career guidance

solas

if there's a career guidance forum here would someone point me in the right direction, thanks.
have never used the PI board for query before but as it is..
I'd like to make some changes and do something with my life but I can't find any direction or feel inclined to any specific area.
My job is very sucky at the minute and I knew when I was taking it that it was just going to be a stepping stone to find something else, as well as money in the pocket (which was desperately needed).
As it is it's funded by FAS, so I get the oppertunity to get some training out of it but I really have no idea how I'm going to use it.
I'm just after passing the thirty mark and in my twenties I had plenty of motivation and drive to better myself in everything I did. I have a decent leaving cert and while I didn't do third level directly after school, I did plenty of catch up over the years and have some paper behind me but right now it's fairly worthless.

I spent my early twenties doing admin and office clerk type duties and went foreign for a change of scenery for a bit, got back and changed direction and went into the social care field.
I don't feel like I am capable of even working in those areas now, especially the latter, so much so that I requested my current job would keep me behind the scenes where I wouldnt have to work with people directly and I could just get on with burying my head into my work. (scrubbing)
I used have a hard time not bringing work home and it was dificult dealing with the emotional strain of it and after leaving the social care scene I was out of work for almost three years, so now I'm going through the process of getting back into the swing of things.

I feel empty inside though and I'm thinking about going back to school as a mature student just so my brain will have something to do but even at that I have no idea as to what I can or am able to do.
(my own personal skills are more creative than practical and never really felt they would ever be applicable careerwise)
any suggestions would be appreciated.
thanks

Ruu_Old

I am sure the beautiful people in the Mature/Non-Traditional Students forum would love to help you out. Best of luck with your future.

InFront

This was the advice given to me when I went about quitting my degree last September... the careers advisor basically told me that I had a good, stable, pensionable career ahead of me. That was something that I and my parents had both invested heavily in. Your career is not your future, and your future is not your career.

If after you have studied for all of your basic qualifications, and you are in gainful employment, you have achieved a certain amount. (This is your current position). If you still want more, you go back and study more. If you're happy with your employment, but feel that you can do more to develop your intelligence in other ways outside the realm of official education, you are quite free to do this too.
Basically, your job does not define you, nor should the limits of working hours and the confines of managerial or medical or artistic - or whatever - thinking, dominate your development. Personally I am quite sure that my future career will fail to satisfy all of my personal ambitions and curiosities, it doesn't mean I can't find fulfillment in my daily life, however.

Basically: don't quit your job just because it doesn't satisfy you. First, find out why it doesn't satisfy you and try and rectify the problem without disturbing your greater circumstances. Fit your life to your own agenda.

Sorry if this made zero sense, it is 25 minutes to 5 and Im off to bed

solas

cheers Ruu

solas

InFront wrote:

Personally I am quite sure that my future career will fail to satisfy all of my personal ambitions and curiosities, it doesn't mean I can't find fulfillment in my daily life, however.
Sorry if this made zero sense, it is 25 minutes to 5 and Im off to bed

ye, I hear it, figure I have to start somewhere though. thanks for the input.
nite