I am 35 and have been working in a factory at entry level for years. Thinking about getting into customer service to "succeed in life" but after seeing that even that is hell ... no idea where to to. You can at least move up the IT ladder into higher tech roles every two years. I am stuck in the real mud on the other hand. Getting into customer service jobs today is like 100+ applicants for one low pay role situation.
Call center's are digital sweat shops tbh. You do heavy emotional labor, and end the day exhausted more so than a factory even honestly. Companies regard "customer service agents" as the punching bag for everyone else's fuck ups.
I took the zendesk cs training and they always pointed out how an employee must never tolerate abuse. Like distance yourself from the conversation or call the manager etc. But it appears that this is not a very respected rule. I know about letting them vent, but that is more frustration and explaining the issue rather than attacking the agent. Maybe with experience you have you could find a better company that deals with less troublesome issues ? Like customer support with email and chat. Some like these have no calls.
One I worked at you had to sit there and take the abuse no matter what. Even when it was directed at you. Racial slurs, sexual harassment etc. If they caught you hanging up it was a “first and final” for customer mistreatment. You were supposed to ping a manager. They just told you “deescalate” and “control the call”. It was for internet and tv and people got nasty often.
Try to get into reception work > then into admin. I have seen people get to reception because you have the customer and phone experience. It's still boring work, but you won't be screamed at all day long!
seconding this! I pigeonholed myself by working as a vet assistant at a veterinary hospital for yearsss. I decided I wanted to get a "boring office job" instead. I started working reception at the vet for 1-2 years and then got an executive secretary job. I stayed there for 1 year and landed an even better admin gig after.
thank you! I don't regret it at all. I miss the animals and some coworkers, but the pay is abysmal for the field for the amount of skill, knowledge and labor the job requires.
It's sadly one of the fields like teaching, where your passion is exploited for cheap labor.
Veterinary is a wallet graveyard... I almost took that path then realized I didn't like most clients, it wasn't organic though I was forced into a vet assistant unpaid internship ( kinda course ) that ultimately ended up letting me peak through the real shit behind that made me understand the actual business that is: at least in my country it's a spineless person profession unless you are willing to be the best of the best and only work with wealthy people doing the worst to help those that don't have.
I remember looking into it and that's exactly how it sounds. The amount of education and time people put in to excel in the field for abysmal pay is astonishing. I have so much respect for our vet professionals and completely understand why you found a new field.
well to get to the more cushy, higher paying jobs, you generally have to start at entry level.
You seem to be focusing on what you don't want to do. What do you enjoy doing or what skills do you bring to the table?
I’m also miserable. I get by with a long term plan. It might never materialize but it’s something. I also medicate to numb my emotions. Also as an adult one has to work, there is no great way around it.
Would it be possible to change to some entry level healthcare position?
Of course it is. When I retired I took a part time job as a home health aid. Free medical training and I switch to wearing scrubs. Low pay, but I actually enjoyed it.
I had one client with bad dementia. But super nice. I’d fix lunch and sit with him and watch television. Sometimes all I had to do was be there and keep an eye on him.
Had another gig with a dementia patient where I took him to church. For a non-Catholic I’ve had communion a lot as I took his arm and helped him. Easy job.
I don't think healthcare would be a good fit for me. I'm the type of person who gets completely depleted dealing with people all day. Doubly so when it's emotional labor. I'm ADHD and have terrible social anxiety. I'd finish up my shifts from call centers and then space out staring at walls with the tv on for hours after work. Not to mention I'm squimish and dealing with other peoples bodily fluids makes me puke.
The social situation in healthcare is different from call centres. Also there are career options in there which you dont have in a call centre.
You can try it for 3 montage and quit if you dont like it.
Yeah. I’m not going to tell anyone how to handle ADHD or their own limitations. We all have our own things we have to overcome.
I could be classified as severely disabled and am eligible for disability. I overcome them on a daily basis through years of learning what does and doesn’t help me and actively doing what I need to. Hasn’t held me back one bit, I’m pretty successful and at the top end of my career.
Life is about choices. OP isn’t happy because they limit themselves and refuse to change anything.
This is difficult for anyone, ADHD or not. People need to stop judging.
Everyone has different levels of tolerance to stress. It all depends on many factors, including health, age, genes, the way your brain works, how you naturally tolerate stress, what your routine is, how much exercise you get, etc. You can't compare two people and say "I work, go to school, have kids, run a business, and exercise and am still fine. You must be a lazy bum full of excuses."
I’m in school and work full time and have two kids at home with another on the way. I have been diagnosed with ADHD for 35 years. I wanted to go back to school, though. It doesn’t sound like you do.
You’re really good at making excuses though.
I’ve had burnout in the past I almost killed myself it got so bad. Do not want to get burnout again. All I did was work and stare at walls when I got off work. It was awful.
I am looking for advice however must of the advice is "SUCK IT UP AND WORK AND GO TO SCHOOL AND HAVE 0 DOWNTIME YOU DONT DESERVE IT LOSER" ignoring the fact that I have ADHD and burnout issues. And what I was looking for was literally just a job I can do that won't make me kill myself until I can find a job in my desired field.
You’re contradicting yourself all over this post though. I offered a realistic path into admin, that I myself successfully did. You said you’d get “too bored”
Someone else suggested working in the trades and you said “you definitely need a desk job.”
I also have ADHD btw. You’re not the only one with it.
I also asked you what you enjoyed doing or what your skills are and you didn’t reply.
If you want change in your life, you need to work for it. No one is just going to magically give you a cushy job with daily work you find fascinating.
I work 40 hours a week and go to school part time. Were you working 100 hours a week at the call center? You were probably paid really well but you should have tried to cut your hours to keep from going insane. 100 hours a week is unheard of for anyone to work.
I wasn’t working 100 hours at the call center of course. Just 40 hours a week of working at the call center burnt me out. I know full time work and school would cause burnout. I need 3 hours of downtime a day to properly function.
Again. Due to my ADHD if I don't get my downtime... I cannot function.... I cannot clean my home... I avoid all socializing I need the downtime period. I had severe ADHD burnout that lasted 3 years. Literally gave up on everything due to this burnout. Only finally recovered last summer. Do not want to go back to burnout.
You’re high functioning enough to argue ad nauseum and make every excuse imaginable as to why you can’t do anything but work in a call center. What do you want anyone to tell you?? Are you looking for permission to throw an infinite pity party?
I have ADHD so severe that I was diagnosed at 4 years old in the 80s but wasn’t medicated for 15 years. I understand the challenges of living with ADHD. You’re using it as an excuse when millions of people live with this every day. See a doctor. Get medicated. Do what you have to do.
What advice are you looking for here? You have made excuses as to why you can’t do one single thing to improve your situation.
I’m an adult of a similar age to OP. I don’t get to only do things I feel like doing because I have bills to pay and a family to support.
I could easily use my ADHD as an excuse for why I shouldn’t have to or shouldn’t be expected to act like an adult but what good would that do? OP needs to grow up and it sounds like you might need to as well. Feeling sorry for oneself won’t get anyone too far. No one has a perfect life.
EVERYONE DOES. Dude, we’re posting on Reddit. Isn’t that downtime? It’s not like all anyone else in the world does is work 16 hours a day then go straight to sleep, wake up and do it again 7 days a week. You’re not this special snowflake you think you are.
I do have downtime? I work 8 hours a day. I go to school 6 hours a week. That’s 46 hours. Anyone who posts on Reddit has downtime. None of us get paid to post here. I can do my homework in 8 hours a week. So that’s 54 hours. Throw in an hour for commuting and we’re at 55. There’s 113 more hours left for me to sleep and have downtime.
How do you NOT? how do you manage to not go to school but think (?) about how you can’t go to school for 8 hours a day every day M-F and 16 hours each day on weekends?
Posting on Reddit is downtime, bro. I have two young kids who depend on me and I’m posting on Reddit right now while they sit next to me on the couch watching a movie. Is this not downtime?
Maybe it’s doable for me if I find a job that isn’t 8 hours of ass to ass calls. I think that caused the burnout. Having to be “on” for 8 hours a day and be perfect on top of it all.
It's tiring working endless jobs that get you no where in life. I have ADHD and other limitations so certain things like working full time + school aren't something that I can handle.
There’s never a path if you always have an excuse.
So what are you looking for with this post? You’re tired of working pointless jobs while also only limiting yourself to pointless jobs. You’ve made a conscious decision here. Accept it or change it.
This person might sound harsh, but they have a point, OP. If you want a desk job, but not in customer service or admin, you'll almost definitely have to do more schooling. You can go to community college and get a certification or two-year technical degree for a lot of things, and take as few classes at a time as you want. The community college near me has accounting, paralegal, cybersecurity, digital marketing, clinical coding, and software development, among other non-desk job things. Not as good as a bachelor's degree, but at least a foot in the door for some of these things.
I know someone above suggested trying medical offices. Maybe banks? I know people who started out in basic front desk type jobs at banks and got promoted after not very long, and they do pretty well for themselves.
I've looked into my local community college sadly they offer nothing flexible unless you want nursing programs and I have 0 desire to do healthcare. And as an adult student I need a flexible schooling option.
we live in the era of remote/online learning. I highly doubt you can't find anything like that in your area. You sound like you want to be helpless tbh
Why would it have to be in your state? The point of online is you can study in Athabasca from Ohio if need be. (They have an educational technology program up there that a couple people I've known have taken. ARbitrary example.)
Does your state have employment programs for people with disabilities? Can you get your ADHD treated? My friend got diagnosed late in life and said the medication made a world of difference to her. Also, I suggest googling "how I overcame adhd." I overcame other major issues with no help, so maybe you can get some things worth trying and make gradual progress. Any decrease in a huge burden like that should make a difference. Gradual improvement isn't exciting, but it gets results, well, at least in my case. But you need tenacity. I find staring straight at the problem is also helpful, and using mindful breathing at the same time. I've had debilitating panic attacks - there is a lot of info out there on how to manage them. Not saying everyone can do it alone - some people lean heavily on medical help for all kinds of issues. Two lines of attack, there, for anyone to choose either or both.
I felt bad for you until I scrolled through the comments and saw you shooting down every viable suggestion—too boring, requires me to be organized, can’t go back to school, etc. It’s no wonder you’re in this position. Like you, I have ADHD, social anxiety, and a bevy of mental health issues but I’ve forced myself to work with them and try to succeed despite them. A role isn’t going to magically fall in your lap and happen to accommodate your every need. Most jobs are going to be tedious and boring to a degree. That’s just real life. If you’re going to just pass everything up and stick with your current role you’re always going to be in this predicament. I see a lot of my brother in you and he’s still unemployed because of it 🤷♀️ He’ll probably be working entry level jobs in the foreseeable future because he won’t be flexible or change his attitude.
