Some people just aren't office 9-6 people

[Mcdotii]

I went straight from uni into office work. I never really liked it but I carried on doing it for over ten years.

Ive recently gone back after an 18 month break and I really can't stand it. Ive been back a few months and half of the days I just think about quitting there and then.

I earn a good wage (over twice the national average) but could survive on less. But I'm totally at a loss at what to do next. I know I couldn't do any customer facing role either.

Aibu to just quit it as I'm not an office person?

They might need less supervision, though, sooty: many people are capable of tremendous work, if they feel they are trusted to be autonomous. Closer supervision is what is toxic to them.

There's no one-size fits all.

I should imagine lots of people aren't office types. YANBU for that.

But YWBU to moan about it long-term if you've never tried looking into changing career.

Loads of jobs don't involve office work. It's not a biggie to find something more up your street.

ok, so do something. If your outgoings are too high for the salary you'd earn in a job you'd want to do, cut your outgoings. This may involve relocating.

life is too short to be unhappy at work - but bills need to be paid. So start looking for a new plan.

Well I've moved from a smart, light office to a dirty, over-bright light one. The jobs the same but the environment is much more unpleasant. I am very unhappy even though generally like work and most colleagues.

Rice I didn't mean supervision in the sense of being watched and micromanaged. I agree that is negative. I meant in the sense of exploring their engagement and how their developmental needs are met.

That's why I used proactive rather than more or closer.

I was the same when I worked in an office! Absolutely hated it.
The same hours 9-5 Monday to Friday were absolutely terribly mundane, and I hated that there was no variety week by week like there is with shift work. I didn't like committing to the same hours every single week. No weekday days off when it's quieter because everyone else is at work- always weekends.
That's before we start talking about the very same, boring chit chats day in day out. Sitting with the same people, day in day out. I was quiet for a bloody reason, I'm not shy and timid (I felt like telling people to fuck off when they called me that!). I was quiet because I was bored out of my Fucking head and also had problems at home.

Just to sum it up: my opinion of office work is that it's not for me and that it is shit.

McDotty - my neighbour trained as a tree surgeon in his early 50s. You can certainly do it!

There are courses, and certificates you need to gain to be qualified, but if you live rurally then the work is certainly out there!

I think most people who work in horticulture, tree surgery etc love it - but I suspect that's because anyone who doesn't goes and gets a better paid job I run a small horticulture business & earn a decent living now, but there were a lot of years when starting up when I didn't . . .

Have read this with interest.

My work can be awful and scary and stressful, but I have also thought "at least it isn't in an office, doing the same thing every day". I am self employed and that is financially stressful, but then again I love setting my own hours and I love the variety of work i have.

I have worked (briefly) in an office environment that was a beautiful office but found the work there mind numbingly dull and the people very boring. I worked on another office that was less nice but the people kinder and more fun, and that was much better.

My dh has just moved from doing my job to a similar job jn an office. He seems to really love it. It is a nice office with good facilities but I think the fact he gets on with people helps. He is interested in the work. The stability of being employed seems to suit him too.

There is a horses for courses element about this, but also I think types of offices or types of jobs everyone might love, or most would, and some jobs everyone would hate but some people end up with no choice. Also I think it is a mistake to think anyone just getting on with a dull job must be a dull person.

On one hand I would love to be a restaurant critic or food writer. I have a suspicion most people would enjoy that, and it also ain't going to happen.

Some days I want to be doctor because it is fascinating, but again I have missed the boat on that one now.

Other days I would like to be a fiction writer, but have not got my shit together to write a book. Also this would be very insecure and unsociable I guess.

So at the moment sticking with the job I have!

sooty thanks for clarifying! Totally agree. Also about it potentially becoming a problem for the whole team if left unaddressed.

Thanks Rice

YANBU. DH has recently come to a similar conclusion. His hours were increased to 9am to 6pm and he just felt imprisoned. Years ago he'd work in an environment of banter, conversation, lunches out - but these days they sit in silence all day and have to clock in/clock out. He's recently taken a decision to go freelance which will put us at financial risk and probably mean he earns half of what he used to, if we're lucky. But I'm happy with that because I couldn't see him getting more and more broken by the thought of another 20 years of it ahead of him.

