Late 20s with no career direction
Discussion
Hello guys,
I am 27 years old and have been working with my current company of 2 years. I have recently been moved team and it absolutely hate it. I work in a field based role where it is my job to go into supermarkets and encourage them to order extra stock from the company I represent. A lot of my job is merchandising and looking for opportunities for additional displays. In reality, the whole workforce spends the working day skiving as there is no work to do.
I earn £17500 a year from doing this job. My friends who are one year younger are doing really well for themselves and have well paid jobs in good company’s. I feel left behind but I’m eager to get myself out this rut. I am very frustrated about my job but I think this is partially the reason why.
The problem is I have absolutely no career direction and don’t know what I want to do. I am currently applying to jobs but feel that every job wants you to have experience in a similar role which I don’t have. Recently I have been contemplating handing in my notice and getting out this company but what scares me is if I struggle to find work quickly. Although I’m not happy in my current role, to me it represents my independence and my contribution to society.
I am really struggling to work out what the answer is and wanted to ask if anyone on here has been in a similar position and how did they go about finding out what they wanted to do.
I am 27 years old and have been working with my current company of 2 years. I have recently been moved team and it absolutely hate it. I work in a field based role where it is my job to go into supermarkets and encourage them to order extra stock from the company I represent. A lot of my job is merchandising and looking for opportunities for additional displays. In reality, the whole workforce spends the working day skiving as there is no work to do.
I earn £17500 a year from doing this job. My friends who are one year younger are doing really well for themselves and have well paid jobs in good company’s. I feel left behind but I’m eager to get myself out this rut. I am very frustrated about my job but I think this is partially the reason why.
The problem is I have absolutely no career direction and don’t know what I want to do. I am currently applying to jobs but feel that every job wants you to have experience in a similar role which I don’t have. Recently I have been contemplating handing in my notice and getting out this company but what scares me is if I struggle to find work quickly. Although I’m not happy in my current role, to me it represents my independence and my contribution to society.
I am really struggling to work out what the answer is and wanted to ask if anyone on here has been in a similar position and how did they go about finding out what they wanted to do.
Do you have the financial freedom to quit that job without having something else lined up? Do you still live at home and have the ability to explore different avenues?
I'm in a similar situation and I think you really have to have some idea of what you would rather be doing even if it is not necessarily exactly what you want to do. It's no good changing jobs for the sake of it. You need to have some kind of drive to get out and do something that you enjoy more. It's annoying seeing other people who are your age or younger making a success of their careers but it's never to late to turn yours around. I work in a boring but secure admin job and constantly dream of doing a job where I'm busy all the time and the day goes by quickly because I'm constantly doing things and am having a good time.
You need to sit down and really think about what you want to do and then plan a way to make that happen. It could be applying for a junior role in a field you want to work in or going back into education to get the qualifications you need to take a different career path. The one thing you need is determination and in my experience that is the hardest thing to come by, particularly if you aren't sure what you actually want.
I'm in a similar situation and I think you really have to have some idea of what you would rather be doing even if it is not necessarily exactly what you want to do. It's no good changing jobs for the sake of it. You need to have some kind of drive to get out and do something that you enjoy more. It's annoying seeing other people who are your age or younger making a success of their careers but it's never to late to turn yours around. I work in a boring but secure admin job and constantly dream of doing a job where I'm busy all the time and the day goes by quickly because I'm constantly doing things and am having a good time.
You need to sit down and really think about what you want to do and then plan a way to make that happen. It could be applying for a junior role in a field you want to work in or going back into education to get the qualifications you need to take a different career path. The one thing you need is determination and in my experience that is the hardest thing to come by, particularly if you aren't sure what you actually want.
Id say recruitment is a good place to start, my sister in law landed a job in a good company and earns 30 a year plus a yearly bonus, she does have very good interpersonal skills and a law degree which is why I think she ended up at a prestigious firm dealing with highly paid people.
She’s busy all the time and spends half her week taking people to lunch. Depending on your personality etc, it’s very easy to move up as well.
17500 isn’t a lot money to be earning these days, most jobs start at around that figure so I’m not sure why you’re stuck in your current job, I mean if your company trusts you to have you in the field personally trying to sell supermarkets more stock, I’m sure you can find loads of jobs in sales, not just recruitment, perhaps estate agent or car sales. They may not be exciting but at least you get to interact with different types of people instead of supermarket managers.
She’s busy all the time and spends half her week taking people to lunch. Depending on your personality etc, it’s very easy to move up as well.
17500 isn’t a lot money to be earning these days, most jobs start at around that figure so I’m not sure why you’re stuck in your current job, I mean if your company trusts you to have you in the field personally trying to sell supermarkets more stock, I’m sure you can find loads of jobs in sales, not just recruitment, perhaps estate agent or car sales. They may not be exciting but at least you get to interact with different types of people instead of supermarket managers.
wjb said:
The OP (of he/she is real) or anyone else in that position could join the police and be on almost double that in a few years.
I hear there are a few short these days...
