Are you considering a career change from engineering? Need advice on switching careers? Feeling stuck in a job you hate but unsure how to move forward? Worried about financial constraints after investing in an apartment? Wondering if it’s worth taking a leap into a new field? Join the conversation and share your experiences with transitioning to a different career path. Let’s talk about finding fulfillment in your work and making a change for the better. #engineering #careerchange #financialimpact #jobdissatisfaction #lifechoices #careertransition #worklifebalance #careerregrets #jobstability #incomeconcerns
I’d grind it out. Job market isn’t the greatest as you’ve seen with so many people getting laid off
I think i would see if you can do something on the side u might enjoy. And keep work work and ur passion or side hustle or hobby as that and or take it seriously and monetize
To be frank, I’m usually against hard career changes (unless a situation is truly bad) because the grass is never really greener on the other side so most of my advice below won’t help you in that regard. Plus, you don’t even seem to have an idea of what you want to do besides engineering, which is a red flag for trying to do a career change. Figure out what you want to do first before leaving please.
First, since you seem to regret buying that apartment, how about you sell that apartment and go back to renting? This will at least get you off that long-term liability so you can be more mobile.
Second, take a break or a long vacation. Does your company allow sabbaticals? You sound burned out and need to some time to recharge. This could be a good time can be used to actually think about what you want to do.
Third, have you considered FIRE? Aka, save a ton of money then early retire out of your field as quickly as possible. Imo, FIRE is the best option for those who are in good careers they dislike (this is lowkey my path). **There is no obligation to actually work the current job you’re in for the rest of your life.** You can leave whenever you’re financially able to.
You don’t even need to be fully retired. Just having any large sum of money, you have the option of making a career change with little to no risk to yourself. You wouldn’t even need our advice.
It doesn’t hurt to look for another job and see what’s out there.
you have absolutely no obligation to be grateful to a job and career path that isn’t serving you. why suck it up?
I did the daily grind at a Fortune 100 company as an engineer for 20 years. I was feeding my family and putting my kids through Catholic schools. After 20 years I branched out into project management in the same field. The grind became less intense.
What made the grind bearable, aside from knowing that I was feeding and providing for my family, was my side interests. I took a karate class, after 5 years became a 1st degree black belt, and started teaching as well as training.
I also invested in my 401k to the max, and eventually was able to retire at 60. Kids through college etc. Life is good. Hang in there.
Become a solutions engineer (sales specialist). Something is being sold somewhere, either supplies, services, the whole project. Look around and see if you can connect with someone like that for advice.
In tech, SEs get plenty of socializing, closing deals is fun, you’re not quite as on the hook as the primary seller, you’re still the smart guy.
Sounds like you’re in a tough spot. Engineering ain’t for everyone, and it’s totally okay to admit that. Don’t beat yourself up for wanting something different. Maybe start exploring other career paths on the side while keeping your current gig. It’s all about finding what makes you happy, even if it takes a bit of trial and error. Hang in there, mate, you’ll figure it out eventually!
I’m 26F and got a completely worthless degree if that makes you feel better. I am getting denied job applications to be just an admin assistant to answer phones and mail packages etc and I graduated with honors and have 5 years of experience in customer service where i was promoted twice to being a supervisor and did a gap year of community service. I can’t say I wish I was in your shoes but at least you have a useful and paying degree that gives you some income to survive and even be able to afford buying an apartment. I’m living at home and am depressed with the choices I made getting my degree in family and human development. I would also struggle in your job if I had to sit in a cubicle and type numbers all day so I really feel for you because I need some sort of stimulation. I can relate in the way that we both jumped through school not knowing what we really wanted first.
Tbh u should be a carpenter. You could probably transfer the engineering skill over to drafting and designing. I don’t mean to sound sexist but men who work outside with their peers seem happier than those who are indoors and isolated. Working with your hands is rewarding. Or maybe you could learn to be a construction engineer so you could work in the field more? Sorry idk what kind of engineering you do but ur only 26 so u have time tbh
To be honest, this might be a grass is greener situation. Objectively, you’re making good money with stable work-life balance and that’s what most want out of a job/career especially as they get older. However, if you feel the job itself is affecting your mental health in a detrimental way that affects your personal life then it might be worth considering change companies or possibly leaving the profession all together. In any case, don’t be hasty with any decisions and take your time deciding on any potential changes.
I think it doesn’t hurt for you to look into the potential other options at least. You don’t necessarily have to pursue them but knowing what’s out there vs what you have now might provide you with perspective of whether your desire for change is real. The reality is, there are downsides in every career and it could come down to how you find fulfillment in your life – whether work is a part of that equation or not.
Coming from the perspective of a healthcare worker, I’d kill for a job that’s more desk work, less patient interaction and stable hours lol. You wouldn’t believe how shitty some patients can be and even sometimes colleagues. That said, I’m considering a switch into a different healthcare career and mental health does factor into my exploring other options. I don’t know if I’ll ultimately do it but if I had a job that paid well, had good work-life balance (ie. predictable hrs, no overnight shift work) and good work environment, I probably wouldn’t consider changing out of that even if I was bored of the work. Most jobs you’ll probably get bored of if you work long enough to be honest. Another way you can think of it is the job is just a means to fueling your activities/hobbies outside of work.
Maybe suck it up for a little while, until the market gets better then you can consider other options.
I think it’s a matter of which one you hate more, jobless porverty or engineering?
Most job suck, even in the fields you don’t mind. I was an engineer for a few years after I graduated, then quit to move back in with my mom. Now I’m a proud NEET and have never been happier.
Of course I have investments from back when I was working so I’m not particularly concerned about finances.
So tough it out for a few years, live cheaply and invest the difference. The quit and do whatever you want as long as you can sustain yourself.
What kind of engineering? There’s a lot of careers that you can transition to where your experience will be an advantage.
To put it in perspective, I’ll give you an example of what my life has been like lately.
I started my career at a very young age, and I always had the perspective that it was my only chance of being something in life. I’ve worked sick, with broken bones, covid, dengue fever and many other problems. I sacrificed myself without thinking about the consequences of anything, and I achieved a LOT, very quickly.
All this time, I was feeding my ego and my desires. I felt that slowly, I began to consume myself, and it was a hunger that never ended. Little by little, I was exhausted by this desire to conquer and grow, and I began to relax. I relaxed so much that I acquired addictions that I still have today, but I can deal with them.
At various times I thought about changing careers, starting from scratch in something I liked, like computing or music perhaps, but I always gave up. Stability held me back, and I realized that I needed to balance it. I kept pushing for a few more years and bought EVERYTHING I wanted. I’m perfectly comfortable where I am, but for some reason, I still feel dissatisfied.
Until, on top of that dissatisfaction, I was fired. And that ripped a hole in the ground so big that I’m still falling months later. I’m still working, but in a place with a poor scale compared to the standard I was used to. I feel disrespected, humiliated and subjected to things from people who started in the job market yesterday, with more than 15 years on the road.
Of the many things I could suggest, I’ll just tell you this:
I didn’t want to deal with this anguish.