Career/life advice please!

[PinkSwoon]

Evening everyone,

Haven't been on here in a while as I've been super busy with life! Hope everyone is well & looking forward to hearing input because I'm tearing out my hair! Here's the situation...

I'm 22 & I work full time for a company I absolutely adore but I've decided in the last few months that I want to go to uni. The course I want to do takes six years part time (I want to do part time study because I need to work F-T for the financial commitments I have; also six years at uni will give me the opportunity to build up contacts & experience that I don't think I would get if I studied F-T.

Recently I have had a few unfortunate events happen that has meant my outgoings have increased for the next year or so. In my current job I don't get any recognition & sometimes put in more than 55 hours a week for which I don't get paid overtime or even so much as a 'thanks', I've been promised many things which have never materialised (everyone has been promised the same thing so there's a lot of competition between staff) & nobody has any time to invest in development of staff but I absolutely love the company & could literally go anywhere in the world with them but I feel like they are taking the p!ss.

The dilemma I'm facing at the moment is do I stay my current job (which is in the industry related to the course I want to do) but doesn't pay very well & get treat like an idiot or switch jobs to something which pays better but is in a completely different industry but is also less stressful?

I'm scared of leaving the industry as it means a lot of doors are kept open but I feel if I had a less stressful, better paid job I would have less financial burden & I'd be able to put 100% into uni.

What do you think? Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

 

[PicklePie]

Is there a reason you can't you change jobs but stay in the same industry? Why not do something you love but in a company where you feel valued and appreciated? You are in charge of your own life and if you're unhappy it's only you that can make the change. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

[PinkSwoon]

Thanks Picklepie! I could switch jobs into the same industry but the pay is all roughly the same so I'd rather stay put but the job I've found in an unrelated industry pays almost double so I'm tied! Thankyou for the kind words

 

[PicklePie]

Just a thought but feeling valued and appreciated isn't always just about money!

 

[PinkSwoon]

Agreed. But I hate change so I wouldn't want to uproot myself to somewhere else earning the same amount only to have to change again later down the line when I'm still working hard & still poor haha

 

[Grace_Hair]

Looking at your replies. I get the feeling your minds made up and you want us to agree and confirm your thoughts

 

[Reidebot]

As these guys may tell you, I let my old job basically eat me up and spit me out and then stomp on me. I changed a career, not because I hate the industry but because I hated the job which lead me into believing I hated the industry. One thing I can tell you is that it is hard doing school and your job. I decided to stay and help replace myself but it ended up getting too much for me. And that is with me cutting my work hours down. Now my situation may be different to yours but balancing school and work can be hard and exhausting. That's not to say you can't do it. It is just a lot to take on and you're the only one who can actually make the judgement of how you are coping. If you can get put on part time at work rather then 55 hours that will help. But you have to be stern about your hours as I was being called into work while I was in class.

On the other hand, it is really difficult to not have a job. You seem to know where you stand in your workplace and it sounds to me like it's not a very good place for you. What I personally would do is find a cafe or something that can work around your hours for class. That way you have an income supporting you on a job that you can leave at the door. Cafes don't tend to stay open too late either.