To take a more stressful job?

[SorryImNotCreative]

I’m 28 and have worked in the “creative” industry since leaving uni. I’ve been in my current job for 5 years and I now find it mind-numbingly dull. BUT I have great colleagues, good benefits, a short commute and a half decent salary (26k). I do my hours, go home on time every day and forget about work.

It provides me with no intellectual stimulation whatsoever. Earning potential is poor. The role is becoming increasingly less valued and it is soul destroying.

I have a lot of transferable skills that would enable me to move into a different industry at a junior level. The job itself would be very demanding, with longer hours and a lot of pressure. There would however be an opportunity to feel like I’m making a difference, and the earning potential would be good after gaining some experience.

I haven’t felt “stress” or pressure at work in so long that I don’t even know how I’d cope with it now (I’m aware that sounds ridiculous). I’d also probably be looking at a longer commute.

I actually feel lucky to have my job, but I just feel like I’ve achieved nothing in my career so far, after doing really well all through school and uni. I feel like I want more now.

Have you ever moved into a much more stressful career, and was it worth it? I watched my parents burn out when I was young and it made me vow never to get into a stressful career. But now I’m in a boring one and I hate it!

I could have written this
Although I enjoy my job just not how the company is managed
I went for an interview, didn’t get it and was relieved.
Maybe get some interviews and see how you feel about it? You don’t have to say yes if a job is offered :)

My husband moved from counselling to an ostensibly more stressful job (IT in banking) and he now earns 4X more and is much, much happier. He definitely gets stressed but he finds the work so interesting and stimulating and likes the buzz of bringing a huge project back from the brink of failure. I think some stress can be positive.

I quite like my job in high pressure periods - I feel like that’s when I do my best work!

Thanks for replying @MaybeMaybeNotJ

I’ve been for three interviews for jobs in the new industry over the past year. I was offered two of them, and was relieved about the one I wasn’t offered so I can relate!

I ended up declining one of the offers because the salary offered was way too low (a 6k pay cut) and the other because the commute would’ve been awful (1.5 hours each way). If I’m being honest with myself, I knew neither of the jobs would’ve been right, but I think I wanted to see what the interview process was like and whether I would actually be offered the job.

Since then I’ve put the idea of switching careers to the back of my mind, but I’ve recently come across a few more job ads that look more realistic in terms of salary/location.

I think I’m aware of how “good” I’ve got it, even though I dislike the job itself. It will be so difficult to move on from but my career will go nowhere if I stay.

@PooWillyBumBum thanks - I’d love to find my job stimulating, and a decent salary would be a bonus!

DH often asks me when I come home “how was work?” and I literally have NOTHING to say. Every single day is the same.

The problem is that I worry a lot about how I’ll cope dealing with something so high pressure after years of feeling no stress in work whatsoever!

What is the potential new industry/job?

A dull job is just torture. Your brain will turn to mush.

Get out there and take on a new challenge. You’re far too young to live like this.

I don’t deal well with stress so would stay in the duller job as long as I was happy doing it. I’d much rather work somewhere that I’m happy, my colleagues are pleasant than change jobs and work in a a stressful situation,

I think you have to try it OP. I have recently taken on a new role, I actually enjoy a bit of stress, obviously not to the point of it making me ill but enough to get the adrenaline pumping and at least at the end of a working day I now feel like I've achieved something. Different scenario for me though as it was more money not less but I hope I'm making some sense.

Personally I prefer to be a bit stressed (not massively stressed though!) rather than bored and under-challenged. I'd give it a whirl OP!

You are 28. You are likely to be working for another 40 years at least.

Do you want to be bored for all that time? When you don’t have kids is the time to do long hours, stretch yourself and go as far and and fast as you can

Don't underestimate how stressful having not much money will be if you have children on the future. If you are kid free now, now is the time to invest in your career and building skills.

Also, you could think of it as stressful - or as challenging. Are you up for a new challenge? Might be invigorating.

I think you are all right and telling me what I know deep down is true.

The sad fact is that I am well and truly in my comfort zone and the thought of getting out of it is terrifying!

Also can relate to @MamaGee09 - I don’t think of myself as someone who deals with stress well, but I can honestly say I’ve never really experienced stress at work so I have no idea how I’d cope. (As an aside, a couple of people who’ve left my team in recent years have been desperate to come back after working somewhere else for a few weeks)!

@chage bit outing, but oh well. The new career I’m looking into is bid writing/management.

Well, it does depend if it's just a grass is greener feeling. If your current post is enviable and others are running back to it..

I was wondering if you could look at being a trustee or board member anywhere, gain some status and contacts within the sector maybe leading to some paid posts. Or get involved in some bids as a side project while retaining your security.

“ Well, it does depend if it's just a grass is greener feeling. If your current post is enviable and others are running back to it..”

Definitely a good point @EvaHarknessRose However, I do believe that my time there has run its course. Whether I go into a new career or find a new job doing what I do now, I’ll definitely leave soon.

I just cannot imagine another year of this absolute monotony.

If you never push yourself to make a move, you will never know! I did a side-step career wise several years ago- same industry, but private instead of public. Opportunities were far greater, as was the pay! It was stressful, but in hindsight, I put far too much pressure on myself to make things perfect.

You have skills and the experience, and could always go back to a similar job, if after time, you really hated the new one. I'd also go against having a ridiculous commute. Even if the pay is more, the time and cost of commuting can be draining in itself.