Ever thought about just giving up and saying f**K it?

[crb]

As does willingness to learn.

[snot]

Just because an employer wants a degree doesn't mean the candidate they pick will have one. Experience can speak just an clearly as a degree.

This is the case where I work. Its always in the ad about a degree but they prefer experiance. I have certificates in all sorts of things, it helps.

[MadMax33]

I have been working at the same job for ten years now, doing nothing more than prepping truck caps to be painted, which seems to be challenging for a few people who have been there longer than I have. My life is pretty good though and I make enough bread to go on two or three trips a year plus I have a great bike as well, although it's a bit slower than my previous ride. For some reason I was born without any ambition other than to work hard at whatever job I end up with, which has gotten me this far in life. I've thought of suicide just because of boredom but I'm too selfish for that right now. In some cases it's noble and in most cases it is not. There is a book called "No More Mr. Nice Guy" that you might want to look into. I suggest going out and getting in shape if you want to get rid of some of the depression. Vanity is a great thing and having more testosterone is also fun. There are hobbies that I have that are unique to me that I engage in when I feel shitty. Good luck...

[tyler524]

Any advice you can offer would be appreciated. I've been looking for a while, and pretty much found that I will have to change jobs to get my engineering degree. They don't offer the classes online or during the evening- day only. I can get an EET (technology) degree at night which gets me right back to where I am- an engineering technician, so what's the point? I was looking at going for a computer science degree, which can mostly be done online (I would have to get 30 credit-hours or so at a local school and transfer into the program). It's an option at least.

An EET degree and experience can look really good for you. Also, experience alone can possibly get you into another place. If you are good and know what you are talking about, you have a chance to get into a good job. The hard part is just getting the interview but like others have said the list they put out is a wish list. It does not always mean it is what you have to have. Personally, some of the guys that we have that have full engineering degrees and not tech degrees aren't as good for the type of work that we do.

[jschaf]

Life is a lot like riding a motorcycle. Target fixation & such. Look where you want to go, not where you don't. Cultivating a positive attitude isn't easy but it goes a long way. Good luck in getting out of your doldrums.

[cornbreadxd]

I've also been at a job i hate but only stayed because of fear (8 yrs now), i've got my degree in a field that i'm not really interested in (Networking) and have looked at other jobs that required a degree I don't have. I think I can make a switch and you should also, EET stuff is interesting although I never really got into it but I bet like other people said, your experience is equivalent to that piece of debt..errr..degree.

I also +1 on a vacation it'll put stuff into perspective and try something new, i've been etting into wood work and it's badass, I never imagined i'd be into something like that but I'm actually considering an apprenticeship into carpentry

[DrewsBrews]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midlife_crisis

It's not an age thing, more a mindset. I feel like I'm going through the same at 27. Probably what the whole motorcycle thing is about for me lol.

Setting goals can help. Such as things you can do to ease the financial load and set yourself up for possible salary change. For instance I moved and got a roommate to cut rent almost in half.. this will allow me to save money and pay off my vehicle loan early thus become debt free.

A big difficulty is to get your significant other to realise how much of a problem this is becoming for you. A third party would realy be helpful in that regard.

Edited April 27, 2012 by DrewsBrews

[swingset]

Life is a lot like riding a motorcycle. Target fixation & such. Look where you want to go, not where you don't. Cultivating a positive attitude isn't easy but it goes a long way. Good luck in getting out of your doldrums.

Yup, this. If you spiral into apathy and being negative, everyone around you will pick up on it and treat you accordingly (including your children).

Trust me, I have 1,000 reasons to pick apart my own life and career, but at a certain point I chose to be a better version of me and find my happiness instead of expecting it to come to me. It's a decision, man, nothing more.

It's something you can hear, or read, and pass off as a platitude until you sack up and do it, and then it's the wisest shit you'll ever say to someone.

[TSB67]

I'm at that point right now. Thing is, I've done it twice before, and after the first time I said I'd never do it again. You know what they say about the definition of insanity...

All that free time is expensive, and after awhile trying to find a reason to get out of bed everyday is almost as depressing as just getting up and going to work everyday.

[jbot]

you can solve most problems by trying to masturbate 6 times in rapid succession.

you just can't do it, but you know if you try too hard, you'll die horribly.

there's a lesson in there somewhere... i want you to think real hard about it and live your life by the lessons learned in the middle of the 4th go and it's slowly turning black and you're thinking "do i call the doctor, or do i just cut it off in an attempt to save my own life".

think hard. dig deep. ignore that tennis elbow.

