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There could be endless reasons why you decided to study engineering; at least at some point during the course, you found something interesting that made you proud to be an engineer. This is how passion is found, a proud moment of experience or achievement that gives you a sense of ownership and passion. Yet, the workplace is an entirely different game where you have to prove yourself, and things are never less than challenges in engineering and STEM fields in general.
In general, the main reason for losing passion for engineering is usually related to the nature of the job and the work environment more than the technicality of the engineering field and the type of work. This is why engineering careers have high turnover. Most work environments were not set up correctly to retain employees. Unfortinley many mistakes this for losing passion for engineering.
It is okay to feel the difference between study and work, but it is not okay to feel unsecured in your job. Unfortunately, we spend too much time coming up with creative inventions, but we spend almost no time on our health and well-being. The following is a breakdown of the reasons that could contribute to you losing your passion. Knowing those reasons could be a way of realising your true potential.
8 Reasons You Are Losing Passion For Engineering
1- Hardships and competition in the workplace
Like it or not, the overwhelming responsibility placed on you might be killing your passion. Most toxic workplaces are highly competitive ones, where employees are more likely to compete against each other than to work together.
This is more common in technical careers. The big issue is that the management sets the tone of the workplace. Therefore, if you feel that those competitive hardship is getting into you, it is because the company management cares more about the annual figures than the comfort of their employees.
Moreover, doing more than one thing at the same time can easily distract you and result in poor quality work. If you feel that you are doing too many things at once, it can result in quick career burnout and hence loss of passion. For more, read: Why We Cannot Multitask?
2- Constantly getting discouraged and criticised in the workplace
Another big factor that can seriously affect your ability to perform well in the workplace. If your colleagues do not listen to you or always shoot your ideas without giving much reason, it can seriously hurt your passion for engineering.
Creative work is found in communication and collaboration; not encouraged to speak and constantly criticised for your work without much feedback can be a very toxic environment where you find yourself constantly trying to please your managers instead of being creative in your own way.
3- Things are much different than you thought they would be
Most of us have a fantasy or idea of what the future will look like and choose to live in shock at how different things turned out to be. Things never turn out the way you think it supposed to because humans always overestimate their abilities and future opportunities. Yet, in reality, no one will give you what you want. You need to work hard for those opportunities and keep on sharpening your skills.
Getting over those fantasies is not easy because it is easier to dream than to take action. This could be one of the reasons you never reach your full potential and end up losing passion for the things you care about so much. Realising that you have been daydreaming is the first step to getting over your thoughts and embracing the harsh reality.
4- Not thinking you are good enough
The harrowing experiences that we might face in our lives can be interpreted in two ways in our brains. The first is that failing is part of the process of success, and having that experience was nothing less than good. The other interpretation is that we are not good enough. This is an internal reason why you are losing your passion for engineering.
External factors can contribute to this way of thinking, such as people in our lives and the nature of our experience. This is usually due to a lack of guidance in your lives that results in such a conclusion.
On the other hand, this is quite natural emotion for humans, you do not have all the answers, and that is okay. Doubting yourself indicates that you have passion for this field and are willing to criticise yourself first before others.
The way to get over this feeling of not belonging or imposter syndrome, or not being good enough is to continue working hard on yourself and keep showing up to work; consistency is the best solution. Living in the past of those bad experiences will only hinder your development.
5- There is no work/life balance
You might be working with fantastic managers and have the best team, but your work hours are so long, and the commute is so crazy that it offers no work/life balance that can make you work every waking hour. The loss of work/life balance can be a big reason why many lose passion for engineering.
This is a demanding industry; some companies might place too much work on a few people, force you to spend too much time on work and even commute for long hours when you can simply work from home.
This is not okay, yet we see many companies have not accommodated things for the benefit of their employees; this is why most people lose the spark when they move up in the hierarchy of command and get more responsibility.
6- The job is repetitive more than creative
If you did engineering because you enjoyed maths and physics in school, you might hate your job because you do not see much creativity in your work. Engineering is supposed to be fun, engaging and exciting, yet you do one thing for too long that it becomes boring.
The best way to solve this problem is to ask your company for different work or more responsibility. Boredom and repetition will not do you good, especially if you are trying to gain experience.
