I'll try to keep this background quick and short so as to not detract from my question. I've bounced in and out of technical jobs (previously software testing, now Web programming). At no point have I held the same job more than two years. Since 2001 I've had the following pattern:


I work at a tech job for a while, which builds my confidence and my financial reserves.
After a while (say a year), because I don't spend much, I'm financially reasonably well-off enough not to NEED the job.
By that point I'm also getting bored and, since I'm not convinced that tech work is my "calling", not that interested in leaving for another tech job.
I quit or get fired and go do something non-technical, mostly "finding myself".
I never find that career I'm meant to be doing, and after a year or two I'm miserable because I'm unemployed and running out of money in reserve.
With much effort -- given that my resume is so patchy! -- I eventually find another tech job to begin the cycle again.
I'd like to stop this cycle, but I'm not sure exactly how to stop it. Learn to cope love tech work so it doesn't get "boring"? Find that elusive other career while I'm presently employed?

The good news is I started a new job 8 weeks ago. The bad news is, I already feel burned out by about 2 pm and am starting to fear that I'm back in the cycle, only with a shorter period between iterations.

Thoughts? Ideas?

CN,

Posted on another forum about IT jobs!

But fundamentally IT is slow, old (all the big breakthrough stuff is done for the short term) and greedy. So salaries, consulting rates are good but its not very life affirming. Also IT roles get rarer as you get older?

[Preachy bit]
If you can, I would suggest change industry and change jobs. Work with people more directly, more helpfully, move to something more satisfying - if you have the energy.

In every scientific survey, pretty much ever done, earnings (unless very low) have virtually no correlation with happiness. Lottery wins benefit personal happiness on average less than six months. So focus on your life and happiness not earnings.
[/Preachy bit]

A

Good points. And I've definitely thought of "helping people" kinds of careers. Problem is settling on a given one. In light of the sacrfices required to get an advanced degree in, say, social work or counseling, I figure I'd better be pretty enthusiastic and committed to that course. Also it doesn't help that my short stints working for social service agencies made them look pretty screwed up. I have fears of getting say an MSW and still enjoying no respect or input into the way things operate, as my hypothetical employer's management continues to screw things up. Maybe that's an unduly negative view of that industry but it certainly scared me off.

I have/had a dream to do a certain sort of faith-based outreach, a "ministry" to use a word that I've grown to hate. Again, had a profoundly negative volunteer experience that scared me off. After I'd spent five months volunteering for her, the woman who was my boss basically screamed at me never to do any sort of ministry. Those memories stick with you. Still, I hang on to this dream as an avocation, if not a vocation.

In short, this is where my fears kick in: I worry that pursuing, say, social work, ministry, teaching, or similar will lead to a life of poverty without enough influence to actually change people's lives for the better. And I worry that I can't commit to any one of those fields, and will jump around too much to ever be good at any of them. I believe strongly that God has some plan for my life, but I also paradoxically despair of "ever really finding it," if that makes sense.

Start journaling-look at what is going on at work, in your life. Any major changes-meds, relationship, moved, death, and so on.....these can effect job satisfaction-often temporarily.

Look at the job itself-divide a piece of paper into quarters-4 squares-lines only...no cutting or tearing-1 sheet. Label each section with one of these four words: (This activiity is based on the SWOT technique)
Positives
Negatives
Interesting
Boring
In each of the squares honestly think about your job and make a list of the positives of your job in that square-what do you like, who is good to work with, etc. In the negatives, list the negative aspects of your job. Interests-Why do you do your work, what interests you, got you into that field, and anything interesting-in a good perspective about the job. In Boring, really think about exactly what you feel is causing your boredom, why you used to like the job and what made it go boring, people?, duties?, schedule? and so on.

After you do this, post here and I will have the next step.... pm me too...

I work as a case manager for the mental retarded with mental health issues. Let me tell you, I NEVER get bored. There is always something to do or something going on with one of my consumers. Maybe a career change is in order.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. VisualImagery, in particular I'd love to try what you suggest. I know there's value to doing it on paper, but I'm sort of thinking through these in my mind.

Meanwhile, I happened to ask all my Facebook friends to suggest a career for me. Here's what they came up with (in reverse chronological order):

I'd have to agree with the Youth Counselor. You were awesome with the Harvad folks

counselor or gutter punk. dont dream it, be it

Hmmm. I'd have to go with _______ and say youth counseling. You do it for me all the time! ^_~

philospher

Youth Counsellor.

***
I dunno, I would love to have a career where I felt like I was helping people with problems. The Harvard reference was relating to a street outreach I used to do in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA when I lived near there.

I've thought about becoming a school counselor (like a guidance counselor or similar), but then I hear that education programs tend to be anti-intellectual and even hostile to real inquiry and learning! So I don't know what to do. :)

Bump, sorta, to say that I haven't yet done the four-quadrant exercise. But one question:

In each of the squares honestly think about your job and make a list of the positives of your job in that square-what do you like, who is good to work with, etc. In the negatives, list the negative aspects of your job. Interests-Why do you do your work, what interests you, got you into that field, and anything interesting-in a good perspective about the job. In Boring, really think about exactly what you feel is causing your boredom, why you used to like the job and what made it go boring, people?, duties?, schedule? and so on. Should I do this for my present particular job, or for my present career? Because I'm questioning both.

I had some interesting discussions on another mailing list, and I'll try to post excerpts when I can find them.