My mistake, accidentally hit send while starting my response, didn’t mean to sound rude by just saying that! I hear there are a few short these days...
anonymous said:
[redacted]
This.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hK_yGDn6BVQ
Figure out what you want to do/where you want to be and set a course to achieving it. Don’t let the years fly by wondering ‘what if’. Old, cliched advice but true.
Here’s a few thoughts to add to the many good ones on the thread:
1). You genuinely can change career at any time. I know two people who were in jobs they didn’t like in their 30s and chucked them in to follow their dreams. One is now a published author, the other flies 777s. It can be done. Read a Dr Phil McGraw book such as Life Strategies to learn how.
2). You may not be clear on what you want to do, but everyone has a right to do work they find meaningful and motivating. Yes, there’s a trade-off with earnings - few of us would do our favourite hobbie for zero pay - but doing something you really hate is not good for your mental or physical health, and does not lead to happiness, whatever it pays. Personally, I take the view that you should enjoy 75% of your job. You do that bit unpaid just for the love of it, and then get extremely well paid for the other 25%!
3). I think there’s a lot to be said for leaving a job that brings you down first, and giving yourself the time, space and positivity to reorientate what you are doing. However, as others have highlighted, you do need to plan financially how this will work, otherwise you just add poverty to your woes. My advice is to plan (not rush) an escape, and save a cushion for it.
4). I do think it is hard to shake yourself out of a rut by yourself. Take a course at Mindstore (www.mindstore.com) or similar and give yourself the space and challenge you need to set a new course for your life. You’ll have to get over the self consciousness and BS/cult aspects of these types of events, but most contain some useful techniques, and all allow you to feel you’re taking control of your situation and give you a fresh perspective.
Bravo on taking the first step of posting on here, and good luck with taking it from here.
1). You genuinely can change career at any time. I know two people who were in jobs they didn’t like in their 30s and chucked them in to follow their dreams. One is now a published author, the other flies 777s. It can be done. Read a Dr Phil McGraw book such as Life Strategies to learn how.
2). You may not be clear on what you want to do, but everyone has a right to do work they find meaningful and motivating. Yes, there’s a trade-off with earnings - few of us would do our favourite hobbie for zero pay - but doing something you really hate is not good for your mental or physical health, and does not lead to happiness, whatever it pays. Personally, I take the view that you should enjoy 75% of your job. You do that bit unpaid just for the love of it, and then get extremely well paid for the other 25%!
3). I think there’s a lot to be said for leaving a job that brings you down first, and giving yourself the time, space and positivity to reorientate what you are doing. However, as others have highlighted, you do need to plan financially how this will work, otherwise you just add poverty to your woes. My advice is to plan (not rush) an escape, and save a cushion for it.
4). I do think it is hard to shake yourself out of a rut by yourself. Take a course at Mindstore (www.mindstore.com) or similar and give yourself the space and challenge you need to set a new course for your life. You’ll have to get over the self consciousness and BS/cult aspects of these types of events, but most contain some useful techniques, and all allow you to feel you’re taking control of your situation and give you a fresh perspective.
Bravo on taking the first step of posting on here, and good luck with taking it from here.
Pericoloso said:
aaron_2000 said:
is it worth doing something you love for less money, or hating a job you have no interest in for more?
It's got to be the former....FWIW.And you only live once, why live to work?!
aaron_2000 said:
Don't think he's gonna reply to the thread, he does raise an interesting question, is it worth doing something you love for less money, or hating a job you have no interest in for more?
There is of course a middle ground. You don't have to hate your job, there are jobs which are tolerable, well paid and of course a lot has to do with your attitude towards you job. If you wake up every morning and your first thought it "oh no, I've got to go to work", then you will undoubtedly have a negative opinion of your job. However, if you have a pragmatic view then you are more likely to have a positive outlook.As for a job doing something you love, in my opinion, no matter what your jobs is you will eventually become demoralised due to a mixture of cumbersome processes, office politics, a company's lack of strategy, ambition and/or innovation.
Therefore, given that you have to work and the only reason we go to work is because we get paid to go it, then you may we have a job which pays as much as practically possible.
Thanks for all replies. I’ve been busy all weekend so this is the first I’ve been back to look at the thread.
My financial situation is sound I have plenty of savings and have my own car which is all paid for. I live at home so have no outgoings at all. I can afford to take time out and it isn’t really a problem. I’ve recently met a new girl so obviously now I’ll be spending a bit more.
I have just moved into this new team at work at the beginning of April. Before that I was working on a much better account which had much better incentives and I didn’t have to spend so long in supermarkets. I was warned about how bad this new role is but I had no choice it was either take it or the leave the company.
A typical day with this new role is arriving at the supermarkets doing what needs done (sometimes nothing) and then just sitting around. It encourages you to spend more money and eat more because of the boredom. I am constantly clock watching.
So yes back onto topic, I really need to sort this mess out this year. I have updated my CV and have been distributing it to a range of different employers. I am willing to do a stop gap job to get out of this but would only do it on a part time basis so I have time to apply to new roles and go for interviews
I have applied for a similar role to what I’m doing but with a much better company and a better bonus scheme. I’ve had one interview this year for a similar role but didn’t get it. The interviewer gave me positive feedback and told me that I done really well but they had found someone who was more experienced.
