Job Advice

[Anivair]

Okay, Nerds, I think i came to a realization today.  I stood in my boss's office stopping myself from beating him into oblivion and I thought, "This is probably not healthy."  My job is my biggest source of stress.  It's not even hard, it's just miserable.  At one point in time I thought I'd want to work in IT forever, but I think I've discovered that I have no passion for it. 

 

So I went into the bathroom (the only safe place) and I caught a glimpse of myself in my NerdFitness shirt and I thought, "What would Steve do in my position?" 

 

I think the answer is that he'd find something else to do, of course.  Is it that simple for me?  Well, not exactly, but mostly because i have a house, which means I have a mortgage to pay. That said, it's not a very expensive mortgage, so I'm eager to try something else. 

 

What would really make me happy is if I could do personal training and a bit of nutrition consulting. that's sort of my real passion now and I enjoy it very much, but I have like 2 clients which is NOT enough to live on (it's barely enough to go to the movies on). 

 

So I'm taking advice, suggestions, and support from the NerdFitness community.  Feel free to say anything that you think will help.  Maybe I just need to get my brain a-storming and figure myself out today. 

[mkolbe2]

This is a tricky one.  I've kept jobs that I absolutely hated to pay the bills.  It's not my SO's fault or my cat's fault if I don't like my job, so I do my best to bring in the money, no matter what.  That being said, I actively tried to get out of those jobs.
 

At some point you really just have to be happy.  You're not going to live forever, and neither am I.  I'd say if you can safely make a job change, go for it.  The happiness outweighs the money mentally 9/10 times, even if the money is important.

Obviously, you absolutely have to pay your mortgage.  What may be better is one of the following:

Transfer departments
Find a new job without a boss that makes you want to hurt people in IT
Get a new job all together

 

My $0.02.  I hope things work out for you =]

[Niccolo]

I hear where you’re coming from.  My old boss could push my buttons like none other.  Several times a week I’d come out of his office ready to throw him through a window.  I developed a resentment toward engineering (what I do) that had driven me to actively debate giving it up altogether.

 

I just recently got out of that caustic job, and my stress level has virtually hit zero.  I was lucky in that I was able to find a job in the same field.  What I found when I got my new job is that I still like engineering; it was just the atmosphere at my old job that drove me to lose faith in it.  I don’t know whether you’re in the same boat, but as mkolbe2 said, you may want to try switching to a new job.  You may find that IT is still a good fit for your and that it was just your old boss making you lose that loving feeling.

 

Otherwise, start looking into what you need to do to become a personal trainer/nutritionist.  Are there things that you can be working on to achieve your goal while you tolerate your current position?  Do you need specific certifications?  Licenses?  Education?  How do you increase your client base?  Do you need to look into advertising of some sort?  Can you get hired by a gym of some kind to help you build a client base that you can start with?  I’ve seen many people hop from gym to gym to follow a trainer that they like.  As a follow-up, do you want to run your own business?  Are you going to need licensing or permits from the City?

 

One last thing, the fact that you’ve come to the realization that your current job isn’t right for you is huge.  When I hit that point, I lost a lot of stress quickly.  It means that you can stop focusing your stress and energy on dealing with the current job and focus it on finding a new one and achieving your goals.  You aren’t out of the woods yet, and there still will be bad days.  But, I can tell you that you’ve definitely made a strong step towards happiness.

[cline]

yeah, massive job suckage and stress disappear with better job.  Funny that.

 

PT is a hussle - I know a few who are super successful but it's hard start up.  long hours, insurance, etc.  Two work through a gym - gym gets a cut and they get a cut.  Helped one move on to establish her own studio space.  Another one is with a group of trainers in an interesting business arrangement.  He's got plenty of clients as well. 

 

I think it's the start up that's the hardest.

 

I'd start by asking:  if this is what you want to do, what do you need to do to get there full time?  how can you do that?  (e.g. how can you get enough clients?  how many is enough?  how do you do books? handle insurance? etc.).  Then make a plan to chip away at it. 

 

After you make your plan ask - is this something I want to do and can do now that I see a reasonable plan?  For a lot of people - yup!  then GO!

 

I don't want to own my own business so for me it would be a no.  I don't like that instability.  But I have many friends who do own their own businesses (including a trainer!!) and they are super duper successful and happy.  You know your personality.

