I am in a rotten mood

[alarimer]

I am sick to death of my job AND my coworkers, at least two of whom are assholes at least some of the time. I am bored out of my mind at my job but have been unable to move up. Every single time I apply for a better job, they give it to someone from outside the agency. I am "just" a fish and wildlife technician- I must stay in my stupid little box, doing the same boring shit day in and day out. For ten years this has been going on. I learned everything I needed to know at this job in the first five minutes I was there. Seriously. I almost have a Masters and I am in a job that calls for a GED. It makes me feel like shit. They hire mostly college graduates for them but still. I cannot do this anymore. I am 38 years old. This is not how my career was supposed to go. I wanted to be more than this. I am capable of so much more but nobody gives me a chance. I am working on a Masters but I know that even when I finish it's not going to be the magic bullet to get me a new job. I am so embarrassed that I LIE about my job title to people that I meet I know, it's stupid and it's not like anybody knows the difference but I cannot admit that I have the lowest possible job in my agency and no chance in hell of ever being anything else. Not here anyway. I need to make a concerted effort to find a new job. But I refuse to work for industry or consulting firms- I am not selling my scientific integrity to the highest bidder and I am not a business person, I would not do well in the corporate environment, seeing as how I really hate corporations in general. So it is government, colleges/universities, or non-profits.

[Sequoia]

1. I annoy my co workers by bringing up the African watering hole website.

Those African crickets drive them bats. Since you're in the animal business just tell them is "business related". Ha! I know how you feel. Guess I'm glad I never finsished collage since all the grads aren't getting anywhere and have to take low paying jobs.

Sure wish a lion would come by and roar!

http://www.wavelit.com/index.asp?ch=Wildlife&sh=africam#

[alarimer]

4. I found a really cool website called

underwaterchannel.tv.

It shows underwater videos. Really high resolution too.

No one told me when I was in college that I really needed at least a Masters to get anywhere in biology. But I am at least working on it.

[LynzM]

2. Ah dude, many hugs to you....

It doesn't sound like your current job is a good fit for you, but I can also understand not wanting to sell yourself out to the highest bidder. Have you done a lot of online job-trolling yet? I know that with some sites like Monster and the like, you can set it up so that it emails you every time new jobs are posted that meet your criteria. Might be a place to start, at least.

What will you be getting your Master's in? And what, in an ideal world, would you like to do with it?

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[alarimer]

3. I have looked at Monster a little bit

But it doesn't really have a lot in my profession. There are online job boards that I use. I haven't seen much lately for me. And I have been largely concentrating on finishing my MS. I am hoping that will help but I know it's not the magic bullet. I need to complete my thesis and get it published. That would help more.

I had an interview a year or so ago with another group in the same agency. I did really well on the interview. I usually do. But he said that I lacked "management experience" which I took to mean people management, as in being someone's supervisor. But I am in a position in which I supervise no one. How am I supposed to get that kind of experience? It's really frustrating.

[SPKrazy]

5. Wow Alarimer

I'm sorry you are having such a time with your job. One spends way too much time in their job to feel miserable at it. It sounds like you would do well in a university environment, and I don't know what universities are around where you live, but you don't need to sell yourself short. You sound like you are very bright and have a lot going for you but are just feeling the reality of not being in a good situation and I'm sorry you feel embarrassed to tell people your job title.

:hug:

[alarimer]

6. It's dumb really

Me complaining about my silly job when people are dying in Iraq. Well actually part of my bad mood IS because of world events. I hate this administration so much I am sure it is slowly poisoning me of whatever enjoyment I might have had. There was also a death in the family this week, my grandmother's companion, Mike. So I suppose she is not long for this world too. She is 89 after all, but it would be the end of an era that's for sure. And Molly Ivins dies while Bush and Chenay are still walking around free men? Un-fucking-believable. Not fair at all. SO things suck all around really.

[SPKrazy]

7. Yeah, Molly Ivins dying got me too

I'm sorry about your grandmother's companion and while I hope she hangs in there, 89 is getting pretty old and lots of things can come along and take a person that old's health pretty quickly. That sucks and I lost my mother a little over a year ago and worry about my dad now (72 y/o but like he was totally devoted to her and lived to take care of her the last 5 years of her life)

You know, everything is relative Alarimer. While yes, there are people dying in Iraq, that doesn't mean that your situation isn't a big deal to you. I think it sounds like you have talents and abilities that are not being used (your employer is the loser there too since they don't seem to have a desire to get the most out of you!) and that hurts a person emotionally, and spiritually. (and I don't mean God or anything by that, I mean it hurts your spirit or will to live.) Life is too short to stick around where you don't feel wanted or appreciated, and are in a position (or soon will be) to do much more.

Hang in there, get your master's degree and I suspect doors will open either before then or shortly after for you.

Gotta get better ya know!

:hug:

[XemaSab]

8. Working for the man isn't so bad

We get paid, the work is interesting, and you're always learning. Also, if you feel like you have integrity, it's better that you do the environmental work on a shitty project than some asshole who doesn't own a pair of binoculars. :eyes:

[alarimer]

9. Well I'm mostly not the corporate type

I could not possibly fit in to that kind of environment. I didn't mean it to sound like I was slamming people who do that kind of work. I have know some who did okay and some who hated it. And I have known some who have completely sold out as well.

And I also could not work in a permitting office for whatever state because it crushes my soul just a little every time a new development goes in somewhere. And it seems like many agencies (including my own) just rubber-stamp these things with no protest. So I really don't know where I belong, to be quite honest.

[XemaSab]

10. I'm not the corporate type at all either

I wear jeans to work and nobody cares. The only thing that's really corporate about where I work is filling out timecards and sitting in meetings. And our paid time off is a bit shitty. :P