7- No opportunities for growth
You might be working in an environment that is either too small or oversaturated for growth. You worked there for years but never got the promotion you deserve, which discouraged you and killed your passion.
On the other hand, the growth might be not getting exposure to different areas of the business that hinder your personal growth by not developing more skills. Either case, it might seriously affect your passion for work.
8- It does not pay as much as you thought
While financial gains are important, it is usually a lousy motivation for work. Unfortunately, engineers are among the underpaid group compared to other professions. It is not easy going to a job that does not pay you as much, especially if you have worked there for years.
The best thing to do is understand the marketplace for your position and your value to the company and present them to your employer. If they can not see it the same way as you, it is probably time to change companies. It is better to do so than stay miserable with a dead-end job.
This topic is so specific and detailed that we can not explain it in detail in this article. You can read more in detail here: Which is more important: High salary or job satisfaction?
How to fix your passion for engineering
Realising some of those reasons had got into your passion for this profession is the first step to working through the problem. It is okay to feel those moments of doubt, but it is not okay to live with them. The following are a few ways to step into the solution:
A- Start with yourself to fix your passion
Think about what you enjoy and do not enjoy about your job, then think if you need to learn a certain skill to perform better at your job. It is often not the technical skills that make us underperform in our job. It is the transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, organisation and other transferable skills.
This is a very long topic that we can not explain all in this post, which is why we comprised the top skills engineers should have: Top 7 Personality Traits Of Engineers For Immediate Success.
B- Take it to your organisation and show confidence
Losing passion can relate a lot to your position at your company. You might be comparing yourself to your peers, and you might feel that you are doing more work than them and getting less credit. First of all, you should not compare yourself to others, only yourself. Second, it is not just hard work that makes people do well in their job. It is their confidence and the ability to take the opportunities at hand.
Understanding the nature of your work and what dictates success in your organisation can help you perform well in the long run. Study your KPIs and look for the highly favourable ones by your management. You do not have to tick all the boxes to be successful, just the essential ones to your position.
You might realise that the top performers in your organisation are extremely confident. This article can show you how to be more confident with a few simple steps: How To Show Confidence In The Workplace.
C- Find another job as a last resort
Do not stay in a career that is not doing much good for you. If you are stuck in a dead-end career, feel that there is no more room for you to grow, or simply the competition is too high, that might not get you to your goal. Finding another job might be much easier than staying in a job that you are slowly losing your passion for. Even if you did not have a passion for that particular position, there are many specialities within one engineering field.
Many might think that is simply giving up and walking away, but it is not. If you are not finding many benefits for yourself, why would you stay? It will do you more harm than good. Plus, changing careers is much simple these days. You can stay in your job until you can find other opportunities that suit you more; there is not much risk in changing careers these days.
Finally, if you feel that quitting your job is giving up and that you are not good enough for this job or not smart enough, well, most engineering jobs are not that technical or challenging, at least not for someone who has worked in the industry for a few years. Walking away is not a sign that you are not smart enough, but it is looking out for your best interest. For more reading on this topic: Are Engineers Really Smart? How Do I Know if I am fit to be one?
D- Maybe engineering is not for you
And that is okay; look somewhere else. It is much better to quit than to stick with a job you do not even like. You might have been dragged to this profession for the wrong reasons, such as family pressure, job security or money. More on this, read: 4 Reasons You Did Not Like Engineering In The First Place.
The first thing to do is to start pursuing your true passion by surrounding yourself with people who are as passionate as you are, educating yourself more on the topic and taking action to get to your goal. This might be a very sensitive topic for many people as many might not want to admit or think they do not have passion. For more help, read: How Do You Know If Engineering Is Right For You?
The Bottom Line
This subject is so long and extensive that many might fall into this trap of overthinking their life decisions repeatedly. You must realise that you are human, and those doubt moments happen to everyone’s journey. What is not okay is to stay in this loop. You are not alone, and we are here for the rescue.
The best thing you can do is to reflect on what has got you into engineering in the first place. Separate the job hardships from what engineering means for you. Finally, find a way to break through those issues and take actions that benefit yourself first and foremost.
More readings on this topic:
