Ask the Readers: What Are Your Career Stories, Frustrations, Dreams and Successes? (& Book Giveaway)
So far in my Career Transitions series I have interviewed some of my favorite bloggers - Todd Goldfarb, David Bohl and John Wesley (don’t worry…. there will be more!). Today, however, I want to hear from YOU. That’s right. I am interested to hear your career related stories, frustrations, dreams and successes. Are you bored and frustrated in your current position? Have you found meaningful work? If so, how did you do it?
Please share your career related tips, advice, stories, frustrations, dreams and successes in the comments below.
Book Giveaway
Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, once wrote that a person who spends his life performing the same repetitive tasks “generally becomes as stupid and ignorant as it is possible for a human creature to become.” Wow! Now that’s not a pretty picture. Unfortunately, much of our work today consists of those boring, repetitive tasks.
So starts No More Mondays
If you would like to know more, have a look at the Amazon reviews
38 Comments
June 4th, 2008 at 6:10 am
I love what I do- I am a Marketing/Communications Director for an association management company that has about 5 different clients. I love how one day I will be developing a website, then working on a print ad the next - it is very all encompassing and never really lets me get too bored. What bothers me most is office politics and negative coworkers. Positive attitudes can go a long way - and could help me rev up my energy level. But instead all I receive is negative feedback - there is always something wrong - no matter how small or whose fault it is - I hear about it - and it effects my energy, my attitude and my work. I try not to let a few people’s negative comments ruin my day - but it is just so hard when it happens EVERY day. Now I am not saying that constructive criticism is bad - no - in fact I need that as well - everyone does - but down right meanness and negativity is an energy sucker and doesn’t help anyone.
SuzyQs last blog post..Marvelous Morels
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June 4th, 2008 at 6:41 am
SuztQ,
What a shame that a job you love is tainted by the negative attitudes of others. I definitely know what you mean though. There are 3 teams in my office place, and I am very thankful I am in the one I am in because the other 2 have a few of those negative and energy-sapping people you refer to.
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June 4th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Peter,
I’m a Mechanical Engineer by education. I always excelled in studies as I believe I’m gifted but I did not know what to pursue when I had to decide the career. I went to engineering as most Indians do that. However, I was never happy with what I was doing as an engineer. After I came to US, seventeen years ago with $20 in my pocket, I again went on to complete my post graduate studies in engineering. It was another mistake. I worked for some of the finest fortune companies including GE, Johnson and Johnson and Bell South but I kept feeling growingly unhappy with the work I was doing. Then something good happen. I purchased my first small hotel while I was working. i found that I loved the business as I love people. After three years, I resigned one day and came back home to surprise my wife as I was making six figure income. She was shocked but I was not. I felt peace and confidence when I walked away from the building after my resignation. I knew my destiny. I’ve never looked back since then. We are all born with a purpose to live for. Sometimes it takes courage to break the shell of security and breadth fresh air. I know that life has abundance to offer.
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.coms last blog post..The Real Key to a Healthy Life
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June 4th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Peter,
I am a subscriber to your blog and I want you to know that you are very inspiring.
In February, I applied for and got my first freelance writing job. Not only was I excited, but it boosted my confidence enough to try for others. So far, I can say that my freelance writing income has increased month after month. I still have my full-time job, which I will hold onto until my freelance writing is producing an income I feel more comfortable living off of. Going after and getting these jobs has made me realize that I can follow my passion and that I don’t have to be stuck in a job that only challenges me once in awhile.
Thanks!
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June 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
When my first-born son was four years old, I was extremely busy “climbing the corporate ladder.” He asked me why I was away from home so much and missing important things like Christmas plays and “trick-or-treating” on Halloween. Just as any normal, dutiful Father would do, I explained that I was “working hard for our family to earn money for all the things we have…”
Without a moment’s hesitation, my son said, “I’d rather have my Daddy than money.”
I was speechless as my heart hit the floor…
How ironic is that? I managed hundreds of millions of dollars for tens of thousands of people at a pension firm and here is a four-year old child delivering the kind of paradigm shift about money that I needed to find the best path for me and my family…
My son’s wisdom taught me that my priorities and pursuits were not properly aligned.
From that day, I began to plot a plan to start my own investment advisory firm. That was two years ago…
I now operate a successful business out of my home; I drop my son off at school; greet him when he gets off the bus; put him and his younger brother to bed at night; and I’ve never missed a significant event in my two boys’ lives since then…
I also “stumbled upon” blogging, which has opened new doors and enhanced my philosophy toward life…
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Thanks for the post, Peter…
Kent (aka The Financial Philosopher)
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June 4th, 2008 at 9:51 am
My frustration is that I have an idea of what I want to do with my life, but no clear idea how to get there … I am now 33 and I feel like I am wasting away at a job I truly despise.
