I need help and advice

I made up a fake name for obvious reasons such as my boss or someone at work seeing this and I don't want to get in trouble. For a while I have been feeling like I don't enjoy my career. Now for a lot of people it is easy to just switch careers, etc but i invested 7 years of school and over $200,000 in loans for school which I still have to pay back and I hate what I do. Now I don't mean I just don't enjoy it I actually DESPISE waking up and going to work every morning. It is painful just to get through the day and all weekend I just think oh no it's Sunday my weekend is almost over I have to go back to work. I don't know if this is normal because I have only been working for a short period of time but this is how I feel and it's horrible. TO think of doing this my entire life until I retire really depresses me. I basically work just to make my student loan payments and pay my bills and it *****. The problem is I dont know where to go from here. I know I dont enjoy what Im doing but I dont know what I want to do. I just feel so lost. I am usually the person who has everything together and knew since a long time ago what I wanted to do with my life. It just suc!S that is took 200,000 and 7 years to figure out it isnt what I want to do

Well without knowing exactly what field your in..it's difficult..but can you go 'out on your own' using your degree to work for yourself?

Unfortunately, lots of people are unhappy at work. If you really DESPISE work, maybe you can look for another job without changing careers - the people you surround yourself around make a HUGE difference in your day.

I was kind of struggling for awhile too, feeling like my life is just horrible because I hated my career - I switched companies and started taking on new things OUTSIDE of work that made me feel better and gave me something else to look forward to. . .ie, running, bicycling, raising money for breast cancer. At the end of the day - its just your job. Find somewhere that you like the people and go from there.

Good luck!

I feel your pain. I put in the time then never even started the career. I hated it before I even got done with school, but I kept thinking, 'maybe I'll warm up to it'. Nope. Finished school, halfheartedly took some exams, and never thought about it again. My mother still brings it up. I'm not sorry.

If there's a better way to use your degree, do it. If not, start making a new plan. Think of this as another temporary step to find and fund what you really want to do. That'll help you get out of bed in the morning.

I totally hear where you're coming from, I'm a lawyer, and I HATE it. Unfortunately, I can't really switch my career because I need to maintain the level of money I currently make so that I can pay my student loans. Switching into another career just wouldn't cut it with making the payments and having a life. Luckily the firm I am with is nice, and the people are really nice, so I don't despise my job. I've sort of gotten used to it, but if I could do things all over again, I would not have become a lawyer.

One of my teachers once said that if you seriously dread getting out of bed in the morning and dragging yourself to work and you're just so miserable, then you really should leave your job. It sounds like you're feeling that way. Maybe change companies, or use your degree to do something else still within the field, but not exactly what you're doing now.

Good luck!

I totally agree with the prior posts. You do have to analize if you hate what you do or is it where you work and the people sorrounding you?
I have felt at times lost because here I am almost 30, working in a totally different field that I went to school for and planning to go back.
Most people do not work the same field that they went to school for, so if there is any opportunity for you to find another job and maybe in some way incorporate your career.

Good Luck

You are not alone in how you feel. The reason I'm a contractor now is because I felt/feel exactly as you do. Here I am I got my Master's in something I don't think I love anymore. However I have student loans, a mortage and a wedding to pay for. So I thought contracting would help me 'date' my career in a way that I could be exposed to other parts of it. I still find that I don't love it..it's just a job to get me by. I haven't figured out what I want to do yet, mostly because I'm biding my time until after the wedding. At that point I'll have to reach a decision. In the meantime I'm exploring possibly teaching. translating or going back for something in the medical field.

What Mici n KC said is true...CUNY is an inexpensive way to take classes and maybe explore what you like.

Good luck!!!

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Posted by MKEA98

I totally hear where you're coming from, I'm a lawyer, and I HATE it. Unfortunately, I can't really switch my career because I need to maintain the level of money I currently make so that I can pay my student loans. Switching into another career just wouldn't cut it with making the payments and having a life. Luckily the firm I am with is nice, and the people are really nice, so I don't despise my job. I've sort of gotten used to it, but if I could do things all over again, I would not have become a lawyer.

One of my teachers once said that if you seriously dread getting out of bed in the morning and dragging yourself to work and you're just so miserable, then you really should leave your job. It sounds like you're feeling that way. Maybe change companies, or use your degree to do something else still within the field, but not exactly what you're doing now.


Good luck!

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Thanks for all your comments girls.

I am a lawyer also and I really don't like it. I hate the adversarial nature of it and the nastiness. I feel like everyone is mean and miserable and everyone is out to screw everyone else over. What type of lawyer are you?

The problem is I know that this is not what I want to do but I don't know what I do want to do?

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Posted by secretbride02

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Posted by MKEA98

I totally hear where you're coming from, I'm a lawyer, and I HATE it. Unfortunately, I can't really switch my career because I need to maintain the level of money I currently make so that I can pay my student loans. Switching into another career just wouldn't cut it with making the payments and having a life. Luckily the firm I am with is nice, and the people are really nice, so I don't despise my job. I've sort of gotten used to it, but if I could do things all over again, I would not have become a lawyer.

