Has anyone changed from a corporate office job? Finding it hard at work

[Littlemiss74]

Has anyone ever changed jobs from a corporate, office type job to something else? I do like my job but there is a lot of change happening & my boss’s mind changes on things like the wind which confuses the hell out of me! There’s a lot of internal politics & mind games going on and my brain being the way it is struggles with this. I was only diagnosed with adhd last year but it has explained a lot for me about the way I am.

Trouble is I’ve been there so long & I know I wouldn’t get the same money for the same job anywhere else. My husband says ‘better the devil you know’ and things could be worse somewhere else. I’m nearly 50 and just keep thinking is this it now until I retire. I’m just not sure I can carry on joining in with all the things they want me to do when half the time my cynical side doesn’t believe in any of it.
I’d love to hear of any similar experiences for inspiration!

I could have written your post, even down to being the same age. I can't stand the politics and so on but I've no reason to think it would be any better in any other kind of job.

My feeling is that at least I have painfully over many years learned how some of the 'unwritten' stuff goes in my company so I am better off trying to stick it out, than having to learn a whole new 'culture' and so on.

I'd love a job that I could just quietly get on with, without all the extras and having to be performative about demonstrating company ethos and so on.

@BoardLikeAMirror i think those jobs probably do exist but maybe in very small companies. My DH’s company only has about 30 people and they don’t have any of this company values & other such stuff! They just go there, do their job and go home!

Yes me!

I worked in corporate roles for quite a long time. I'm a florist now. It was a fairly long and slow transition.

It's better in some ways. Not in others. I work for someone else at the moment but I think I would be better working for myself as I prefer autonomy/find the social side a bit difficult. Things are very uncertain for florists at the moment so it would be a bit of gamble.

The politics and constant change in corporate environments were really difficult for me too.

Maybe list out what's working and what's not working in your current job. I find that I am better if I have routine and predictability. I used to have lots of systems and routines in my old jobs. I also worked better when I was able to focus and not interrupted constantly. I find it really difficult to get back on track once I've been interrupted.

I think my worry about joining a very small company is that the 'face not fitting' factor could be very bad. At least in a large company there is a wide range of people, including ND people even if they are not well catered-for, and it's not quite so obvious that I am an odd one out.

But definitely - go there, do job, go home would be my ideal.

Are you in a position to be part time in the corporate job whilst developing a second job on the other days. Friend of mine has just trained as swim teacher same age struggling with similar issues.

Part-time wouldn't be an option for me as I'm the only 'breadwinner' at home and with daily living costs spiralling I need every penny I can earn!

Can I just bump this thread about work and ask whether you have spoken to your employers about your diagnosis?

I work full-time and finding it more difficult as the years go by. I would love to reduce my hours and/or change jobs, but I don't know what would be the 'substitute'. I don't have any particular hobbies that would bring in sufficient money.
No advice to help you, but I posted so you know you're not alone.