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Those of you who work - what is your job?

illustrated.lady

If you don't want to read and would just like to answer the question then thank you - feel free to skip Slight smile

I suppose I'm looking for some inspiration.

In what is a familiar story for many, I am completely burnt out from my work, struggling to cope in an office environment and really just feeling at a loss of what to do. 

A bit of background on me for anyone interested - I'm fairly intelligent and well educated (BSc Psychology and Criminology, MA Sociology - graduated 2018) but I have never been able to transfer this over to the workplace, I have ended up off sick with stress/anxiety/overwhelm in every job I've had and the longest I have lasted in any job is my current three years.

My jobs have included - 

Food service

Retail

Care (elderly, dementia, mental health)

Call Centre

Medical reception/admin/secretarial (current job)

I have worked all hours from 12 hour days, 12 hour mights, 9-5, full time, part time, zero hour contract. I always end up burnt out. 

Ultimately, I have to work and ideally full time. Office work is a struggle because there's people there, constantly with their smells and their noises and their conversation. 

As much as I loved elderly care, I think my sense of justice made it too difficult to overlook the poor management that understaff care homes in order to make as much money as possible. 

I just don't know what to do, I don't need to find a dream job, I just need something I can do and go home and not feel like all my energy has been drained. 

Any ideas, comments, suggestions, all are appreciated.

Parents

  • Hi, I used to work in retail and call center, also in McDonald's.  In McDonald's i had panic attacks because of the terrible noise there, but I preferred working in the kitchen than service and coffee beverage. Whatever job that was- contact with customers, the obligatory to make eye contact and small talk and the constant uncertainty,  when will some customer approach me and ask something,  used to make me extremely anxious and depressed. The call center job was same uncertainty with the inbound calls (technical support) and same with the small talk between colleagues.  I also struggled to sit in front of a screen the 8 hours, I needed additional breaks because I couldn't look at the screen. I often used to go to the bathroom to cry and myself didnt know why. I always thought im just i ferior to others. Now I work in a warehouse.  Its not perfect,  I'm also tired and probably burnt out and there is a mentally ill colleague, who makes it all even harder, but the job itself is not so damaging. And i use my strengths there. At least I don't hear anymore that I have to modulate my voice while talking to a customer, I have very little contact with customers.  I graduated bachelor degree in logistics,  speak 3 foreign languages fluently and have good PC skills and I'm so unattractive and lack self confidence,  that the maximum I'm capable of is this, as listed. At least I have a job.

Reply

  • Hi, I used to work in retail and call center, also in McDonald's.  In McDonald's i had panic attacks because of the terrible noise there, but I preferred working in the kitchen than service and coffee beverage. Whatever job that was- contact with customers, the obligatory to make eye contact and small talk and the constant uncertainty,  when will some customer approach me and ask something,  used to make me extremely anxious and depressed. The call center job was same uncertainty with the inbound calls (technical support) and same with the small talk between colleagues.  I also struggled to sit in front of a screen the 8 hours, I needed additional breaks because I couldn't look at the screen. I often used to go to the bathroom to cry and myself didnt know why. I always thought im just i ferior to others. Now I work in a warehouse.  Its not perfect,  I'm also tired and probably burnt out and there is a mentally ill colleague, who makes it all even harder, but the job itself is not so damaging. And i use my strengths there. At least I don't hear anymore that I have to modulate my voice while talking to a customer, I have very little contact with customers.  I graduated bachelor degree in logistics,  speak 3 foreign languages fluently and have good PC skills and I'm so unattractive and lack self confidence,  that the maximum I'm capable of is this, as listed. At least I have a job.

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