Unhappy with job, seeking advice

[cjv998]

Hi everyone. Here's a little background on me: I'm 24, got my BS in physics in '08 from Univ. of MO-Rolla, and moved to CA for a job right after graduating. Working for the DoD on a military base, currently testing some software. :(

I'm unhappy with my job, and I don't like where I live (middle of the desert, 90 minutes from any real civilization). I've been trying to find a different job on base with no luck (funding is an issue). If I enjoyed my job more, it would make living here more tolerable. (Also, the dating scene in town is pretty non-existant, which gets depressing.) My current job is really low-visibility, and I don't feel like I'm actually working on anything worthwhile - I don't get any satisfaction out of my work.

Ideally, I'd like to be working in a "real" lab - setting up equipment, running experiments, and collecting and analyzing the data. I'm definitely more interested in the experimental side of things.

And I'd rather live somewhere with more greenery (I miss trees!), and that's a bit closer to shopping and entertainment. (That being said, I don't think I'd like living in a huge city.) Moving closer to MO would be nice too, because I could visit family more often than once a year.

I'm just not sure how to get from where I am, to where I want to be. I think I'd like working at a DoE lab, but it seems like they pretty much require at least a Master's (maybe I'm missing something?). And I wouldn't even know where to begin searching for a job in private industry.

I've considered going back to school for my MS so I'd be more appealing to a major lab. But what if after the 2-yr program, I can't find a job with one of them? Then I'm back where I started, except with more debt from student loans.


So to summarize, I don't like my job or where I live. I've tried finding a different job at my current workplace, to no avail. It seems like I have the following options:

1. Keep looking for a different job on base.
2. Move, and get a job in private industry.
3. Move, and go back to school for an MS, with the hope of making myself more appealing to a major lab.
4. Maybe get a job with just a BS at a major lab? (Can this be done?)

Thanks for the advice!

 

[pjn2000]

You sound very much like myself at that age. I actually took a M.Sc. I did it part time in the evenings for 3yrs. I funded it by teaching in the day time which was heavy going. Sadly I never got the kind of job I wanted but ended up in I.T. Looking back I should have made more of my job at the time - I could have made a real contribution, taken a project and made it fly. Still it's never too late. I hope this helps- good luck!

Hi everyone. Here's a little background on me: I'm 24, got my BS in physics in '08 from Univ. of MO-Rolla, and moved to CA for a job right after graduating. Working for the DoD on a military base, currently testing some software. :(

I'm unhappy with my job, and I don't like where I live (middle of the desert, 90 minutes from any real civilization). I've been trying to find a different job on base with no luck (funding is an issue). If I enjoyed my job more, it would make living here more tolerable. (Also, the dating scene in town is pretty non-existant, which gets depressing.) My current job is really low-visibility, and I don't feel like I'm actually working on anything worthwhile - I don't get any satisfaction out of my work.

Ideally, I'd like to be working in a "real" lab - setting up equipment, running experiments, and collecting and analyzing the data. I'm definitely more interested in the experimental side of things.

And I'd rather live somewhere with more greenery (I miss trees!), and that's a bit closer to shopping and entertainment. (That being said, I don't think I'd like living in a huge city.) Moving closer to MO would be nice too, because I could visit family more often than once a year.

I'm just not sure how to get from where I am, to where I want to be. I think I'd like working at a DoE lab, but it seems like they pretty much require at least a Master's (maybe I'm missing something?). And I wouldn't even know where to begin searching for a job in private industry.

I've considered going back to school for my MS so I'd be more appealing to a major lab. But what if after the 2-yr program, I can't find a job with one of them? Then I'm back where I started, except with more debt from student loans.


So to summarize, I don't like my job or where I live. I've tried finding a different job at my current workplace, to no avail. It seems like I have the following options:

1. Keep looking for a different job on base.
2. Move, and get a job in private industry.
3. Move, and go back to school for an MS, with the hope of making myself more appealing to a major lab.
4. Maybe get a job with just a BS at a major lab? (Can this be done?)

Thanks for the advice!

 

[fasterthanjoao]

1. Keep looking for a different job on base.
2. Move, and get a job in private industry.
3. Move, and go back to school for an MS, with the hope of making myself more appealing to a major lab.
4. Maybe get a job with just a BS at a major lab? (Can this be done?)

First of all, although you are unhappy with your job remember you are in a good (better) situation - you can afford to keep looking for work as long as you need to since you're already able to pay the bills. This means you can take your time to look at all of the options, and go through application processes - that, and you're building up work experience every day you finish.

As far as options go, have you considered speaking to your supervisor in a review about how you feel? It's OK to let them know you aren't enjoying things as much as you'd hoped (after all, it isn't the organisation you have a problem with, it's your specific role), and ask if they can keep you in the loop about any possible transfers to other facilities.

For jobs in private industry, there are lots of options. Job hunting websites are the obvious one, newspapers, employment faires (that might be designed for undergraduates - but head along and speak to one of the recruiters if you want to get some quick info that isn't around on the website), the company websites themselves. Also, a massive (and massively underestimated) option for finding jobs in industry is to go to the employers directly. I don't mean the websites (of course, do that as well) - but sending in a speculative CV. Many employers either don't get around to organising for the advertising of new positions, or just don't because it's expensive and potentially lengthy. Sending in a speculative CV is a great way to find out about potential jobs. You have a degree and a bit of experience now, big that up.

When looking at the companies directly, maybe start off with some list of the best employers - work your way through that for locations that you would be happy with, send off a CV and covering letter and wait. Look at small companies as well, ones that might not have big, fancy websites - you can find these in directories, or even the phone book. I have had many friends over the years that got their jobs in similar ways, and even 'convinced' their new employer to hire them over someone from another discipline - e.g. they were going to advertise for a mechanical engineer, but realized a physicist could do the job as well, and when they get a CV that seems pretty good, why bother spending more time on it?


If you go through these routes, and find you're having no luck, then perhaps it will be time to consider jobs that ask for an Msc as a requirement, which of course means going back to school. Make sure that it is needed, though, since it's a big commitment.

 

[cjv998]

Thanks for the replies! I'll think over this some more, you've both made some good points.