I'm a 23 year old software developer. I get paid reasonably well, I get on well with the people at work, I'm pretty good at what I do but I don't enjoy it and I don't feel like I'm achieving anything. I don't believe in God but I'd like to be able to look back at my own life at some point in the future and feel like I've achieved something. If I keep on this current path I'll probably end up being a software developer all my life or possibly getting promoted in this job or in another similar job. Making people's life slightly easier with software doesn't really strike me as being an achievement. I feel like I want to leave this job for something else but I don't know what.

Are there any other people in a similar situation to me? If so, have you considered doing something else?

For those who aren't in a similar situation, can you recommend a new career?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I'm in a similar boat. I'm 24 and working as an engineer for an oil services company.

Quite often I think about what it all 'means'. The trouble is, most jobs these days are very meaningless and it can often be hard to see the purpose or fruits of your labour.

Jobs that give you a real sense of enjoyment or achievement are hard to come by IMO, and are more a fantasy than anything else, unless you land your dream job!

For me, I am quite happy with my job & circumstance. I work in Malaysia just now, which is a great experience & opportunity, but at the same time I miss home. For now, I am happy to keep in this line of work. It keeps me busy, is quite varied and I get to travel around the Asia Pacific region. I see my time over here as an 'extended work period'. What I mean by this is that I'm over here to work, and I have to sacrifice a lot of the fun things I like to do. The upside is that I get good benefits and great chance to save for my future.

I intend to do this for a few years as a good way to learn and get valuable work experience. It should be a great stepping stone for my future career.

buy a motobike, join a 4x4 club, do things that expose yourself to danger? (and a wilder range of people of course) Of try something completely opposite to your norm.

Quote from amp88 :

I don't feel like I'm achieving anything.

Well, what does make you feel like you're achieving something? Ultimately this answer can only be provided by you, others can only point you into the direction of 'self-discovery' .

When it comes to work, doing what you like to do may be the answer; I've found though, that doing something other than your 'calling' can help. Doing a software engineering job 9 to 5 (even later..) and then coming home and realising your main hobby is sitting at the same sodding screen can make it lose its value quickly. I've hence found that doing something physical (not necessarily heavy), an outdoor job, is better in keeping me active once the clock ticks over.

I recently got introduced to a guy who'd got a degree and a job in a telecoms field. Over the years he'd got enough of it, so out of the blue he decided to re-train to be a carpenter. Now he's a licensed PI and does woodworking in his spare time because he enjoys it. Quite a ride..

Ummmmm..... my achievements right now is getting good grades so i can study on MIT, and then go to Ferrari Station and work for them...

I think some people are fine doing something that they find just okay, but some people really need to be doing something they love to be motivated. I used to tutor high school math but when I finished my degree I stopped tutoring. Since then I've had three different jobs, and although I've been reasonably good at them, I've just lost motivation after a few months and ended up quitting. I'm not the kind of person who can just suck it up and do something I'm not that into. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing to be honest! In a way I admire people who are able to keep motivated and productive when in a job that is not perfect for them. At the same time, I admire people who know what they REALLY want to do in life and are able to go after it. After getting completely bored of my recent jobs, I have decided to go into tutoring math full time. I know it'll be a lot of work and it'll take me a while to get started up again, but I just loved it so much when I was doing it that I don't see myself doing anything different. Suddenly I am more motivated in life and just excited about my future. Not everyone needs to love what they do for work, but I think I'm one of the people who does.

As for you amp88... I agree with the people who have said that there are many ways to find a purpose in life. For some it is through their work, and for many people work is very much a primary focus in life. For others, they work as a means to an end and their sense of purpose and enjoyment comes from what they do other than work. And as I said, some people are happy working as a means to an end, and some people really need to do something they enjoy in order to be productive and happy. One thing I realise now is that there is no big hurry in finding out where we fit into all of this, and figuring these things out is just a part of the journey...

Success = Seeing your kids grow up happy and get into good schools...
Happiness = Being able to go shopping without having to keep a 'running total' in your head so you don't get embarrassed at the checkout.
Security = Not knowing what a debt collector looks like.
Good Job = One where there are more good times than bad times and the majority of tears are tears of laughter.

Example..I am a fully qualified Aircraft Fitter, yet I drive a bus

Moral...F**K what other people think or expect, do what makes you happy!

I'm 33 and so far I've been a professional musician, a chef, and a web developer. Actually I feel like I've been a web developer for way too long and I'm hoping to be able to do something else soon.

I think it's normal to feel the way you do. You might feel a bit differently if you were your own boss, but you'd still probably get sick of the work eventually.

Quote from amp88 :

I'd like to be able to look back at my own life at some point in the future and feel like I've achieved something.

Then ask yourself what do you consider as an achievement. Be honest about it though.

Quote from Bladerunner :

I am a fully qualified Aircraft Fitter, yet I drive a bus

It's when it's the other way around that things get worrying.

I'm 16.
I don't really care about achieving anything in the future.
Aslong as i live a good fun fullfilled life i couldn't really care.

Quote from amp88 :

I'm pretty good at what I do but I don't enjoy it

Then get the hell out of there. If you don't enjoy your job then I can guarantee you will get a burnout before you're 40.

A job can fulfill several needs:
- to earn enough money
- to enjoy themselves
- to do something they are good at
- to help other people
- to find self-realization

IMHO one shouldn't expect to find a job that will fulfill all of them. Instead, you can look for a job that leaves you enough free time. Time in which you can chase your other goals in life.

Your job can be meaningful, but it won't mean that you'll always enjoy it. I've spent years in environmental restoration- relatively meaningful work but there were days where I was begging to be put behind a computer in a crappy office somewhere. I guess every job is meaningful in some way, otherwise nobody would be paying you to do it

Sounds like you'd rather be doing something a bit more personally creative, or you're just looking for something different. Explore your options, think about what you might like to do, and then take the steps to make it happen. You're 23 so no problems about starting anything new.

A little bit on from the original topic. Perhaps inevitably I have decided to pack it in. I gave my notice a few weeks ago so next Friday will be my last day. I have no long term plan to speak of (career wise), and my short term plan doesn't include work. I plan to buy a bicycle and lose the weight I put on in the job (plus a bit more hopefully) sitting about all day typing. I've always wanted to write my own F1 package (statistics and so on), so I may do that as a hobby. Long term I don't know what I'll be doing.

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