[speedytriple]

I feel ya! I have been at the same shitty job for 17 years since I was a kid. I hate it have thought about quitting many times. I have no skill set besides what I have learned at my work, which does not transfer to very many places. I am also in a rut and have a shit attitude. I am also the only working person in the house with six people in it. It's rough, and it sucks. But I drink a lot of beer and that helps. I have the same "fear" of leaving my job, as I would not be able to find a new job making what I do now. So don't feel like you are the only one out there, there are many people who are searching for something better. I hope that you can find what you are looking for, and maybe we can both find the courage to face our fear and move on to better things.

[scottie.harris]

I don't think school has to be the answer, but never think you're too old to go back to school. I've had classes with people well into their 60s.

What do you do? Ever thought about just starting a new job? What makes you happy?

This 1000x, i had few engineering classes with a man in his 50s who was going to school to futher himself within his company, for the exact same reason here.

[drew95gt]

I have been in the same spot as you man, reaching burn out point at a rapid pace. What used to be good money for my job got blown away thanks to a shitty relationship that ended in a truckload of child support and court costs. I had a serious mental breakdown when my ex got pregnant, left me, and flat out told me she was gonna break my ass all within a 2 week period. My whole life got turned upside down and I am still paying the financial consequences (and will be for several more years). Point is, a few months later I met this wonderful woman (who is now my wife) that pulled me out of the fire and probably saved me from going down the same path you were talking about. Life has been good since, I enrolled in college to earn a more advanced degree than what I hold now so that I can better myself and ward off the impedning burn out. Things will work out if you let them...and don't be afraid to talk to a professional if you sense shit is getting out of control or if you are unable to cope.

[Bad324]

I was too lazy to read the entire thread but if you're interested in just trying a new area of work I can check and see what we got here. Problem is its all manual labor crap and you'd have to join a union. We're dying to get another welder or two

[Carwhore]

get into construction. I sold a truck to a kid yesterday just got hired on by a company up north. $23/hr plus 15hrs over-time a week. Kid is 19.

Or if you're good with people get into sales. Most the people in the car business don't have any degree's and i'd venture to say 40% make 60k or better.

[Cheech]

I agree, but for what I know how to do, there are very few opportunities for someone without a degree. I've looked for months, and every single job I'm interested in they want a degree. It's my own fault... should have done it a long time ago, but that's another story for another day. Let's just say the opportunity wasn't there.

I've been trying to do the nature thing and it is helping to some extent.

That's the mindfuck, the position SAYS they want a degree, however once you start networking and getting past the HR blowhards (apologies to any HR blowhards on here) who don't have the qualification to see what knowledge you REALLY possess, and start talking to the hiring manager or the department manager directly, degrees take a back seat to how much you know and how much you're willing to learn. It's the old military scenario, this guy may be a LT with no battlefield experience but a bar on his shoulder, or this other guy may be a Cpl with an entire successful tour under his belt with commendations. If you had the choice, who would you take with you into combat?

Network man, find some trade groups and network. Teach yourself C++ and go for a IT programming position if you'd like, it'll be a change of pace from your current gig. I can tell you that networking in IT is very easy once you start talking to people and figuring out where everyone's connected. You can get some contract gigs to start from recruiters, usually they'll be 6 months or so but you'll have stuff on your resume, and it all snowballs from there. I'd be more than happy to point you in the right direction and give you some contact info from people that I've worked with to find my gigs if the IT path is something you're interested in.

If I can do it as a know-nothing college dropout (barely a year of earned credit hours) now sitting in Nationwide (where you can't even talk to HR without a degree), you can do this. There are literally TENS of THOUSANDS of people like me, you can pull yourself up and own this.

[Cheech]

Or if you're good with people get into sales. Most the people in the car business don't have any degree's and i'd venture to say 40% make 60k or better.

As a former car salesmen myself, I can tell you that the biz is VERY sink-or-swim, with some VERY shady managers. He's looking for a manageable amount of risk, this is about as high risk as you can get.

60k+? I'd venture to say about 20% pull that.

[Carwhore]

60k+? I'd venture to say about 20% pull that.

I'm talking about the whole business itself.

GM-----Most make 120k plus

SM----- easy to make 60-100k with a good performing store

IM (Internet manager)---I know 3 internet guys that make 10k/mo.

Salesman-----------Sink or swim position. Most don't have enough drive, but the ones that do can actually end up making more than a manager.

