Who has made a career change?

My dad was in the car business for 20 years. At age 50 we moved, he went back to school and became a history teacher. He's much more happy now, 7 years later.
 
I used to be an attorney. Kept some crazy hours.... but when I got married, kind of late in life, I knew that if I kept with that profession my family would always come second.

I became a stay at home dad. I raised two kids and sent them into the world. Then my wife decided we should become land owners. I've been cleaning up the property and preparing to build our new house.

I don't work 9:00 - 5:00, I work as long and as hard as is necessary, or as long as I feel like it. I have no boss (well, SHMBO, of course!), and no salary, but I'm well compensated.

I can say that while I don't bring home a paycheck, there have been more than a few days when my presence close at hand to take care of some rapidly developing brush fire (figurative as well as real) has been invaluable. I'm kind of a "fix it" guy for my family...

For myself, I can say that I have lived in interesting times.

Andy
 
Right now I am only 28 years old but about a year and a half ago I did a 180 with my job. I grew up working and living on a farm for about 19 years of my life when dad decided to sell the farm and start driving truck I did not know what I was going to do since I had planned on taking over the farm. So I followed him into the trucking industry. After about five years on the road I was looking for something different. I am pretty good with computers and wanted to go into something in that area. I got lucky and landed a job as a CAD tech. and I absolutly love it. I get to draw bridges and roadway plans as well as go out in the field and do some survey work every now and again. Just make sure that you have the support of your family first, cause without them you will have litttle support.
 
Well... I'm sort of in your boat. Here's the pros and cons of my current job:

Pros:
Decently high paying
Safe (I will never by laid off)
No stress
No pressure
Nice people

Cons:
Boring
Dead end (no room for moving up)
Unfulfilling

It's really hard to leave a job that's secure and pays well. For my career purposes though, the job is a dead end and I should really move on. That and Chicagoland is ugly and if I want to go to a woods I have to plan a trip months in advance.

It's tough to take that leap though. Kudos to you if you have the guts to do it.
 
RescueRiley said:
My right, I'm 33 Years old. I've been a musicican, ran a group home for the mentally handicapped, Been a personal fitness trainer, a self defense instructor, a paramedic, and am now the supervisor over 110 Emt's and paramedics. And am currently in school working on my teaching degree to become a highschool teacher. I can say that genuinely wanting to help people is awesome. but the beurcratic B.S. that comes with every job often ruins the job for those that do it. It's the attitude of the suits in the big ofices that have chased me out of almost every career so far...My small advice would be to wait until this supposed recession is over before switching careers. unless your going into a recession proof career.
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Same experience here in some similar field(s), and good advice there IMO. I've spent most of my entire adult life in law enforcement. Rose through the ranks very quickly, mostly unintentionally believe it or not. Fortunately my agency has some very highly specialized areas available, which is where I am now, otherwise, I think I would have gotten burned out and left the profession. Therein lies my advice. If getting into a service oriented profession, try to make sure there is some sort of latitude within to spice it up if you choose. To me, I most admire the officers on my dept. that do their entire tour on the front line in the field and retire there because, to me, that is probably the hardest job there is. But, not everyone can do the same thing, day in and day out for 30 years; and you sound like me in that respect. Even though my job right now is highly specialized, each and every day is a new experience, which is why I'll probably stay there until I retire (if allowed). The good thing about being a LEO in my state is the retirement age is pretty early in life and it leaves time for me to pursue other interests if I chose to at that time...and I entirely plan on it not being related to law enforcement if at all possible.
 
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OK, here goes. I worked for 37 years in manufacturing (not counting the 2 years I worked there part time, starting when I was 15 when my mom died, and since I was not the best of teenagers, my dad got me the job instead of leaving me alone to get in trouble.) Last May I lost my job due to an a**hole boss, who was worried I was on track to take his job. Luckily my kids are all done with schooling, and living on their own, so for the last couple of years we were able to put away some money. To make a long story short, I starting doing what I love most on a full time basis, making knives. I don`t make a quarter of what I made before, but I`m happy, and my stress is gone. I only wish I had done it years ago.

John
 
I was about the OP's age when I decided to switch careers.
I decided to go ahead and take th epay cut and took an apprenticeship, so I got paid while I learned. Now I really like my job. The pay isn't terrific , but the benefits are, and they really saved me with my recent health problems. Now, I did have an advantage: I was not married, nor did I have kids.

If you can swing it with a family, then follow your heart. There's no reason to hate life, you only go around once.
 
