Struggling to adjust to full time work

I dont have a degree but managed to get a pretty good job back in november of last year (almost comming up to my firs full year in work) and I work 9-5:30 each day, at first I felt this dreadful and was really drained by it but I try and find things to look forward too, I read or go round shops on my breaks and go to a local gym some days after work, stuf like that keeps me focused lol

generally though I just "got on with it" but dont get me wrong I still dislike this job but thats because I was also "mis-sold" at the interview, I was lead to believe I'd do helpdesk type work for a few months then begin moving into softwar dev (my job title is actualy support analyst/junior developer, and my job description actualy reflects this, but since november all ive been doin is helpdesk, network admin and fixing every computer in the damn place lol

the worst part for me is people in my office dont talk much at all, not even with people who arent me (im alot younger than the rest) so its quiet, but if that isnt bad enough I get most of my tasks done by mid morning (no joke) then im just sat waiting for the phone to ring lol

but yeh I hate my job, but it gives me the lifestyle I want atm (rented house and my own car) so I, like so many others just have to "tough it out" and get on with it until we find somthing we like better

Its al about perspective and finding those little things that make work more bareable, also I think recharging your "mental" batteries is important, if you wake up early on weekends cos of your new sleep routine, go for a long walk or a job while its quiet out, preferably somewhere with scenery, also try and do fun/social things on weekends when you can, even if its just a coffee and a chat, it really makes all the difference, and once you realise your extra income facilitates these social things better youl feel a little better about the job!

hope this helps!

Wow your job/life sounds pretty similar to mine atm xD

But yeah sounds like we're both in a similar position, in that we don't exactly love our job but we just get on with it because it allows us to do what we want with our free time.

Exactly! if it helps I'm currently trying to learn/get better at a few subjects ive always been interested in to try and move to a more specialist area, its hard and sometimes you cant really be bothered but its worth it, even just 30 mins couple of nights a week is making a difference to me,

In the end of the day though, I wont get anywhere without experience and this job is giving me some even if I dont feel its fully rellivant but Ive almost done a whole year and thatl look good on my c.v.

Also seen someone mention funding hollidays, another good thing! see I did plan to go somehwere in november but I had a few unexpected bills lol, that being said im gona go somehwere more local for a few nights, have some good food and just unwind, and I tell you what, I probably wouldnt of been able to do that so freely on a student or part-time budget while also living independently so that imo is one of the best things about full-time work, even if the job itself sucks lol.

Finished uni in May and have been fortunate to get a full time 9-5 job (pay is £18000 which I guess is alright for a first job)

I've been there 3 weeks now, and am struggling like hell with it. As a student I've been so used to lie ins, pubbing it till late, and just generally enjoying life. I worked weekends, so had money to spend too.

But since working 9-5 I find I'm struggling to fit in much around work at all. I have to get up at 6, and don't get home till gone 7 due to the commute I have to make. I'm struggling to sleep as I'm so aware I have to be up early then I find myself checking the time at crazy hours in the morning.

The job itself isn't quite what they sold to me at interview either, it's a lot more targets based than I was led to believe and already feel stressed by them.

I seem to have been struck, rather fiercely, with a reality check about what the working world offers. I went to uni to get a degree to get a job, but mainly to have a good time and now feel like my life is going to be very boring and rather depressing!

A lot of my friends are working in retail still part time and I'm already envying them, not sure whether I should go back to that and have fun while I'm still young and at home with the folks with no responsibilities? And maybe rethink what to do career wise. Thoughts??

Deffo - once you've been somewhere a few months and can start taking annual leave/holiday it gets a lot better. It's nice chilling on a beach or whatever when you know everyone else is at work haha

And yeah it's very easy for people who say 'I wanna take a year travelling' but what is their plan for when they come back? Just hope they will land a job? I think we're doing the right thing by cracking on with work/saving up etc then you can always book a couple weeks off and go somewhere awesome.

Doesn't help the lazy student stereotype! What a waster

very true, the earlier you get on your long term "goals" the better for example I want to eventualy own my own house so the earlier I get on the property ladder so to speak, the better and that doesnt happen without a secure job and steady income xD

also I agree with holliday stuf, I couldnt get away properly this year but I intend to have a right blast somewhere next summer lol, and I think anyone who works fulltime for long enough should too, it helps "recharge" and will feel awesome/be a good experience lol

cant wait to be partying while some other poor sod has to man the helpdesk lol.

