Is it worth striving?

[larabanana]

I work hard and have always paid my way - admin job.. Lots of stress for the pay and difficult people to work with. I have taken a few courses and qualifications relating to my job too.

Why strive and try to do well and better yourself? Is it really worth the hard work?

I am just so down and stressed and think I might be better just giving up. I mean maybe I would be better suited to working in a shop or something. I feel like I am not bright enough for my job and certainly not any higher than this one.

My parents have always wanted me to go to uni and work in management. My dad especially is always telling me about people my age who earn way more than I do and have high level jobs.

They think I have the potential to do more but I really don't think that I do. Maybe I am destined to be one of those people who does a job not has a career. I just didn't grow up wanting to be a specific thing like how some dream of being a teacher or lawyer. I am just average!

Not everyone is designed to have some high powered job - who would do all the other jobs!

The problem is theirs not yours.

Your job is to make yourself happy/content and enjoy your life.

Clearly your dad thinks its his job to be disappointed in you

He's daft, just ignore and please yourself

Oh boy. Are you me??? I felt like this for years - admin for local gov't - badly paid and stressful. I chucked the towel in a few years ago and am doing a degree via the OU. Admittedly, I'm lucky in the DH earns enough that we can just about manage and whilst my degree isn't vocational - it's PPE, I'm hoping that as a graduate I'll find a career not just a job.

I considered becoming a hairdresser, never did anything about it though. Shame really, as some sensible sounding survey a few months ago said that hairdressing had the highest rate of job satisfaction.

You do sound like you haven't found your direction yet. I know work can be really hard, stressful and sometimes miserable but if you find something right for you it's so much better, speaking from experience.
Rather than admin or management why not think about something vocational? What do you think you would be good at and enjoy?

I don't really have any skills - I like people but have always worked in admin. I am single and living with my parents so can't afford to leave where I am as there are so few jobs available around here.

I could just sit and cry - it just feels like I am in this stressful environment and it is just so hard to keep up the happy face.

lara maybe you're not in the right job?

I don't know if it's relevant but I started my career in an admin role. I hated my admin job, it paid poorly and was dull. But I kept at it and worked hard. Ten years later I'd got four promotions and was earning five times my admin salary. And doing a job I loved. It took a lot of graft, but it was worth it to get to a job I enjoyed.

lara you want to work with people. Can you think that through a bit? Young, old, ill, etc. Teaching, caring, social work, hospitality? Don't focus on what you can't do right now, you can get the qualifications in time and you will get past obstacles too. When did you last feel happy? What were you doing?
You do only get one life so don't stay miserable if it won't lead to anything better. Think ten year's time.

Administration requires plenty of skills so stop knocking yourself!

Yes, at present I'm in Admin after a long 'career' break as a SAHM. It's low paid, high pressure, everyone blames admin, not many appreciate admin.

I've done many jobs in my life, but this is the most stressful. I'm good at it but I don't enjoy it, it's not my natural place in this world.

Like you I don't know what I want to be, in my case, there's SO MUCH I'd like to 'try' but nothing really stands out, nothing that will make me much money.

Many people I know have started in admin and stayed put, many I know started in Admin and worked their socks off and now have extremely good jobs, that require less of their 'admin' skills and more of the natural skills that paper can't measure (of course, qualifications along the way help massively too).

Aside from all that, most people I know, from Admin to Director level feel like a fraud at times, they feel like they're winging it and aren't quite sure why no one has yet noticed. This is not down to a lack of skill, but a lack of confidence.