Realistically what are my career options?

[M4 Driver]

I've always been good academically and useless at anything physical. When I had career advice at school I bluntly said I wanted to use my academic ability to make lots of money, but from an enjoyment perspective I'd rather be something like a builder.

The concept of sitting at a desk in an office all day has always been my idea of hell but I accepted that's what I'd need to do to make lots of money.

At school the subjects I enjoyed were PE, Drama, Music, Design Technology and Food & Nutrition. The ones I did at GCSE were the only subjects I got below a C in. I could tolerate Art, Geography and History. I hated Maths, English, Science and Languages but these were my strongest subjects.

I studied Maths at university because that was my strongest subject and the one that looked most likely to make me lots of money.

One summer I was working in an office in a very boring job but I saw 2 glimmers of hope for a career in an office job being more tolerable. First was having meetings. They get you away from your desk, away from your computer and into a slightly different environment. Second was seeing more senior members of staff were hardly ever in the office. They would spend most of their days driving in between meetings and I enjoyed driving.

The career I chose was a Data Analyst and I've always hated it. I've been doing it for 15 years now and every job I've done has been pointless. There hasn't really been much opportunity for travelling or filling my day with meetings. Every external meeting I've had in my current job has been via video calls and most of my managers have had the philosophy of having a minimal number of meetings to give us more time to do the boring stuff.

Whenever I'm not at work I'm dreading going into work. I can't even drive anymore because of the anxiety my career has given me. My memory has now become like a sieve, I forget even basic concepts I used to be able to recite in my sleep.

Overall I'm angry at the fact I'm good at things that bore me to death but rubbish at the things I enjoy.

 

[M4 Driver]

I've been moving in that direction that's been suggested.

The issues I have are first of all it's all pointless. In theory I'm turning data into actionable insights for stakeholders to help with their decision making. In practice the stakeholder has already made their decision and will demand a dashboard to prove their decision is right before they move onto the next pointless thing.

The other issue is the rise of video calls is making meetings just as bad as sitting at a desk in an office all day because that's essentially what you're doing. There are a number of meetings I've had this year that historically would have involved physically going somewhere but now they're being conducted at my desk over video.

I find travelling from A to B stressful during my own time but enjoyable during working hours but I never do that anymore and never did it enough in the first place.

A driver sounds the logical career choice but the anxiety my career has given me has made me too scared to drive and I used to enjoy it.

This is why I'm asking the question. Once my mortgage is paid off I'm getting out the rat race but I'm not there yet. It's really taking its toll on my mental health though and I'm not sure I can wait that long.

 

[M4 Driver]

@katie279 you may have a point there. I'm not sure where I work now is toxic but there's something that doesn't sit right, but I've definitely worked at toxic places before. What you describe as having an impact is why I picked this over other mathematical professions.

I'm in London and could move to another part of the country and be mortgage free which has crossed my mind. My reservation is that I'd be giving up on life by doing that and also having to rely on a car.

Starting again in something I'd enjoy seems logical but I don't know what that is. As mentioned in my first post the subjects I enjoyed the most at school are the ones I was no good at.

I also struggle to relate to many other data people. It's like a hobby for them, they think nothing of writing a Python script at 2am because they were bored but I can't get out of the office quick enough at home time because I've been bored all day.

I'm at an age now where people have found their niche which they're good at and have an interest in. My 2 best friends at school weren't as academically gifted as me and were adamant I'd really be going places given how clever I was. One of them became a bricklayer and the other became a mechanic. Both now have their own businesses (i.e. a builders company and a car garage) which are successful and they seem happy with life. Fair play to them. I've just ended up in a pointless job I detest.

 

[M4 Driver]

With what you enjoyed at GCSE it's a shame you didn't go down a creative route. I run a video production company, I'm on a good wage but even freelancers working either broadcast/commercials, day rates are £500-750 for your bog standard average specialist, and obviously upwards from there. A lot of roles aren't even "creative" per se, but are in that industry; grip, sparkies, best boys, etc, and then anything involved in producing.

That boat might have sailed though unless you want to take a huge step back/sideways and work your way up earning far less than that for 5 odd years.

You're right it is shame. The problem was I wasn't any good at the subjects I enjoyed.

When I started university I was meeting lots of new people who'd never seen me in an academic environment before. I'm talking about people who I lived with and people I met through societies rather than people from my course. Many were surprised I was doing such a dry subject like maths, they thought I'd be studying something more creative.

At work though it was back to the same again. I recall telling an early manager of mine that I considered joining the cadets at university but didn't. She said it wouldn't have suited me, I'm more suited to things that use my brain more. This wasn't even a job, it was something to do in my leisure time.

 

[M4 Driver]

How are you defining "good"? Passion and enthusiasm goes a long way to making up for raw talent; and that's even if you believe there's things that can't be learned.