The feeling of coming to this job day-in/day-out is sucking the soul out of me!
I have no idea what to do and my financial resources are tapped.
I do know I need a change, a major one.
Cesars last blog post..USA World Cup 2022? Warner Says So …
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June 4th, 2008 at 10:30 am
I escaped an extremely abusive marriage in 2003, having never had a “real job” (I got married and had my first child while in college - which I did not finish) and with 2 small children in tow. I took the first job that was offered to me, in a doctor’s office, making $10/hr. It ended up being an awful, negative place to be - the owners expected more than I (or anyone else for that matter) could ever deliver, they weren’t
willing to pay for good work, and they were all about making money - which included medical billing fraud, ordering unneeded visits/procedures, etc. if need be. I worked hard to gain skills and knowledge, and after 3 years, I found another job (the funniest thing is that they couldn’t understand why I wanted to leave)
It is amazing what a difference a change of workplace can make - at my current job, my skills are highly valued, and they do everything they can to help me grow. I started here less than 2 years ago, and have advanced from an Administrative Assistant making $15/hr to 2nd in command of our quality department, making around $25/hr. I am happy to come to work every day, and I am treated with the utmost respect. I work hard, and of course there are challenges, frustrations and annoyances, but overall, I enjoy my work. My boss has taken the time to learn what my strengths are, and put me in a position to use those skills to succeed. He has let me know in no uncertain terms that he has high expectations that I will continue to rise in the ranks here.
My story may not be the traditional story of success - but I feel a great deal of pride in the success I have achieved, having come up from nothing to where I am now. I have no doubt I will continue to grow. When I left my marriage, many people told me I would never make it on my own, but I have proved them wrong.
The secrets of my success - hard work, a positive, can-do attitude, reliability, making myself indispensable (if any of our managers need something to get done, they know they can come to me and I will make it happen), and a hunger for knowledge and new skills. Don’t be afraid to take chances and dive into things that you aren’t familiar with - make it your job to make your company successful - I do a lot of things that aren’t in my job description, but need to get done. Don’t underestimate the difference being nice can make - I was chosen for many of the opportunities I have been given in part because I am pleasant to work with (and the rest because I am good at my job) - I am able to influence others to accomplish things that no one else has been able to get them to do, by being nice, and enlisting their support to fix the problem, whether they are the president of the company, or the lowest employee on the totem pole.
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June 4th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I’ve been working for the same company for 13 years, and I feel like I’ve been stagnating for about the past 6 of those years. I would love to move my way up the ladder, but given the size of the company and the corporate structure, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Over the years, I’ve held several different positions, and my last job change (again) was considered a lateral move, not an upward one.
I just obtained my Bachelors degree in Business Management last year, but so far it hasn’t helped me improve my current situation. So I’m early 40’s, with a bachelors degree, 18 years of experience. My problem, though, is that I feel somewhat paralyzed. I don’t know which of my skills are translatable into a new position, I don’t know where to look for a new job, or even what type of job to look for. I feel most of the skills I have are as a result of on-the-job training, and they likely would not transfer well to another company.
So my story is one of frustration and fear of change. (I mean, after 13 years, I don’t even know if I have current skills for interviewing!) I could use some helpful advice from anyone who might care to share.
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June 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Kent — that’s a very moving story, thank you for sharing it, and a huge well done on finding what really matters. When I was a little girl, my dad was never home till after 7pm, and I remember going round to friends’ houses to play and being surprised how “early” their dads came home (by 5.30pm!)
Peter, in answer to your questions:
For 18 months, I’ve been working in a technical support job that has never been “me”. I was getting desperate for a job after graduating from University (even though, in retrospect, I know my parents would have been happy to have me at home longer), and so I took the first one that offered me a position — even though I knew at the time it wasn’t an ideal fit. I could always change my mind, right?
It’s not been quite that easy. My boyfriend and I decided to flat share about 6 months into my time working, and it took him a lot longer to find a steady job than we thought it would; we ran through my savings on deposit, rent and bills (and too much eating out and enjoying ourselves, constantly expecting things to turn round the next month). The low point was when my savings account balance dropped to £32 last summer. It wasn’t until November ‘07 that I started putting money in again, and I’m now up to over £4K once more.
