Dear Aunty,
I work in marketing for an international company but feel increasingly disillusioned with my job. I hold a marketing degree and have a couple of years experience and am good at my job. My problem is that I don’t think my job is all that worthwhile. I know it sounds strange but I thought there would be more to life than trying to persuade people to buy things.
Am I being crazy?
Aunty says,
You’re not crazy – you’re just a bit disillusioned that’s all. I suspect many people reading your letter would love to have the job that you have (and I am sure many of your friends and family have told you this) but the truth is that we all differ in terms of what brings us a sense of satisfaction in our work.
So what should you do?
I think you have lots of options but before you do anything I would recommend that you have long hard think about your situation.
- Do you think this is just a temporary period of disillusionment?
- Would you really gain more satisfaction in another job?
- What sort of salaries do other jobs pay?
You mention that you think that your job is not “worthwhile” and that this is because you thought there would be more to life than trying to persuade people to buy things. You might not appreciate the work you do put the people who buy the products might be. In addition, your family might find the income you earn in this job makes it “worthwhile”.
Another option could be to stay in your current role but volunteer in your spare time doing something that feel is worthwhile. If this option doesn’t interest you, there are lots of different things that you could do with your skills. Have you considered applying for permanent job in the charity or voluntary sector? Organisations in these sectors need marketing professionals to sell ideas and concepts that make a direct impact on society. These jobs are regularly advertised so why not have a look and see if they are suitable.
The most important thing is not to make any rash decisions that you might later regret.
I hope that this advice has been useful to you. If anyone has been in a similar situation and can offer any guidance please feel free to share your experience and insight.
Aunty
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