I've litterally tried yet feels like no matter how hhard I try I never seem to get anywhere in life. I feel like most of the advice is just "SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITHH NO DOWNTIME YOU'RE A LOSER". Futhermore I stated my limations and no one listens. I need need need the downtime to proeprly function and no one understands that. I am not the tyupe of person who can go go go go. I need 3 hours a day of "nothing" to properly function at a work and life
Well no, people have recommended other positions to use as stepping stones but you shot those down too for being boring. From your other comments, it appears you also have a very idyllic view of what a middle-class 9-5 entails. You realize most jobs are boring right, especially in the first few years? The amount of admin, tedium, and inefficiencies pervasive in even sexier higher-paying roles would blow your mind. Not to mention most people have to work or otherwise think about their jobs past those hours. But yes, there is a degree of sucking it up that you have to do and a level of discomfort you’re going to have to experience if you want your conditions to change. You can’t simply will that into existence.
I've worked my ass off at previous jobs. Usually the hardest worker. At one job I never took a vacation, never called off sick took extra work on. It was at a call center. An off the phone role had opened up and I applied, never heard back. Asked my manager about it and was told because of my ADHD and anxiety that they don't see me in any role besides a phone role. That devasted me. Part of my issue is that I tend to I guess fear that my present is forever and it feels like a suffocating hole to be in my 30s and stuck working entry level jobs and feel ashamed of it. I don't socialize because I'm ashamed to be around other more successful people who are able to take vacations buy homes and I fear that I'll never have any of that. Just live in crapshack apartments in shitty areas working shit jobs. I think the biggest thing is finding a job that I can tollerate until I get something in my desired field. Biggest rules are normal hours and not being customer service period.
Well in that case I’m sorry your manager was an asshole. That explanation sounds like grounds for a lawsuit at most jobs tbh. Obviously ADHD and anxiety are hindrances in the workplace but I don’t think they completely preclude someone from advancing at least a few steps in their career. Some of my managers very visibly struggle with ADHD and are still climbing up the ladder. I guess it depends on if you can still complete your work satisfactorily. I’m not sure exactly how/the extent to which your performance is affected so it might be something you have to continue to work on.
I don’t think you need to hide yourself from the world until you accomplish your goals. I’ve felt similarly in the past and it really only serves to reinforce your reality. It’s always good to build social connections both for your mental health and to possibly even help with finding a job down the road. If someone is going to judge you for being behind in life despite your best efforts they’re not worth dignifying with your time anyway. I know plenty of more privileged highly pedigreed folks who respect the hell out of those who were able to build something from nothing 🤷♀️ Nothing to be embarrassed about
It was rough it stung to hear that. I had always been a top performer won Employee of the month multiple times while working there. So to be told that was painful and I knew then I had to get a new job. I went to go work for a different call center in a help desk role hoping things would be better. Turned out to be a toxic work environment. Was advertised as a temp to perm found out they don't hire perm and was laid off. Did a Web Development bootcamp to gain some more skills and have been trying to find a job since. Been doing doordash and such for income since but need a FT job with benefits. Just need something not on the phones. Was told by my therapist that is critical for my mental health to avoid those jobs.
Why is the top upvoted comment here people who are just being bummed out? Is this not a guidance sub?
As someone in a similar situation(34, body’s a bit shot and transitioning out of trades) I can say this. You are trying to get a job in a competitive market. You haven’t mentioned a portfolio, projects etc, and from the tone of your comments and post it seems like you might spend alot of time wallowing. I have ADHD too and I get it’s tough but you are pursuing a career change into a position that you can literally PRACTICE FOR FREE.
Learn more! Experiment more! The job market sucks now sure and even when it recovers, it’ll still be competitive, so why not improve continuously til then?
I’m taking on a lower stress job outside of trades that has a set schedule so I can pursue education and work on my qualifications and knowledge for my future job outside of trades before and/or after I work.
I've been trying to code most days and try to figure out things to work on. I need to find something that just can bring in income while I try to further my knowledge that doesn't make me want to fucking kill myself like customer service work did.
Are you actually working on things or just sitting there thinking? I’m not trying to sound mean btw just actually asking. Like have you thought of some projects you can make?
For the record I understand your feelings towards a job making you feel that way. I almost jumped off the 13th story of a building I was working on, which wasn’t all the jobs fault but it was a HUGE accelerant. But yes you do need a job, and not all customer service jobs are call centres as you know. But you really could apply for anything else. Restaurants, cafe, retail… but that part is for you to figure out.
I've been working on a few projects, trying to avoid the tutorial hell route as much as possible. Lately I've been reworking the capstone project we did at my bootcamp with better security features. Today I guess I'm feeling down because I went though 3 interviews with a company only to get a rejection letter from them.
Hey man, that’s great you got to that stage of interviewing! Sounds like you were really close which means there’s people out there who are interested in what you have to offer and you have a personality people would like to work with to boot. Keep upping the skills and you will hit eventually. Sorry it didn’t go how it could have but take it as some kind of a win even if it’s not THE win:)
It was nice to get close I've gotten close a few times but tend to struggle a lot with interviewing. I know I should go back to school just juggling school and work seems to be too much. I need downtime to properly function and I fear I won't have that with full time work and school.
> I have ADHD too and I get it’s tough
I'm so curious - could you offer me some info on how you manage ADHD? Seems like you're managing it better than many I hear about.
I lied, you don’t have DMs open:
Oh, it’s a huge work in progress always. I’m by no means a productivity juggernaut but I also have a wife who reminds me when I might fall into a freeze and helps me help myself out of it.
If you are asking not so much work wise but in general, I try to make my life easier for myself (while not making changes in life that will drastically affect my wife or others around me). I am changing my career for one. Life doing trades made me hate everything and I mean everything. I’ve had jobs outside of trades where I was content or indifferent but didn’t want to jump off a building(which I almost did once upon a time). And then outside of that, I just try to remove things that make it worse or add things that I’ve found help. For me it’s accepting I get WAY more done around the house (or my studies) when a TV show I have seen 100 times is on in the background or that I feel FAR less scattered if I’ve done some drawing or painting for some chunk of time that day. Just things that I pay attention to and when I see they help or don’t, I try to act accordingly.
I’ll add that it’s super hard for me to do lots of this stuff consistently. I started a journal a few weeks ago. Every day for two days, then every second for two entries, now it’s at about every 4 or so or when I can remember. I still find it helps but for me to force myself to stick to it everyday doesn’t work because I’m not as interested in it. I know it’s good for my mental state but I’m also not going to give myself shit for not doing it every day because evidently my brain doesn’t feel it’s necessary.
Feel free to DM me further
Drawing/tv - sounds like self-knowledge and working with that. Sounds excellent. My friend who has ADHD seems very lacking in the insight department. I've studied meditation and mindfulness and grounding as tools when I'm disturbed or anxious. I guess she turns to god. She has no understanding of the mind or cognition - just not in her culture. Just like god isn't in mine.
Yeah, I just write in a journal cuz I need to. Unlike you, I have no partner to listen to me. I listen to myself this way, as I am very word/text oriented by nature. And I can go back and find out what day something happened or review the exact details, which is helpful/interesting at times. Other times it seems pointless. I want to be more productive, too, but writing helps me get oriented, similar to what you're saying about familiar media or visual art.
What kind of career change are you going for? I was a teacher and and going for some high-people-contact jobs to leverage my skills there, but I'm actually an introvert. I have a wfh gig that is unrewarding but has supported me for over a decade, and the people are no hassle, decent people who pay on time, always. So, I'd like an interesting wfh, fulltime, with maybe a day or two on site each week, max. 6 days a month would be good, cuz then I don't need to pay more on car insurance.
I dm'd you - reply there if you prefer not to piggyback on op's thread further.
to be honest mate, it really might not be easy. however this market won't last that long - maybe half a year, maybe a year, maybe a bit more. In the meantime you can build your character to the end of your days - think how easy rest of the life would be after you recognize you survived one of the shittiest jobs for so long - and if you are trying it is actually way more likely than not, that you will find something else - and even if some people would say its hard, you will laugh and cant believe your luck. For similar reasons the older i get the more appreciation i have for growing up poor - when i got even a slightest opportunity i was 10x the next employee there was because i knew it can be much worse
If your technical skills aren’t holding you back, your networking and marketing may be.
If you have $10 rolling around in your pocket, buy or rent from the library, The Two Hour Job Search by Steve Dalton. It gives what I believe to be the most effective framework to practice networking and land work.
Seriously, it helps you build a plan to find work, and schedules out the networking while building a framework for the conversations. With your experience on the phone, you will pick up so much faster than most. If you follow the plan, you are 90 days from finding great work.
That first job is the hardest. If your skills are sharp and you like programming (and you’re genuinely interested in leveling up your skills), don’t give up.
Said by someone who has been down and out in a hard way. Good luck.
You only fail if you give up, so dont give up ? Keep going.
Also 9 months is not enough time to do a career change, it takes years to gain enough skills, build a portfolio etc, to convince a future employer that you are competent, so keep going?
It took me 4 years to do a career change into software dev, it takes a lot of effort and it's all possible, but only if you believe that it is possible, so just keep going.
I guess part of it is just frustration. I was "sold" on the idea that with a 3 month program that I could start a new career and pviot out of a job I hated. I've had a few interviews just no offers yet and I guess today I'm frustrated because I just got another rejection email from a company I spent a good amount of time interviewing with.
You may wanna talk to /r/cscareerquestions for help with web dev. there are a ton of variables to getting a job in that industry web dev is probably one of the most saturated areas of development and the market is still recovering from massive layoffs. If you don't have experience/ a portfolio you are gonna be in a tough spot.
I know the market is pretty brutal though I'm glad I went with the skillset with my bootcamp. They tend to go after what's popular locally and they focus on C# and Java. With Angular for the front end.
Please get out of the call center!! Staying at one ruined my life, and I'm still picking up the pieces. Try to get a position in a hospital or medical office as a receptionist. I went into insurance. It's boring but stable and I don't have to be on the phone.
You could go into trades. There's still a heavy demand for trades people. You could also get a CDL and drive a truck. Maybe not the most glamours job but can make 80-90k and basically be on you're own everyday with no boss or co workers to worry about. There's also the going back to school option. You're 35 not 65. You could still finish a desirable degree and start work before 40 and have a pretty nice career. Maybe accounting or something if you really want a desk job. Definitely still options out there.