I have switched careers several times, with one common thread-I have always gravitated toward the service industry. I like to help others learn and grow. From restaurant manager, martial arts instructor, teacher, and salesman, I have worked to teach and support. I have a college degree in education, but hated the politics of teaching, the attitudes of the teachers/parents etc. No accountablility...anyway, I am considering a switch again. I currently work in sales for a cell phone company and they cut our commissions AGAIN, so off I'll go.

I have had to start over financially a couple of times and it sucks to drive up credit cards and sell knives (especially the knives part!), but I have a desire to make a difference in others' lives and in my own. I say go for it and realize that how much money you have when you die is NOT what people will remember-how you touched others will be. Sounds corny, but it is truly what's important.
 
I would suggest the book "What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (What Color Is Your Parachute?) (Paperback)". The book goes step-by-step through the career change discovery and process. He writes from a POV that seems consistent with your goals.
 
I was a Tool and Die maker, 5 years ago I became a police officer. I was recently promoted to Detective. I have never been happier. Although I do play with a mill and a lathe now and then.

Jon
 
I was in the electronics industry working as a Circuit Board designer for almost 30 years. A couple of years ago, with more work being sent abroad and too much time on the road doing contract design, I decided to look for work closer to home. I'm now a Rural Mail Carrier with USPS and my staiton is only a few blocks from home.

I'm home befre dinner and a buy gas about once a month. I rarely drive to work and the work keeps me outdoors several hours a day as oppsed to the cubicle 60 hours a week.

I dropped 25 pounds and feel much better physically.
 
I made a career change later in life and have never looked back. If you think taking a 50% cut in pay is anything try taking a 300% plus in pay cut. I was working on wall street in my late 20's and 30's, thats when I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't like who I became as a person. I decided to change direction in my life and become a doctor. I was the oldest in my graduating class, and have never looked back on what I gave up to become imo a better person.
 
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Wow fellas - I never expected as many responses as I have gotten here. I can't say enough for BF and the people that are on here, thanks.

I wanted to take some time and respond to everyone individually since everyone has great advice, but there is just too many.

First off, I'm a planner so I'm not going to rush into anything at all especially in today's economy. As someone has suggested we are putting away as much money as we possibly can to make this a possibility in the near (5 years) future. I have the support of my wife. We went through this when she went back to school to be a nurse, living off of one income. The difference now is that we have a kid, larger mortgag, etc. It's a little more complicated now.

I worked LEO/Security in the military and very familiar with the "thankless" stigma a service job brings with it, but it's not about someone saying "thank you" to me, it's about the personal satisfaction.

Am I being selfish to think that I need this self fulfillment when I have a kid and a family to take care of? I don't think it's unreasonable. One of the responses here really got me thinking about this though, life is really what you make of it I guess.

Some of the Paramedic programs that were offered around here aren't being offered right now. There was a program out there in which the county would pay you through school, I'd imagine the enconomy has forced this out for a bit. I'm on the fence about getting into civilian law enforcement. I liked it in the military, but something in my gut is keeping me from pursuing it on the civilian side and I think I should probably listen to my gut on this one. It's not really a line of work going into with any doubt.

Once again - I'd like to say thanks to everyone that has provided some advice so far, it's much appreciated. It's comforting to know that there are quite a bit of people out there that have gone through or are going through something similar.
 
You may not need to change careers to make a difference. Volunteer with the scouts or little league. The Red Cross is always looking for people to help. I was a volunteer fireman/EMT for two years before moving overseas. Get certified as a lifeguard. Take first aid courses. Be a tutor and teach people to read or join big brothers. You don`t have to make big changes in your life to make a big difference in someone else`s.
 
Chosen-frozen said:
You may not need to change careers to make a difference. Volunteer with the scouts or little league. The Red Cross is always looking for people to help. I was a volunteer fireman/EMT for two years before moving overseas. Get certified as a lifeguard. Take first aid courses. Be a tutor and teach people to read or join big brothers. You don`t have to make big changes in your life to make a big difference in someone else`s.
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That's great advice and also a conversation my wife and I had this evening while we were taking a walk with the dog and kid.
 
stanley_white said:
I have never done a "total 180" career change. I've stayed in fields that are related.