The gutting thing is that, if I’d been saving up consistently since I started working at my current job, I’d probably have £10K by now and could have quit to follow my dream of being a freelance writing.
So, at the moment, I’m writing as much as I can on the side (blogging on The Office Diet, doing guest posts, staff blogging for Daily Writing Tips & Diet Blog, working on a book proposal) and looking for more jobs. I’m going to launch some web creation services, having done a couple of (charity/Church) sites for free. I’m hugely excited when I think about my freelancing and my writing, but the day job saps my energy and enthusiasm — particularly, as you say, when office politics are involved.
In September, I’m starting a part time MA in “Creative & Life Writing”; something I’ve wanted to do since I graduated. It’s particularly sweet because in my third year at uni I applied to do a similar MA but was rejected — so it feels like a real achievement! And by September, I plan to be well underway with some more freelance writing and some web creation jobs.
I realise this comment has gone on FAR longer than I intended it to, so I’ll leave it there.
Best,
Ali
Ali from The Office Diets last blog post..Why boiled sweets could help your diet
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June 4th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I work in a large Australian management consulting firm. Started as a Consultant a number of years ago and for the past several years have been in an Account Director, or business development/sales/delivery management, role. As part of my job I get involved in the recruitment process. I also am accountable for the work consultants deliver to clients in my space. This has given me some valuable insights around being a knowledge worker.
The first is you can develop any technical skills or subject matter knowledge in someone that they may require (whatever that is in your business) if they are deficient in some way. Fred needs to know about this framework or Jill needs to understand that process. What you cannot compromise on is inter-personal skills. If they aren’t there or are sub-optimal it will almost always end in tears at some point. In this sort of business consultants need to be able to read, understand and react to their clients, their perspectives, their biases etc in order to develop and deliver the right outcome (which is often not the one specified up front). Not everyone can do this - consultants who take the attitude that they don’t need to be flexible or change the way they do things rarely succeed in the long run. True of every relationship I guess.
The second insight is that this type of work (and life in general) is not about a straight vertical path of promotion and reward. It’s actually about the accumulation of experience along a meandering path that would plot horizontally as much as vertically. The seemingly irrelevant client engagement will always contain a gem of learning of some description - the challenge is finding it and storing it away for later use (even if it’s not clear what that might be at the moment).
Cheers
Simon
Simon Hills last blog post..Lessons in life from the everyday
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June 4th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I am about to be retrenched from a job I loved with all my heart two years ago, but now can’t wait to leave. The reason? Poor management and gross inequities in the workplace. Ironically, my employer is a not-for-profit whose aim is to increase awareness of environmental, social and human justice issues. Unfortunately, they don’t see that they have to practise what they preach. I am very despondent right now that something I gave two years to is about to collapse from bad management. Worse still my motivation during these last important weeks is sorely lacking and my sense of confidence and achievement has all but dried up.
Inside me is an entrepreneur just waiting to burst out and be done with poor management from employers. I want to be my own employer! A book like the one mentioned above may help me work out my skills, strengths and weaknesses so I can make the leap into self employment.
Keep up the good work Peter. I love reading your posts.
K.
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June 4th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Perhaps my biggest challenge, and frustration, with my career right now is keeping my group motivated. We are involved with a very important project that has four scheduled releases between June and December.
With little time and no margin for error, we must all stay focused on getting everything completed on time. I worry about the toil and stress this project may have on everyone.
The advice I give myself is to continue to show appreciation and to lead by example. At the end of the day, my hope for everyone on the team is they will feel a tremendous amount of pride for what they have accomplished.
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June 4th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
We all - from cleaner to President of the USA to CEO of a a huge company - have several basic needs (like survival, love, power, fun and freedom), and our job should satisfy these needs. To the extent it does, we will be motivated. To the extent it doesn’t, we will feel unfulfilled.
But the most important thing, I think, is having a focus on adding value. We are only truly satisfied when we feel we are contributing. We need to be proactive and find out ways ni which we can add value to our situation. Sometimes it can be hard - especially if we feel constrained or are criticized alot - but this is what we must strive for.
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June 5th, 2008 at 12:43 am
I am entering my senior year of college as a Business Administration and Operations Research double major. Both these majors lead to lucrative careers in the business world. After having two past internships and starting a new internship in a week I feel that I am on this roller coaster simply going through the motions. I don’t feel passionate about or interested in the work I have done in the past or I am going to be doing in the future.