In fact you could very easily argue that talent + apathism < mediocrity + enthusiasm.

My GCSE results, getting a D for ability but A for effort on school report, numerous things really but it is generally based on what others say so maybe I am talking myself out of things.

You have a good point about talent and apathism. My lack of interest has held me back to an extent.

On one hand I just want to go to work, make my money and forget about it. On the other hand I want to achieve something that's the equivalent of my friend having his own car garage.

Even the just going to work and making money isn't really an option though. It's so competitive, a popularity contest, people bad mouthing others for not having superior knowledge of something they've spent every waking hour nerding up on. I know that sort of thing happens everywhere, but I don't have enough enthusiasm about what I do to give a toss.

Also I feel anyone could do my job. Maybe not as well as me, but they could still do it. If I had to get a car fixed for example I would go to a mechanic because I don't have the skills to fix it myself and I know if I attempted it I could do more damage to the car or even myself. If anyone did a shoddy job of what I do though nobody would notice because at the end of the day it doesn't really matter. Makes me question what's the point.

 

[M4 Driver]

I disagree with the advice "work with your brand, not with your hands". That's what was being said when I was younger but those who left school at 16 and picked a trade have done really well generally speaking.

At least if you're an electrician for example you're doing something useful. As long as electricity is around we're always going to need electricians. If any of the companies I've worked for ceased to exist tomorrow I don't think too many people would notice.

Maybe joining a company that does something more meaningful is the answer for now.

 

[M4 Driver]

Oh yeah. Those jobs are well paid, electricians especially, and there's always a shortage of them.

I'm the kind of person who yes, likes to do something "meaningful", though you could argue we need people to work in supermarkets, and I hated that job. I wish I didn't, I've found recently I would like to be promoted at work etc, but supermarket managers have terrible hours. A friend of my family's is s till a manager for iceland but had a heart attack when he was 40. My current boss is only 24 and does 60 hour weeks. There's even younger bosses where i work, like 18 year olds, doing similar shifts.

The only sort of "manual" job I could do without any actual training because I'm already very skilled in it is IT, not so much programming/software but I've built computers for myself and others. I think i said in a post earlier though - Google MyBusiness is useless and has never reinstated my business after changing my number.

I have seen one or two IT apprentice jobs - but apprenticeships are very poorly paid, and also a lot of IT companies I know will just rip people off and sell them stuff they don't need or cut corners. But it's something I've done since about the age of ten and it makes money. Just need to try and get advertised again.

There's also a shortage of Data Analysts but in reality many places don't need them so positions go unfilled because it doesn't really matter.

Working in a supermarket on paper doesn't sound a bad job in itself. It's working in public rather than an office. Unfortunately like you said it's rubbish hours and rubbish pay.

I've never had any interest in computers myself. What you describe is similar to what the companies I've worked for are about i.e. getting other businesses to buy a load of rubbish they don't need. Often it's not the data that tells them to spend the money, it's a senior manager telling his mate who's a senior manager at another company to spend the money.

I do question whether this whole pathway to a dream career was all lies or there's something I'm missing. Maybe it's a bit of both.

The story is you do well at school, get good grades, study a STEM subject at university then after graduating move to London to start your dream career where you will do fulfilling work and meet lots of like minded people to network with who will be your friends for life. The reality is I've done the first part but ended up with work that bores me to tears and many people I've met through work are false people I can't have a decent conversation with, both of which has severely impacted my mental health.

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been doom and gloom and there are lots of things I like about living in London to the point I don't really want to move elsewhere. I've met like minded people in London by other means, but my closest friends in London are a plumber and a warehouse manager. I've made friends at work too but again it's people doing completely different jobs such as security guard.

Data Analyst wise though I can only think of 2 people I've worked with who I can relate too. One stopped being a Data Analyst and became an Electrician and the other has completely fallen off the radar, deleted all his social media including LinkedIn so no idea what he's doing now.

I also really struggle with the concept of data science being the new rock star. I can't see any resemblance at all.

 

[M4 Driver]

I have worked with product managers but that job seems even more pointless than a data analyst. The ones where I work now look like they spend plenty of time in video meetings because their teams are in cheap countries but don't go out and about.

Since I made this post I've had an interview for a data analyst in something more meaningful but I didn't get it. At the same time I was in a meeting where I really felt like standing up and saying this is BS I'm out of here.

 

[M4 Driver]

That's how all companies should operate, regardless of the role/purpose. We have a culture of thinking it's rude to leave meetings when you're not needed, but it's totally superficial. We're pretty good at it here, such that I'm in hardly any meetings.

I was the one presenting at the meeting. It was constantly being interrupted by 2 senior managers talking about how we can get businesses to waste more money with us. At the same time I'd just had a final interview for a job to do with road safety which is much more meaningful. Sadly it wasn't to be.