Job switch?

[TimMierz]

I've been really unhappy with work recently. I'm a code monkey at a nice software company. I get paid well, I work with okay people, it's all nice. But it's been eating away at me. I learned partway through college that, well, I don't enjoy programming. Which isn't helpful for a guy with a computer science degree. I feel like I'm completely insignificant there, one guy making tiny modifications to a huge codebase. I really need something where I'm interacting, preferably teaching. I'm planning on going back to school for the 2010-11 school year, but that's a ways off. I've been at my current job for over a year, and I don't know how much more of this I can take. I've started becoming depressed and I feel I need to do something sooner. Jobs aren't in high supply right now (big surprise to everyone) but I can try to talk to my manager at work and see if I can get a position elsewhere in the company - for instance, our customer support team has some openings, maybe I could do that for now. Pray for guidance, a solution, and most of all God's will. Thank you.

[The Guardian]

Have you thought about maybe finding a place to do volunteer work outside of your regular job? I sometimes feel the same way regarding my job, but I believe it helps that I am actively involved in a couple of the ministries at my church. That was just the first thought that came to me when reading your post, and I hope things work out for you!

[YourMathTeacher]

Prayers are up, up, and away!

I am completely biased, so I would recommend you pursue teaching. There are few earthly things more rewarding than having students get an "Aha!" moment during your class. Rarely will students thank you verbally, but there are many times that students show their appreciation in subtle ways.

I certainly feel appreciated teaching in the Orlando area, because I get free admission (on select days) to Universal Studios, Gatorland, Wonderworks, Orlando Science Center, and discounts to everywhere else. That's besides having every night, weekend, and holiday off. I would say that you get summers off, too, but many teachers have to find other jobs over the summer to get by. For me, however, working at Epcot has been fun, plus I get six free admissions for my family as a perk.

Although teacher pay is much maligned, for a single person the pay should be more than enough, considering it's based on 10 months of work. I'll admit that I have struggled financially throughout my teaching career, but I have been the only support for my family, since my wife homeschools. You also would get free health care for yourself, which is a big deal these days.

As an aside, when I first started college as a Math major, I found that many of my career specific courses (like Accounting) were boring as far as being something I would do for the rest of my life. I switched to education because I realized I could have a more direct impact on people's lives, and not be bored. Teaching keeps me on my toes every day, every minute. It is mentally exhausting, but the days go by fast and the holidays come quickly. 

You will ultimately have to decide what is best for you in your circumstances. I'm sure that there are plenty of accountants that love their job and find it rewarding. I just can't think of any off the top of my head. 

[southpawami]

I will be praying for you.  I second The Guardian's advice.  It's true, the right volunteer work can get you out of a mental rut.  Plus, I add a suggestion to read your Holy Bible daily.  It's a good book.

[Alex_Olijar]

You should come to school in Pittsburgh.  We could go to college together, but somehow I don't feel like my business school has many teaching courses...

You should be a computer sciences teacher if you go into teaching. I could picture you being very good at that. Either way, God will guide you.

[christiangamer25]

lol tim mierz went to school in pittsburgh haha