Jobs, career, study.

[Jester Joe]

It's your midway to midlife crisis obviously.

Like said, if you're really passionate about it, try switching up the jobs and seeing where it goes. You sound like you already know enough about it to know that you'll actually enjoy it rather than switching and being like "This isn't what I thought it would be"

[JimboJamboBingoBango]

First off: I think it's great that you recognize that you are unhappy with your station in life and can admit it. That's the first step towards self-improvement.

Very few people like their jobs outside of the income they provide. It's odd that you say you don't like working with the public yet continue to do so, so I'd say get out of there ASAP for your own sanity. Unfortunately, even in IT, it's not 'your' success it's the 'teams' success most of the time, but it's not that bad.

Lastly, I'm 29 years old, and after my career stagnated I have decided to return to university to complete my degree. You're never too old, certainly not at 23! You can do it, all you have to do is make sure it's absolutely what you want. Let us know how it goes, and best of luck

[Maltah]

I'm worried that I'm gonna end up being too old to be able to change all this.

You're never too old to go back to school, learn something new, or change your life. Most people are just too scared to go through with it.

[Captain N]

In the words of Yoda "Do or do not. There is no try." You seem to be afraid of making that next step to follow the job you want to be in. You need to fully commit to your decision and not worry about it being the right one. If you want to go into IT and your wife supports your decision then go for it. Nothing worth having ever comes easy.

[Seirith]

If your wife is able to pay the bills while you are in school, you want to go back and she is ok with it, why not go back? You are only 23! I went back to school at 24, got my B.A., worked two years FT and then went back to school FT again to get my MS in Management, all while my husband worked and supported us. He was ok with it and I only PT or sometimes not at all depending on what was going on in school. In the end I am glad I went back and I finished my B.A with a 3.87 and my M.S with a 4.0.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

I'm 23, married, I have a good relationship, decent income, my life is pretty stable but I feel very stuck in it to the point that it's making me be mildly depressed.

I work as an assistant manager for a smartphone/electronics store, but I keep seeing myself growing more and more in this business when all I ever wanted was to go to college so I can work with IT. Every time I had an opportunity to study, my job or life in general would take me away from it. It's specially more difficult now that I have a family to worry about (even though my wife fully supports this idea).

To me this is all very exhausting because I don't like to deal with the public, or all the BS that comes with managing. Also, my personal success depends greatly of the performance of others and that's something that goes against with who I am.

I'm worried that I'm gonna end up being too old to be able to change all this. Thankfully I have a friend that owns a business and he might be able to give me a job that pays me a bit less but will give me plenty of free time for me to study, but this will only happen in around 5-6 months so it doesn't make me feel much better.

Work feels like hell now. Not because I'm lazy or I just simply don't like it, it's just the feeling that I'm stuck with it that kills me.

Has anyone ever had to go through something similar? What did you do to change it?

Have you considering trying to open a business yourself? It's possible to have flexible hours and location independent businesses.

Even then, if you have a side business going on you get plenty of spare money to go tell your boss to fuck himself with a pineapple because you aren't dependent on a job that isn't even going to be a stable one. You can easily be sacked, replaced, have your pay downgraded and you can't do anything about it because you have no leverage.

I'm telling you, it'll suck now but a two-pronged approach and having a business on the side will be fantastic once it actually does kick off whatever it may be. You'll start getting that 1:1 ratio of work:money for once in your life and it can be mildly addicting.

Something to consider and don't tell me you can't because if you can manage a lemonade stand you can handle a business. Hell, you're even better off in terms of experience because you're an assistant manager.

Although a family kind of throws a wrench in the mix of things because a family is a job in itself. You have my sympathies, OP, I'd hate to be straddled with baggage like that while trying to open a side business.

[Deleted]

The main problem isn't your age, it's that you have commitments tied to your job, so it's much harder to just change what you're doing. That'll be your biggest barrier; maintaining your marriage, car, house, whatever, while you go back to university or re-train for a new career. You might have to have a serious talk with your partner about how affordable that is, and what your options are, and what compromises you both might have to make.

[Eurydemus]

The main problem isn't your age, it's that you have commitments tied to your job, so it's much harder to just change what you're doing. That'll be your biggest barrier; maintaining your marriage, car, house, whatever, while you go back to university or re-train for a new career. You might have to have a serious talk with your partner about how affordable that is, and what your options are, and what compromises you both might have to make.

I'm going to second this.

Really think this through very carefully, OP, and make sure the final decision includes your spouse's input. The up-side is, you don't have kids, so there's less pressure there, but you still need to plan, which should (must) include a healthy savings account to meet unexpected expenses. Before you make any major life changes, research the field you intend to study for and go into (e.g. determine the job prospects, pay, cost of living if you have to relocate, etc.). This isn't a rainbows-sunshine-and-farts type of scenario where you can say, "Screw it! I'm quitting my job for a better life" and eventually land on your feet. There are countless instances of people making terrible career miscalculations because of poor planning. Don't be one of them.

[Theinquisition]

Yes, I'm from the US and I'm fucked. I actually have enough cash to pay for half of the price of it and then I'd get credit for the rest, but I lack the time.

Go military, get your GI Bill...profit.

[Spectral]

I left science at 29 years old to go do an entirely different career, after having burned the time and energy to get a Ph.D. and do another 4 years of postdoctoral work. You don't have to keep doing something you don't like, and I know almost no one that regrets making a big career change that they've genuinely thought out.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

Go military, get your GI Bill...profit.

Have your wife shag other guys behind your back while overseas.

Obligatory OP's wife would never do such a thing.

[Xeones]

I'm 23, married, I have a good relationship, decent income, my life is pretty stable but I feel very stuck in it to the point that it's making me be mildly depressed.

I work as an assistant manager for a smartphone/electronics store, but I keep seeing myself growing more and more in this business when all I ever wanted was to go to college so I can work with IT. Every time I had an opportunity to study, my job or life in general would take me away from it. It's specially more difficult now that I have a family to worry about (even though my wife fully supports this idea).

To me this is all very exhausting because I don't like to deal with the public, or all the BS that comes with managing. Also, my personal success depends greatly of the performance of others and that's something that goes against with who I am.

I'm worried that I'm gonna end up being too old to be able to change all this. Thankfully I have a friend that owns a business and he might be able to give me a job that pays me a bit less but will give me plenty of free time for me to study, but this will only happen in around 5-6 months so it doesn't make me feel much better.

Work feels like hell now. Not because I'm lazy or I just simply don't like it, it's just the feeling that I'm stuck with it that kills me.

Has anyone ever had to go through something similar? What did you do to change it?

I have been working my way part time through a degree in computer networking. The more I learned the less I liked. Realistically speaking while the market is growing it's completely over saturated. It is incredibly hard to get a decent job in IT because so many people do the certificate programs.

What you will probably end up with is help desk type jobs where the first question you have to ask is "Is the power cord in all the way?" and it might actually be the problem. Maybe you can step up to coming in over night to do back ups after that, or better get in a company that contracts to a lot of different places for you to be on call 24/7.

Competition is high, pay is low, and the good jobs have been handed off to contract companies rather than being in house like they used to in many places.

I've started looking into an electrician apprenticeship myself.