Lost my motivation to study

Ever since April I've completely lost my motivation to study. Came down with the flu and pretty much just reflected on everything I've done over the past year. I guess I've just gotten bummed out because I've been studying and learning new things yet have had no luck finding a new job. My current job is depressing as can be. I shed a tear at how poorly things are done around here and how easy it is to make massive improvements, but when I bring any ideas up they're shot down immediately. Honestly, I just need to catch a break to make me feel like my work is actually paying off even a little bit. I keep trying to dive into some kind of cert or start with my bachelors, but I'm seriously lacking the drive I used to have. Bleh...Guess this is more of a rant than anything else.

Anybody go through something similar? Advice?

Thanks!

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NetworkNewb

I recommend working out if you aren't. Can be either going for a long walk/jog or lifting weights. I like to mix both in. Usually makes me feel better and clears my head. I find it to be a nice break from thinking about all the things I'm trying to get done... Kind of therapuetic

PCTechLinc

I worked somewhere for 5 years where it was becoming miserable. It was a distribution warehouse for a big-box store, and I was the only IT person on staff. I was studying for my Bachelor's Degree in Network Administration while teaching night classes at a local college. Once I finished my Bachelor's, I had earned about 13 extra IT certifications, one being CCNA. I also enrolled in my Master's while I was working there.

Well, that company decided to bring more IT functions to the corporate office, and I lost the ability to do basic IT things like resetting passwords and programming the wireless APs, routers, and switches, and working with the Avaya phone system. My team of Systems Coordinators were leaving, and the people replacing them making a few dollars more than minimum wage, when we came from being salaried Supervisors. I couldn't stand it.

I began my job search, which took a ridiculous amount of time after about 5 months of initially applying, I got the new job. I finally found what I was looking for, with coworkers that I love being around. I've been with my current company for about a year and a half. Well, last week I found out that ALL IT operations are being outsourced to two different outsourcing companies, and the job I love so much will be eliminated in about 3 to 4 months. The job search begins again, and I too am very depressed. I am currently studying for the CCNA Security exam to renew my CCNA by September 21st, and I still teach college classes at night. I love what I do, but I really don't know what I'm going to do.

As far as my advice, just do what you know you can. It may be miserable right now, and you might hate your job every moment you're awake, but it WILL get better. If you're not moving forward, you're just staying still. Best of luck!

quickman007

I've actually just started going to the gym a few months ago. That's pretty much what gets me out of bed every morning, love going there!

That's a bummer PCTechLinc. Hopefully you learned some new skills while you were at the job you loved. After reading all that I suppose my situation could be significantly worse. Be praying for you to find a new position. Looks like you've definitely got the credentials for something good. I swear outsourcing is my biggest fear...

PCTechLinc

Thank you quickman for the kind words. In the past week I've applied at about 8 different places online, seeing if I can find a bite. Out here the competition is fierce. I know I will have a difficult time due to my wage requirements, but my wife doesn't work, and I have a mortgage and other debts. There is a small piece of silver lining though. After the outsourcing, we will have an IT Security group of 4 people that report directly to the Director of IT Security. I'm going to apply for one of those positions, hoping that I can GET the job, and not have to move to the corporate office. IT Security really can be done from anywhere, and I don't want to move.

scaredoftests

That truly SUCKS @PCTechlinc. sending good cyber thoughts

dhay13

do you take over my last job?

. seriously, that sounds just like it. i had lost my desire to work in IT and had thought about changing careers. i finally got hired at my current job and it brought that passion back. i am now on the hunt again but no luck. i'm working in the security sector but there doesn't seem to be much demand for it around here and the ones i find i have applied for with no luck. i will be honest and say that i suck at interviewing so when i do finally get called its an uphill battle

Trucido

I'm not good with consoling, the only thing I can say is it could always be worse. With all of your certifications you should be able to find a decent well paying job, if its not easy then maybe its time for a scenery change? (move)

Columbus OH is where I am from, there are tons and tons and tons of Low - High level I.T jobs everywhere.

Help desk, technical support, customer service (all less than 20/hr)
But also Network admin, network engineer, ect ect. Lots of big companies in Columbus.

Maybe look for an IT Hub in your area?

PCTechLinc

Trucido wrote: »

I'm not good with consoling, the only thing I can say is it could always be worse. With all of your certifications you should be able to find a decent well paying job, if its not easy then maybe its time for a scenery change? (move)

Columbus OH is where I am from, there are tons and tons and tons of Low - High level I.T jobs everywhere.

Help desk, technical support, customer service (all less than 20/hr)
But also Network admin, network engineer, ect ect. Lots of big companies in Columbus.

Maybe look for an IT Hub in your area?

