What do you do when nothing is interesting? (Career advice wanted)

[Mymar]

I've decided that it's time to drop the engineering major, and find something else, because I just can't stand math, no matter how much I try to like it, it  just makes me angry, or frustrated, or both. I want to at least not hate my job. All I know is, I want to work indoors, I want to be able to get raises, or promotions. I want something challenging as well. Most of the options that came up with a career test thing I took, basically sound like "repairman" or "janitor"  Which is what I feel like when I see the word "technician" I don't want to be that guy that asks the rest of the world if they turned it on the rest of my life. I'm interested in languages, but don't want to teach.  I would like a language degree, but there's nothing I could do with it but teach, besides I could never afford to live a year anywhere outside the country anyway.  So what in the world am I supposed to do with my life?

[Furgie]

Actually, the job I got at a print shop sounds a lot like this.  It may vary from position-to-position, but most of my math is figuring how many of a thing I can fit on a sheet to print it out, and how many of those sheets do I need to print to get the total, plus some extra to account for error.  I'm indoors, will be getting my first evaluation come the end of the year, if the company expands anymore I'll have a chance at promotions, and it has it's challenges.  Just today I had to figure out why InDesign was registering both squares as black but Adobe Acrobat was showing the squares on the PDF as two different shades of black.  You have to learn a bit of art to handle a few new compositions, but for the most part, I work with what people already have.  Granted it may be different elsewhere, but it's something to think about.

A friend of mine took Graphic Design, and it's more about general shapes and logos than it is creating art.

[Undine]

Hello Mymar - I realize you asked this question a little over a week ago, but reading your description got me thinking some.  Since I have not been approved and cannot actually look at profiles, I am thinking by the way you write, you may be in the U.S. (perhaps Canadian as well, I could be wrong of course -  ignore all I say after this if you are!  XD)

But have you ever considered enlisting in the military as an option?  Obviously you are a very intelligent person to have gotten as far as you have in an engineering degree - I cannot imagine the ASVAB test would be difficult for you at all.  And since you are interested in languages?  I know for a fact the Army has an intense language program located at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA.  Would the initial Army basic training be as indoor as you might wish?  Oh no, I imagine not, but once you get to the other side?  In return for a term of service you will receive intense language training, usually in the language of your choice depending on just how well you perform in the ASVAB.  In addition, if you decide not to stay in the military to retirement?  There are plenty of people who go into translating for corporations and international business with the in-demand skills they have - not teaching ;)

Of course, this is just a thought, an option to consider or discard as you will - the very best wishes for you, whatever you decide.

[MasterMischief]

I still haven't figured out what I want to do with my life.   ;D

[Mymar]

Hello Mymar - I realize you asked this question a little over a week ago, but reading your description got me thinking some.  Since I have not been approved and cannot actually look at profiles, I am thinking by the way you write, you may be in the U.S. (perhaps Canadian as well, I could be wrong of course -  ignore all I say after this if you are!  XD)

But have you ever considered enlisting in the military as an option?  Obviously you are a very intelligent person to have gotten as far as you have in an engineering degree - I cannot imagine the ASVAB test would be difficult for you at all.  And since you are interested in languages?  I know for a fact the Army has an intense language program located at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA.  Would the initial Army basic training be as indoor as you might wish?  Oh no, I imagine not, but once you get to the other side?  In return for a term of service you will receive intense language training, usually in the language of your choice depending on just how well you perform in the ASVAB.  In addition, if you decide not to stay in the military to retirement?  There are plenty of people who go into translating for corporations and international business with the in-demand skills they have - not teaching ;)

Of course, this is just a thought, an option to consider or discard as you will - the very best wishes for you, whatever you decide.

I can't even drive because of my eyesight so I doubt that is even an option for me.