However, I will offer to you a quote said to me by one of my mentors during an alcohol-induced, cigar smoke filled night on the dark continent:

"Remember that at the end of your life one of the big things you're going to have is stories. What those stories are about is up to you."
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Great quote. My wife is stealing it for her scrapbook :)
 
I am a Registered Nurse and have been for six years. Before that I worked in Therapeutic Recreation with emotionally disturbed kids and teens. It was a dream job for a 29 year old single guy. Some days I did sit behind a desk or in treatment meetings, but other days I was forty feet up a tree. The problem was that I was maxed out at $30K and had to work a second job to live like I wanted.

When my wife met me, I didn't know she had designs to make a husband out of me. She is an RN and gently induced me to explore what nursing had to offer: Two years in school to double my pay, work three days a week and off four or better opportunity for OT, work with people, a great variety of choices (cardiac, med/surg, ER, psych, neuro, dialysis,....the list goes on), good union/health plan/pension plan, lastly a very rewarding career. Now it's not as macho sounding as a Paramedic and the uniform isn't as cool but I believe there is greater depth and breadth to the amount of expertise one can attain.

One thing that made it easy for me was that I was terminated due to budget cuts but I could receive unemployment benefits. I was able to receive them for the two years due to the demand for my career choice. That and my wife's salary gave us a tight but not desperate living for that time but it allowed me to be a stay at home dad with out oldest for the first two years of her life. A situation that I would not trade.

We went through a tight time but It paid off. It was a very demanding curriculum and I had no social life, I gained 25 lbs too but I believe it was best career choice I could have made.
 
I don't post here very often, so forgive the intrusion...

I'm the self-proclaimed poster child for career changes...

1983: Graduated (barely!) from Forestry School.
No jobs in that field at that time... Tough economy, James Watts was Sec of Interior, etc... I sold backpacks and climbing gear instead. Took my EMT-A course for SAR work.

1985: Moved to Tidewater area of Virginia. Took my EMT-A certification, and got a job with an EMS Transport Company (dialysis runs, transporting nursing home patients, etc). Got my EMT-ST and EMT-C certifications (think EMT-I in the current scheme).

1986: Got hired by a municipal Fire and EMS agency. Got my EMT-P certification. Ran rescue for just shy of three years...

1989: Caught the "Med School" bug... Left full-time work (worked part-time as a paramedic for a Children's Hospital Transport Team. Enrolled in College (ODU) and got a BS in Biology. (Note: once you have one degree, it's a piece of cake to get another one!) Took the MCAT's and did okay.

I had a lot of explaining to do at the Med School interview, but caught a good bounce on that and was accepted to med school in 1992 (EVMS).

1992-1996: Med School. THE biggest and BEST adventure of my life! Worked as a paramedic through my first year in school.

1996-2000: After much soul-searching, applied for residency in Emergency Medicine and completed that in 2000.

2000-today: Working as an ER doc with the group that trained me.

In short:
I turned 20 studying forestry.
I turned 30 working an EMS shift.
I turned 40 working a resident shift in the ER.
I turn 50 next month.

What's next? I'm looking into transitioning into Hospice and Palliative Care. I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to pull it off in the current economy, but you never know. Emergency medicine looks to be a very stable career if nothing else grabs my attention...

Emergency Medicine has been very good to me so far. Some interesting turns: disaster medicine (I just spent 21 days in Texas working after hurricane Ike), tactical medicine, and teaching EMT's and residents.

Not bad for a guy that tried his damnest to flunk out of forestry school...

I'd look hard into the medical field: nursing school, physician assistant school... With the aging population, healthcare is always going to be in demand. Pay is good to great, work is rewarding and portable. You can work nearly anywhere you want to live!

Best of luck... The way I see it, you're never too old to change until they shovel dirt over your coffin...

Martin
 
I came straight out of college as an electrical engineer into employment with the same company from which I retired.
I wass fortunate to change to totally different technological areas of expertise every five to ten years and so kept everything fairly fresh. Every time that I changed areas or was promoted, I could easily identify the day that I was ready to move on. That was the day that I could sit back and say, "I can handle this with my eyes closed." From that point on I was discontent until I was doing something else. So for me, it was not the employer that needed changing, it was a new challenge. I learned fairly early on that the prime generator of that challenge had to be me. If that had required changing employers then I would have done it. In fact, I once resigned for the specific reason of needing a new challenge and was talked into staying resulting in my first management job, in a different area. I also got an MBA, mostly for the sake of the challenge, when I was in a stagnant time.

By the way, I would never advocate threatening to resign in hopes of improving your position. That seldom works. I think what made it different for me was that I really intended to do it.
 
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