If you're renting its gonna be one hell of a long time before you can afford a deposit unless you literally never socialise. Living at home means I'll have enough to buy a properywiyh my girlfriend in 2 years, and I'm still young so don't particularly want that yet. I was happy workin part time in my retail job and earning £600 a month. Now I earn way more with nothing to pay for and no time to spend any of it, so I'm going to save to go travelling. Life's too short to waste the years away sitting at a desk. Living at home, you can save to move out relatively quickly so I know that i can do that later and enjoy myself once I have a nice pot of money to take away with me. The experience will still be on my cv when I come back, and a legit reason for the 'gap'.

Sounds like you've started the rat race way too young, lets hope you don't regret it in the future when you realise it's the same thing to come for the next 50 years!

How old are you out of interest? Each to their own though mate, sounds like you've got a good plan. Personally I'm 23 now, been working full time since I was 20 and don't regret it at all. Acquired lots of nice gear and working towards my deposit/driving license - and also making a pretty good wage compared to a lot of my friends. I've always put off the idea of taking a gap year/traveling because of the CV gap and lack of money that most likely comes afterwards haha.

The world of work doesn't have to be bad. I graduated last year and have been working full-time for a while, and I'm having a blast. I enjoy the work I'm doing, and it also helps that the people are friendly and the commute is pretty short.

If you really hate your job then consider quitting, life is too short to spend your working days unhappy. Alternatively you could grind it out for a year or so and look for something else with your newly acquired work experience.

If you hate it then get out while you still can - while you're young and don't have bills to pay/massive financial responsibilities tying you down.

All the people who tell you ''welcome to the real world'', ''this is adult life'', ''reality check'' etc are brainwashed. Sounds harsh but it's true - people are enslaved into the system because they're led to believe it's the only way to survive - it's false. You do not have to hand your life over to a company for 30+ hours a week of your life, is it really worth it to spend that amount of your time in a place that doesn't fulfill you for around 50 years until you retire, have a couple of years of peace then go to a nursing home and die? People just try to stick their head in the sand and tell themselves ''that isn't going to happen to me'' but of course it will if you work in an office/shop full time and don't pursue a way out. Follow your passion - you have to be hungry for it though. Companies really don't care about individuals - as much as they'd like you to believe that they value you - they don't. You could be made redundant at the drop of a hat if a company went bust/had to downsize and then all of those weeks/months/years that you gave your life to a company will seem even more meaningless - you should have given those years to your own dream, not someone else's. Everyone is just a cog in the machine, a number.

I know how soul destroying it is sit in an office/run around a shop for 8+ hours a day for a crap wage - I've done it. Then I woke and realized - I was only doing it for the money and the money didn't even mean a thing to me. The joy of seeing my wage slip once per month wasn't enough to make up for the fact I was handing my life over to a faceless company and getting nothing in return but meaningless money that disappeared as soon as I had it - and got taxed like ****.

Some people tell you to stay in a full time job because that's what they did and they can't stand to see someone making a success of their life doing something that they actually enjoy rather than rotting away in front of a computer/behind a till. Do what you want to do - you've only got one life.

Amazes me that people doing a 9-5, Mon-Fri job struggle to find time to spend their money. I'm in college doing A-levels 5 days a week, then I work at a fast food restaurant Saturday AND Sunday as well as some weeknights, but I still find time to socialise, play sports etc. Sometimes you've just got to force yourself to do something other than sit on the sofa, even if you feel shattered.

Lol a levels 5 days a week?! Yeah...okay!! You can't really compare a 'week' at sixth form to a full working week I'm afraid!

I worked a lot too, whilst doing my a levels and my degree, and its nothing like the routine of doing a 9-5 job. The adrenaline of trying to achieve the best grades enables us to revise and study whilst working/seeing friends. Plus you earn a lot more money working full time, obviously. So it's easy to spend £400 a month on socialising/treating yourself but a monthly full time wage is obviously a lot higher. That adrenaline that saw me actively pursuing uni work, retail work and seeing friends and going out regularly disappears once you hit your first proper job/set in stone routine and the reality that that's how life will be now for a very long time to come!