Job Dilemma

LegacyUser

I've posted a similar thread on this before but cannot find it so here I go, sorry for any repetitiveness that anyone may recognise.

I graduated from my Undergrad a couple of years ago and I hated it. I did ok, I got the best results out of my friends, all of whom went onto do masters and PhDs. I've always been academically inclined, but I disappointed myself with my result. I started working in industry straight away and I was always asked by friends, acquaintances and family members when I would be starting my PhD/masters as most people just assumed I was going to stay in academia-I never applied for either as I hated my degree and thought it stupid to keep pursuing something I hated (financially and time wise). Skip forward to present day-Industry sucks. I hate it and do not understand how anyone can stay in this field (yeah I may seem picky, but tbh I preferred and even enjoyed my minimum wage jobs I had in college over my day jobs, and if they offered the dame pay Im currently on I would go back to them in a heart beat-not that my current pay is that much better :P ) I don't think I'm picky, I think I just picked a bad path.

Sick and tired of my job I applied to take the medical school entry exam (medicine was something which had always been in the back of my mind) and I did pretty well, enough to get in most likely (have to wait till August for offers but based on previous years its very unlikely I will not get an offer). However knowing medical students who seemed to have such an intense hatred for medicine, well it started to turn me off so I also applied for second level teaching (it seemed like the right thing to do, and tbh summers seemed handy :P Its something my family have always pushed me to do) I was accepted to this course, however, I am becoming more and more disengaged with this idea, and turned off it more and more. I did like the idea in some capacities but now, I am thinking more and more abut the day to day realities of this job and I am afraid I might hate it even more than my current career path. I didn't even like teenagers when I was a teenager!

I went to a career guidance counselor and as she said herself, when it comes to science and you want out, there only really seems to be 2 other options, teaching and healthcare, and she seemed to think neither of these were for me (I'm a softie, and easily pushed around). I don't know what to do. I cant make up my mind I've never came to the great epiphany of what I should I do. I have been trying to discover what career path it is I want to pursue since I graduated a few years ago, and nothing has ever seemed right. I've read books, looked at my personality type, carer guidance. I just don't know what to do. I don't think I can hack another year wasted (cause that what these years are, wasted time, trying to figure out what it is I should do). I understand people swap careers many times in their life, but I at lease want to start off on the right path, and swap as it suits when I'm older.

I wish I had a passion that I could pursue, engross myself in but I dont. And I am just lost as what to do.

tl;dr Im in a job I hate. I have 2 offers to go into different career paths but I am just not sure, even thinking about other ideas, I cant make up my mind and I don't know what to do.

bobdcow

Teaching is very rewarding, at the start it can take time to get into the job properly but after a while it all comes together, the classroom management, planning and the way you teach. The first few years with paperwork can be time consuming but as the years go you get quicker and more efficient. You won't get out the door at 4pm every day but keep a good work life balance going and it will be fine. The holidays are a bonus but don't go into teaching just to get the 3 months and other weeks off - working in schools is a very rewarding and fulfilling job.

Contrast that to medicine - the pay may be better but think of the hours etc...

Augme

If you are already becoming disengaged with the idea of teaching then don't pursue it anyway further, you'd be wasting your time.

What attracts you to medicine or what would attract you to a job? You don't need to be passionate about something to want to do it.

The vast majority of people don't have a passion for their job or current role. They just find things that suit their personality.

emilymemily

If you dont like teenagers then teaching is a terrible job path for you, not only for yourself but the students you will be entrusted with. Teenagers can be extremely challenging, they push boundaries and you have to know how to work with them to get them on side.
Besides that, teaching these days is extremely hard to get into, jobs are offered based on who the principal is friends with, getting a permanent contract can take years if you ever get one at all. I have qualified teacher friends who have been subbing for 10 and 15 years who have still not secured permanency.
As a sub work is insecure and irregular, you will be covering sick leaves and maternity's, getting a handful of hours a week if youre lucky, you cant take other jobs outside teaching because youre on call at all times, if a school rings and youre not available they will not ring again, if you turn down work your limiting yourself in getting to know principals who may keep your cv on file for whenever a position comes up.
After you complete the Postgraduate masters in education you then have 3 years to get your Droichead - finding a school that will accommodate this isn't always smooth sailing, particularly if youre not connected to any principals or school management. Id advise you stay away from teaching.

Have you thought about occupational therapy?

fishy_fishy

What about consulting with the likes of Accenture, or the big 4 professional services firms? Or banking, or accountancy? Loads of STEM graduates working in those areas.