AIBU to consider leaving an easy remote job for a complete career change?

[probablyspoilt]

I can’t decide if I’ve got it so good that I’ve started taking it for granted, or if I’m right to be restless.

I’ve been in my current job for 5 years. I’m fully remote, working from home everyday. To be honest, there’s a lot of gaps in the day, I have a lot of time to keep on top of the house, watch tv, go for walks, pop out for appointments. I work flexible hours, I can do school runs no problem. I get 31 days annual leave a year, a good pension, good sick pay etc. It’s secure and has a whole host of benefits. The problem is I’m so bored, it’s tedious admin, spreadsheets, data entry, minute taking and nothing else. I could do it in my sleep. Whilst it’s freeing having so much spare time, I feel like I waste entire days in bed sometimes because I smashed out all my work in 1 hour.

On a whim, I applied for a Sales Negotiator job and I went for the interview and it went really well. It’s hybrid role, so I would still work from home sometimes but not everyday. The basic salary is a bit less than I’m currently on, but the commission opportunities are really good, if I’m any good at it. I love properties and interior design and would enjoy going to see all the different properties, it would be nice to get out and about and talk to people more again. But I’m so stuck on whether I take it or not. I’m not much of a sales person, trying to push someone into buying something would be my worst nightmare, but I feel with properties they come to you more than you chase them.

I’m just not sure if I’m making a mistake. Will the novelty wear off and I’ll miss how comfortable I had it? Or am I wasting my life sitting at home by myself doing admin that doesn’t remotely challenge me? I’m 29

The job you describe isn’t secure unless you’re in the public sector.

If you're bored, then it's time for a change.

Your current situation sounds perfect. Leave going for a different job till you have to or the kids are older. Especially as its less pay. It will be less benefits all round.
If you're bored do something else with the rest of your time: write a book, take up a hobby, take some courses, volunteer, bake cakes, knit jumpers, whatever
I can't believe you're sat around being bored. Just do stuff. And Thank-your lucky stars for a good job.

I gave up a 30 year civil service career in my 50’s - took voluntary redundancy and now at university.

i had worked from home for 10 years and like you was bored - I feel like you have a life now, and I’ve never regretted it! Life is short, you need to be happy in work and motivated - I have that now!

I can see both sides but the reality is youre only 29 and data-entry jobs will be the first to go with AI. So you will have to make a change at some point in the next few years.

I think if this new job inspires you then now might be the time!

I just saw that you are 29. Your (non-)job will go the way of the dinosaur very soon. It will either be outsourced to a cheap country since it is completely remote or a machine will take over.

Don't quit this easy job. Use the free time to find a career you want to go into and retrain by taking an online course/qualification in the gaps of your time.

Then stalk the right opportunity to start your new and challenging career.

The sales/commission job sounds risky unless you do a lot more research by asking people who are already doing the job. I think estate agents are twiddling their thumbs at the moment and any offers they get accepted often fall through. Unless you like sales (which does not sound like it because you say you are not a sales person), it is soul destroying. You need a certain personality to be successful in sales, I think, especially if it is in an area that is not particularly technical like real estate where anyone can pretty much do it.

I was in the same position as you and I came to hate the job and actually got to quite a low place. I ended up walking away from the job for a complete career change where there is no work from home or flexi working. I have not missed my old job once! If you’re not happy then you’re not happy - listen to how you feel!

Confucius said find a job you love and you’ll never really work at all. My first job over 60 years ago came after I quit university where I had a scholarship. But I wanted to write, and every job I ever had involved writing. I still like writing and have very rarely been bored. At one point I went broke and spent the next 7 years writing anything for anyone. It was a bit nerve wracking but very interesting. I’ve retired but I still write. Follow your heart but always keep an eye open for what might go wrong, and plan for it.

Are you sure it’s a good time to move into estate agency?

think very very hard because if it doesn’t work out, you may struggle to find something else

I went to a cushy remote job - I lasted 3 months.

I was actually busy all day but I went stir crazy.
I need to be in the thick of it and I thrive on stress and problem solving.

I didn’t realise how poor my MH had become until I started my new job surrounded my people.

I do really worry for those with remote jobs as they’re not suitable for everyone.

I definitely think you should leave but I would be careful and make sure you’re going into a new career that has good prospects.

If I was you I would look for a hybrid position.
I think you may struggle to adjust going from being bored and having no commute etc to being thrown in at the deep end.

Our job is such an important part of our lives and we have to work until you retire, so if you can get a job that you find fulfilling it makes everything so much better.

I’m sure it’s been mentioned but you can do estate agent freelance and just do a few hours on the weekends or evenings.

I’d do something like this first.

Do you want to be doing your current job for the next 40 years? If the answer is no, then you need a change at some point. May aswell be now, whilst youre young.

I don’t know whether this new job is right or not and only op knows how manageable the tedium is, but I would say that hobbies are not necessarily the answer to dull jobs. You’re still spending 35-40 hours a week bored and pushing yourself to be motivated, which is exhausting. I do fun stuff in the evenings and at the weekends, including one very absorbing hobby. I still resent spending the entire working day bored and clock-watching.

I’m hoping to retire in a few years, my job pays well and I once found my profession interesting. So I stick at it. At 29 in an unchallenging role I’d be looking at it very differently.

Yes go for the new job, so I can have your old job. Sounds perfect for me!

How much less money are you talking about?

I'm in the same situation WFH for 6yrs, easy non-challenging job I could do in my sleep, but if I changed jobs to something that excites me I'm dropping £20k.

Personally I think you’re lucky to have a flexible job where you can do the school run and it’s home based. Take the time to retrain online in something for when the time is right.

I was in a similar situation. I swapped one day in the office 3 WFH for 3 days in the workplace in a completely new role. Zero regrets. I realise that WFH is convenient but I felt like I was always at work and that was with me having a fully equipped home office that I could shut the door of and disengage from.

I like having colleagues in actual real life, a commute, a work wardrobe etc. Yes, I juggle a bit more - I meal prep lunches for the 3 days, I have to be much more organised at home but some of that I do on the train journey. I look back now and realise that there were many cons to home working and perhaps not as many pros as I thought.

I’ve gone from waiting to retire to loving my role and planning to work for as long as possible. My new role can be very stressful but it’s given me a new lease of life. i could never go back to wfh now. I’ve had to the odd time and I hated it.

You have got it so good! I would stick with the easy remote job. I see work as something that earns me money...I would much rather get value and satisfaction out of extra curricular activities. If you're bored, start a new hobby or side hustle, or volunteer. I would regret giving it up it if this was me.

If you have so much spare time in your current job could you not take this new one on for a couple of weeks and see how it is, without ditching the old one? Or take a holiday for 2 weeks from your old job while you try the new one. Sounds deathly dull and I’d want out at your age, but now I’m my 40s yours sounds wonderfully cushy to me now!

I would take your easy job with security and money but devote time to upskilling in some way. Or lean a language/decorate the house, whatever you fancy.
Property is insecure. The market drops and they will lay off sales staff at a drop of a hat.
The co I worked for went bust at a downturn.

THIS!!

I had an easy job. I took voluntary redundancy. Now I have a hard job. I miss my old life. Just my 2 pence

Also, estate agency jobs can be long hours. People want to view houses after work and at the weekends. Would that work with young kids/your life.

I think you'd be mad to leave

If bored, why is another job what you'd choose to fill your cup or entertain you? I'd be doing something enjoyable and worthwhile with all that free time like baking, learning a language, writing a novel, weight lifting... anything but a 9 to 5 job!

Your job sounds dreamy.

I'd only move if your current salary is lacking and you need more money and the potential salary is really worthwhile

I'm curious OP, is the current job minimum wage?