You make $65,000 (USD 🤢) in a dead end career doing nothing but showing up sometimes. Guaranteed employment without change in intensity or salary until retirement in 15 years at age 62. You receive 3 weeks paid vacation, reasonably priced medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k matched at 2.5%, and virtually unlimited sick days as long as you don’t call out too often (>3x month). You are given 6 college credits per semester to use at the local university. You’re currently working on a PhD.
You live comfortably and have 1 year’s salary saved. Zero dependents.
Do you ride it out, or do you seek a career change before it’s too late.
I know, infinite unknown variables, but what would you do regardless?
UPDATE: I’m slightly taken aback by how many of you actually took the time out of your day/evening to reply to my personal crisis. I’ve think I’ve replied to everyone, which, in doing so, made this morning surprisingly sunnier. So thanks for that.
Adding some thing I’ve shared in replies. I’m a homeowner with zero debt aside from a very affordable mortgage. Purchased my car outright new in 2024, had household concerns addressed over past five years (new roof, HVAC systems, sump pump, water heater, shed, remodeled bathrooms), have three degrees, and a lifetime of piss poor fortune.
Are you happy?
Regardless of the answer, I’d follow this up with “Are you unhappy?” If you’re happy-ish or at least not unhappy, then the peace of mind that comes with job security is a big motivator.
You can always seek happier happiness outside of work so long as the work itself doesn’t promptly steal it all when you go in the next day.
I’m a contradiction. I’m no more unhappy than I am happy. Pay isn’t the best, but the certainty and creature comforts make it tolerable.
My take - based on everything you are saying in this thread, it sounds like you aren’t happy, but that you are balancing that unhappiness with potential unhappiness you are worried about facing if you were to try for another job.
You talk about pay and creature comforts - but you seem to be avoiding talking about meaning. What is your purpose in life? Because if this job facilitates that purpose, then by all means, keep it. But if it undermines it, then you should ditch it.
Like, imagine you are on your deathbed, and a young highschool boy comes to interview you about your life for a school project. He asks - what did you accomplish? What are you most proud of? What did you learn? What is a story you’d like to tell my class? What are your regrets? If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
What do you want your answers to be?