You are definitely right that it could be worse. I'm keeping all options open, but it also depends on what my wife is willing to do. Although I can live anywhere (as long as there are no tornadoes), I don't want to force her to move somewhere she wouldn't be comfortable. And yes, I do know that CA has earthquakes, but the big one hasn't hit YET. My first earthquake experience was the one in 1989.

I'm keeping my spirits up as best I can. All I can do right now is apply and see what's out there. Thanks everyone for the continued support. I will keep you updated as things progress.

scaredoftests

and the DC/Balt metro area has plenty of jobs as well. Almost as expensive as California. LOL

culpano

Great thread ! I know exactly how it feels. It's very hard to stay motivated. I am currently studying for the 70-697 exam and it's hard work. The thing to realise is there has never been a better time to learn stuff with all the resources out there. You can watch fantastic video courses for not much money and you can lab most stuff with VMs and cheap hardware. Also Google and Internet in general will answer practically every issue you encounter or question you have. I sometimes sit there in despair and think I can't get motivated but I make the effort to start that first video and then very quickly get into the mode.

I'm not good at reading to study, I get too bored. I prefer the video training way then lab it as I go along and maybe do a bit of reading later on the particular topic from the video.

I love CBT Nuggets but I have given ITDVDs a try and I think their 70-697 course is fantastic. It's basically hundreds of short videos but no waffle whatsoever and I have learnt so much whilst studying for 70-697.

Their explanation and practical demo of USMT for example is better than any of the other training sources I've used in the past. Hyper-V demos and loads of Powershell examples that are demonstrated with no waffle. I've learned more from these than CBT Nuggets that are much longer videos.

I used them as I had wasted $200 with CBT Nuggets as I wasn't motivated to do the videos at the time so I didn't want to waste a load more money hence me trying ITDVDs at $25 a month.

I know I'll probably need to do a month on CBT Nuggets as well but the courses on ITDVDs are so good they give invaluable practical knowledge and there are a load of coursesI have queued up for later. I am very impressed with them.

I'd like to add I do not work for this company (I live in the UK) !

quickman007

Oh yeah, I definitely need to relocated. I'd do it in a heart beat if I got a job offer. I think my biggest issue is a lack of support, you can only push yourself so far all by yourself. Honestly though, the encouragement from this thread has already given me some motivation to get back on track.

doctorlexus

quickman007 wrote: »

I shed a tear at how poorly things are done around here and how easy it is to make massive improvements, but when I bring any ideas up they're shot down immediately. Honestly, I just need to catch a break to make me feel like my work is actually paying off even a little bit.

I know that feeling; it's why I left IT for several years. I realized early on that no one really wants to hear the peon's ideas. But at the same time, try keeping quiet and they'll get on to you for not speaking up and contributing. It very much felt lose-lose to me at that age.

I think healthy work environments are few and far between. And you have to have significant interests and activities outside of work to help you keep your sanity (as one poster mentioned with the gym). Also, some people seem to have better personalities for navigating that delicate fabric of corporate social dynamics. I had trouble wrapping my head around it, and still do to some extent.

In any case, if you can help it at all, try to study things you're actually interested in. But also realize that sometimes interest comes with investment. I've found myself interested in things I wasn't interested in before once I pushed past certain boundaries and had invested decent amounts of time in them. So try to keep that positive attitude when studying. And take frequent breaks.

quickman007

You're definitely right about that. There's always that attitude of "you don't get to make the decisions, but when things go wrong it's your fault." Bleh, can't stand it. Right now my biggest interests are programming and the eJPT, however, I feel like neither of those will help my career as much as a bachelors or MCSA. I may just knock out the eJPT. It seems to be a fairly quick cert and would probably ignite the spark to study.

doctorlexus

quickman007 wrote: »

Right now my biggest interests are programming and the eJPT, however, I feel like neither of those will help my career as much as a bachelors or MCSA.

I'm honestly surprised how different people will treat you in the corporate world with a degree. When I left IT, I went back to school and got a couple degrees and then went into academia for a while. Academia is wonderful if you want people to listen to your ideas, however it's very easy to stagnate there, depending on your field. But I feel much better for having got the degrees, because in corporate america, they do matter. I really don't believe they should hold the sway they do because I know for a fact there are a lot of idiots with degrees and a lot of very smart people without them. But it is the way it is, so I'd say try to get your degree done as quickly as possible. Don't even worry so much about what it's in...just get it done, keep working on the certs, and things will eventually get better.

The_Expert

My advice - take one day at a time. I'm not a spring chicken anymore now that I am in my early 40's, however, I want to give you guys some hope. When one is young, there are a lot of struggles one has to go through - especially in the early parts of ones career.

I've been there! I've always worked full-time and took College classes at night and let me tell you, the struggle was real! I've had bad jobs and good jobs. Good bosses and bad bosses. Good co-workers and not so good co-workers.