Some advice someone gave me quite some time ago was to put your feet on the first rung of the ladder. It might be by enrolling on a course, putting a plan together, doing a voluntary role on a Saturday. But once you do it just starts you moving forward and you start to feel better because you have a goal or escape plan.

Personally, although I wouldn't say I was a people person, the jobs I've had that involve dealing with people are the least boring because no two days are the same.

But I would agree that offices vary massively. I did have one job I loved because the two colleagues I worked with were fantastic. There was a great team spirit. But numerous other jobs that I absolutely hated. Not so much because of the facilities/building but more to do with the politicis, people and general vibe.

You need an escape plan.

I don't think it's the environment but the work that's an issue

I am office based - sometimes - because a lot of my work needs recording for safeguarding purposes and for reporting, OFSTED and to support collegues work - it's not my fave thing (hot desking, busy office, noise etc) but it's part of the job.

I love my job though so I accept the mundane and routine stuff as part of the bigger picture

I loathe working fixed hours - having to clock in and out. I feel I'm imprisoned, or back in school (I hated the long hours in school and was bored out of my mind). Plus I'm an introvert, and being forced to be with other people for a regular number of hours every day, willy-nilly, really does my head in.

Solution? I work freelance. I don't work fixed hours (I may stay up till three in the morning one day and get up at noon the following day), but I much rather prefer being the master of my own time and work. And it's great being able to take time off in the middle of the week, or a holiday in a non-holiday month. I also make more money as a freelancer than I did when I worked in an office, but then I do work very hard (and better when I do all the managing and deciding).

I am a freelance journalist...working from 8.30 onwards every day in my office. I love my office. It has pink walls and brass fairy lights. It's where I write.

You are not being unreasonable at all. Think what you would like to do and start out on your own: Firstly, have multiple streams of income in order to acquire the necessary funds; Secondly, settle on one of these as your new full time occupation and keep the others as long as you need them or have the time to do them. Perhaps retrain to do something whilst funding it and your future with the multiple streams of income. Being my own boss was the best thing I ever did. No more people who you wouldn't want to meet in a million years; no more taking orders from those claiming to be the authority ... Remember these simple facts: You are the authority and you are the ruler of your own destiny, not them. Beat the system and don't be a number, it is within your grasp.

I'm like you OP, as I spend half my time in the office mentally planning potential ways out. Having spent around 18 years working in various office environments, some better than others, it's the last few years that I've really noticed my life slipping away in a haze of 9-5.30. This year has been especially awful; I've been close to walking out several times and have taken my notice to work twice, only to not hand it in due to fear of not being able to earn enough outside of employment. I've got a few plans on the back burner but I'm unsure which to go for, plus it's a very uncertain time, moving to self employment with no guarantee of income.

Thefuturepolitics makes a good point about having multiple streams of income and that's something I think is important if you want to make the leap from employment to freelancing, especially if you're unsure what you want to do in the long term. Apart from the tree surgeon career, have you got anything else in mind that you'd like to do?

Being 'imprisoned' in an office 9-6 just makes no sense to me. Do people not go for meetings, even outside the office, have lunches, coffee, training, attend conferences, do presentations, after work drinks ...

Is anyone? I think we all do what we have to in order to earn. But some offices would put anyone off whereas some others might be a nice place to work. If we had a great understanding of all the alternatives we would probably all choose something else. But someone who has only ever worked on a farm is unlikely to imagine they are 'office people' even though they probably would have made a perfectly fine office person if that was what they grew up imagining or knowing from the people around them. Anyone can work anywhere with the right will.

Thank you very much SoftKittyWarmKitty. That is exactly how my boyfriend and I did it and as you rightly say, it is so important. We got sick of the lack of jobs where we lived at the time and working in / taking jobs that we hated. We were never office people or anything like that, things like that just bored us senseless. We set up a painting and decorating business, firstly through word of mouth, which we were lucky enough to build and really making a killing from; we do online betting which can bring in an excellent income if you are clever about it; buying and selling, Only Fools and Horses style ... the list goes on. This managed to more than fund me going back to university to do a Masters degree, etc etc and a good lifestyle. Painting and decorating is our main income but we still always look for good money making opportunities and trust me, it is so much better than the rat race!