What jobs could I realistically do? (Transferable skills, help me change career paths!)

[Keke94LND]

Hey all,

So I am soon to be 27, I have a degree in business and management, graduate in 2015, after uni I had the dreaded job hunt.. I wasn't in a position to turn down work so I got the first job I could which was an entry level job as a personal assistant and office manager, it was pretty basic stuff working in a small office of 11, I probably only had about 2 hours of legit work per day to do despite being in the office 8:30-5:30. I was there for 2 years and then moved jobs to my current job as Executive Assistant and Office manager for another small company, I jumped up in pay quite a bit which was good, the job is a lot more demanding than my first job, I have learnt quite a bit and it is more varied than you typical PA job as I do take on my own projects, having said that, I find that I either have loads and loads to do.. or absolutely F all, I've been here for 3.5 years now, and it has been a bumpy ride, sometimes I haven't minded it and others times I've hated it! (Combination of boredom, not liking the office, my boss can be scary etc lol)

I want to start looking at moving jobs in the new year, but I have no idea what I want to do.. I have to be honest with myself, it is not just the office that I don't like, I just find this work so mind numbingly boring and I find that this work is essentially doing all the crap no one else wants to do.. I really do not want to be the person people look to when the printer breaks! I cannot wait for the day where I work somewhere and the printer breaks and I can just sit back and pass the responsibility on to somebody else! Part of me thinks maybe I just don't like office work.. but I am sure there are some offices I wouldn't mind or some work I'd enjoy that would make working in an office bearable? I used to always want to do something fulfilling, so for a long time I felt that was the issue with my job, but I have realised that you don't need to get absolutely everything from your job.. I have started volunteering for a crisis line, which helps me with feeling fulfilled.

In terms of things I like, I think I am quite creative but I don't have any sort of 'creative' qualification.. I just enjoy drawing and coming up with ideas. When I was at uni I enjoyed my HR modules so that is a possibility.. I also really enjoyed my corporate social responsibility modules but I have no idea how that can be a career.

I worry I have pigeon holed myself into PA/office management/admin work that I hate and will never be able to escape it! I am open to doing new qualifications, but I don't think at this point in my life I can justify or afford to do a whole other degree.

Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated! :)

How about a PA in the creative sector?

What about social care? Do you like people? Business development, bid writer or opera manager

I know that you probably don't feel it, but you really are still very young and there's no reason for you to settle for a job you don't enjoy. (I'm in my 50s and looking to re-train - now that does feel old!)

Have you tried any online careers or personality tests, to see if they come up with anything useful? I tried one called 16 personalities and I found it useful with most of the jobs suggested being ones that held at least some appeal for me.

There's also a book I would recommend by Larry Smith "No Fears, No excuses". Helps you to figure out what you want from a career and from life in general.

My last suggestion, if you can afford it, is to see a careers consultant or coach who should be able to help you figure out where you want to go, and how to get there.

I moved from being an Office Manager to a designer. I graduated during the recession and there were really no jobs so I just took what I could get. I hated it. And I felt bad for hating it since in some ways it was nice enough, and I knew other people who were just really good at it. I have a humanities degree (i.e. not creative) but now work in technology.

Are you any good at drawing and having ideas? If you are, perhaps you could move into agency work, advertising etc. Possibly, as a PP said, you could get an in by doing what you do now at the kind of company you would like to work at as something else - although I would say it's tough to break out of being seen as a specific type of person (i.e. 'You're 'just' a PA, not like us creative sorts' UGH!!!)

Happy to chat more, I escaped from office management when I was your age (I'm 33 this week)

The key to making a move to a new area of work is to do it in two steps. So first get a job doing what you do now but in an organisation or department which interests you more - sounds like a charity, an HR department or a CSR department would be good for you? That way you get to know the subject matter and the other types of roles in more detail. Then once you’ve got to know the team and the work you express interest in changing roles and either the right opportunity comes up or your employer might put you through some necessary training etc, depending what direction you want to go in.

Good luck!