I am desperately trying to figure out what I am passionate about or what I am truly interested in before its too late. However, this task is becoming increasingly difficult as time is running short, college loans are piling up, and the parents are putting pressure to find a “successful” career (i.e. one that makes a lot of money).
Although, I know that this comment maybe off topic but I am becoming more and more worried. As I read the other comments of people dissatisfied with their work I feel that I am catching a glimpse of myself in 5 or 10 years. I guess I should be thankful for realizing this while I’m still in college and hopefully through a lot of self reflection I will be able to figure out what I want to do before permanently entering the work force. Any suggestions anyone has would be much appreciated.
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June 5th, 2008 at 1:51 am
You know, Peter, my “careers” have been a sort of “tinker, tailor, soldier, spy” variety with sub-careers slipping in and out. The three major ones—army officer, social worker, ordained minister—have been interspersed and complimented by my being a therapist, teacher, writer, etc. Perhaps I was born in the wrong century?
Sometimes Saintly Nicks last blog post..Dona Nobis Pacem
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June 5th, 2008 at 5:18 am
I have been very moved reading many of the above comments — it really puts my own gripes and whines into perspective! I did write a whole comment about how things currently are for me, career-wise (not how I want them) yesterday, but then my ‘net ate it. Now I’m glad it did.
I’m realising that I’ve had so many good things and blessings compared to the wonderful people above who’ve struggled against the odds and still triumphed.
So all I’ll say now is that my goal for the next few months is to throw everything I’ve got into building up my freelance business (writing and website creation) on the side, so that I can eventually transition into this, and leave my day job in tech support.
It’s wonderful to see so many people who ARE living their dreams, and every time I visit The Change Blog I come away more motivated about mine.
Ali
Alis last blog post..Why boiled sweets could help your diet
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June 5th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Hi Peter,
Thanks for another inspiring and make it interactive.
I am a Business Objects Consultant(data warehousing) working in chicago.My biggest challenge, and frustration, with my career is all the projects are of short term excapt couple of them which ran into more than a year.If you are in between projects,most probably,no company will pay you.Think of the bills one has to pay.If you are with a family,still it makes life harder.
Right now,as my current assignment is a short term one,i can’t bring my family into u.s and they are in india.I am missing so much,especially my little son(27 months).He is going to school(pre kg) on tomorrow.see,how much i am missing.
As my Green card is in process,i can’t switch companies and go for a full time job.
I am simply waiting.
In the meantime,as i am much interested in self improvement,i started my blog :
http://www.growing-self.blogspot.com
and writing regularly.I want to write a book on this subject and want to teach my country’s young students,the value of self-worth once i go there and settle in six years from now.I will build a library for self improvement alone.I am going to give speeches in schools,colleges.
I am planning to start a IT company,am working on this.
Keep up the good work.
Best Wishes,
Kannan Viswagandhi
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June 5th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Peter
I love reading your blog - it is a highlight of my week to spend time on here.
I have been a good corporate girl for several years now and have always studied at the same time. I thought for a long time that what I did was who I was.
I moved to Australia seven years ago and had the opportunity to work in a fabulous company where after some time, I was given the freedom and trust to do what I love - coach the Executive team and manage the top talent in the company. This was a truly rewarding experience for me and I felt extremely privileged to share peoples’ journeys and lives while at the same time contributing towards the company’s success.
Then we were taken over by another organisation and the environment turned from a can-do, positive workplace into an autocratic, back-biting nightmare. One by one, the top Exec left and I left also. I allowed this experience to have a detrimental impact on my health and came down with glandular fever then I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.
So I had to come home to Ireland to be cared for by my family. I am getting better due to a number of wonderful interventions such as acupuncture, lightning process, yoga and looking after my health.
The wonderful lessons I have learnt as a result of being ill are priceless - one of the lessons I learnt was that whilst I was ill, I was unable to talk about ‘what I do’ which although frightening in the beginning, allowed me to discover more about ‘who I was’ and therefore I had no labels attached to me - I found I was attracting people into my life who were willing to have really meaningful conversations and then new teachers came also.
Now I have designed my goals and realise that the only thing getting in the way of me achieving these is ME! I am certain that I want to continue helping people, but now in a more holistic way, not just about coaching, but about health, well-being and care of the soul. I feel so grateful for my second chance, now I feel like I have a true purpose rather than simply a career.
Sue
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June 7th, 2008 at 5:51 am
Peter,
WOW! I think this is the first time in my life that I have ever won anything. Maybe this is a sign of good things to come. I just have to be confident and put myself out there more often. No risk, no reward, as they say. Thanks again for being so inspirational.
