Alamo657 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) Hello, I'm 34. I have low education. I'm not a driven person. I'm facing a dilemna for my future. I currently hold a stable but boring job with average pay (enough for leisure activites, not enough for travelling). In the near future, internal promotion could bring me to the superior level in that job, where i'll be as bored, but paid 30% more. In 10 years i can maybe access a management position where i'll again be paid 30% more. As you now noticed, it's boring, and this boredom is getting to me. I'm not the most interesting guy, and unfortunate choices on my side led me to be childless and single at 34. But i want children and i don't want to bore my wife to tears. So I'm currently considering 3 options : 1) keep on doing what i'm doing with the insurrance of a rising pay every few years, to live a confortable middle class life. keep on being bored, and thus, boring, probably die alone, and live a painful life (bleh). This solution has one positive aspect : a stable and decent income. 2) resign and train to become a nurse 3) resign and train to become a freelance electrician The latter solutions means that for the next 3 years of my life (and god knows what happens after) i'll basically be a poor man. a 34-37 year old guy with poor income, no family, no leisure activities (because of no income). So, what's your take on this gordian knot ? Edited December 30, 2015 by Alamo657 Link to post Share on other sites
TaraMaiden2 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Carry on working. Dedicate yourself to getting a qualification/diploma/degree via a reputable on-line education organisation (In the UK we have "The Open University" qualifications from which are just as respected as any gained from attending a RL Uni....) You can work towards getting a medical qualification, which I think would be brilliant - but being an electrical engineer is handy too, and I can't see either trade dying out any time soon.... Link to post Share on other sites
d0nnivain Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Continue the FT job you have & go to school PT for nursing or electrician which ever interests you more. When you graduate & have a job in your new field lined up, quit your present job. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Alamo657 Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Yes i can keep the job and train during my free time... But, what about my social life ? I'll have none... and i'm 34 not 21 :/ Link to post Share on other sites
TaraMaiden2 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 If you attend classes that will increase your social life from the start... and you'll be communicating with like-minded people. Common interest.... 6 Link to post Share on other sites
d0nnivain Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Yes i can keep the job and train during my free time... But, what about my social life ? I'll have none... and i'm 34 not 21 :/ When we met my husband was working a FT job & a PT job & going to school on line. He continued that pace until shortly before we married. So it is possible to go to work & school & have a social life. He was older then you when we met so relax. As Tara pointed out, if you go to a brick & mortar school you will meet new people. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
MrDuck Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 No one can help you with this because its you that has to live with the decision. Its you life, it's you that has to get up in the morning and go to your job. I know what I'd do! Travel made the man I am and as soon as I read the word in your post I knew what I'd do. I'd sell up and be on the next plane. Would I tell you to do that? No. Because you have to live a life you're proud of. Not a life someone else would be proud of! Be it the job you do, the money/stability you create, the lifestyle, the people, whatever. One of the first thing people ask a stranger is 'what do you do?'. How do you want to answer? Link to post Share on other sites
Author Alamo657 Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 No one can help you with this because its you that has to live with the decision. Its you life, it's you that has to get up in the morning and go to your job. I know what I'd do! Travel made the man I am and as soon as I read the word in your post I knew what I'd do. I'd sell up and be on the next plane. Would I tell you to do that? No. Because you have to live a life you're proud of. Not a life someone else would be proud of! Be it the job you do, the money/stability you create, the lifestyle, the people, whatever. One of the first thing people ask a stranger is 'what do you do?'. How do you want to answer? 4 years ago, i threw everything away, changed cities, went back to school, and did just that. I was proud of what i was doing back then, because i wasn't bored anymore. Unfortunatly, i didn't thoroughly check the career opportunities behind that, and i was basically going to be paid 50% less for the next 15 years. So i quit and came back to my original job. It's not that i'm afraid to take risks for myself, it's just that i fear that taking that decision at that point in my life (34, single, no children), will make me a better person, but not a good prospect for a woman willing to settle with me. When i'll be done, i'll be nearly 40... Link to post Share on other sites
TaraMaiden2 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 .....It's not that i'm afraid to take risks for myself, it's just that i fear that taking that decision at that point in my life (34, single, no children), will make me a better person, but not a good prospect for a woman willing to settle with me. When i'll be done, i'll be nearly 40... There are no guarantees, even in achieving what you expound here. Remember . Link to post Share on other sites
MrDuck Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 It's not that i'm afraid to take risks for myself, it's just that i fear that taking that decision at that point in my life (34, single, no children), will make me a better person, but not a good prospect for a woman willing to settle with me. When i'll be done, i'll be nearly 40... You could waste your whole life away trying to become what you think other people want and never achieve it. Or you could be who you want to be (and the person you want to be loved for)! Link to post Share on other sites
Author Alamo657 Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 You could waste your whole life away trying to become what you think other people want and never achieve it. Or you could be who you want to be (and the person you want to be loved for)! I don't think anyone wants me to be anything at all and that's the whole point. My current job is bringing out complacency and boredom within me, and that's not who I want to me. I don't want to be rich or successful, i want to be happy and have a family. Unfortunately, it means i have to switch job, otherwise i'll remain frustrated and thus, unnatractive. Link to post Share on other sites
losangelena Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I don't think anyone wants me to be anything at all and that's the whole point. My current job is bringing out complacency and boredom within me, and that's not who I want to me. I don't want to be rich or successful, i want to be happy and have a family. Unfortunately, it means i have to switch job, otherwise i'll remain frustrated and thus, unnatractive. I'd say make a change. The first option sounds so boring that ... zzzz ... what's happening? I'd say go for nursing. All the nurses I know have plenty of free time and have enough money to go traveling. Link to post Share on other sites
PogoStick Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 One person liked to say to me "How old will you be in 3 years if you don't do it?" One good aspect about nursing is the field is very broad. You can work in a Doc's office, hospital, nursing home. There are managerial positions, education jobs, and advanced doctoral careers like nurse practitioner and anesthesia. Still, any of those can become repetitive and potentially boring. Are you those options won't get dull for you too? Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) Few things.... 34 isn't old...If I was your age, Id have definitely gone forward with becoming a surgeon...It was my calling in life and I missed out...At the age of 50,even though I am in good physical condition.its too late..I have done well in my career life, so not too many regrets financially, but I would rather be fixing people right now...anyway.. My advice Go for the electrician gig...I love working with my hands and have great skills,,If you are of the same ilk, its great and quite rewarding...By the time you are able to do the job, the need will even be greater than it is right now..I have two buddies that are electricians...They make way over 100K...Id bet one makes close to 200..The need is going to explode in 10 years...Most blue collar professions are seeing the same outlook..Lots of work and lots of money... Some major power companies right now are so short of people they are hiring hs grads with no college level education 40+/hr-to start.......Sounds like a great plan to me... TFY Edited January 1, 2016 by thefooloftheyear Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts