Why can’t I think of a career change. Despise job, so unhappy.

[Wizzytimehfv]

I’ve never been unhappier in my work life. Have the worst managers you could possibly imagine. Absolutely hate the company, the people, the ethos.
Feel so stuck.

Feel so frustrated that I can’t think of something I can do to create my own business. I feel like I’ve been trying to think of an idea to work for myself for years. Just feel depressed and like I’ll never get out of this daily grind of being treated like crap in companies I don’t want to work in.

Do not want anything to do with field I’m in now and currently take home about 35k. Would go and learn a skill but the quicker I could learn that skill the better (fast learner - do much better on fast track type courses)
Id love to train in acupuncture but the only one near me needs to be self funded and takes 3 years. I’m looking for something shorter and cheaper than 27k.

Did anyone (or do you know anyone) that did a course or something that changed their career in a shortish amount of time?
Reckon I’m open to almost anything so throw anything at me.

Thank you

I retrained as a hairdresser at 30. Ten years on I’m now a self-employed stylist, I pay a percentage of my income to the salon owner. I did my first year basic training at a local college - free. I then did a 9month advanced training course that was £9k but I walked into a job straight away as the training was so much better than college (and took less time). But it depends what is available in your area. I’m in Scotland.

(Previously I was working in a stressful office job)

@DoYouSmokePaul DoYouSmokePaul was just talking to a friend last week saying I should have been a hairdresser, would definitely be better at a technical, hands on job like this. Also feel I have a really good eye for face shapes and colours that suit etc. I feel too old to be a hairdresser now though!?. I’m 43.

@Wizzytimehfv When I was training in college there were people your age in my class who are now qualified hairdressers, so not impossible.

I have to say I absolutely love my job - the creativity, satisfaction, making people feel good, chatting to different people, camaraderie with my fellow stylists. I love learning new techniques in my spare time, following trends etc. And if you are good and build up a customer base you can be earning well quite quickly once you’re comfortable. Or you can go mobile, turn a room in your house into a salon, etc.

What about programming?

I am currently doing a course with code first girls - free, some sponsored places with a guaranteed job at the end.

What industry are you in now, and what do you do?

What else interests you, and what are your strengths?

What do you get praised for by others? Especially stuff that you take for granted as normal or easy but other people seem to find impressive, such as friends always saying, 'You're so organised' or 'You're the one everyone turns to in a crisis' or 'Your cakes are amazing' or 'You give the best parties, you don't ever seem stressed' or 'Would you give the speech at the PTA, you are so confident in public' etc.

The thing we are so good at naturally that we don't even notice it's a skill is where the money is. When someone told me that I thought about what people always wanted me to do and monetised it. I love my work. I do find it easy. I know I'm good at it and people pay me to do it because they find it hard.

I would say my strengths are probably organisations/ creating better systems/ problem solving (ironic as I can’t solve my own) but I’m only plucking them out of the job I have now which I hate.

I hate anything slow paced. Slow people/ slow systems. I seem to be able to do things at a much quicker pace that most people and can multitask like a demon. Obviously that’s a skill that’s good for some industries but not for others. I could certainly be seen as impatient. Would always be a day rate instead of price job kind of person if I were a builder.
Don’t like to do things badly. Would absolutely hate to be a bad hairdresser or a bad plumber etc. I like / need to know everything technical about why something is done in a certain why and what the best way to do something is.

I get praised by others for problem solving. I never look at a problem and accept it, I always think, how can we stop that happening. (For everything but my own life that is 🥴)

What do you do now?

Sounds like you'd make a good project manager

If that's your skill programme management might be a good fit. I managed a programme of work where project managers drive the individual projects and come to me with any problems. It's challenging at times but in the whole I enjoy it and its well paid.

Seriously - if you were a career coach - what problem solving advice would you give yourself?

It sounds to me like you have strong analytical skills. ~They are sought after in business management, project management, PAs at a high level, events management, school and uni admissions offices etc.

There are loads of free on line courses to try- coding/ project management etc to see if you liked it. Then look at more in-depth stuff.

Thanks for responses. I do have very strong analytical skills and I’ve never been able to sum that up so nicely so thanks for that! My inner monologue already has a 24 hour analysis job so should probably get paid for it 😃. I have been looking into project / program management etc tonight.

Data Analytics is a very in demand and well paid skill. Loads of courses online for women wanting career changes into this. Think it requires a reasonable standard of maths though.

@chocolaterevs Thanks, I’ll look into that as I’m good at maths so might be an idea.

Along the lines of acupuncture, massage or sports massage?

I was a veterinary nurse for 8 years and decided on a career change for various reasons. My manager being one of them. I always wanted to work in accounting so I started a course on bookkeeping and now I'm a qualified bookkeeper, work from home and have my licence to go self employed if I should choose. I love the organisation of bookkeeping.

Some big companies have apprenticeships for women looking for a mid career change. I know some of the banks definitely do them.

Get a career coach. Who you choose depends on what industry you’re in but I know a good one for women in financial services - Jacqui Parr, she’s on LinkedIn.

What qualification did you do?

I changed career from HR to executive coaching, so although it was quite a change, it wasn’t an entirely radical switch. It plays to my strengths and funnily enough one of the things I now do is help people who feel stuck figuring out what they want to do.

A good place to start is getting clear on your strengths and what’s important to you.

Please don’t be offended but is there a chance you could have ADHD? I’m in thirties and have recently been diagnosed. It’s been an eye opener for me in learning about myself. You sound very similar to me, very fast paced, bored easily, analysing everything, enjoy problem solving etc.

I would definitely start looking for problem solving roles or people management. I enjoy the drama of things going wrong and then having to fix them. I know that sounds mad as it’s most people’s nightmare but I enjoy the challenge of it and not knowing what’s going to happen. The only way to get that sort of role is to work with people and they are the most variable

Civil service?

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/

they even have a ‘career matcher’ tool where you input your skills etc