Alysia
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June 21st, 2008 at 9:36 am
Peter,
You asked for “your career related stories, frustrations, dreams and successes”, so I thought I would share some of my latest adventures and what I have learned from them. First, I have been very lucky to have had jobs that I love in the last number of years. The last success story of my career was when I worked for Dell (a great company to work for, despite the lay-offs). I started working at Dell as a front-line phone agent in January ‘06. While in training I not only made friends and contacts with the other agents, but I made sure to make contacts in the training department (one in particular). I went on to become one of outstanding agents in my field and take on other responsibilities (that were within my skill set and some that were just outside as well so I could improve).
When I was looking to move up in the organization, my first attempt to get into the Training department was not a success, however I did make some new contacts within the organization. My main “tip” that I can pass on was that I got myself a mentor. He was a great help to me not only in making other great contacts, but in making sure I understood the role and what the skill set I needed to ensure that I had and that I showed others that I had. He helped me re-write my resume to be tailored to the position and helped me get some opportunities to become part of the “virtual trainer” team. By the way, my mentor was Senior Training Manager, the boss of the people that were interviewing me for the Trainer position. He knew what they wanted to see and what skills would be needed in the job. I’d call that “tip #2″, always aim two steps up when looking for a mentor (He told me that too).
The only frustration is that I am still looking for work in my chosen career path. I have a few options on the horizon, and will continue to work towards my goal of being a Trainer once again. Until then, I am working on improving my skill set by learning French (a huge thing here in Ottawa, Canada) and continuing to Network.
So, in summary, my tips are as follows:
1) Set a goal for your next 2-3 career steps. Don’t give up and work towards them.
2) Find out your current skill set and the skill set of the job you want. Make sure you get the ones you are missing and show off the ones that you have. Toot your own horn!
3) Get a mentor in that department, but not doing the job you want. Make sure it is at least 2 steps up from where you are. Possibly 2 steps up from where you want to be.
4) Keep a balance in your “work life”. Volunteer for what you *can* do that shows off the skills you want to show off. Help others, but not at the expense of your current job.
5) Network. Network. Network. Do it in your current company as well as outside. Join social networking sites and groups (like LinkedIn and such). But e careful want you have on your profiles (Facebook can be a blessing or a curse depending on what people say about you).
I hope this helps you with your Career Transition series. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my story.
Eli
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June 28th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I have never had an “ideal” job. I simply take the position I have and try to make it more “me.”
I was a staff scientist in an environmental engineering group. While I did do number crunching and report writing and that was okay, I also did “internal freelancing” for others in the company. I helped edit and check reports from our senior ecologist (he loved field studies but writing was difficult for him), which I enjoyed and it made him sound better. I checked data for projects in other groups in a pinch, which made them more likely to help my group when we were in a pinch. I helped to shepherd large reports through our word processing, drafting, and copying/binding departments, because I was always made myself available to explain what the engineers wanted in the documents and maps. And I became the “go-to guy” for esoteric stuff like geological maps and unusual documents, as I had developed lots of contacts. So what started as a “dry” science job ended up being more than calculations, but also included writing, editing, and document management, which was more my style.
I now create and transfer pedigrees for horses, which sounds boring. But I made it more creative by doing DNA detective work for horses that are separated from their papers and for babies that don’t match to the supposed parents. Our registry produces a magazine, and so I am also able to do writing for the magazine and edit submissions from other writers. I also have been making humorous award certificates for people associated with the registry and “fake” memos on April Fool’s Day, to the point where “random acts of humor” has been written into my job description by my supervisor, who saw the way that humor improves office morale and improves relationships with directors and members of the registry.
My advice is to look beyond your current position and find ways you can use your strengths to help others do their jobs better and to expand your job description. It may lead to a new position in your current company or to a new career elsewhere.
I have enjoyed the various careers I have tried up to this point, but I still would like to do something on my own in the future. But I feel that my strategy helps me to make my traditional jobs more fun in the meantime and will make a transition to a new career easier. It occurred to me that I can take the freelancing idea outside of my own office and use it to gradually transition myself out of my current position and to independent work.
I have been doing a lot of reading about career change and how to find the right path, and eventually I hope to come across an idea that really makes my socks go up and down.
I appreciate this blog and others because they give me new ways to look at the concept of a career and to increase my quality of life.
sheila
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October 5th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
a big thank-you to all those who have given tips! they were great and thought provoking!
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