Unfulfilled. Ideas or advice?

Hey guys,

Doing some soul searching lately as I’m completely unhappy and unfulfilled in my career. I was hoping those of you with some experience or wisdom could give me some pointers.

So many of you know that I’m a nurse. I’d say my career has been relatively successful, but I’m going to be brutally honest: I absolutely hate it. I chose my field when I was 17 because it seemed like a diverse field that would always have some job security. Now that I’m a bit older I realize that 17 is far too young to decide what you’re going to spend your life doing. Yet here I am, $40k and five years of experience deep in a career that does not bring me any sort of fulfillment.

I hated patient care, I’ve tried all different types of units in hospitals, tried traveling, management, home health, and now I’m an educator. Being an educator has been the least dreadful position, but boy that really sounds awful doesn’t? That my current career is the least dreadful one I’ve had? Yikes.

I feel stifled. Underpaid. Micromanaged. Uninspired. I want to work for myself. I really want to get into property management, construction and design, etc. but I’m barely making ends meet as it is. I don’t have the luxury of being able to bet on myself.

As I’m coming up on 30 years old, I expected myself to be in a better position than this by now. I live in a very small town and there aren’t many successful people I can just go build relationships with. There are no mentors I can learn from.

But I’ve got to do something. I don’t want to grind like this until I’m 65, retire and live for 10-15 years, and then sell all of my life’s possessions to head to the nursing home. That is probably my greatest fear.

Those of you that have done or are doing it...help? How? Where did you start? What did you try? How did you afford life in the meantime? Any advice is much, much appreciated.

Oh, and if any of you responded to my thread awhile back about struggling to get pregnant for years...we are finally expecting a sweet little blessing this fall. Thank you for the encouraging words!!

Best wishes on a continued healthy pregnancy! Do you know your plans yet as far as maternity leave/who will care for the baby/child? That affects the input I would give to you.

I’m allowed 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Definitely can’t afford 12 weeks unpaid, so will probably only take 6-8 weeks. My mom plans on keeping baby one day a week, and my husbands parents will keep baby one day a week. The other three days will be at an infant daycare. Definitely not ideal, but that’s about the only option I’ve got unfortunately.

Congratulations on impending motherhood!

For a career switch and since you live in a very small town, try social media, LinkedIn, etc. to blast it out there that you're looking for a property management job, construction, design, etc.

See and learn what job requirements are by investigating job websites and company job boards. Find out what qualifications they're seeking and how you can meet them.

Broadening your social in-person networking helps because many times in order to get a job, you need to cultivate and nurture friendships. Join various groups according to your interests because as you make the rounds with people, mingle more and get to know each other, this is the way you find out about jobs, apprenticeships, referrals, someone willing to show you the ropes and get started. You need experience and you need to get your foot in the door.

Ask around such as friends, neighbors (if you're close to them), family, relatives in-laws and people know other people regarding jobs, where they work, what occupation they have, etc.

If you're religious, join a church. While serving in various ministries and getting to know people over time, it's a good way to find out how you can get a job in your field.

Or work by day in the medical field so it pays the bills while enrolled in college courses during evenings. You'll find out through instructors, professors, college job placement programs and classmates where the jobs are. You need to make connections.

Another way is to introduce yourself at comapnies where there are property managers, construction and design people. Ask how they attained their jobs and what it took to arrive there. Pick their brains. Now is not the time to be shy and bashful. You have to put yourself out there.

I agree with Cherylyn -is there any option for relocating to a larger city? Also how about contacting your career services office at your nursing school and pick their brains about what kind of jobs nurses transition to that are not actual nursing?

(I got most of my interviews through personal connections in my newishcity -I started looking to go back to work when my son was 5, went back part time when he was 7)