 

I think you know what you want to do.  ;-)  make a plan.

[Anivair]

Quick note:  many thinks to you guys for both support and advice. I have been thinking about what you said and here's what I have: 

 

I don't love IT.  I don't want to do it forever.  that said, I'm also overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated.  So big surprise.  if I can make the training work part time, I think I can bear this for a time, but not forever. 

 

I asked some other local trainers (MovNat trainers) what they suggested yesterday and they had some good advice.  Mostly it revolved around honing my craft and figuring out exactly what I want to do.  I think it boils down to 2 things:  helping people who are legitimately sick.  All my training clients right now are either very overweight, very ill, very physically broken or all of the above.  And I love helping them.  It's the most rewarding thing I do.  So i want to keep that.    

The other thing I really want to do is start a kids program.  I hate that kids are born knowing how to move and then we let them forget.  They are being turned into lumps by modern life and I want to fix it somehow. 

 

Those are my two focuses now.  I'll keep people updated on how they grow. 

[cline]

These are amazing populations to work with. I say shoot for the stars and follow your heart. Just make a plan.

[PNH]

I am not going to hop on the bandwagon with everyone else per se. Follow your dreams is good advice on paper but it's easy to form bad habits and that first weekend off becomes a week and a month and so on. I quit my job the last week of December and had a go on my own in the new year. It's come full circle and things have come around but if I had owned a house instead of having a very nice friend who charges me far too little rent, it may have been unpleasant. 

 

You may think now that you'll be motivated by the fear of failure(i.e. Losing your house) but along with that motivation comes the stress from fear of failure, and I think we can all agree that sometimes stress has a nasty way of piling up. Don't lose hope and DO follow your dreams, but I wouldn't suggest going it alone without a well thought out plan.

 

Here's an anecdote for my one piece of mostly worthless advice:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/06/how-i-started-zerocater/

[Zorch]

Quick note:  many thinks to you guys for both support and advice. I have been thinking about what you said and here's what I have: 

 

I don't love IT.  I don't want to do it forever.  that said, I'm also overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated.  So big surprise.  if I can make the training work part time, I think I can bear this for a time, but not forever. 

 

I asked some other local trainers (MovNat trainers) what they suggested yesterday and they had some good advice.  Mostly it revolved around honing my craft and figuring out exactly what I want to do.  I think it boils down to 2 things:  helping people who are legitimately sick.  All my training clients right now are either very overweight, very ill, very physically broken or all of the above.  And I love helping them.  It's the most rewarding thing I do.  So i want to keep that.    

The other thing I really want to do is start a kids program.  I hate that kids are born knowing how to move and then we let them forget.  They are being turned into lumps by modern life and I want to fix it somehow. 

 

Those are my two focuses now.  I'll keep people updated on how they grow. 

Sounds like you know what you want to do.  My recommendation would be to begin exploring this in your weekends and free time, to figure out what this new career might look like as you transition it to your primary job.  Basically, figure out the HOW, and have a full plan in place that you know will work before you leave your current job.

[Shawry]

What exactly do you do in IT? Its a very, very, very, broad industry!!

Finding the right work environment has been key for me. I'm also in IT, and not even doing what I thought I would be when I left school 10 years ago, but I'm happy because I've got the right boss in the right company.

 

Personally I think a total career switch can be too much, especially when you intend to leave the first career on such negative terms. My motivation would collapse under all that pressure!! 

 

Can you make small adjustments, starting with finding a new boss, but still doing similar work that you are currently doing so that you know your experience will help carry you into the new position/department/job.

[CalvinHobbes]

Moving this to the "off topic" forum.

[Anivair]

I'm a Linux Admin.  I don't hate it (and I love Linux) but to be honest, it just isn't very rewarding for me.  Or at least not as rewarding as helping someone who is a person with something that matters.  That said, I'm not up and quitting my job without having another plan in place.  I'm not irrational (well, I am a little irrational about my job, but I'm not stupid).  I AM eager to start formulating a new plan, though. 

[cline]

I'm a Linux Admin.  I don't hate it (and I love Linux) but to be honest, it just isn't very rewarding for me.  Or at least not as rewarding as helping someone who is a person with something that matters.  That said, I'm not up and quitting my job without having another plan in place.  I'm not irrational (well, I am a little irrational about my job, but I'm not stupid).  I AM eager to start formulating a new plan, though. 