Wholesaler/Buyer------A LOT make 100k plus, but good luck getting one of these positions. Manager's don't like new people or change. And to become a wholesaler you have to start as another manager. Most owners don't like giving 200k-400k to a unexperienced person.

[Cheech]

I'm talking about the whole business itself.

GM-----Most make 120k plus

SM----- easy to make 60-100k with a good performing store

IM (Internet manager)---I know 3 internet guys that make 10k/mo.

Salesman-----------Sink or swim position. Most don't have enough drive, but the ones that do can actually end up making more than a manager.

Wholesaler/Buyer------A LOT make 100k plus, but good luck getting one of these positions. Manager's don't like new people or change. And to become a wholesaler you have to start as another manager. Most owners don't like giving 200k-400k to a unexperienced person.

Management positions I understand, however in this case we're not talking about a management position, we're talking about a sales grunt. Cart before the horse, my friend.

[baptizo]

get into construction. I sold a truck to a kid yesterday just got hired on by a company up north. $23/hr plus 15hrs over-time a week. Kid is 19.

Or if you're good with people get into sales. Most the people in the car business don't have any degree's and i'd venture to say 40% make 60k or better.

Construction is feast or famine. I deal with contractor's in my line of work and when things are slow, they're begging for work just to keep their crews working (mostly during the winter months).

I give what I can to who I can but I wouldn't want to rely on it for a steady income unless I was the owner or a superintendent/foreman running the crews. I've been asked by a good friend to jump ship and run his crews in the NE but it isn't worth the risk of being laid off in a year or two.

[DrewsBrews]

Yup, this. If you spiral into apathy and being negative, everyone around you will pick up on it and treat you accordingly (including your children).

Trust me, I have 1,000 reasons to pick apart my own life and career, but at a certain point I chose to be a better version of me and find my happiness instead of expecting it to come to me. It's a decision, man, nothing more.

It's something you can hear, or read, and pass off as a platitude until you sack up and do it, and then it's the wisest shit you'll ever say to someone.

The decision must come with motivation otherwise it is hollow. Many people must hit rock bottom before something stirrs them into change. Sometimes people are "scared straight", all I know is something just clicks in your head and that's when the decision is truely made.

I've experienced such a thing. After pretty much a lifetime of feeling sorry for myself for being very overweight; One day something clicked, I got on nutrisystem and lost nearly 70lbs in a matter of months. I don't know what motivated me, just after that morning in the shower before work I was all of a sudden dead set on doing it, and I did it. Had I made such a "decision" any other day I would not have followed through.

Edited April 27, 2012 by DrewsBrews

[Helmutt]

Think the concensus here is that quite a bit of us have been where you are, or are where you've been - either way, you have empathy here.

With the music equipment you've stated, sounds like you have some skills as a musician......pick up a weekender's dream gig playin' covers and originals at a local club, the occasional lime light will definitely make you feel better about yourself through positive attention and compliments as well as give you a hobby throughout the week learning/writing music - I love it!

If you're passion is in motorcycling, search out aftermarket companies needing electrical tech's/engineers to design and build things the market has demand for......maybe even design new goodies to help make a new trend?

You've got options man, and the "target fixation" analogy is spot on - I have done this very thing myself and it's a tough cracker to swallow at times......but if you focus on your "positives" and the darkness goes away more and more.

Also, take IP up on his offer for some herbal enhancement.......in a medicinal capacity of course You never know, it may bring good things to light -- a stoner epiphany if you will

Good luck in your endeavors and chin up about your life.......at least you didn't squander an Engineering education on working in a truckshop for the last decade like I have - but I'm happy enough with my living thanks to all you truckdrivers out there who like to break shit!

[SpeedTriple44444]

Thanks for the help, everyone. I just need to get in the right mindset. I haven't felt this lost in a long time. I appreciate all the advice.

[C-bus]

I will tell you that a good friend's mother killed herself while I was in middle school. He and his brother struggled their entire lives because of it. I just found out this morning that he was buried this week after leaving his children to suffer the same agony. Not looking for condolences as this isn't mine to own, but don't ever consider doing this to your kids.

[Ron505]

Dude.. swing by my place and we'll smoke a big' date=' fat blunt. Seriously, you need to smoke yourself retarded for an entire weekend. Come Monday... it's all cash and pussy.[/quote']

I'm feeling a little depressed.....what's your address?

Seriously though, sounds like we've all been through this funk at one time or another. I sometimes force myself to reply "fantastic", when I'm asked how I am. I'm not fantastic at all, but if I make myself answer in that way, and upbeat, I trick myself into feeling better........puff puff give?