with this.
I'm a bit older, and for me, work isn't everything. I'm working to live, rather than living to work.
Same for me. I'm pretty well left to my own devices, which is great, although I have to be contactable within a reasonable timeframe, I can't just disappear unless I've booked time off. I do feel a sense of frustration that I could have done something more useful with the time - I could have project managed building a house etc. My PH post-count is far too high!I'm a bit older, and for me, work isn't everything. I'm working to live, rather than living to work.
Likewise re the cruising!
24th April this year I will have earnt my cummulative millionth pound from work.
12th September last year was the halfway point from starting on a Civil Servisc pension scheme (long left as now in private industry) until it pays out so when asked at work if I want to go up the ladder, I actually say no, happy where I am, 15 years or so now cruise to retirement. I'll do what I do but I live to live, not work.
24th April this year I will have earnt my cummulative millionth pound from work.
12th September last year was the halfway point from starting on a Civil Servisc pension scheme (long left as now in private industry) until it pays out so when asked at work if I want to go up the ladder, I actually say no, happy where I am, 15 years or so now cruise to retirement. I'll do what I do but I live to live, not work.
There is another way at looking at it Keep the "boring" job but get a hobby you can immerse yourself in.
One sales guy I worked with got into photography. Carried his camera wherever he went. Always seemed to find somewhere "photographic" to take a lunch break.
Another guy I work with does these iron man challenges, thinks nothing of leaving his van at work, running or biking home (15+ miles away) and the same in the morning.
One sales guy I worked with got into photography. Carried his camera wherever he went. Always seemed to find somewhere "photographic" to take a lunch break.
Another guy I work with does these iron man challenges, thinks nothing of leaving his van at work, running or biking home (15+ miles away) and the same in the morning.
Cheers for all the great responses. I am the same, work to live and live to work. (no real loyalty to the company but would not take the p155)
Quite a few of the other sales people are struggling to meet targets so at the moment we are all getting it in the neck as a department and they are monitoring and scrutinizing everyone and they probably can see more capacity in me, but I'm selling clever rather than running around like a loon.
Just feel I could do something more interesting but don't know what really- something more adventures and dangerous ;-)
But alas, I probably will just keep taking the money, cruising along and reading and listening to books in the car.
When summer comes will throw my road bike in the rep mobile and get a few 30 mins balls out efforts and have a gypsy wash with some wet wipes ready for the next site visit. (bit of a faff but a few a day and your pinging before you know it)
ps- Will check the books out p4cks.
Quite a few of the other sales people are struggling to meet targets so at the moment we are all getting it in the neck as a department and they are monitoring and scrutinizing everyone and they probably can see more capacity in me, but I'm selling clever rather than running around like a loon.
Just feel I could do something more interesting but don't know what really- something more adventures and dangerous ;-)
But alas, I probably will just keep taking the money, cruising along and reading and listening to books in the car.
When summer comes will throw my road bike in the rep mobile and get a few 30 mins balls out efforts and have a gypsy wash with some wet wipes ready for the next site visit. (bit of a faff but a few a day and your pinging before you know it)
ps- Will check the books out p4cks.
A cautionary tale, just over a year ago a friend was thoroughly bored with his job. The scope of the work was deminishing as another company site gradually took all the interesting work from his site. He looked around and found a job with a company he had fancied working for since the late 90's.
He started work there a year ago with enthusiasm as the job was just like his old one was when he was young and keen and before the company mergers that diluted the work at his site. However the commute is a b*stard, 3 1/2 hours some days compared to an hour on a bad day in the previous job. It seemed alright when he went for the interviews and occasionally can only be 2 hours. He does work from home about once a week but it's still knackering and expensive on fuel which eats up the extra pay he gets.
The amount of work is also fairly mental. He says he could quite easily work until late every night.
His children are complaining he is grumpy and no fun anymore, we all agree. His Strava activity graph has flat lined and he is now fat(ter). He says he still finds the work interesting and his brain feels like it's being used for the first time at work in some time but quite frankly it hasn't been worth it. He is currently working out what to do next before he goes a bit mad. No comment.
His eldest is in year 10 and is struggling with a few GCSE subjects. He'd like to give him more time with those subjects but he is usually too frazzled to be of any use.
So, in hindsight he says he should have stuck with the old boring job he knew back to front. Stick with the work to live, not live to work.
He started work there a year ago with enthusiasm as the job was just like his old one was when he was young and keen and before the company mergers that diluted the work at his site. However the commute is a b*stard, 3 1/2 hours some days compared to an hour on a bad day in the previous job. It seemed alright when he went for the interviews and occasionally can only be 2 hours. He does work from home about once a week but it's still knackering and expensive on fuel which eats up the extra pay he gets.
The amount of work is also fairly mental. He says he could quite easily work until late every night.
His children are complaining he is grumpy and no fun anymore, we all agree. His Strava activity graph has flat lined and he is now fat(ter). He says he still finds the work interesting and his brain feels like it's being used for the first time at work in some time but quite frankly it hasn't been worth it. He is currently working out what to do next before he goes a bit mad. No comment.
His eldest is in year 10 and is struggling with a few GCSE subjects. He'd like to give him more time with those subjects but he is usually too frazzled to be of any use.
So, in hindsight he says he should have stuck with the old boring job he knew back to front. Stick with the work to live, not live to work.
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