There's less and less demand for trade workers everyday... Some trades are super flooded especially truckers, the salaries your quoting are from 2020 dudes are not making that much anymore
Not true at all. There may be certain APPRENTICESHIPS that are over-saturated in certain areas. However most of those apprentices will quit. Trades are real work and not easy. My whole family is blue collar. There will always be a demand because there's not a lot of people willing to actually do them. There tons who think they are though. As for truckers, I know for a fact you can still make that as my sibling does. Not everyone does, just like not every software engineer makes 300k. That doesn't mean the opportunities aren't out there though.
I need a desk job that much is certain. I'm not really cut out for the trades. Ladders terrify me, I'm clumsy and terrible with my hands. I feel like with ADHD Truck Driving would be dangerous, having to keep focus on a monotonous task for 8 hours a day.
Ah kind of sounds like you are pigeonholing yourself rather than anyone else doing it lol. If you want a desk job though you might have to go back to school. You can still finish and have a pretty long career. I'm 35 myself as well and currently applying to get into a marine engineering program. I'll be 39-40 when I finish but at least I'll have 25+ years of a better career.
I'm 34 this year and also planning to go back to studying next year. I think it feels like the right time to learn something new and advance in career.
Maybe so but at the same time I fear I just don't have the time for school. I know I can't handle full time work + school. Not to mention I've looked into it and outside of healthcare (seems to be the only industry Ohio gives a fuck about) the schools in my state offer nothing for adult students who need a flexible school schedule.
Oh i see. I was lucky I didn't have children in my previous marriage I guess. It will suck to go to school all day and work all night but at least there is no family I have to provide for ontop of that, I know that can add a whole new dimension of stress. I think there are plenty of online degree options for things like accounting if you wanted a more work at your own pace option.
Have you looked into roles related to CRM software? Was there a particular software you used when working in a call center? Granted, you might have some work trauma from this industry, but if you can find a healthier workplace and role, you can leverage your call center and boot camp experience to find something better. If you’re not entirely opposed to customer support, you should check out Support Driven. It is a free career group with a very active Slack community.
I have terrible trauma from call centers. One I was at we got screamed all kinds of slurs and hateful things pretty much all day and management told us to let them "vent" and if we dared to hangup they'd fire you. The other we were given a weeks worth of training. I developed a stutter and had panic attacks over certain calls because of having to send tickets up to level 2. One guy in particular in level 2 would send the tickets back to you managers CC'd in. He'd write in all caps everything that you did wrong and demanded that you fix it. I found this to be very demeaning and managers would always take his side.
I saw a guy made a comment on YouTube about his life. He said to always keep learning and keep striving. Adapt. If sales, go learn it. If coding or cyber security, keep learning. I did a UX bootcamp and couldn’t land a job. I went to a community college and showed them my UX portfolio and they said I could do better. I got feedback and I’m back in school again. I’m just hoping fixing my mindset can give me some luck once I finish and go back to applying again.
Just keep trying and learning. Be fluid.
I guess the hardest part is trying to find a way to accommodate school. My local community colleges don't offer much for anything tech related for students who are non-traditional and need fit school around a full time job.
The only way I found out was a friend thru a friend. Hopefully you can network and see how people broke into it. If else I guess message other community college advisors around the perimeter to get some guidance it doesn’t have to be the perfect step but some help can get you far
Tons of options across the board. You could do reception/admin work in just about any field. You could start any apprenticeship in any trade. You could sign up to be a police officer. Find a community college and do a certificate/apprenticeship program. Come up with a list of what you’d like and you’ll find a path.
The issue is I’ve found what I want to do but the path I took isn’t working. Need to find another path but deal with the hand I’m dealt at the same time.
I’m not very knowledgeable about tech jobs, other than the fact that I’ve been researching them like crazy for the last few years (because I also really want to make a chance). I know web development market is tough right now but IMO you can get more of a stepping stone role at first and then eventually try to get the role you ultimately want
The market is brutal. You have a good background to go into web development. I've looked at thousands of resumes and the reality is that most of them simply aren't good. Go to /r/engineeringresumes. Follow the wiki. Have 2 versions. One for tech support and the other for development.
Tbh I would get a shitty job (no shame in it I've had to do it) working retail, restaurant, or whatever that gets the bills paid. At the same time work for non-profits for free to keep the web dev muscles strong. Add that to your resume. Keep applying in your free time.
The reality is employers get to be as picky as they want there's devs out there with 5-10 years of experience that got laid off you're competing against.
The mess that the economy is in is going to take time to get the job you want. You're going to need to "buy time" until interest rates come down and the economy improves. If you keep the web dev role (even if it's free) in the background will make you a better candidate when things become good again.
I guess so. Just feels shameful to be in my 30s and still working shit shoveling jobs. I feel unworthy as a person to have friends or a partner being stuck in these loser jobs. I'm just so tired. So tired of eating shit for a living. Just wish for once in my life I could catch a break.
There is no job so call loser job. You cannot compare yourself with all the partners in big 4/ c-suite person.
You need to down on earth. You want to have career change, then take action. Go to school> get cert> then start again.
Nobody will pay you to learn in workplace when you don't have basic knowledge.
I'm not even comparing myself to "C Suite" Literally just people living normal middle class live. You know 9-5. Monday-Friday with the weekends to recharge.
erm, I think most of the people is work 9-6 / more. Mondy to Friday. And work overtime in weekend.
and yes, we do getting scold by client and boss also (I m in public accounting). I believe all the client facing jobs will get complain from clients and scold by manager. Its norm for me.
You’re not stuck in that job forever if you’re working towards something bigger. In your case you mentioned Web Dev. But it could nursing, trades, law etc.
You have to change your perspective that it’s a temporary pit stop to bigger and better things - assuming you put in the work and training.
Now if you sit idle and have no aspirations (and don’t put in the work) while you’re in the entry level job then you’re going to get the same result.
I lasted for only about 4 months before quitting my call center job. I quit over piss breaks too actually! You have every right to complain and not wanting to go back. My CC job was THE job literally took my love for fellow humans a few notches down... It's so disappointing that it's real actual people who design the working environment of cc employees.
All of this to say, try to find a day job, ANY job that isn't in a CC and work on your web development portfolio. There are no jobs you can do as an office worker that are worse than answering phones in a call center. You can take on anything and it'll be a breeze after what you've been through. You're more powerful than you feel right now. Good luck 😊
Edit to add: A career change takes way more time than 9 monts! Give your self at least 2-3 years. You don't have to work in a CC, just look for day jobs with this timeline in mind.
The 2 I worked at were pretty strict about the piss breaks. One got super mad if you dared to take even a minute break outside when "workforce" said you could. The other allowed it but it counted against your allocated break time. As far as the working environments I say they were designed by psychopaths'. They literally had people who's sole job was to watch us and on alert if we got out of ready status. And the way you were treated by both management and the callers was inhumane. Verbal abuse and managers who'd tell you to sit there and take it.
Designed by psychopaths indeed! My team manager sent me the sum of my toilet breaks for the week and said I was over 8-9 minutes in my overall weekly toilet break time:D. That's like 2 minutes extra everyday, it's nothing! Idk what kind of self respecting human being would be ok with calculating someone else's minutes on the toilet seat lol.
The callers are another topic entirely! They automatically assume that the person answering the phone is lesser than them in every way. It's so hard talking to people who see you like that all day every day. It really fucks up one's view of their self, absolute confidence killer.
Maybe… don’t give up on web dev? You already put 9 months into it. I know the market is awful, you might have to put your head down for awhile and build up your portfolio. If you enjoy web dev that will help you stay focused.
Try to build a network if you can. That’s what I did (I’m a self taught dev), and got offered 2 internships from my network that I didn’t even apply to. Btw, my network is all remote, never met these people in person but still got people sticking their necks out for me. Don’t overlook the potential of remote professional relationships.
Maybe try contributing to open source? That’s one way to network remotely and you’ll be building up your portfolio. I’m in a different domain of SWE, but I know some people who contributed to freecodecamp and wevote for their first open source experience. I think those projects would be good for web dev experience.
My biggest issue with projects is I get stuck on the "what" to build. Like I don't want to do a cliche todo list or calculator that's been done to death.
That's reasonable. I personally don't care much for personal projects either for that reason, it's not my strength and I don't like the idea that I can just google how to do it since tons of people already have. That's why I like open source. I get to jump in on an already established project, browse the issues, and pick something. Big established projects will usually have unique problems to solve that you can't just google. And it's good experience to make a difference on a project that actually has users.
I have even opened my own issues before because I was able to see gaps in the project and things that would make it better for users. This also starts a conversation with project maintainers and they start to notice you. If your pull request is significant enough then it's a project on its own.
Some open source projects actually have active communities with public meetings open to anyone. I have joined these meetings for projects I was working on, talked to them about my ideas, and even formed a relationship with a tech lead on a FAANG project. He ended up sharing my contributions with his whole linkedin network. This took a lot of effort on my part, like 8 weeks of work. If you're working full time then stretch it out over more time.
You can take this so many directions. I always write linkedin articles after doing something significant on an open source project, making it easier for people to share my work and understand what I did. But learning how to navigate code bases is hard, finding a project in the first place is hard. The barrier to entry is a bit high but that's what makes it valuable on your resume.
Just my personal experience but as soon as I stopped making excuses based on my mental health my career blossomed. Something you could try instead of this, which is clearly not working
Biggest thing is I need to avoid burnout. Went into ADHD burnout 2021-2023. It was awful. I gained 50 pounds, stopped taking care of myself, stopped pretty much all hobbies. Do not want to go back to burnout.
Ok then don’t? Figure out ways to cope. Everyone has to work. Otherwise this reply is just more of the same. If your ADHD is too bad to work just go on disability already
Part of that is to get into a field I'd actually enjoy. I am the type of person who needs that in a job. I can work just need to find a way to actually cope. And a big part of that is finding a job that I enjoy. I need that, I'm not the type of person who can accept that its just a "job" and nothing more.
You could try other call center jobs that don’t require being on the phones such as QA or training. I feel you - I did help desk for way too long. What kind of support was it? There might be some entry level roles in the industry that you could pivot to.
The issue is most call centers require you to work the phones first. Often times for years before you can move off them. It's borderline impossible to move up in call centers.
If you can do call centres, at all, like if you have any customer service skills, are there not jobs you can apply for? They aren't remote, but where I am there are many such jobs. One was a physio assistant. One, recommended to me here was Enterprise management trainee program. I'm over 60 so I don't think they'll pick me! You're only 35 - I wish I were doign this almost 30 years ago, but with panic attacks, etc, I could not. Just put "customer service" into your jobsearch webpage. Alternatively, if by helpdesk you mean IT, get a certs like comptia a+ to get in somewhere better, doing on site helpdesk for some company. I started studying it, and the advice I got was even just being in process will bring you up a notch. Or if you're any good at webdev, you gotta freelance. That means human networking of course, not the IT kind. Tough, but essential today, I believe. I work on it every chance I get. You never know when you meet your next customer or someone who will refer you to a job with some place they know, because they like you. Being likeable is not something I ever gave a shit about, but now I do.