But what helped me, and what will help you is to keep fighting for what you want. Keep improving yourself! Keep pushing yourself forward... this dedication to self-improvement will have a tremendous impact on the type of job / career you can achieve later on.

I've worked with people in the past, who once they find a stable job - will simply remain there. You're better than that... by continuous learning, you will leave these people behind (including lousy bosses and bad companies).

It's not always easy to stay motivated, but trust me. You are going to become a better person because of this. And eventually, you'll find your dream job, with great co-workers, at a great company with a great boss who cares about you.

JoJoCal19

Definitely feel ya, but for me I have the desire, and the motivation. It's the drive that is waning. I'm at a point in my career where I don't HAVE to keep grinding and advancing. I have some things I still want to study for and achieve, but I start and then I'm like meh, I'd rather be reading for leisure or golfing or something else.

quickman007

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement, I really helps. I'm thinking this weekend I'll get my act together and see about getting into the BS:IT Security program at WGU. I really want to just blaze through my bachelors. I feel like that will really help me out with getting interviews at least, not to mention I can pick up several more certs along the way. May start a progression thread just to keep a tiny bit of accountability.

UnixGuy

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

.. I'm at a point in my career where I don't HAVE to keep grinding and advancing. I have some things I still want to study for and achieve, but I start and then I'm like meh, I'd rather be reading for leisure or golfing or something else...

^^ I'm in the exact same dangerous spot! My other problem is that I start thinking of things like "what if the time I spend studying should be spent trying to start a business or doing sales work instead, wouldn't the ROI be better..." etc etc...endless thoughts to make me slack

Essendon

UnixGuy wrote: »

^^ I'm in the exact same dangerous spot! My other problem is that I start thinking of things like "what if the time I spend studying should be spent trying to start a business or doing sales work instead, wouldn't the ROI be better..." etc etc...endless thoughts to make me slack

How about we catch up for a coffee on Wed morning? I hear caffeine and good mates make a good combo to sort these issues out

UnixGuy

Essendon wrote: »

How about we catch up for a coffee on Wed morning? I hear caffeine and good mates make a good combo to sort these issues out

let's do it! during lunch hour in the city maybe? or anytime

Chinook

I shed a tear at how poorly things are done around here and how easy it is to make massive improvements, but when I bring any ideas up they're shot down immediately.

@OP. I'm at nearly 20 years in the industry and I've felt the same way throughout most of my career

. You just have to come to accept that some things cannot be changed & that many corporations view IT as an expense and nothing more. Hey, they view electricity as an expense too. Think about that. Get in the Infosec side of things and it's even worse. You see glaring security holes and no one cares. No one.

If you are finding it hard to be motivated perhaps it's time for a change of scenery at work? If that's not an option, then go study something different in IT. It'll reignite your brain and perhaps even have you change your focus in IT.

beads

I don't have a copy of the original slide but below is my hand copied list from the same.

Scene: One of the many recent security conferences. This list is so true when it comes to IT, particularly security folks.

Anger: “If that guy clicks on that thing again, I may hurt him”

Frustration: “I get money to renew my AV, but can’t get the network forensics funded.”

Despondency: “I have 10 open positions. I can’t fill any of them.”

Hopelessness: “I’ve been working for 20 years for this?”

Capitulation: “I think I’ll call in sick today…”

Author: Mike Rothman, Securosis

Burnout is a form of depression or the blues. We've all been there, most work through it others not so much. Its hard to know when your ready for a change - any change at all. First step is to get back into a small, steady routine and find a worthy goal to accomplish. A new small skill or technique that would be useful, think a short automation script or feed - whatever.

Are you satisfied with the work? The workload (personally, I have to grind or get bored quickly) or lack thereof. The people around you? Boss? Current opportunities, etc. There is alot of ground to cover here.

Good luck and hope your finding some answers already.

- b/eads

quickman007

@beads I think the biggest issue is this is more of an entry level, A+ skillset type of job. I've asked for more responsibilities (especially network related, since of the two of us I know more about it) and have been turned down.

In other news, I just sent in my application to WGU last night. Got a call this morning from them, so I'll call back during lunch and see what's what. Hopefully I can start there next month and get the study wheels turning once more. Maybe I'll make a WGU progression thread. I've heard that good to do. Oh yeah, and I'm going to get out of the dating scene! Was thinking about that last night and realized my life has become significantly more depressing ever since I've started dating. Maybe they've got a class on how to not suck at dating at WGU! XD

Well, the ball is rolling, so onward! Thanks for all the help, guys!

