Another "I hate my job" Thread

LegacyUser

I graduated from a STEM subject 2 years ago, and I ended up hating my degree. None the less, I ended up working in industry almost straight away. I didn't like it, got moved into a new position and again, I don't like it. I cant abide it, I don't care, it bores and stresses me simultaneously (welcome to the word of work). I've worked multiple minimum wage jobs previously and tbh I preferred them. I didn't love them, but it was better than this. I had to take a sick day last week and the extra day off just made me realise how much disdain I have for this job, so much so I started an application to undertake a Professional MEd. to become a secondary school teacher.

However...I have a few things at play here. 1. Teaching seems like DEFINITELY a better option than my current job, interest wise. However, I don't know if I'm fully committed to working with teens (I know red flag number one-trust me this gets way worse as I go on). I'd been fantasising about it for a while but when push came to shove, I was staring across from a large group of 14-15 year olds, loud mouthy cheeky 14-15 year olds and I thought do I really want to work with mouthy teens who won't put the effort in and challenge your authority and patience daily for the next 40 years?

2. (If you thought the last bit was questionable wait till you hear this)....about 8 months ago I started getting the ball rolling to enter a course with the intention of becoming a doctor (whoah, bet you didn't see that one coming?!). I've actually invested a lot of time and money into this. Medicine was something which was always in the back of my mind, always niggling away, I really wanted it. However (that always a good sign isn't it; "However") I have friends who are studying medicine who I talk to daily. I haven't told them any of the above. 90% of our conversations are them venting about how awful their course is, how they don't want to be doctors for x, y, and z reason, how they feel tricked into have decided to study medicine, the worst mistake of their life's, and the only reason they are completing their course and becoming doctors, is cause well there so far in and there's nothing else they can do, etc. I don't think I've heard any of them say a positive thing about their course/future career path, ever. And tbh, when you are being bombarded with this sort of rant daily, well they've almost talked me out of it. Also, hating my job the way I do, where I work 40 hours per week, makes me realise I want to work less, not more :P (but maybe I would love being a doctor and the long hours wouldn't be so bad)

So I'm stuck.

I guess in an ideal world maybe I'd be a further education teacher, or even a lecturer. But I do not want to go back and get a masters in the area of my undergrad. I've been to a career guidance counsellor twice and he openly admitted that I was the first client he had had in years who genuinely perplexed him and he didn't have a recommendation for me.

Please don't roast me, but what's a fool like me to do in this situation?

emilymemily

Im a teacher whose currently looking into other options outside of teaching because its so hard to find work and the work I have found has been unreliable. I personally wouldnt advise anyone to go into the profession unless theyre sure its what they want to do.

The PME is very expensive, the starting salary is low and youre unlikely to get more than a handful of hours a week, your undergrad also needs to be in a subject relevant to post primary curriculum and has to meet standards set by the teaching council. Im open to correction on this put I dont think a degree in stem is transferable to second level teaching, you may have to complete an add on course in something like maths to meet teaching council requirements.
Also, noting the red flag in your post, I personally would discourage anyone not fond of teenagers from entering the profession, its a stressful job on a good day and working with teenagers can be very challenging.
As for further ed teaching, you dont need a masters in your subject to teach in further education, you can do a one year postgrad in further education teaching, Maynooth, Marino and Waterford Institute do these courses, you can also teach subjects unrelated to your undergrad in further education.
Theres also the option of becoming a literacy tutor, you can do a short part time literacy training course in most ETB's around the country and places like Nala too. That said, Further education teaching jobs are harder to come by than Post primary teaching jobs so keep in mind that your employment options will be very limited upon graduation.
Another option could be completing a Celta training course, youd likely get a job handy enough teaching English as a foreign language and it would give you the option to travel.

Id just like to add, from reading your post, youre not putting much thought into researching jobs and what they entail. Rather than fantasising about yourself in various roles, do your research, a job might sound good on paper but the reality is often very different, not just the work load, hours and pay but the job opportunities available.

Have you considered an apprenticeship or a fetac level 5 or 6?
What are you interested in?

shesty

STEM worker here.Don't touch teaching wih a barge pole if that's how you feel.Are you a parent?I am, have small kids, and having small kids has made me realise exactly how much patience it takes to deal with kids, never mind teenagers.

Setting aside hating your current 40 hour a week role, what do you want from your job?Do you want big money for as much hours as it takes?Do you want a job that allows you good free time in your week to persue hobbies?Do you want a job that you are confined to a desk, or would you prefer to be office based with an option to get out to a site or whatever?Why don't you try approaching it thinking like that too?It is easy to get stuck in a rut of thinking about jobs endlessly, and how things would be better elsewhere.It is important to try to identify your priorities too, what sort of life you want your job to enable.

xi5yvm0owc1s2b

OP, pardon me for saying this, but you seem to have a talent for finding negatives. You hated your degree, you hate your current job, and no sooner do you imagine yourself working as a teacher or a doctor than you've compiled a dozen reasons why you would hate those jobs as well.

The truth is that no job is perfect. All jobs have challenges -- whether it's stress, long hours, working with difficult people, etc.

When people say they're happy in their jobs, it's rarely the case that the jobs don't have downsides. It's that the rewards of the job outweigh the negatives and make it worth doing.

But if you focus only on the negatives and not on the rewards, you'll always be miserable.

I think you should talk to some sort of counsellor or life coach. Just hopping into a different field won't necessarily fix things.