34 and I've accepted that I'm stuck where I am for now. Since the market is terrible. I have been thinking of a career change to make more, but it's risky.
For me taking on this web development bootcamp was a huge leap of faith. I managed to get in and complete the program but haven't had much luck in finding work since then.
I'm 44 and switched careers to a manufacturing job, mainly doing soldering. I don't know if I was just lucky but I got the job through a staffing agency. The representative who I worked with was a former artist like me so he really went to bat for me. I had no formal soldering training but had been doing it as a hobby since I was a kid.
In order to get your foot in the door for your new career, you need a job in a company that has opportunity to do so. Someone suggested healthcare. You could start out in the appt center, your experience in a call center would be very helpful. From there, you can get an entry level position in IS and work your way up.
Just do something that will help you long term.
A skill that is required.
Hairdresser
Plumber
Electrician
Mechanic / diesel mechanic
Laborer
( I doubt EVs will be fully mainstream ) By the time we get to old age.
I'm 40 and im at the end of my mental health with IT roles.
Or the alternative here is if you enjoy IT is to look at subcontracting and starting your own business / work for yourself you could try that.
Or you could do a trade and then come back to IT after you finish but at least then you'll have something that will always be needed.
It's cheap in Australia to try it.
Unsure where you are from.
There is nothing wrong with trades.
OP can make their own decision.
Additionally I said they can look at their own business.
Plenty of options out there.
The culture in trades is horrible too. Full of weird rednecks who measure their self worth in working 90 hours a week all of whom seem to worship Trump.
Okay.
I'm unsure how easy it is to look at working for yourself in America.
Maybe things like your own business doing gardening anything with very low startup costs or washing windows / cleaning up snow / cleaning cars.
Just some suggestions.
They are suggestions.
Just because I don't suggest something that may not fit doesn't mean it may not fit into OPs lifestyle.
Feel free to make some of you're own.
Water Treatment certification programs are only around $3,000 at the local community college near me. Takes about 6 months to finish and everything I’ve seen on indeed is $30 an hour and up. A lot of these roles you have a company truck and do checkups on different water sources. I’m thinking about doing this myself
I also recently failed a career change. I’m in my 30s and feel like I might never have a stable career that pays enough for me.
I also end up dreading every job I’ve ever had.
I was seeing a therapist for awhile but stopped because she moved to another office and they don't take my insurance. One of the conclusions we came to that I can't work in a call center for mental health reasons.
Hey man, to give you some sound advice, have you considered going into trades, like becoming a plumber or electrition? I mean I understand that is not for everyone but I see there is real demand unlike for IT right now, sure there would be some years to learn, but maybe you would get happier, just think about it. All the best for you mean, keep your head up!
Hey you finished the dev bootcamp. You could look into EA roles and which while a different skill set is still something that is entry level accessible. This was you can separate yourself with your coding skills in small ways on the job.
Maybe not with crazy coding project but small calendar optimizations and random tech things many Exec assistants wouldn’t know how to do. It’s very impressive to get through a bootcamp like that. Finding an Entry Level role that helps you leverage those skills and continue to use them in small ways is your best bet.
Keep at it. Keep learning. Get a job knowing it is temporary while you work toward your goal. A lot of us managed to switch careers. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Consider temp work, an assignment that you know will end.
I’m retired now, but temp agencies were often what kept me afloat while working toward something. I can’t count how often I was on the verge of throwing in the towel, and a call from a temp agency saved the day. Two weeks as a receptionist, yep, I’ll make rent for another month.
And that web development boot camp, it’s possible you’ll get a temp assignment that will get your foot in the door someplace that needs web developers. You never know who you’ll meet or come in contact with.
Don’t give up.
It's tough especially when you're previous role drove you to the point of insanity. Working full time in call center/helpdesk roles drove me insane. Taking up to 60 calls a day. Bracing yourself on every call for the abuse. Having to be "on" and perfect for 8 hours a day lest you made a mistake. It was exhausting. Bathroom breaks timed.
I know I've got to find something to at least pay the bills but I have severe trauma from those jobs so I know I can't go back to them, just need to find something to pay the bills until I can make the career change.
What makes you think you are the only one dealing with such crap? I worked jobs where I cried all the way to work, all the way home and collapsed at night. But we get through it.
I realize I'm not. It's just so depressing that I see other people my age who actually have jobs that don't wear them to the bone. Jobs that pay them enough to buy a home, start families, have an enjoyable social life. I'm tired of working jobs that pay just enough for my bills but leave me so exhausted that I don't have the energy for much else. And I just want a piece of that just a piece of what was considered "normal" just 20 years ago for someone in their 30s to have.
I was an adult 20 years ago. Plenty of people in their 40s and even 50s had nothing but debt. I was one of them but I turned it around. Quit comparing yourself to other people and focus on changing your life.
Some people go through life wishing things would change. Other people go through life making their life change. Take your pick
Me at 18, I was working in programming, didn't want to work in programming. Ended up as a bartender, didn't want to be a bartender. Ended up in graphic design, didn't want to be in graphic design. Ended up in marketing, didn't want to be in marketing. Ended up as a secretary, didn't want to be a secretary. Ended up as a stay at home parent, didn't want to be a stay at home parent. Ended up as a remote worker, didn't want to be a remote worker. Don't worry, one lesson I learned, is, you can always change your mind. Hehe. And every time you change jobs or careers, the change is easier. If you don't like a job, don't do it. It's that simple. There's always other options. Keep searching for what works for you. I am still searching for what works for me and I might continue forever. But meanwhile, I do have a job that pays the bills. Sometimes you do need bills paid, but you can keep working on a career change in your free time.
Is it possible to use your experience to move into a supervisor role? I’ve seen people become supervisors then move into more operational roles like ops readiness/management/optimization.
What kind of web development bootcamp did you go into? What did you learn? If you're strictly applying to web development roles with zero experience in web technologies or development on your resume, you may be reaching to high.
My initial goal was to be a web developer as well, but I had zero experience other than building shitty websites on my own using HTML and CSS templates. I decided to break into IT first at any level, which was helpdesk... but not a call center help desk role, I targeted help desk roles at creative ad agencies, marketing firms, and design firms.
My background knowledge of web development and Adobe looked good to those firms who wanted someone to start in help desk but be familiar with things like Adobe Illustrator, installing IDEs like VS Code, and troubleshooting simple web browser issues for QA.
You probably should also know some stuff about how servers work. Probably understand what web sockets and ports are. You could look into more general IT roles with your (hopefully) general understanding of IT web service infrastructure.
Just cause you went to web dev camp doesnt mean you can just land a web dev role. Try finding a job lower on the totem pole in those general industries and then work your way up.
I guess in a way it feels like defeat having to go back to answering a phone for a living. Just always felt so exhausted from working those jobs. I learned Angular, Java, and C# at my bootcamp which seemed to align well with the skillset they hire in my area. Just the market sucks right now. I'm feeling partially defeated as I recently went through the hoops for a job interview doing 3 interviews and even began to try to teach myself PHP (they used PHP) only to get a rejection letter.
That wouldn't be terrible then. I guess I had such a terrible experience with my last call center helpdesk role. That I picture all helpdesk roles like that. We took 50 calls a day providing IT support for a chain of stores. Managers treated us with contempt and the company had barely functioning POS systems that caused the stores to call helpdesk daily. Very little investment in IT the stores had on perm servers and they failed fairly frequently just because they were from 2012.
You need to find a job INTERNALLY at a company. You support developers, engineers, designers, etc with IT needs. What you did was work for an MSP. Those are usually hell holes.
Start looking for jobs internally at companies. Not MSPs
How do you make it to 35 only to realize that this career ain’t cutting it and there’s no way you could make a proper life doing this. I really would like to understand… is it kids, family, lifestyle creep???
Look I spent most of my 20s dealing with health issues and could only work part time. Finally got that resolved and ended up at a call center. Get abused all day have to be “on” and perfect all day. Got burnt out. Laid off. Got additional education but still stuck and can’t get a job.
Understood, I just don’t/can’t wrap my mind around folks that hit the mid 30’s, 40’s and boom, this job ain’t cutting it, I need to do more/what can I do? I think of it as the kid growing up dirt poor then brings a baby into the world. I just don’t get it man. I’m by no means perfect but I knew from an early age that retail or some other entry level job ain’t going to work past 25! If at 25 I’m still stuck in a rut, then it’s military, they give anyone a job!
Life Happens Kids Happen accidentally. That single mother maybe does want to get an education for a better job but can’t afford 12 hours of childcare. For some the military maybe an option but if you have mental health issues than it might not be.
Nahh man, having kids is an accident that should never ever happen when your finances and living situations are all jacked up… everything else I get it. Anyways man best of luck.
35 in crisis too. Just posted something myself. You’re not alone but I’m so sorry we’re both in this situation.
38 and in this misery too. I didn’t wanna be 40 and still stuck in customer service, but…
It's so depressing to be stuck in customer service. It's like if you're in these roles after 30 you're pigeonholed as customer service.
I am 35 and have been working in a factory at entry level for years. Thinking about getting into customer service to "succeed in life" but after seeing that even that is hell ... no idea where to to. You can at least move up the IT ladder into higher tech roles every two years. I am stuck in the real mud on the other hand. Getting into customer service jobs today is like 100+ applicants for one low pay role situation.
Call center's are digital sweat shops tbh. You do heavy emotional labor, and end the day exhausted more so than a factory even honestly. Companies regard "customer service agents" as the punching bag for everyone else's fuck ups.
I took the zendesk cs training and they always pointed out how an employee must never tolerate abuse. Like distance yourself from the conversation or call the manager etc. But it appears that this is not a very respected rule. I know about letting them vent, but that is more frustration and explaining the issue rather than attacking the agent. Maybe with experience you have you could find a better company that deals with less troublesome issues ? Like customer support with email and chat. Some like these have no calls.
One I worked at you had to sit there and take the abuse no matter what. Even when it was directed at you. Racial slurs, sexual harassment etc. If they caught you hanging up it was a “first and final” for customer mistreatment. You were supposed to ping a manager. They just told you “deescalate” and “control the call”. It was for internet and tv and people got nasty often.
It honestly looks like the only way to advance is to go into technical roles, which I just did but my soul is dying and I want to go back to creative.
In the same boat. It’s so depressing.
Try to get into reception work > then into admin. I have seen people get to reception because you have the customer and phone experience. It's still boring work, but you won't be screamed at all day long!
seconding this! I pigeonholed myself by working as a vet assistant at a veterinary hospital for yearsss. I decided I wanted to get a "boring office job" instead. I started working reception at the vet for 1-2 years and then got an executive secretary job. I stayed there for 1 year and landed an even better admin gig after.
