I’m feeling really stuck in my current role as an IT technician for a small school district. I usually have great hours, working off the school schedule, which gives me three-day weekends during the summer, and my coworkers are mostly easy to work with. However, I’m facing two major issues. First, my pay is just not livable—I make around $30k a year, which isn’t enough to afford even a rundown apartment in my city. Although we get annual raises, they’re barely noticeable, and it looks like I’ll be stuck here for about ten years before I can afford a comfortable living situation. This makes me think I should start looking for another job, especially since I have about four years of experience in IT. The second issue is that I’m already mentally and physically stretched thin. My work hours are long; I leave home at 6 AM and get back around 5 PM, leaving me with very little time to do anything outside of work. I also struggle with severe sleeping issues—I need around 12 hours of sleep a day to function. I’ve been on medication for years, but it’s either not helping my sleep quality or turning me into an emotionless zombie during the day. My doctor and I have been trying to get me into sleep labs for two years, but my insurance won’t cover it, leaving me feeling hopeless. Even though I know I’m lucky to have lighter hours compared to other jobs, I’m still at my limit. I’ve been searching for other job opportunities, but most pay even less or require more hours than I can handle due to my health. Given all this, I’m wondering if I have any prospects in my current field, should I consider a career pivot, or what else I could do to improve my situation?
Company:
small school district
Job title: IT technician