 

Yup!  A plan.  Most things become doable with a plan and chipping away at your plan.  Also, there is always part time/part time until you are 100% re-established. Or even part time in Linux once you are established.  Many options.

 

I believe life is too short to be in jobs you don't find rewarding.  I'm not saying "toss it all and quit" with no plan (which you know b/c I supported your idea above).  BUT I do think if it's time to move on, do it.  Figure it out and do it.  Your job should be rewarding on some level.  If you want to do something else, do it.

 

Me?  major career change in my 30's b/c I was so unrewarded and unhappy.  Made a plan and did it. 

[Rokwing87]

Join Cirque du Soleil!!!

 

In all honesty, it sounds like your place of work just sucks. You need to do something to push yourself forward. If your boss is a major jerk just quit and live on welfare, I wouldn't blame you. I had a boss I wanted to kill once and I him and everyone else to kick rocks. If I wasn't in the military, as soon as a boss told me to do something I considered abusive in any way, I'd just quit, right then and there. 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I'm in the same position. Hate my job because it's not interesting to me. My real passions lie elsewhere but I can't just bounce because we need the money to pay the bills.

 

My wife and I's current agreement is that once we pay off all the student loans and mortgage to the point that the bills are lowered enough that we don't need my current salary, I can go do whateves. The current plan is to get certified in some way over the next few years to be a strength coach/PT and work a small side busniess out of my garage. If I'm succesful and enjoy it, then I can open my own black iron gym. I'm in a college town that lacks a real good one as far as I've been able to find and think I'd be able to get the clientel from all the college guys wants to get muskles. It's long term and relatively safe from the standpoint of making sure it's what i want before doing it and gives me something to look forward to past my current situation.

 

I'll be following this thread to see what you guys come up with.

[cline]

*whispers* I support the plan it out plan.... chip away at the plan. 

 

Gainsdalf - that's a good plan.

 

The thing is that for most of us, responsibility outweighs the "take this job and shove it" option (and that reference makes me very old).  Paying a mortgage/rent, student loans, having kids, wanting a life with night's out or movies, just make it hard to walk away.

 

And, you don't generally get welfare for walking away from your job.  And honestly, unemployment benefits are lousy compared to your salary AND being unemployed when you want to work is lousy.

 

Owning your own business is HARD.  I have a friend who is a trainer and left her big time corporate gig to train.  This was a slow transition and one she did with a financially stable husband AND money in the bank (she had a kid and a house).  She was lucky - right place, right time, right background, right approach, right husband (he also knew the business) but it was and is hard hard work.  It took her years before she could open her own training space.  Years.  And, yeah, she's booked all day every day.  She has to turn clients away.  But it's a constant hustle - she starts at 5 or 6a and doesn't end until 7p or so often with almost no breaks.  At first, that meant weekends too.  It's rough.

 

BUT she's very successful.  They are comfortable financially and happy as can be.  She LOVES her job (so does he) and she loves owning her own business. 

 

She is successful b/c she took it slow, had a plan, and continues to refine that plan - how many clients, how to not do sundays w clients, etc. 

 

You guys can totally do this!  Just make a plan.... research the plan... execute the plan.  The execution part is the scary part and means you might be really low on cash for a while or not home much, etc.  It's the lifestyle of a trainer.  But that doesn't mean it isn't amazingly wonderfully rewarding. 

 

honestly, I say it again... life is too short for your job to not be meaningful to you.

[Sunmage]

Hey,

 

your plans sound cool, but many people try to go there and the best succeed. I'm sure you will be one of them!

 

Have you considered being a linux admin for stuff you like? Running systems for fitness centers and stuff like that? I mean helping those who help people get healthy.

At least here in Germany doctors etc suffer from their crappy administrative systems... Might be just a side business but it could be a start in a own business.

 

Im excited to see where you go. i dont want to be be an engineer forever to. And I havent even graduated...

[Anivair]

Update:  Still employed, but I talked to the Magpie about it and now I have a plan.  2 of them, actually.  Plan 1 is called the now plan.  It's stuff I'm doing right now to create supplemental income to help me move away from a job I hate.  Plan 2 is called the oops plan and that's what happens if I suddenly have no job for whatever reason.  Still not quitting, but the boss may get sick of me, you never know.  In either case, having a plan feels good.