I like being outdoors and working independently as well as team working. If I could find a role with a split between office and field that would be great. Something I don’t have at work is a social life so I want to work somewhere that I can have that.
My financial situation is sound I have plenty of savings and have my own car which is all paid for. I live at home so have no outgoings at all. I can afford to take time out and it isn’t really a problem. I’ve recently met a new girl so obviously now I’ll be spending a bit more.
I have just moved into this new team at work at the beginning of April. Before that I was working on a much better account which had much better incentives and I didn’t have to spend so long in supermarkets. I was warned about how bad this new role is but I had no choice it was either take it or the leave the company.
A typical day with this new role is arriving at the supermarkets doing what needs done (sometimes nothing) and then just sitting around. It encourages you to spend more money and eat more because of the boredom. I am constantly clock watching.
So yes back onto topic, I really need to sort this mess out this year. I have updated my CV and have been distributing it to a range of different employers. I am willing to do a stop gap job to get out of this but would only do it on a part time basis so I have time to apply to new roles and go for interviews
I have applied for a similar role to what I’m doing but with a much better company and a better bonus scheme. I’ve had one interview this year for a similar role but didn’t get it. The interviewer gave me positive feedback and told me that I done really well but they had found someone who was more experienced.
I like being outdoors and working independently as well as team working. If I could find a role with a split between office and field that would be great. Something I don’t have at work is a social life so I want to work somewhere that I can have that.
Someone else who was working in supermarket merchandising was asking for advice on a career change last year.
That PHer was talking about having too much to do, not too little.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
So thinking about that, would it be a busier/better job if you moved elsewhere in the same field?
It might be an easier move...
That PHer was talking about having too much to do, not too little.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
So thinking about that, would it be a busier/better job if you moved elsewhere in the same field?
It might be an easier move...
Petroleum Gas said:
I have updated my CV and have been distributing it to a range of different employers.
Safe to assume you’ve tailored your CV for each role, regardless of any similarities between said roles?If not, anticipate little or no return on your investment.
If you’ve tailored well, then good luck!
Have you thought about working in Procurement for a retail or supermarket chain?
You could do a CIPS qualification in one year. You'll be working with suppliers and sourcing (buying) stuff for the supermarket. This does not necessarily have to be products the supermarkets sell, but everything and anything the company uses to run - IT systems, marketing services, insurance, facilities management, accounting and audit services. There are lots of categories in a typical corporation and you will be working in one. Your job is to maximise value for your company and manage suppliers. You'll be negotiating costs, contracts, performance management and everything in between. It's a commercial role and you have some of the background already that could help - Procurement is the other side of Sales (they are like opposing sides of the same coin: one sells, one buys/spends and both are out to maximise value to their org). It is not as complicated as it sounds. The basics are covered in CIPS and a 1 year course will cost something like £500, or if you do face to face tuition (e.g. college) it'll be around £1500 - this is better because you get to network with other professionals and learn off them.
Pay is well. You could start £25-35k, and could double that in 2-3 years. As you get in to management roles (heads of sourcing), salaries will hit six figures. Again, don't need to wait 20 years for that, you could position yourself in 5-7 years. It's a fun area to work - dynamic, changing, lots of ambiguity, working with lots of different people, and no day is the same. You are also not confined to one industry - every single large company you can think of has a procurement function. I've worked in automotive, aerospace and utilities and am currently interviewing in the financial sector, for example. My common thread is technology - I always aim to work with product or IT technology because that's what I enjoy.
I know a guy that works at Aldi's procurement function and he is on a pretty good salary and has excellent career prospects.
You could do a CIPS qualification in one year. You'll be working with suppliers and sourcing (buying) stuff for the supermarket. This does not necessarily have to be products the supermarkets sell, but everything and anything the company uses to run - IT systems, marketing services, insurance, facilities management, accounting and audit services. There are lots of categories in a typical corporation and you will be working in one. Your job is to maximise value for your company and manage suppliers. You'll be negotiating costs, contracts, performance management and everything in between. It's a commercial role and you have some of the background already that could help - Procurement is the other side of Sales (they are like opposing sides of the same coin: one sells, one buys/spends and both are out to maximise value to their org). It is not as complicated as it sounds. The basics are covered in CIPS and a 1 year course will cost something like £500, or if you do face to face tuition (e.g. college) it'll be around £1500 - this is better because you get to network with other professionals and learn off them.
Pay is well. You could start £25-35k, and could double that in 2-3 years. As you get in to management roles (heads of sourcing), salaries will hit six figures. Again, don't need to wait 20 years for that, you could position yourself in 5-7 years. It's a fun area to work - dynamic, changing, lots of ambiguity, working with lots of different people, and no day is the same. You are also not confined to one industry - every single large company you can think of has a procurement function. I've worked in automotive, aerospace and utilities and am currently interviewing in the financial sector, for example. My common thread is technology - I always aim to work with product or IT technology because that's what I enjoy.
I know a guy that works at Aldi's procurement function and he is on a pretty good salary and has excellent career prospects.
Edited by silent ninja on Saturday 12th May 14:00
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