The discontent of a mature graduate stuck in a dead-end job.

Here is my story. From the age of 26 to my present age of 41, I have been working in an office support role for a city-based firm. It has been a steady, albeit undemanding role where I am seen as the efficient, reliable ‘Mr. Fix It’ that gets things done. Whilst I think that I play an integral role in the running of the office, in reality, I am a mere foot soldier. Despite completing various self-funded IT software courses during my tenure with the firm, mistakingly believing that my future was in that field, I have still found myself stuck in my current position. So four years ago, I asked myself what did I really want to do and decided to take the plunge by studying for a part-time degree in Spanish & Latin American Studies. Spanish was my favourite subject at school and it was always a regret of mine that I didn’t do a degree in my early twenties along with my peers. For four years, I studied night classes after work until I finally graduated last summer, amid Covid-19 and ‘zoom-a-versity’ online classes. So now that I have my degree, I can just leave my job knowing that the world is my oyster, right? Wrong. Because after 15 years, I’m afraid to take a leap of faith and finally leave my boring but dependable job.

Many of you will rightly ask, “if you weren’t happy there, why didn’t you just leave your job?” My stock answer would be because it was a steady wage and I had rent to take care of. But the truth is that I didn’t have the self-belief to think I could do anything else. Therefore, as boring as the job was and is, it doesn’t challenge me and take me out of my comfort zone. I come into the office, do what needs to get done, and leave at 4.30. “Okay”, you might reply, “but now you have your degree, why don’t you use it to do what you want to do?” And here is the rub. Despite scouring all the language graduate career websites, I still don’t know what it is I want to do. Teacher, translator, tour operator to a bunch of 18–35 booze-filled Brits! None of these appeals. Yet surely all that studying must amount to something. Yes. Just what the hell am I going to do with it?

I described my situation to a trusty colleague recently and she likened my job to a “pair of comfy old slippers”. Well to continue using the shoe analogy, I need to try and squeeze my feet into a pair of Lady Gaga’s supersize heel platforms. The right job and more the right career is out there for me. I might even end up doing a few jobs to make ends meet. I just have to believe in myself and what I bring to the table. Analyze your strengths and go from there. Steady wage, comfortable, dependable? We have seen, particularly over this past year that our comfort zone can change in a blink of an eye. For those looking to make a career change, life is too short to be stuck in a dead-end job. JUST GO FOR IT.