Do you feel out of control in your career – if you even have one anymore? Do you feel you can't make anything happen? Do you feel helpless in the job market?
I'm guessing if you're even reading this the answer, at some points in your life, has been "yes." It's OK, it's normal, most people feel that way at some point in their life. You may be feeling it now, in the Great Recession.
You've got a solution though, right at your fingers, my fellow progeek.
The way to deal with feelings of helplessness and lack of control is to have an experience of competency, control, and the ability to achieve results. You've got that ability right now.
Its your hobbies. Those things you enjoy that get you active are places where you can achieve control, see the results of your actions, and appreciate your competence. All those things you do for fun that you may not appreciate.
You can run that RPG campaign and wow your players.
You can build that fansite or update it and provide more to people.
You can help run a convention and realize you can organize.
You can finish that cosplay and see your knowledge and skills in action.
You have a living realization of your own competency and ability every time you do something fannish or geeky. It gets things done and gets results.
Maybe what you need right now is a break – a break to go off and do something fun, so you can appreciate and see your own competence. Then, when you realize it, back to the job search or the career or the college classes.
Time to see you're competent.
– Steven Savage