One of my teachers once said that if you seriously dread getting out of bed in the morning and dragging yourself to work and you're just so miserable, then you really should leave your job. It sounds like you're feeling that way. Maybe change companies, or use your degree to do something else still within the field, but not exactly what you're doing now.


Good luck!

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Thanks for all your comments girls.

I am a lawyer also and I really don't like it. I hate the adversarial nature of it and the nastiness. I feel like everyone is mean and miserable and everyone is out to screw everyone else over. What type of lawyer are you?

The problem is I know that this is not what I want to do but I don't know what I do want to do?

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i think it depends on the type of law you are practicing. My friend does securities law and it's mostly research; the hours suck, she gets paid awesome, and there isn't much adversarial interaction going on at all. My DH works for a tiny firm in LI, not really any major clients, does a little bit of everything, has awesome hours (hello?? fridays off all summer ), makes crappy money, but is the least stressed out guy I know and I can say he really enjoys his job.

so maybe you just aren't the right place, and there are other options still in your field that are worth considering. good luck.

Hi,

I feel your pain! I am also a lawyer. I do securities and transactional/corporate law.

Please understand this is totally normal. You're just starting your career and probably have never worked at a real job before. I was in your spot almost 2 years ago. I felt exactly how you did when I first started (but for different reasons - I hated the substance of the type of law I was doing).

However, now I actually do enjoy what I do. I decided to just suck it up for while and found that as I gained more experience I actually felt more comfortable and enjoy what I practice. My hours are decent for NYC (leave around 8 get home around 8 and don't generally work weekends).

It sounds like you should either just suck it up for a bit if the money is good or switch the type of law you are doing. If you are doing something like insurance defense, i hear a lot of lawyers are unhappy there. Try a different area or transactional law. You may end up loving it and for the most part is not adversarial.

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Posted by secretbride02

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Posted by MKEA98

I totally hear where you're coming from, I'm a lawyer, and I HATE it. Unfortunately, I can't really switch my career because I need to maintain the level of money I currently make so that I can pay my student loans. Switching into another career just wouldn't cut it with making the payments and having a life. Luckily the firm I am with is nice, and the people are really nice, so I don't despise my job. I've sort of gotten used to it, but if I could do things all over again, I would not have become a lawyer.

One of my teachers once said that if you seriously dread getting out of bed in the morning and dragging yourself to work and you're just so miserable, then you really should leave your job. It sounds like you're feeling that way. Maybe change companies, or use your degree to do something else still within the field, but not exactly what you're doing now.


Good luck!

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Thanks for all your comments girls.

I am a lawyer also and I really don't like it. I hate the adversarial nature of it and the nastiness. I feel like everyone is mean and miserable and everyone is out to screw everyone else over. What type of lawyer are you?

The problem is I know that this is not what I want to do but I don't know what I do want to do?

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I just graduated from law school, but I was a summer associate and my father is a lawyer who basically enslaved me at his firm my entire life (haha).

I can honestly say that, even though I'm actually less experienced than you, I can PROMISE you that not all areas of law are so adversarial. If you are doing litigation or matrimonial, or especially insurance defense, I think it's completely normal to feel things are adversarial. But, you could ALWAYS switch practice areas. The firm I summered at hired me into their Trusts and Estates department and I LOVE it (so far). I worked there last summer and part time all during 3L. It has some adversarial aspects (when you get into probate litigation and such) but really it is NOT adversarial on the whole. Then there are other areas like corporate or real estate that aren't so adversarial either.

I worked at a law firm in NYC all through college and I can honestly say it scared the sh*t out of me. I hated it so much and was really frightened about going through with law school. Now I really enjoy where I work and the people are just beyond nice. I REALLY think you should consider switching practice areas and switching firms. You spent 7 years getting your degree and you owe it to yourself to try something else within the field. Then if you hate it - you move on.

Also - there was a girl at my firm in the litigation department who hated it for the same reasons as you. Rather than switching practice areas, she became a court attorney - she reads briefs and prepares summaries for the appellate judges in the 2nd department. The pay is decent (definitely not great) and from what I hear she is SO much happier now. So things like that are always an option.

Don't give up!!!!!!!!

how did i know you were a lawyer?

i'm going into my third year of law school and sometimes i have my doubts too. if you want to talk more, FM me.

I had a similar situation. I got what I thought was the job of my dream and realized I was swimming iwth sharks and was being devoured.. I got a job at a college and got another degree (for free) and learned to like my job much more. I did take a small pay cut. But it worked for me.

It's hard when you invest a ton of time and $$$ into something. Perhaps you can slowly integrate other portions of Law into your job and slowly switch specialties? There are plenty of areas in the legal profession where people are not so nasty. Maybe even at a college or school district, where people are more laid back.