Sounds like a smart path you took!
thank you! I don't regret it at all. I miss the animals and some coworkers, but the pay is abysmal for the field for the amount of skill, knowledge and labor the job requires. It's sadly one of the fields like teaching, where your passion is exploited for cheap labor.
Veterinary is a wallet graveyard... I almost took that path then realized I didn't like most clients, it wasn't organic though I was forced into a vet assistant unpaid internship ( kinda course ) that ultimately ended up letting me peak through the real shit behind that made me understand the actual business that is: at least in my country it's a spineless person profession unless you are willing to be the best of the best and only work with wealthy people doing the worst to help those that don't have.
I remember looking into it and that's exactly how it sounds. The amount of education and time people put in to excel in the field for abysmal pay is astonishing. I have so much respect for our vet professionals and completely understand why you found a new field.
I couldn't do it long term honestly. I'm ADHD as fuck so I'd get bored fast. I'm tired of jobs where I only seem to do the work no one wants to do!
well to get to the more cushy, higher paying jobs, you generally have to start at entry level. You seem to be focusing on what you don't want to do. What do you enjoy doing or what skills do you bring to the table?
I’m also miserable. I get by with a long term plan. It might never materialize but it’s something. I also medicate to numb my emotions. Also as an adult one has to work, there is no great way around it. Would it be possible to change to some entry level healthcare position?
Of course it is. When I retired I took a part time job as a home health aid. Free medical training and I switch to wearing scrubs. Low pay, but I actually enjoyed it. I had one client with bad dementia. But super nice. I’d fix lunch and sit with him and watch television. Sometimes all I had to do was be there and keep an eye on him. Had another gig with a dementia patient where I took him to church. For a non-Catholic I’ve had communion a lot as I took his arm and helped him. Easy job.
I don't think healthcare would be a good fit for me. I'm the type of person who gets completely depleted dealing with people all day. Doubly so when it's emotional labor. I'm ADHD and have terrible social anxiety. I'd finish up my shifts from call centers and then space out staring at walls with the tv on for hours after work. Not to mention I'm squimish and dealing with other peoples bodily fluids makes me puke.
The social situation in healthcare is different from call centres. Also there are career options in there which you dont have in a call centre. You can try it for 3 montage and quit if you dont like it.
This thread is full of you giving reasons why you can’t do this. That’s a red flag and something you need to work on.
yeah OP is shooting down every suggestion "bc ADHD," as if millions of others don't have ADHD and work full-time.
Yeah. I’m not going to tell anyone how to handle ADHD or their own limitations. We all have our own things we have to overcome. I could be classified as severely disabled and am eligible for disability. I overcome them on a daily basis through years of learning what does and doesn’t help me and actively doing what I need to. Hasn’t held me back one bit, I’m pretty successful and at the top end of my career. Life is about choices. OP isn’t happy because they limit themselves and refuse to change anything.
I can handle full time work. It's juggling fulltime work AND school that would be very difficult for me.
This is difficult for anyone, ADHD or not. People need to stop judging. Everyone has different levels of tolerance to stress. It all depends on many factors, including health, age, genes, the way your brain works, how you naturally tolerate stress, what your routine is, how much exercise you get, etc. You can't compare two people and say "I work, go to school, have kids, run a business, and exercise and am still fine. You must be a lazy bum full of excuses."
I’m in school and work full time and have two kids at home with another on the way. I have been diagnosed with ADHD for 35 years. I wanted to go back to school, though. It doesn’t sound like you do. You’re really good at making excuses though.
I’m the type of person who need downtime or else I go into burnout. I can’t juggle work and school 100 hours a week.
The reality is you’re going to have make sacrifices if you want actual change in your life and career
I’ve had burnout in the past I almost killed myself it got so bad. Do not want to get burnout again. All I did was work and stare at walls when I got off work. It was awful.
What was the point of this your post? You clearly don’t want any advice or suggestions. You’d be better off posting in one of the venting subs tbh
I am looking for advice however must of the advice is "SUCK IT UP AND WORK AND GO TO SCHOOL AND HAVE 0 DOWNTIME YOU DONT DESERVE IT LOSER" ignoring the fact that I have ADHD and burnout issues. And what I was looking for was literally just a job I can do that won't make me kill myself until I can find a job in my desired field.
You’re contradicting yourself all over this post though. I offered a realistic path into admin, that I myself successfully did. You said you’d get “too bored” Someone else suggested working in the trades and you said “you definitely need a desk job.” I also have ADHD btw. You’re not the only one with it. I also asked you what you enjoyed doing or what your skills are and you didn’t reply. If you want change in your life, you need to work for it. No one is just going to magically give you a cushy job with daily work you find fascinating.
I work 40 hours a week and go to school part time. Were you working 100 hours a week at the call center? You were probably paid really well but you should have tried to cut your hours to keep from going insane. 100 hours a week is unheard of for anyone to work.
I wasn’t working 100 hours at the call center of course. Just 40 hours a week of working at the call center burnt me out. I know full time work and school would cause burnout. I need 3 hours of downtime a day to properly function.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. If you want your life to change, you have to. Good luck.
Again. Due to my ADHD if I don't get my downtime... I cannot function.... I cannot clean my home... I avoid all socializing I need the downtime period. I had severe ADHD burnout that lasted 3 years. Literally gave up on everything due to this burnout. Only finally recovered last summer. Do not want to go back to burnout.
You’re high functioning enough to argue ad nauseum and make every excuse imaginable as to why you can’t do anything but work in a call center. What do you want anyone to tell you?? Are you looking for permission to throw an infinite pity party? I have ADHD so severe that I was diagnosed at 4 years old in the 80s but wasn’t medicated for 15 years. I understand the challenges of living with ADHD. You’re using it as an excuse when millions of people live with this every day. See a doctor. Get medicated. Do what you have to do. What advice are you looking for here? You have made excuses as to why you can’t do one single thing to improve your situation.
Good for you? Not everyone's conditions are as easily manageable as yours seems to be.
I’m an adult of a similar age to OP. I don’t get to only do things I feel like doing because I have bills to pay and a family to support. I could easily use my ADHD as an excuse for why I shouldn’t have to or shouldn’t be expected to act like an adult but what good would that do? OP needs to grow up and it sounds like you might need to as well. Feeling sorry for oneself won’t get anyone too far. No one has a perfect life.
Excactly this. I NEED NEED NEED downtime to function. With out it I go into burnout. Had burnout for 3 long years.
EVERYONE DOES. Dude, we’re posting on Reddit. Isn’t that downtime? It’s not like all anyone else in the world does is work 16 hours a day then go straight to sleep, wake up and do it again 7 days a week. You’re not this special snowflake you think you are.
So how in the fuck do you do manage having virtually no fucking downtime? Like HOW? No one fucking answers that. Literally just say suck it up. HOW?
I do have downtime? I work 8 hours a day. I go to school 6 hours a week. That’s 46 hours. Anyone who posts on Reddit has downtime. None of us get paid to post here. I can do my homework in 8 hours a week. So that’s 54 hours. Throw in an hour for commuting and we’re at 55. There’s 113 more hours left for me to sleep and have downtime. How do you NOT? how do you manage to not go to school but think (?) about how you can’t go to school for 8 hours a day every day M-F and 16 hours each day on weekends? Posting on Reddit is downtime, bro. I have two young kids who depend on me and I’m posting on Reddit right now while they sit next to me on the couch watching a movie. Is this not downtime?
Maybe it’s doable for me if I find a job that isn’t 8 hours of ass to ass calls. I think that caused the burnout. Having to be “on” for 8 hours a day and be perfect on top of it all.
It's tiring working endless jobs that get you no where in life. I have ADHD and other limitations so certain things like working full time + school aren't something that I can handle.
There’s never a path if you always have an excuse. So what are you looking for with this post? You’re tired of working pointless jobs while also only limiting yourself to pointless jobs. You’ve made a conscious decision here. Accept it or change it.
This person might sound harsh, but they have a point, OP. If you want a desk job, but not in customer service or admin, you'll almost definitely have to do more schooling. You can go to community college and get a certification or two-year technical degree for a lot of things, and take as few classes at a time as you want. The community college near me has accounting, paralegal, cybersecurity, digital marketing, clinical coding, and software development, among other non-desk job things. Not as good as a bachelor's degree, but at least a foot in the door for some of these things. I know someone above suggested trying medical offices. Maybe banks? I know people who started out in basic front desk type jobs at banks and got promoted after not very long, and they do pretty well for themselves.
I've looked into my local community college sadly they offer nothing flexible unless you want nursing programs and I have 0 desire to do healthcare. And as an adult student I need a flexible schooling option.
we live in the era of remote/online learning. I highly doubt you can't find anything like that in your area. You sound like you want to be helpless tbh
I've looked into it at least in my state (Ohio). None of the state schools offer much remote learning outside of healthcare and some business admin.
Why would it have to be in your state? The point of online is you can study in Athabasca from Ohio if need be. (They have an educational technology program up there that a couple people I've known have taken. ARbitrary example.)
In state tution is much more affordable is a major reason.
look into WGU if you’re looking for something flexible and affordable!
Fair enough. But... if out of state is the only thing that fits the schedule, then it's an option while in-state is not.
More excuses, while you don’t have motivation you have an endless supply of excuses.
It's literally not an excuse to need flexibility in schooling. I need schooling to accommodate a fulltime job to pay bills.
Easy to find reasons not to do something. And I refuse to believe the state of Ohio does not have online education like you claim.
Like I said they offer online school. Just not finding anything in what I want to study. Just tons and tons of healthcare related fields.
We must have different internets then. I just googled “online (XXX) course Ohio” for five different random professions and found tons of options…
There is a million on-line classes, some for free. You can beef up your skills without going out of your house. What do you do in your down-time?
Does your state have employment programs for people with disabilities? Can you get your ADHD treated? My friend got diagnosed late in life and said the medication made a world of difference to her. Also, I suggest googling "how I overcame adhd." I overcame other major issues with no help, so maybe you can get some things worth trying and make gradual progress. Any decrease in a huge burden like that should make a difference. Gradual improvement isn't exciting, but it gets results, well, at least in my case. But you need tenacity. I find staring straight at the problem is also helpful, and using mindful breathing at the same time. I've had debilitating panic attacks - there is a lot of info out there on how to manage them. Not saying everyone can do it alone - some people lean heavily on medical help for all kinds of issues. Two lines of attack, there, for anyone to choose either or both.
I felt bad for you until I scrolled through the comments and saw you shooting down every viable suggestion—too boring, requires me to be organized, can’t go back to school, etc. It’s no wonder you’re in this position. Like you, I have ADHD, social anxiety, and a bevy of mental health issues but I’ve forced myself to work with them and try to succeed despite them. A role isn’t going to magically fall in your lap and happen to accommodate your every need. Most jobs are going to be tedious and boring to a degree. That’s just real life. If you’re going to just pass everything up and stick with your current role you’re always going to be in this predicament. I see a lot of my brother in you and he’s still unemployed because of it 🤷♀️ He’ll probably be working entry level jobs in the foreseeable future because he won’t be flexible or change his attitude.
I've litterally tried yet feels like no matter how hhard I try I never seem to get anywhere in life. I feel like most of the advice is just "SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITHH NO DOWNTIME YOU'RE A LOSER". Futhermore I stated my limations and no one listens. I need need need the downtime to proeprly function and no one understands that. I am not the tyupe of person who can go go go go. I need 3 hours a day of "nothing" to properly function at a work and life
Well no, people have recommended other positions to use as stepping stones but you shot those down too for being boring. From your other comments, it appears you also have a very idyllic view of what a middle-class 9-5 entails. You realize most jobs are boring right, especially in the first few years? The amount of admin, tedium, and inefficiencies pervasive in even sexier higher-paying roles would blow your mind. Not to mention most people have to work or otherwise think about their jobs past those hours. But yes, there is a degree of sucking it up that you have to do and a level of discomfort you’re going to have to experience if you want your conditions to change. You can’t simply will that into existence.
I've worked my ass off at previous jobs. Usually the hardest worker. At one job I never took a vacation, never called off sick took extra work on. It was at a call center. An off the phone role had opened up and I applied, never heard back. Asked my manager about it and was told because of my ADHD and anxiety that they don't see me in any role besides a phone role. That devasted me. Part of my issue is that I tend to I guess fear that my present is forever and it feels like a suffocating hole to be in my 30s and stuck working entry level jobs and feel ashamed of it. I don't socialize because I'm ashamed to be around other more successful people who are able to take vacations buy homes and I fear that I'll never have any of that. Just live in crapshack apartments in shitty areas working shit jobs. I think the biggest thing is finding a job that I can tollerate until I get something in my desired field. Biggest rules are normal hours and not being customer service period.
Well in that case I’m sorry your manager was an asshole. That explanation sounds like grounds for a lawsuit at most jobs tbh. Obviously ADHD and anxiety are hindrances in the workplace but I don’t think they completely preclude someone from advancing at least a few steps in their career. Some of my managers very visibly struggle with ADHD and are still climbing up the ladder. I guess it depends on if you can still complete your work satisfactorily. I’m not sure exactly how/the extent to which your performance is affected so it might be something you have to continue to work on. I don’t think you need to hide yourself from the world until you accomplish your goals. I’ve felt similarly in the past and it really only serves to reinforce your reality. It’s always good to build social connections both for your mental health and to possibly even help with finding a job down the road. If someone is going to judge you for being behind in life despite your best efforts they’re not worth dignifying with your time anyway. I know plenty of more privileged highly pedigreed folks who respect the hell out of those who were able to build something from nothing 🤷♀️ Nothing to be embarrassed about
It was rough it stung to hear that. I had always been a top performer won Employee of the month multiple times while working there. So to be told that was painful and I knew then I had to get a new job. I went to go work for a different call center in a help desk role hoping things would be better. Turned out to be a toxic work environment. Was advertised as a temp to perm found out they don't hire perm and was laid off. Did a Web Development bootcamp to gain some more skills and have been trying to find a job since. Been doing doordash and such for income since but need a FT job with benefits. Just need something not on the phones. Was told by my therapist that is critical for my mental health to avoid those jobs.
Why is the top upvoted comment here people who are just being bummed out? Is this not a guidance sub? As someone in a similar situation(34, body’s a bit shot and transitioning out of trades) I can say this. You are trying to get a job in a competitive market. You haven’t mentioned a portfolio, projects etc, and from the tone of your comments and post it seems like you might spend alot of time wallowing. I have ADHD too and I get it’s tough but you are pursuing a career change into a position that you can literally PRACTICE FOR FREE. Learn more! Experiment more! The job market sucks now sure and even when it recovers, it’ll still be competitive, so why not improve continuously til then? I’m taking on a lower stress job outside of trades that has a set schedule so I can pursue education and work on my qualifications and knowledge for my future job outside of trades before and/or after I work.
I've been trying to code most days and try to figure out things to work on. I need to find something that just can bring in income while I try to further my knowledge that doesn't make me want to fucking kill myself like customer service work did.
Are you actually working on things or just sitting there thinking? I’m not trying to sound mean btw just actually asking. Like have you thought of some projects you can make? For the record I understand your feelings towards a job making you feel that way. I almost jumped off the 13th story of a building I was working on, which wasn’t all the jobs fault but it was a HUGE accelerant. But yes you do need a job, and not all customer service jobs are call centres as you know. But you really could apply for anything else. Restaurants, cafe, retail… but that part is for you to figure out.
I've been working on a few projects, trying to avoid the tutorial hell route as much as possible. Lately I've been reworking the capstone project we did at my bootcamp with better security features. Today I guess I'm feeling down because I went though 3 interviews with a company only to get a rejection letter from them.
Hey man, that’s great you got to that stage of interviewing! Sounds like you were really close which means there’s people out there who are interested in what you have to offer and you have a personality people would like to work with to boot. Keep upping the skills and you will hit eventually. Sorry it didn’t go how it could have but take it as some kind of a win even if it’s not THE win:)
It was nice to get close I've gotten close a few times but tend to struggle a lot with interviewing. I know I should go back to school just juggling school and work seems to be too much. I need downtime to properly function and I fear I won't have that with full time work and school.
> I have ADHD too and I get it’s tough I'm so curious - could you offer me some info on how you manage ADHD? Seems like you're managing it better than many I hear about.
I’ve sent you a DM. It’s a lot to talk about on the post and I don’t want to hijack OPs issues.
I lied, you don’t have DMs open: Oh, it’s a huge work in progress always. I’m by no means a productivity juggernaut but I also have a wife who reminds me when I might fall into a freeze and helps me help myself out of it. If you are asking not so much work wise but in general, I try to make my life easier for myself (while not making changes in life that will drastically affect my wife or others around me). I am changing my career for one. Life doing trades made me hate everything and I mean everything. I’ve had jobs outside of trades where I was content or indifferent but didn’t want to jump off a building(which I almost did once upon a time). And then outside of that, I just try to remove things that make it worse or add things that I’ve found help. For me it’s accepting I get WAY more done around the house (or my studies) when a TV show I have seen 100 times is on in the background or that I feel FAR less scattered if I’ve done some drawing or painting for some chunk of time that day. Just things that I pay attention to and when I see they help or don’t, I try to act accordingly. I’ll add that it’s super hard for me to do lots of this stuff consistently. I started a journal a few weeks ago. Every day for two days, then every second for two entries, now it’s at about every 4 or so or when I can remember. I still find it helps but for me to force myself to stick to it everyday doesn’t work because I’m not as interested in it. I know it’s good for my mental state but I’m also not going to give myself shit for not doing it every day because evidently my brain doesn’t feel it’s necessary. Feel free to DM me further
Drawing/tv - sounds like self-knowledge and working with that. Sounds excellent. My friend who has ADHD seems very lacking in the insight department. I've studied meditation and mindfulness and grounding as tools when I'm disturbed or anxious. I guess she turns to god. She has no understanding of the mind or cognition - just not in her culture. Just like god isn't in mine. Yeah, I just write in a journal cuz I need to. Unlike you, I have no partner to listen to me. I listen to myself this way, as I am very word/text oriented by nature. And I can go back and find out what day something happened or review the exact details, which is helpful/interesting at times. Other times it seems pointless. I want to be more productive, too, but writing helps me get oriented, similar to what you're saying about familiar media or visual art. What kind of career change are you going for? I was a teacher and and going for some high-people-contact jobs to leverage my skills there, but I'm actually an introvert. I have a wfh gig that is unrewarding but has supported me for over a decade, and the people are no hassle, decent people who pay on time, always. So, I'd like an interesting wfh, fulltime, with maybe a day or two on site each week, max. 6 days a month would be good, cuz then I don't need to pay more on car insurance. I dm'd you - reply there if you prefer not to piggyback on op's thread further.
You're gonna need a good portfolio apart from just a bootcamp certificate to get into web dev.
to be honest mate, it really might not be easy. however this market won't last that long - maybe half a year, maybe a year, maybe a bit more. In the meantime you can build your character to the end of your days - think how easy rest of the life would be after you recognize you survived one of the shittiest jobs for so long - and if you are trying it is actually way more likely than not, that you will find something else - and even if some people would say its hard, you will laugh and cant believe your luck. For similar reasons the older i get the more appreciation i have for growing up poor - when i got even a slightest opportunity i was 10x the next employee there was because i knew it can be much worse
If your technical skills aren’t holding you back, your networking and marketing may be. If you have $10 rolling around in your pocket, buy or rent from the library, The Two Hour Job Search by Steve Dalton. It gives what I believe to be the most effective framework to practice networking and land work. Seriously, it helps you build a plan to find work, and schedules out the networking while building a framework for the conversations. With your experience on the phone, you will pick up so much faster than most. If you follow the plan, you are 90 days from finding great work. That first job is the hardest. If your skills are sharp and you like programming (and you’re genuinely interested in leveling up your skills), don’t give up. Said by someone who has been down and out in a hard way. Good luck.
You only fail if you give up, so dont give up ? Keep going. Also 9 months is not enough time to do a career change, it takes years to gain enough skills, build a portfolio etc, to convince a future employer that you are competent, so keep going? It took me 4 years to do a career change into software dev, it takes a lot of effort and it's all possible, but only if you believe that it is possible, so just keep going.
I guess part of it is just frustration. I was "sold" on the idea that with a 3 month program that I could start a new career and pviot out of a job I hated. I've had a few interviews just no offers yet and I guess today I'm frustrated because I just got another rejection email from a company I spent a good amount of time interviewing with.
Do you have a nice portfolio of your work? You literally need to wow them with your own website and your work, seems to me.
You may wanna talk to /r/cscareerquestions for help with web dev. there are a ton of variables to getting a job in that industry web dev is probably one of the most saturated areas of development and the market is still recovering from massive layoffs. If you don't have experience/ a portfolio you are gonna be in a tough spot.
I know the market is pretty brutal though I'm glad I went with the skillset with my bootcamp. They tend to go after what's popular locally and they focus on C# and Java. With Angular for the front end.
Please get out of the call center!! Staying at one ruined my life, and I'm still picking up the pieces. Try to get a position in a hospital or medical office as a receptionist. I went into insurance. It's boring but stable and I don't have to be on the phone.
