Education Helping each other

[Ollie1807]

I kinda get what you mean - i'm 22 and have been working full time since I was 19, having left college and not completing my course. I've never been able to motivate myself academically but learning on the job I love, as I did with IT. The main motivation issue for me is that most of my mates my age are at uni still/on the dole and spend most of their time drinking/messing around, therefore I feel like I'm missing out even though I know i'm not.

Working in IT actually dwindled my interest for it - working in a large office environment as first line support, day after day of people being stupid and making unreasonable requests ("make my pc faster! why don't you know everything about excel! etc") I had just had enough and now work in a junior accountancy role - the money is slightly less but I can actually put up with it day to day and like where I work.

My brother is the same age as you OP - he's been working in the same office for ten years, doing the same job (balancing stockbroker deals or something) and hates it.

Going back to your original post - I don't know what motivates me really or whether I can keep working forever, at the moment it's bills and moving out that I need to pay for so that's what keeps me going and having money to do stuff outside of work. IMO we are all lucky to have jobs, as a lot of people are screwed in this economy job wise.

[Archtronics]

Quick question what do you like doing?

I would hate to be stuck in one job hence I have about 4-5

First off I grew up on a farm and love farm work yes its dirty etc but its home to me, however it doesn't pay well and only looks to get worse in the future so I contract myself out during the summer to do silage work and tractor driving.

I also enjoy working in a real ale pub/ brewery on the weekends mainly because I enjoy the pub atmosphere and a lot of my friends are often in.

And finally I work/study as an architect 4 days a week which is a personal passion.

Its not great pay and the tax man enjoys his fair share but it keeps me busy and I enjoy doing it. In future I hope to start a rental portfolio and find time for a girlfriend.

So I refer back to the first question what do you like doing?

[Porkins' Wingman]

Originally Posted by Archtronics

and find time for a girlfriend

Oh dear. Has nobody told you? Good luck!

Ok, here's a quick list of what I like doing (in no particular order):

- being outdoors
- reading, and thinking up ideas of adventure, comedy and social observations (but haven't yet got very far in putting them down on paper in any formal manner and get too easily distracted). I quite liked doing the reading for my degree and have thought about academic work but don't live close enough to a decent institution.
- being physical, 'on the go'
- doing stuff off the cuff rather than having to plan
- enjoy editing photos and video to make the subject more entertaining (only ever done informally, nothing professional other than taking out chunks of some police video footage to make it short enough for a judge to sit through) - my skills here are only what I've picked up looking at tutorials online and experimenting - insufficient to make me believe I could 'sell' them.

Here's also a quick list of what I hate:
- Professional Development portfolios
- Duplicating work and having to record everything I do for audit-trail purposes.
- Having little choice but to follow documented procedure and rely on other people to make decisions - in my current job everything is just such a ****ing ballache to actually get anything done, too many layers of crap to wade through.

So there you go. If you can take that and find me an occupation that doesn't depend on me having to spend years training without salary I will take great delight in taking you out for a steak dinner.

[Tichinde]

I've just written out my addition to this thread regarding my situation and my lack of will to move on from this company because I'm far too comfortable in what I'm doing.
Actually typing it out has prompted me to update my CV and get out here (I think, we do get free coffee...).

Can't help much with your situation Porkins, I've worked for the same company for 8 years or so (coming up on 5 years in my current role), and I enjoy my job, I just do not like the company anymore. Plus I'm under paid

[IamJudd]

Originally Posted by Porkins' Wingman

Oh dear. Has nobody told you? Good luck!

Ok, here's a quick list of what I like doing (in no particular order):

- being outdoors
- reading, and thinking up ideas of adventure, comedy and social observations (but haven't yet got very far in putting them down on paper in any formal manner and get too easily distracted).
- being physical, 'on the go'
- doing stuff off the cuff rather than having to plan


So there you go. If you can take that and find me an occupation that doesn't depend on me having to spend years training without salary I will take great delight in taking you out for a steak dinner.

Covent Garden street performer.


Done.

Seriously though, start keeping a journal of ideas... Have an iPad? Check out Paper for something arty farty and basic but quick and easy!