What should I do for a living...conundrum

[Raf99]

Hey bcjammerx,

"The trick is finding something I like and that will pay...well that's the trick for me anyway...shouldn't be so damn tricky... it is for me I don't know... "

Amen! You need to love your work. You need to love your work so much that you don't mind doing it after hours, at home, or on your days off. Don't commit to a long-term job that pays good $ but that you do not like (like i did, haha).

I'm 31 and I've been in the IT field for 14 years now. My g/f works as a nurse. I'm making about $45,000 and she is making about $43,000.

The thing is that I got into IT because I thought this is where the $ would be. I was right. But now I hate my jobs. I've had worse, and I've had better but before the IT World I was in to music (for 6 years) and had to leave that world because there was no $ in it. As soon as I needed rent$, and bill$, etc, the money I was making from playing gigs was not enough. Before this transisition I did:

(played music and did gigs while doing these jobs):
- Carpet and flooring installer
- Dish washer
- Pizza maker
- Furniture mover
- Demolition
- Carpenter/Construction worker

(went to school for IT Network Administrator / Computer Administrator)
(sit on my ass all day and do):
- Call center idiot
- LAN administrator
- IT technical support specialist for a school board
- ISP support specialist (hosting websites, DNS, etc)
- Webpage making
- IT Technological Advisor

The physical jobs were hard on the body and the mental jobs are hard on the head (stressful). The physical jobs suck because you are out in the cold and snow trying to shingle a roof all day and your fingers may stop working. The mental jobs suck because you have to talk to idiots all day and you don't get enough exercise. There is a freedom in physical work, which is leading me back into a LAN administrator type of job where I will at least get to carry computers around while setting them up.

The best advise I can give you is to think back to when you a kid, what did you do or like doing. Reading, taking things apart, outside, inside, tools or cooking??

Personally I always liked music, but I may have to make this a hobbie rather than profession. (I remember being 11 and trading my sweater for a drum pad my friend had).

Best of luck though.

[lokuputha]

to the OP: do something until you fine something better.

IMHO, nursing is a huge industry, especially considering the aging baby boomer population. Nursing is not only field work, there is administration, management, teaching and so on. Become a nurse practitioner and you are basically a doctor.

We will rarely find our passion wrapped up under the Christmas tree, we have to find it. The trick is to do something, anything, with which you can contribute to the world....once you see that you are contributing positively in some way or form, you will like it. Simple.

Good Luck.

[bcjammerx]

wow, thanks for all the thumbs up guys!

I know I can be a good nurse, I have that personality...even annoying patients that always hit the call light, well...I don't feel like punching them in the face, I feel sorry for them...only one I don't care much for is that crack head...but...even her...I'm actually more annoyed with how the staff allows her to bully them...she only acts like she does cause they let her.

I've always enjoyed playing with legos, taking things apart...even now I love manipulating things and take them apart and put them back together just to learn how they work.

The answer...I have a lot more soul searching to do,

We will rarely find our passion wrapped up under the Christmas tree,

and I should stop expecting it to be. Just seems like things are never easy for me...it's like I'm fighting and always have to...but doing so blind...

I have some leads to follow up on...I tend to feel like
"SHIT!...almost 30 and I'm still living with the parents...what a waste of a life" another thing I need to get over, once I stop letting that cloud my mind I might be able to see what's right in front of me.

[bobbycos]

at least you have your parents to fall back on, they will always be there for you.

keep searching and the right job/career will find you

and keep reading the posts here, there is a lot of good advice that the members give.

[lokuputha]

The answer...I have a lot more soul searching to do,

Go tree planting, its tough work and serious meditative therapy. I went tree planting 6 years ago when my life was a hole, I was going no where and all I was doing was worrying that I wasn't getting anywhere. "Spinning my tires in the mud." Tree planting, the tough routine, and the solitude calmed my mind and allowed me to start doing rather than thinking-about-doing. Soon after I attended post-secondary, became a Mechanical Engineering Designer; it took me another three years to find the Mechanical Engineering job with which I can contribute to the world. I now design alcohol breath testing systems that are used all over the world, and it feels great!

I know how you feel. I remember feeling like a marble rolling around on a glass table looking for a groove. You will find it eventually, just don't expect it at anytime; it will only make you anxious. All that matters is what you do now.

[wed3k]

when people see that you have a passion and you can do your job well, they WILL pay for it.

[bcjammerx]

when people see that you have a passion and you can do your job well, they WILL pay for it.

{ skip to THE BOTTOM if no want to read my sob story }
Cars...I wanted to rebuild engines for power...and the whole car...but the more I learned the more I realized I had underestimated the task so I then realized that like most things I have an interest in...I only want to do it for myself not other people really.

As for being a mechanic...I didn't enjoy the job...I got SO desperate for work that I began stretching the truth as to what the car needed. I didn't like that...someone would ask me to help them and my first reaction was...how many tenths of an hour are you going to give me to help. If I wanted to use someones welder...I had to give him some time on his card from the job. I didn't like that environment...and sadly you HAD to do that...I HAD to to get the measly hours I got.

And we just got hit a few nasty blows...Of course my wife lost her job back a few months and despite my repeated urging hasn't gotten another job yet.

Our savings have gone from 5k to 2k as a result...I didn't find that out until last month.

The wife's parents want us out by April...even though we are living with them because we can't afford to do that...and they know this...her dad was a little surprised when she said she wasn't taking classes any more because...drum roll please...we can't afford it...duh...guess they DON'T know.

Their reasoning? They want to restore their 30+ year old mobile home that is falling apart around us

(and I know FIRST HAND it is not feasible to rebuild them...it cost more to rebuild than to get a whole new one...but "it's paid for" and "I won't buy another trailer"...no? But you'll spend well over 40k to overhaul this dump huh? No I didn't say that to him...I should...ok ok, I know I shouldn't)

and they can't do the back section with us there...most likely they are doing this for her brother who is dating a girl with two kids...neither are his...so they can move in.

Last night...her dad told me, while I was leaving for work...which ruined my day totally...that her brother is now going to be moving in with us...her parents are going back traveling (they were down for 5 days...it was very unpleasant)...his girlfriend left the other night (now that her old druggy friend is out of jail) and left the kids with him, wouldn't answer her phone, and the other girl would answer hers...for over 24 hours. So...they are going to break up...and he is out of a job (he did construction) so he will now be living under the same roof as me and my wife. I told my wife he should just call cps...they aren't his kids he has no legal right to be with them...cps should come in and take 'em away...they'd be better off than with this broad...they would go to grandparents.

We have NO control over our lives right now...I mean...people come and go on the property, our wishes are ignored and not even considered, we have no say what so ever not even constructive critisicm when her dad goes to "fix" something and is obviously doing it wrong...we have a $211 water bill cause he didn't fix a leaking pipe...TWICE! Why didn't I do it? Well first I didn't realize it was leaking...second when I did I didn't have the right parts...then I finally got the right stuff and fixed it. We have to pay half...whatever.

...wife is FINALLY going to actually make more than one attempt to get a job...so then we can get a cheap ass house...no better shape than this one we're in...but it'll be ours...at least...I just wish she didn't HAVE to work for use to get a livable house we can like...but she HAS to work and all we'll get is a shitty house
{ end of sob story }

Any way...oh well...I think I'm gonna go to school to be an ultrasound tech. I won't have the b.s. nurses do but I'll have almost the same pay another lesson you learn in life via hard route...you don't always get to do what you like...most times you have to do what will put food on the table and a roof over your head. Maybe once I accomplish that I can start on my dreams.