Feeling lost

[John Matrix]

Does anyone here ever feel like the job just isn’t for them anymore? I loved it when I was younger. But after 20 years I’m feeling very different about the job. Family life changes, new responsibilities at home arrive. And the working nights, working away etc takes its toll on the family life. I seem to have lost my way and very very unmotivated to do the job. I don’t get excited about it anymore and if anything it just brings a sense of panic and impending doom. Not sure where to go from here. Still off after Covid with no idea what direction to go in. Has anyone else felt like this?

 

[Dannyboybl00]

I felt like this when I quit my last career to become an electrician 3 years ago.
If you've been working for the same company (as opposed to working for yourself), a change of employer may help or depending upon your experience and qualifications, maybe look at working in a different electrical industry e.g. Domestic, commercial, industrial etc;
Financially and mentally, lock down has had a huge effect on me so if it's done the same to you, maybe wait until you're working again before making a decision.

 

[John Matrix]

Does anyone here ever feel like the job just isn’t for them anymore? I loved it when I was younger. But after 20 years I’m feeling very different about the job. Family life changes, new responsibilities at home arrive. And the working nights, working away etc takes its toll on the family life. I seem to have lost my way and very very unmotivated to do the job. I don’t get excited about it anymore and if anything it just brings a sense of panic and impending doom. Not sure where to go from here. Still off after Covid with no idea what direction to go in. Has anyone else felt like this?

I felt like this when I quit my last career to become an electrician 3 years ago.
If you've been working for the same company (as opposed to working for yourself), a change of employer may help or depending upon your experience and qualifications, maybe look at working in a different electrical industry e.g. Domestic, commercial, industrial etc;
Financially and mentally, lock down has had a huge effect on me so if it's done the same to you, maybe wait until you're working again before making a decision.

It’s a mixture of things really. I’ve been direct for 20 years. Recently self employed but not sure if it was the right move. A life threatening illness 3 years back left me with issues. It’s made me feel like I can’t keep up with the demands of the job both physically and mentally. I have something changing in me and I can’t figure it out. I think I wana to work in the industry but for some reason the motivation to do it has left me. I do need something more family friendly thow for sure.

 

[James]

Perhaps move in to an associate trade, like supplying electrical equipment or solar or snake oil?

 

[Davethefish]

i'm not a spark,
but i was a pipe fitter/foreman for 25 years working all over on commercial projects, schools, hospitals, warehouses, offices ect... direct for 15 years, and as a subbie for 10.
i then had health issues and an operation, which left me really struggling to do the job to the same level.

so i took a step back, and went into prison maintenance as a heating engineer.
it was like a breath of fresh air just the change in routine, with new skills to learn.
i especially liked the 7 hour working day and getting home every night at 5pm plus no weekend work...
instead of the crack of dawn to 7-8pm.

i did a further 10 years in the prisons before retiring early at 52.
of course i'd still prefer to be earning the big bucks on site...
but my life is much better, and i'm much happier now.

 

[John Matrix]

i'm not a spark,
but i was a pipe fitter/foreman for 25 years working all over on commercial projects, schools, hospitals, warehouses, offices ect... direct for 15 years, and as a subbie for 10.
i then had health issues and an operation, which left me really struggling to do the job to the same level.

so i took a step back, and went into prison maintenance as a heating engineer.
it was like a breath of fresh air just the change in routine, with new skills to learn.
i especially liked the 7 hour working day and getting home every night at 5pm plus no weekend work...
instead of the crack of dawn to 7-8pm.

i did a further 10 years in the prisons before retiring early at 52.
of course i'd still prefer to be earning the big bucks on site...
but my life is much better, and i'm much happier now.

I’m ha

i'm not a spark,
but i was a pipe fitter/foreman for 25 years working all over on commercial projects, schools, hospitals, warehouses, offices ect... direct for 15 years, and as a subbie for 10.
i then had health issues and an operation, which left me really struggling to do the job to the same level.

so i took a step back, and went into prison maintenance as a heating engineer.
it was like a breath of fresh air just the change in routine, with new skills to learn.
i especially liked the 7 hour working day and getting home every night at 5pm plus no weekend work...
instead of the crack of dawn to 7-8pm.

i did a further 10 years in the prisons before retiring early at 52.
of course i'd still prefer to be earning the big bucks on site...
but my life is much better, and i'm much happier now.

Thanks for the reply. I think I need to do something similar to be honest. Not sure what thow. I’m still off so I’m gona have a good look at it.

