Very intelligent but failure in the workplace?

[dublinruth]

I was a very clever child. Scholarships, MENSA, etc. Everyone thought I had an exceptionally bright future.

Except.. my intelligence doesn't really mean anything in the workplace. It hasn't translated to career success. I'm now ten years into my career, doing specialised admin work that bores me silly but pays OK.

Has anyone else found that being intelligent just doesn't translate into being good at work. I feel such a failure and see people I went to school with having great careers and can't help but to feel a huge amount of jealousy.

Has anyone else found this?

I think, actually, I'm much better at the theory than the reality

After a successful time at school and 2:1 from Oxbridge I picked the wrong career and eventually flunked out. Am in teaching now.

Part of my problem is that I cannot stand the BS which goes along with so many jobs. If I wanted to go up the management ladder in education I’d have to start doing and saying so many things which are total anathema to me. It’d be bullshit bingo every day.

*HopeClearwater

After a successful time at school and 2:1 from Oxbridge I picked the wrong career and eventually flunked out. Am in teaching now.

Part of my problem is that I cannot stand the BS which goes along with so many jobs....It’d be bullshit bingo every day.

I'm the same and I had a boss like that. He would subvert meetings by e.g. trying to fit as many abba songs as he could into a meeting with a straight face.

Some of you have clearly worked for the wrong organisations. I watched two admins roll their eyes on Friday when I gave the team genuinely good feedba k.

@Damntrains

Bullshit bingo! Yes! Thats exactly what it is and what i have an issue with.

I can relate to this too. Very bright at school, Oxbridge degree etc. I'm a teacher (part time these days) but the majority of my university peers went on to have high-flying careers. I could have progressed up the ladder in teaching, but didn't really want to. In my case it's a lack of drive and ambition rather than a lack of common sense and emotional intelligence (both of which I'd say I have).
I don't get bored easily, and I guess I am stimulated enough by the world around me without feeling the need to seek major challenge in the workplace.

Ive really struggled with teaching!
I really need to find a new path or I really am going to end up with no career.

Finding it really stressful today. Id love to throw myself into something but even TA work i think would be overwhelming. I really dont know.