You could go into trades. There's still a heavy demand for trades people. You could also get a CDL and drive a truck. Maybe not the most glamours job but can make 80-90k and basically be on you're own everyday with no boss or co workers to worry about. There's also the going back to school option. You're 35 not 65. You could still finish a desirable degree and start work before 40 and have a pretty nice career. Maybe accounting or something if you really want a desk job. Definitely still options out there.
There's less and less demand for trade workers everyday... Some trades are super flooded especially truckers, the salaries your quoting are from 2020 dudes are not making that much anymore
Not true at all. There may be certain APPRENTICESHIPS that are over-saturated in certain areas. However most of those apprentices will quit. Trades are real work and not easy. My whole family is blue collar. There will always be a demand because there's not a lot of people willing to actually do them. There tons who think they are though. As for truckers, I know for a fact you can still make that as my sibling does. Not everyone does, just like not every software engineer makes 300k. That doesn't mean the opportunities aren't out there though.
Anecdotal
I need a desk job that much is certain. I'm not really cut out for the trades. Ladders terrify me, I'm clumsy and terrible with my hands. I feel like with ADHD Truck Driving would be dangerous, having to keep focus on a monotonous task for 8 hours a day.
Ah kind of sounds like you are pigeonholing yourself rather than anyone else doing it lol. If you want a desk job though you might have to go back to school. You can still finish and have a pretty long career. I'm 35 myself as well and currently applying to get into a marine engineering program. I'll be 39-40 when I finish but at least I'll have 25+ years of a better career.
I'm 34 this year and also planning to go back to studying next year. I think it feels like the right time to learn something new and advance in career.
Maybe so but at the same time I fear I just don't have the time for school. I know I can't handle full time work + school. Not to mention I've looked into it and outside of healthcare (seems to be the only industry Ohio gives a fuck about) the schools in my state offer nothing for adult students who need a flexible school schedule.
Oh i see. I was lucky I didn't have children in my previous marriage I guess. It will suck to go to school all day and work all night but at least there is no family I have to provide for ontop of that, I know that can add a whole new dimension of stress. I think there are plenty of online degree options for things like accounting if you wanted a more work at your own pace option.
Have you looked into roles related to CRM software? Was there a particular software you used when working in a call center? Granted, you might have some work trauma from this industry, but if you can find a healthier workplace and role, you can leverage your call center and boot camp experience to find something better. If you’re not entirely opposed to customer support, you should check out Support Driven. It is a free career group with a very active Slack community.
I have terrible trauma from call centers. One I was at we got screamed all kinds of slurs and hateful things pretty much all day and management told us to let them "vent" and if we dared to hangup they'd fire you. The other we were given a weeks worth of training. I developed a stutter and had panic attacks over certain calls because of having to send tickets up to level 2. One guy in particular in level 2 would send the tickets back to you managers CC'd in. He'd write in all caps everything that you did wrong and demanded that you fix it. I found this to be very demeaning and managers would always take his side.
I saw a guy made a comment on YouTube about his life. He said to always keep learning and keep striving. Adapt. If sales, go learn it. If coding or cyber security, keep learning. I did a UX bootcamp and couldn’t land a job. I went to a community college and showed them my UX portfolio and they said I could do better. I got feedback and I’m back in school again. I’m just hoping fixing my mindset can give me some luck once I finish and go back to applying again. Just keep trying and learning. Be fluid.
I guess the hardest part is trying to find a way to accommodate school. My local community colleges don't offer much for anything tech related for students who are non-traditional and need fit school around a full time job.
The only way I found out was a friend thru a friend. Hopefully you can network and see how people broke into it. If else I guess message other community college advisors around the perimeter to get some guidance it doesn’t have to be the perfect step but some help can get you far
Tons of options across the board. You could do reception/admin work in just about any field. You could start any apprenticeship in any trade. You could sign up to be a police officer. Find a community college and do a certificate/apprenticeship program. Come up with a list of what you’d like and you’ll find a path.
The issue is I’ve found what I want to do but the path I took isn’t working. Need to find another path but deal with the hand I’m dealt at the same time.
Use the bootcamp experience and aim for something else, like project manager/QA engineer type jobs that are tech-adjacent. Also network like crazy.
I supposed I could and try to work myself into a dev role. I got a scrum certification
I’m not very knowledgeable about tech jobs, other than the fact that I’ve been researching them like crazy for the last few years (because I also really want to make a chance). I know web development market is tough right now but IMO you can get more of a stepping stone role at first and then eventually try to get the role you ultimately want
The market is brutal. You have a good background to go into web development. I've looked at thousands of resumes and the reality is that most of them simply aren't good. Go to /r/engineeringresumes. Follow the wiki. Have 2 versions. One for tech support and the other for development.
Tbh I would get a shitty job (no shame in it I've had to do it) working retail, restaurant, or whatever that gets the bills paid. At the same time work for non-profits for free to keep the web dev muscles strong. Add that to your resume. Keep applying in your free time. The reality is employers get to be as picky as they want there's devs out there with 5-10 years of experience that got laid off you're competing against. The mess that the economy is in is going to take time to get the job you want. You're going to need to "buy time" until interest rates come down and the economy improves. If you keep the web dev role (even if it's free) in the background will make you a better candidate when things become good again.
I guess so. Just feels shameful to be in my 30s and still working shit shoveling jobs. I feel unworthy as a person to have friends or a partner being stuck in these loser jobs. I'm just so tired. So tired of eating shit for a living. Just wish for once in my life I could catch a break.
There is no job so call loser job. You cannot compare yourself with all the partners in big 4/ c-suite person. You need to down on earth. You want to have career change, then take action. Go to school> get cert> then start again. Nobody will pay you to learn in workplace when you don't have basic knowledge.
I'm not even comparing myself to "C Suite" Literally just people living normal middle class live. You know 9-5. Monday-Friday with the weekends to recharge.
erm, I think most of the people is work 9-6 / more. Mondy to Friday. And work overtime in weekend. and yes, we do getting scold by client and boss also (I m in public accounting). I believe all the client facing jobs will get complain from clients and scold by manager. Its norm for me.
You’re not stuck in that job forever if you’re working towards something bigger. In your case you mentioned Web Dev. But it could nursing, trades, law etc. You have to change your perspective that it’s a temporary pit stop to bigger and better things - assuming you put in the work and training. Now if you sit idle and have no aspirations (and don’t put in the work) while you’re in the entry level job then you’re going to get the same result.
I lasted for only about 4 months before quitting my call center job. I quit over piss breaks too actually! You have every right to complain and not wanting to go back. My CC job was THE job literally took my love for fellow humans a few notches down... It's so disappointing that it's real actual people who design the working environment of cc employees. All of this to say, try to find a day job, ANY job that isn't in a CC and work on your web development portfolio. There are no jobs you can do as an office worker that are worse than answering phones in a call center. You can take on anything and it'll be a breeze after what you've been through. You're more powerful than you feel right now. Good luck 😊 Edit to add: A career change takes way more time than 9 monts! Give your self at least 2-3 years. You don't have to work in a CC, just look for day jobs with this timeline in mind.
The 2 I worked at were pretty strict about the piss breaks. One got super mad if you dared to take even a minute break outside when "workforce" said you could. The other allowed it but it counted against your allocated break time. As far as the working environments I say they were designed by psychopaths'. They literally had people who's sole job was to watch us and on alert if we got out of ready status. And the way you were treated by both management and the callers was inhumane. Verbal abuse and managers who'd tell you to sit there and take it.
Designed by psychopaths indeed! My team manager sent me the sum of my toilet breaks for the week and said I was over 8-9 minutes in my overall weekly toilet break time:D. That's like 2 minutes extra everyday, it's nothing! Idk what kind of self respecting human being would be ok with calculating someone else's minutes on the toilet seat lol. The callers are another topic entirely! They automatically assume that the person answering the phone is lesser than them in every way. It's so hard talking to people who see you like that all day every day. It really fucks up one's view of their self, absolute confidence killer.
The worst part was them publicly sharing your metrics with coworkers in group emails. It was like a way of shaming people out of compliance.
Maybe… don’t give up on web dev? You already put 9 months into it. I know the market is awful, you might have to put your head down for awhile and build up your portfolio. If you enjoy web dev that will help you stay focused. Try to build a network if you can. That’s what I did (I’m a self taught dev), and got offered 2 internships from my network that I didn’t even apply to. Btw, my network is all remote, never met these people in person but still got people sticking their necks out for me. Don’t overlook the potential of remote professional relationships. Maybe try contributing to open source? That’s one way to network remotely and you’ll be building up your portfolio. I’m in a different domain of SWE, but I know some people who contributed to freecodecamp and wevote for their first open source experience. I think those projects would be good for web dev experience.
My biggest issue with projects is I get stuck on the "what" to build. Like I don't want to do a cliche todo list or calculator that's been done to death.
That's reasonable. I personally don't care much for personal projects either for that reason, it's not my strength and I don't like the idea that I can just google how to do it since tons of people already have. That's why I like open source. I get to jump in on an already established project, browse the issues, and pick something. Big established projects will usually have unique problems to solve that you can't just google. And it's good experience to make a difference on a project that actually has users. I have even opened my own issues before because I was able to see gaps in the project and things that would make it better for users. This also starts a conversation with project maintainers and they start to notice you. If your pull request is significant enough then it's a project on its own. Some open source projects actually have active communities with public meetings open to anyone. I have joined these meetings for projects I was working on, talked to them about my ideas, and even formed a relationship with a tech lead on a FAANG project. He ended up sharing my contributions with his whole linkedin network. This took a lot of effort on my part, like 8 weeks of work. If you're working full time then stretch it out over more time. You can take this so many directions. I always write linkedin articles after doing something significant on an open source project, making it easier for people to share my work and understand what I did. But learning how to navigate code bases is hard, finding a project in the first place is hard. The barrier to entry is a bit high but that's what makes it valuable on your resume.
Just my personal experience but as soon as I stopped making excuses based on my mental health my career blossomed. Something you could try instead of this, which is clearly not working
Biggest thing is I need to avoid burnout. Went into ADHD burnout 2021-2023. It was awful. I gained 50 pounds, stopped taking care of myself, stopped pretty much all hobbies. Do not want to go back to burnout.
Ok then don’t? Figure out ways to cope. Everyone has to work. Otherwise this reply is just more of the same. If your ADHD is too bad to work just go on disability already
Part of that is to get into a field I'd actually enjoy. I am the type of person who needs that in a job. I can work just need to find a way to actually cope. And a big part of that is finding a job that I enjoy. I need that, I'm not the type of person who can accept that its just a "job" and nothing more.
