Contemplating Career Change

[WVH1977]

So this is probably not the site for a question like this but since I have been using this site I have found tons of good information from many folks of all ages and experience on here that has absolutely nothing to do with tractors.

I am middle life, wife and kids and a very good job. I have been in an office environment now for 12 years and been in management now going on four years. I am getting burned out with this job. I think about it on the weekends and dream about it at times. It is not physically hard at all but the mental stress just builds all the time. I feel stuck because I make really good money and have great benefits. I am scared that I have gone too far now in life to make a drastic change. I also am not getting any feeling of reward from doing this job. You can never see the end product.

I really want to get back into a skilled trade and wish I had done this 10 years ago. Really want to be an electrician. I miss working with my hands and being physically tired at the end of the day knowing I did a good days work. I also dream of having my own business one day that would involve a skilled trade. It would probably take me 10 years to get there but I am really getting burnt with my current career.

Has anyone on here had a similar situation in their lives and what did you do? Did you take that risk? Was it rewarding? My mind tells me to stay where I am at and stick it out for another 20 years but my gut tells me to get out and do something different. I have to keep my family in mind with this decision if I decide to change. I keep telling myself money is not everything in life but I live comfortably with my current situation. It would take about 4 to 5 years to get back to where I am at now if I jumped to a skilled trade. I do have other income and programs available to me (veteran) if I go into the skilled trade to offset the initial pay cut. Any advice/opinions would be appreciated.

 

[MoKelly]

Very tough decision.

Does your wife work? Does she have health care benefits? If not, look into what health care will cost you for your family. It will be a lot of money.

If you can afford the health care and your wife is supportive, I say go for the change. Your mental health and doing something you like is worth less money.

Good luck.

MoKelly

 

[OzKioti]

I had exactly this situation when I was approaching age 30. Good job/money since I was 18 but it was becoming less enjoyable year by year. I got a private pilot's licence just for kicks, but then figured it would be nice to get paid to fly, instead of the other way round.

So more study, got a commercial licence, and at age 33 with my wife's full approval, launched myself into my new career. (Way too old and inexperienced to ever contemplate an airline job, but reckoned the corporate side of aviation looked good.) Workmates at the time were scathing of my decision "What about your poor wife; irresponsible bastard; you're too old; etc etc". (Years later, I caught up with a few of them, and they all conceded that at the time, they were jealous, and now admired my guts to make the change)

Finding my first flying job involved being away from my desired living location, but it paid off. I ended up flying corporate jets, until I retired at age 64, and am now enjoying living on the farm, homebrewing, and enjoying my newest tractor!

If you can afford it financially, go for it!

 

[Wakey]

Lift some weights.. Perhaps strenuous exercise will scratch the same itch?

At the end of the day we all have to eat a bit of garbage. Make it better by having a super comfortable retirement.

I miss construction, but the margins are slim and I was the owner of the company. Things are super sketchy right now, make every dollar you can and SAVE.

 

[East30]

It might not be the career causing the stress. It might be where you're performing that career. Took me a couple tries to settle into a management position I plan to retire from. I feel like the luckiest guy around now, for the last 15+ years.

 

[rademamj1]

If the mental stress is increasing to such a high level, try to find a way to reduce that stress or deflect the stress. Changing jobs is one thing, but changing an entire career is quite a hurdle. You may just swap one problem for an entirely new set of problems. Electricians are kinda seasonal in work. You do well during the summertime when building construction is high, but come winter everything seems to slow down. It's also very competitive too. Last year, for every Electrician who is happy, I can find you one who is financially stressed out and wants a career change.

Sort of funny though, last year in Central Texas, lots of electricians and plumbers were struggling and looking for work. This year, you can't find an electrician or a plumber, because they are all just so busy due to a mini building boom in Texas. How long it lasts is unpredictable.

 

[grsthegreat]

I went from finishing up my masters degree and thinking about going for a PhD while trying to get into Veterinary school into becoming an electrician.

I was living on a miserable $600 per month in grad school teaching assistant job completing my masters degree...starving literally. Never got accepted into vet school, so my Options were becoming a professor working with peoples miserable kids, or getting into construction and working with my hands and miserable clients.

took some years, but worked from electrical apprentice to journeyman to electrical contractor. Had several companies over the years. Made lots of money. Retired last year with no money debt. Lots of money in investments, land, house, cd’s, iras, pensions. I’m making as much if not more now without working as I did working.

i do still have a small generator maintenance business working into retirement, for extra spending cash and just to get out of the house.

don’t regret any of it. Glad I got out of teaching.

 

[buck12]

I changed career paths at 28 just after my oldest daughter was born. I took a pay cut but was able to be there for my kids more and at work less. 21 years later I know I made the right choice.

 

[drssg]

On a positive note, I would consider this to be a "high-class" problem. There are plenty of people who slave away at low-paying and miserable jobs, and they don't really have viable career options. It is quite a privilege to be able to sit back and consider what you *really* want to do with your life.

I went through a somewhat similar issue, in that I had a perfectly good job as a computer programmer. I didn't even hate it. I just didn't care. It was a way to trade part of my life for a paycheck, so I could do the things that were important to me.

My passion was in horse training. I knew people in my general skill category who were doing it for a living, but it is a tough and high-risk profession (both physically and financially). I ended up doing some horse training and lessons on the side, but I stayed in front of my boring computer terminal and retired at 53.

I would note that the energy level that you feel today is probably greater than you will feel in 20 years. I appreciate being able to live today without stress.

It all comes down to a personal decision, and I wish you well in yours.

 

[3Ts]

It's a very personal decision. I worked in a job I really didn't care for and thought about a career change. I dabbled in making a change and quickly realized that I was stuck in what I did. I made to much money to change careers. I stuck it out and retired at 57. Good financial planning made it possible that I don't have to work again. Now, I volunteer in the jobs I want to do and help out those that need it.

I worked with a guy that had the same problem. His decision was the opposite of mine and is now a contractor building high end homes.

And there is another example of a contractor switching careers to get into electronics.

It's a personal decision, just be sure to carefully evaluate the options. It can be done, but is fraught with many challenges.