 

[telectrix]

might be an idea to gert into the domestic spark sector. start off with small, non-notifiable jobs and then, if this is for you, considere enrolling with niceic (or other scam) for the larger jobs.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Not quite the same , but I was regularly commuting into London from Guildford for about 5 or 6 years to do work for one particular company.
It was a good company that paid well and on time like clockwork.
But the hours were long and the commute was tiring.
I remember one day I was sat with a couple other sparks and i said I can’t do this anymore.
i went home , took 3 weeks off work and started working locally.
less money but it felt a huge weight was lifted and I was home by 5 every evening.
where as before I often wouldn’t get in till 8 or 9

 

[John Matrix]

Not quite the same , but I was regularly commuting into London from Guildford for about 5 or 6 years to do work for one particular company.
It was a good company that paid well and on time like clockwork.
But the hours were long and the commute was tiring.
I remember one day I was sat with a couple other sparks and i said I can’t do this anymore.
i went home , took 3 weeks off work and started working locally.
less money but it felt a huge weight was lifted and I was home by 5 every evening.
where as before I often wouldn’t get in till 8 or 9

Sounds like the last firm I worked for.

 

[OnlQQker]

Does anyone here ever feel like the job just isn’t for them anymore? I loved it when I was younger. But after 20 years I’m feeling very different about the job. Family life changes, new responsibilities at home arrive. And the working nights, working away etc takes its toll on the family life. I seem to have lost my way and very very unmotivated to do the job. I don’t get excited about it anymore and if anything it just brings a sense of panic and impending doom. Not sure where to go from here. Still off after Covid with no idea what direction to go in. Has anyone else felt like this?

Felt like that over 10 years ago now. The thing is to try and find out where your passion really lays.
Mine was writing and music, and that's the way I went.
I'm still in this lark, but just to help out if truth be told. Not as a job!

Find your passion!

 

[Megawatt]

It’s a mixture of things really. I’ve been direct for 20 years. Recently self employed but not sure if it was the right move. A life threatening illness 3 years back left me with issues. It’s made me feel like I can’t keep up with the demands of the job both physically and mentally. I have something changing in me and I can’t figure it out. I think I wana to work in the industry but for some reason the motivation to do it has left me. I do need something more family friendly thow for sure.

@john I’ve been doing electrical work for 30+ years and had the same feelings and I’ve had 15 heart attacks, 6 stunts, one 100% blocked artery that can’t be fixed. Some days I don’t even want to leave the house but we have families that depends on us. Trust me you are going to have rough mentally days we just have to push through them. Good luck my friend

 

[cliffed]

Does anyone here ever feel like the job just isn’t for them anymore? I loved it when I was younger. But after 20 years I’m feeling very different about the job. Family life changes, new responsibilities at home arrive. And the working nights, working away etc takes its toll on the family life. I seem to have lost my way and very very unmotivated to do the job. I don’t get excited about it anymore and if anything it just brings a sense of panic and impending doom. Not sure where to go from here. Still off after Covid with no idea what direction to go in. Has anyone else felt like this?

Definitely,the enthusiasm goes with time.
Lots of changes over the years, mainly work etiquette,Laziness,arrogance,bull sh...tters.
Our work’s made quite easy now,all this fast fix on trays etc.
The real sparkies come out shining when problems & tech stuff happens,see the others running for the hills.
Old boy used to tell me,know enough,but not too much,

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Does anyone here ever feel like the job just isn’t for them anymore? I loved it when I was younger. But after 20 years I’m feeling very different about the job. Family life changes, new responsibilities at home arrive. And the working nights, working away etc takes its toll on the family life. I seem to have lost my way and very very unmotivated to do the job. I don’t get excited about it anymore and if anything it just brings a sense of panic and impending doom. Not sure where to go from here. Still off after Covid with no idea what direction to go in. Has anyone else felt like this?

If you have been bored with it for 10 years John you need to make a change. You are trapped in it because it pays the bills and you feel you cant do anything else... You can!

I worked as a nurse for 15 years in a prison. The last 7 or 8 years I was bored stiff and dreaded going in. I kept the nursing going to pay the bills but at the same time started training to do electrics. I then did both electrics and nursing for a few years slowly decreasing the nursing and increasing the electrics. Now its just electrics (Which I still love, although not as much as when I started).

Point being, you HAVE to make a change if you have been bored in your job for a long period of time. Life whizzes by and it's too short to stay trapped in a job you don't enjoy. We all to a degree think we can't do anything else other than our 'job', but we can, we just have to 'feel the fear and do it anyway' (Susan Jeffers).

 

[Baddegg]

Stop mopping and make a change man, life is to short to be miserable......I’ve done lots of jobs and have 2/3 trades, soon as I get bored I move on.....I remember when I was a young stevedore a grizzly old socket said to me once “this life ain’t a rehearsal” and I’ve always remembered those words and lived by em......I got hit by a car nearly 2 years ago and that really brings things in perspective, make a change what’s the worst that can happen ?

 

[Baddegg]

*edit....docker not socket....clearly sockets don’t talk to me.......although that would explain a lot ?