Reader Story: Re-Evaluating the Rat Race

You are an engineer, yes? So you spent years training to get where you are, and after more than 15 years you say you’re sick of field. Why not look for something else engineering based? It’s a huge field. If the senior responsibility is burning you out, you could always look for a job with less pressure (different company or maybe even for a non-profit) which would probably give you a pay cut but earn you more than blogging.

What happens if blogging stops paying one day? The internet is a fickle place. People’s tastes change, and sites can’t always keep up (remember Myspace?). Remember the number of people saying they were never coming back here because JD was getting a divorce? That was probably an idle threat, but still.

You seem to know you can do it and sound like you’re raring to go, but man… I don’t think I could do it in your position. Discarding 15+ years of networking, connections and experience in engineering to be a blogger. But I’m young, and haven’t slaved away at anything for 15+ years. Maybe my opinion will change in the future (hell, my mum gave up a 25 year career in microbiology to work for the church, so there you go).

Good luck to you, whatever you end up doing.

I agree with Ru’s suggestion to consider other engineering-based occupations as well. Maybe he’d consider adding “consultant” to his existing streams of income?

A career coach I interviewed once told me that a lot of people confuse disliking their work environment with disliking their actual job. Sometimes it’s a change of scene, not a change of career, than makes the difference.

Best of luck to Joe! Not that he needs it — he sounds pretty money-savvy to me

PS- here’s a little Nietzsche for your breakfast.

——

Alas! There comes the time when man will no longer give birth to any star. Alas! There comes the time of the most despicable man, who can no longer despise himself.

Lo! I show you the Last Man.

“What is love? What is creation? What is longing? What is a star?” — so asks the Last Man, and blinks.

The earth has become small, and on it hops the Last Man, who makes everything small. His species is ineradicable as the flea; the Last Man lives longest.

“We have discovered happiness” — say the Last Men, and they blink.

They have left the regions where it is hard to live; for they need warmth. One still loves one’s neighbor and rubs against him; for one needs warmth.

Turning ill and being distrustful, they consider sinful: they walk warily. He is a fool who still stumbles over stones or men!

A little poison now and then: that makes for pleasant dreams. And much poison at the end for a pleasant death.

One still works, for work is a pastime. But one is careful lest the pastime should hurt one.

One no longer becomes poor or rich; both are too burdensome. Who still wants to rule? Who still wants to obey? Both are too burdensome.

No shepherd, and one herd! Everyone wants the same; everyone is the same: he who feels differently goes voluntarily into the madhouse.

“Formerly all the world was insane,” — say the subtlest of them, and they blink.

They are clever and know all that has happened: so there is no end to their derision. People still quarrel, but are soon reconciled — otherwise it upsets their stomachs.

They have their little pleasures for the day, and their little pleasures for the night, but they have a regard for health.

“We have discovered happiness,” — say the Last Men, and they blink.

Best of luck. I’m not sure if your job is causing you lots stress or if you are just starting to find it boring. In my case, I worked a job for 15 years that was very stressful. On more than one occasion I suffered from severe anxiety and depression. A little over 2 years ago I was able to find a job in the same field, but one that has much better hours and is MUCH less stressful. It’s not thrilling – in fact it’s a repetitive cubicle job. And I feel like I’m unbelievably fortunate to have it.

My point is that if your job is causing you panic attacks or something like that by all means get out. If on the other hand you are just not fulfilled I would strongly suggest you rethink your decision. If you spend too much time reading the blogs you start to think that everybody LOVES their work and can’t wait to start each day. But that’s not really true.

Just think it over. And best of luck!

For everyone saying someone shouldn’t quit a job they dislike & find stressful, while I’m very sympathetic re need to stay current, worry about future income, etc., I think people are missing one consideration – health. It doesn’t sound like Joe’s situation is utterly desperate, but how does anyone know? My husband left a full time position at my urging after the stress of a truly nightmare job landed him in the hospital multiple times. Yes, we have less money now. I am working, at a decent but not exceptionally lucrative job. He’s been slowly building a career in a niche field, and it pays very little and is part time, but he’s happier and it is growing. I don’t give a d**n about the fact that we don’t go on vacations or buy fancy clothes or dine out. We don’t even own a car. But I have my husband. He’s not only alive, but has been able to get off all heart & blood pressure medication – he’s fine now. That’s what matters. And if Joe wants to leave his job, that’s his business, & his choices as to how he manages are up to him & his family.

I walked away from a six figure job last year, with a similar mindset, sizeable savings, and a sense that I wanted to do something somewhere else that was more fulfilling, or work for myself. Like many people lucky enough to keep my job in the years after 2008, I was working flat out. However, my experience was quite difficult:
1) I thought it would be simple to shop my skills on the open market, having worked for 15 years and always been successful in my former companies, but the reality is that this is a highly competitive economy, a buyer’s market, and many, many people are on the outside trying to land those freelance gigs
2) costs such as house payment, healthcare and emergencies add up quickly, and it can be quite scary to have to deal with those, and start projecting the month when your resources finally run out. After a health scare, and 000s of dollars in flood damage, I decided it was best to find an employer to pay me for my skills, and let them pick up the tab for healthcare and catastrophic coverage
3) one of the hardest things to explain in an interview (or networking conversation) is that you walked away from a perfectly good job,when so many other highly qualified professionals are out of work for 1,2 or 3 years. In the end, I had to gloss over the fact that I walked away from a job, because of the questions of judgement that it raises
4) it is very hard for a 35-45 year old to “try their hand” at something new in this economy, even if it is for half your current salary. Most employers will assume that you will walk the moment things get better. Employers just want to hire people who can do exactly the same job as the people they are replacing: same pedigree, qualifications, similar industry background. In the end, I found a similar six figure job at a new employer, and I am working to rebuild my balance sheet. I will try to develop a sideline in my spare time.

My two cents: by all means try to build a new career on the side, and see if you can secure some clients and revenue, but until it is clear that you can go it alone, stay in your current job. You only have a few years of peak productivity and wealth generation, which you and your family will need for many years to come. Even if you are sick of the job, go full throttle and laying the groundwork for your new career, and stay in the current job until the moment the head of HR and the security guard escort you out of the building. A six figure job in what is still the most dynamic and lucrative economy in the world is something you worked for, and you don’t want to relinquish it until you know that the alternative will be worth it.

I’ve got to agree with El Nerdo.

Reading the original post, and his responses to the flood of perfectly reasonable alternative suggestions, it’s clear to me that the OP has already made up his mind and is rationalizing away anything that could possibly dissuade him from it. He feels he’s worked hard enough, and now he wants to kick back and relax for the rest of his life and let his wife carry the load from here on out.

Not something I could do, but hey, it’s his life. If he’s comfortable with it, then as JD always says, “Do what works for you.” To me, it smacks of the classic entitlement attitude that our generation is often accused of having.