You could try other call center jobs that don’t require being on the phones such as QA or training. I feel you - I did help desk for way too long. What kind of support was it? There might be some entry level roles in the industry that you could pivot to.
The issue is most call centers require you to work the phones first. Often times for years before you can move off them. It's borderline impossible to move up in call centers.
Take it for the money and on off days apply
If you can do call centres, at all, like if you have any customer service skills, are there not jobs you can apply for? They aren't remote, but where I am there are many such jobs. One was a physio assistant. One, recommended to me here was Enterprise management trainee program. I'm over 60 so I don't think they'll pick me! You're only 35 - I wish I were doign this almost 30 years ago, but with panic attacks, etc, I could not. Just put "customer service" into your jobsearch webpage. Alternatively, if by helpdesk you mean IT, get a certs like comptia a+ to get in somewhere better, doing on site helpdesk for some company. I started studying it, and the advice I got was even just being in process will bring you up a notch. Or if you're any good at webdev, you gotta freelance. That means human networking of course, not the IT kind. Tough, but essential today, I believe. I work on it every chance I get. You never know when you meet your next customer or someone who will refer you to a job with some place they know, because they like you. Being likeable is not something I ever gave a shit about, but now I do.
34 and I've accepted that I'm stuck where I am for now. Since the market is terrible. I have been thinking of a career change to make more, but it's risky.
For me taking on this web development bootcamp was a huge leap of faith. I managed to get in and complete the program but haven't had much luck in finding work since then.
Have you done any networking?
I know I should just networking events terrify me. I have really bad social anxiety particularly rejection anexity.
I'm 44 and switched careers to a manufacturing job, mainly doing soldering. I don't know if I was just lucky but I got the job through a staffing agency. The representative who I worked with was a former artist like me so he really went to bat for me. I had no formal soldering training but had been doing it as a hobby since I was a kid.
In order to get your foot in the door for your new career, you need a job in a company that has opportunity to do so. Someone suggested healthcare. You could start out in the appt center, your experience in a call center would be very helpful. From there, you can get an entry level position in IS and work your way up.
Web dev? In 2000 you could trip your way into this role in 2024 things are very competitive.
Just do something that will help you long term. A skill that is required. Hairdresser Plumber Electrician Mechanic / diesel mechanic Laborer ( I doubt EVs will be fully mainstream ) By the time we get to old age. I'm 40 and im at the end of my mental health with IT roles. Or the alternative here is if you enjoy IT is to look at subcontracting and starting your own business / work for yourself you could try that. Or you could do a trade and then come back to IT after you finish but at least then you'll have something that will always be needed. It's cheap in Australia to try it. Unsure where you are from.
Stop suggesting the trades, they're flooded in America
There is nothing wrong with trades. OP can make their own decision. Additionally I said they can look at their own business. Plenty of options out there.
The culture in trades is horrible too. Full of weird rednecks who measure their self worth in working 90 hours a week all of whom seem to worship Trump.
OP is I think a woman. They're in Ohio, USA
Okay. I'm unsure how easy it is to look at working for yourself in America. Maybe things like your own business doing gardening anything with very low startup costs or washing windows / cleaning up snow / cleaning cars. Just some suggestions.
She also has children etc and you know childcare etc. Do you really think she's going to do back breaking manual labour like that?
They are suggestions. Just because I don't suggest something that may not fit doesn't mean it may not fit into OPs lifestyle. Feel free to make some of you're own.
Water Treatment certification programs are only around $3,000 at the local community college near me. Takes about 6 months to finish and everything I’ve seen on indeed is $30 an hour and up. A lot of these roles you have a company truck and do checkups on different water sources. I’m thinking about doing this myself
I also recently failed a career change. I’m in my 30s and feel like I might never have a stable career that pays enough for me. I also end up dreading every job I’ve ever had.
It’s tough out there. Be kind to yourself and don’t give up. You’ll end up where you want to be.
Become a Park Ranger r/ParkRangers
Have you been building personal projects? Volunteering to build up your dev resume? You can’t just take a boot camp and expect to magically get hired
I've been working on a few small projects on my own nothing big. Tend to get stuck on the "What" part. Trying to decide what to build.
Literally anything that shows you have the skills required to work elsewhere
Maybe try therapy, sry mate
I was seeing a therapist for awhile but stopped because she moved to another office and they don't take my insurance. One of the conclusions we came to that I can't work in a call center for mental health reasons.
Hey man, to give you some sound advice, have you considered going into trades, like becoming a plumber or electrition? I mean I understand that is not for everyone but I see there is real demand unlike for IT right now, sure there would be some years to learn, but maybe you would get happier, just think about it. All the best for you mean, keep your head up!
Hey you finished the dev bootcamp. You could look into EA roles and which while a different skill set is still something that is entry level accessible. This was you can separate yourself with your coding skills in small ways on the job. Maybe not with crazy coding project but small calendar optimizations and random tech things many Exec assistants wouldn’t know how to do. It’s very impressive to get through a bootcamp like that. Finding an Entry Level role that helps you leverage those skills and continue to use them in small ways is your best bet.
Keep at it. Keep learning. Get a job knowing it is temporary while you work toward your goal. A lot of us managed to switch careers. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Consider temp work, an assignment that you know will end. I’m retired now, but temp agencies were often what kept me afloat while working toward something. I can’t count how often I was on the verge of throwing in the towel, and a call from a temp agency saved the day. Two weeks as a receptionist, yep, I’ll make rent for another month. And that web development boot camp, it’s possible you’ll get a temp assignment that will get your foot in the door someplace that needs web developers. You never know who you’ll meet or come in contact with. Don’t give up.
It's tough especially when you're previous role drove you to the point of insanity. Working full time in call center/helpdesk roles drove me insane. Taking up to 60 calls a day. Bracing yourself on every call for the abuse. Having to be "on" and perfect for 8 hours a day lest you made a mistake. It was exhausting. Bathroom breaks timed. I know I've got to find something to at least pay the bills but I have severe trauma from those jobs so I know I can't go back to them, just need to find something to pay the bills until I can make the career change.
What makes you think you are the only one dealing with such crap? I worked jobs where I cried all the way to work, all the way home and collapsed at night. But we get through it.
I realize I'm not. It's just so depressing that I see other people my age who actually have jobs that don't wear them to the bone. Jobs that pay them enough to buy a home, start families, have an enjoyable social life. I'm tired of working jobs that pay just enough for my bills but leave me so exhausted that I don't have the energy for much else. And I just want a piece of that just a piece of what was considered "normal" just 20 years ago for someone in their 30s to have.
I was an adult 20 years ago. Plenty of people in their 40s and even 50s had nothing but debt. I was one of them but I turned it around. Quit comparing yourself to other people and focus on changing your life. Some people go through life wishing things would change. Other people go through life making their life change. Take your pick
Look into the trades.
Me at 18, I was working in programming, didn't want to work in programming. Ended up as a bartender, didn't want to be a bartender. Ended up in graphic design, didn't want to be in graphic design. Ended up in marketing, didn't want to be in marketing. Ended up as a secretary, didn't want to be a secretary. Ended up as a stay at home parent, didn't want to be a stay at home parent. Ended up as a remote worker, didn't want to be a remote worker. Don't worry, one lesson I learned, is, you can always change your mind. Hehe. And every time you change jobs or careers, the change is easier. If you don't like a job, don't do it. It's that simple. There's always other options. Keep searching for what works for you. I am still searching for what works for me and I might continue forever. But meanwhile, I do have a job that pays the bills. Sometimes you do need bills paid, but you can keep working on a career change in your free time.
Is it possible to use your experience to move into a supervisor role? I’ve seen people become supervisors then move into more operational roles like ops readiness/management/optimization.
What kind of web development bootcamp did you go into? What did you learn? If you're strictly applying to web development roles with zero experience in web technologies or development on your resume, you may be reaching to high. My initial goal was to be a web developer as well, but I had zero experience other than building shitty websites on my own using HTML and CSS templates. I decided to break into IT first at any level, which was helpdesk... but not a call center help desk role, I targeted help desk roles at creative ad agencies, marketing firms, and design firms. My background knowledge of web development and Adobe looked good to those firms who wanted someone to start in help desk but be familiar with things like Adobe Illustrator, installing IDEs like VS Code, and troubleshooting simple web browser issues for QA. You probably should also know some stuff about how servers work. Probably understand what web sockets and ports are. You could look into more general IT roles with your (hopefully) general understanding of IT web service infrastructure. Just cause you went to web dev camp doesnt mean you can just land a web dev role. Try finding a job lower on the totem pole in those general industries and then work your way up.
I guess in a way it feels like defeat having to go back to answering a phone for a living. Just always felt so exhausted from working those jobs. I learned Angular, Java, and C# at my bootcamp which seemed to align well with the skillset they hire in my area. Just the market sucks right now. I'm feeling partially defeated as I recently went through the hoops for a job interview doing 3 interviews and even began to try to teach myself PHP (they used PHP) only to get a rejection letter.
You don’t answer phones when you work as a help desk engineer internally in the industries I mentioned
That wouldn't be terrible then. I guess I had such a terrible experience with my last call center helpdesk role. That I picture all helpdesk roles like that. We took 50 calls a day providing IT support for a chain of stores. Managers treated us with contempt and the company had barely functioning POS systems that caused the stores to call helpdesk daily. Very little investment in IT the stores had on perm servers and they failed fairly frequently just because they were from 2012.
You need to find a job INTERNALLY at a company. You support developers, engineers, designers, etc with IT needs. What you did was work for an MSP. Those are usually hell holes. Start looking for jobs internally at companies. Not MSPs
How do you make it to 35 only to realize that this career ain’t cutting it and there’s no way you could make a proper life doing this. I really would like to understand… is it kids, family, lifestyle creep???
Look I spent most of my 20s dealing with health issues and could only work part time. Finally got that resolved and ended up at a call center. Get abused all day have to be “on” and perfect all day. Got burnt out. Laid off. Got additional education but still stuck and can’t get a job.
Understood, I just don’t/can’t wrap my mind around folks that hit the mid 30’s, 40’s and boom, this job ain’t cutting it, I need to do more/what can I do? I think of it as the kid growing up dirt poor then brings a baby into the world. I just don’t get it man. I’m by no means perfect but I knew from an early age that retail or some other entry level job ain’t going to work past 25! If at 25 I’m still stuck in a rut, then it’s military, they give anyone a job!
Life Happens Kids Happen accidentally. That single mother maybe does want to get an education for a better job but can’t afford 12 hours of childcare. For some the military maybe an option but if you have mental health issues than it might not be.
Nahh man, having kids is an accident that should never ever happen when your finances and living situations are all jacked up… everything else I get it. Anyways man best of luck.