Chinook

@B/eads

The dirty little secret of IT is that it's a job that is prone to high levels of burnout, fatigue and frustration. You are expect to perpetually update your skills on a regular basis. You are often on call, your sleep is interrupted, you work after hours frequently. In many environments you are in the proverbial sinking ship and bailing it out with a bucket. On the desktop side you deal with staff who can be outright hostile to you. Service Desk is like working the front counter at McDonalds. It's brutal. There is no expectation on the user to actually learn how to do something. And the ugly truth is some corporations design help desk TO be annoying to the user so they won't call as much.

All of this for the wages of a truck driver. Even in the senior positions wages are much lower than other professions and they don't have the constant change & after hours work. All this is why so many guys in the industry are burned out, depressed and often live unhealthy lives. High stress & depression makes for bad health & bad eating habits. In the past I was the king of that, trust me.

@Quickman007. I don't have to date anymore but I did at one time. I understand your frustration completely

. I'm an old timer and I used to manage a team of young guys. I was always perplexed how they would sooner spend their time gaming than going after women. Most of them just didn't feel it was worthy use of their time. With age comes wisdom (or is that weariness) but my advice is this in life. The best thing you can do is focus on yourself. Make yourself "great" at what you do. And along the way some women will figure out "hey, this guy is going places" and she'll join you in the journey. It sounds very selfish but it's actually not. Another thing I'd recommend for dating, networking, etc is to take courses in things like manners, public speaking, self reflection, etc. They will help build "you" and the time invested in those courses will be far better spent than mailing 200 different women on POF and getting 4 replies.

As always, good luck.

koz24

I've had this happen to me. The only remedy that works for me is to just take a break and come back to it when I'm hungry again. No point just reading words or labbing without motivation.

AndersonSmith

NetworkNewb wrote: »

I recommend working out if you aren't. Can be either going for a long walk/jog or lifting weights. I like to mix both in. Usually makes me feel better and clears my head. I find it to be a nice break from thinking about all the things I'm trying to get done... Kind of therapuetic

^^^ I completely agree! I went through a similar situation not too long ago where I had lost my motivation to study, but luckily it only lasted a couple of weeks. I maintain a good level of physical fitness but had been slacking off most of the year due to studying so I think that was what was doing it to me. Definitely start working out or if nothing else go for a nice walk every day. Also as lame as it may sound, yoga and meditation are extremely helpful!

beads

@OP

Apologize, not thinking of entry level work, assuming more mid-career at the above response.

IT has always been a hard, hard field to break into and just as difficult to stay in over the years. Chinook is absolutely correct in his assessment of a field where your essentially expected to go home on your time, your dollar and study to keep your skills at the bleeding edge; make everything you do look easy as well as remember every tool and technique you've ever come across your entire career.

Call it the tech-blues, burnout, or peach sundae. Its all the same. We've all been there. You either find something else to do or take a bit of time. Get into a routine, find a reason to dig yourself out of the hole and work toward it.

Unless you have a name like "Polyanna" your likely will find yourself in this situation at different times throughout life.

Happens to us all.

- b/eads

DatabaseHead

Some really good post out there. Thanks for sharing.

Truth be told, most IT professional don't have certifications, or maybe have one that came with some required group training from a previous job.

I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. Like others have mention maybe working out or trying different things. For me personally I am strange like that. I spent 4 years running through certs and finally just say I had enough. I am trying to reinvent myself and go for a particular one myself, but instead of trying to microwave the certification like I USED to do, I am working through it slowly to prevent burnout with a focus on the real world aspect of it and not just the paper.

NOC-Ninja

These are the 2 sites that I go to every damn day. This helps me motivate myself.

https://www.reddit.com/r/getmotivated
https://www.reddit.com/r/motivationalvideos

The question first is what motivates you. Why are you really doing this? What is the long goals? You have to list those and see them everyday. I know mine. For example:

TO be financially secured
To be able to travel
To leave a legacy that I can tell my kids that you have no excuse

You also have to be awake. Awake in the situation of where you are. An example of that is that Im awake that I am responsible for myself to be rich and I understand I am not where i want to be. I also understand complaining is bad because that means ive lost my time fixing myself.

Now lets talk about your ideas getting shut down...

Let me tell you that My idea getting ccna was shut down by my co workers and my friends. I get hate as soon as i passed. Same goes to my CCNP. Once I step in my CCIE, this is where i get full speed hate. lol Now I passed, they asked me how i did it.
So learn from my situation that If you truly believe in your idea. Make it happen. Do it, one way or another, with or without their help.

Find people that have done it. THose are the people that you should hang out because they will make you motivated.

last one is pushing yourself. When I was doing CCIe and I was failing. I would go to the mirror and ask myself. How bad do you fking want this? This is very hard because you have to believe that you can do it.

Discipline - Do 10mins then take a break. Use your timer in your phone.

Do 15mins and then take a 5 mins break. Again and again. You get it.

Techytach

I study because I am bored otherwise.