Thinking of a career change...

[El Wood]

How many of you have changed careers in your life?

I'm currently in my early 30's and have a job in law enforcement working for a small city. I have 10 years in now and don't enjoy the work anymore. In hate it actually. I feel burned out. I'm tired of working nights, weekends and holidays. My biggest gripe though is the job itself. I've tried to stick with it but keep coming back to the same conclusion that its time to leave. I'm a little nervous though. If I go, I'll give up a pension, medical benefits and about $29/hour. Not to say I can't get those things in the next job. I also can roll my pension into a 401k which is probably what I would do.

If I do go, I would like to look at different trade jobs. I love construction and working with my hands and creating things. I've often thought about being an electrician or getting certified to work in HVAC. I would like a job that has more room for advancement and the ability to make more money. Starting a small business is my ultimate dream.

That do you guys think? Can you offer any advice?

 

[murphy1244]

How many of you have changed careers in your life?

I'm currently in my early 30's and have a job in law enforcement working for a small city. I have 10 years in now and don't enjoy the work anymore. In hate it actually. I feel burned out. I'm tired of working nights, weekends and holidays. My biggest gripe though is the job itself. I've tried to stick with it but keep coming back to the same conclusion that its time to leave. I'm a little nervous though. If I go, I'll give up a pension, medical benefits and about $29/hour. Not to say I can't get those things in the next job. I also can roll my pension into a 401k which is probably what I would do.

If I do go, I would like to look at different trade jobs. I love construction and working with my hands and creating things. I've often thought about being an electrician or getting certified to work in HVAC. I would like a job that has more room for advancement and the ability to make more money. Starting a small business is my ultimate dream.

That do you guys think? Can you offer any advice?

If your thinking of starting your own bizz get into HVAC. Get NATE certified too.

 

[Sysop]

As a small business owner, I can tell you it is a dream come true, but also a nightmare. All you do from the time you wake up till the time you go to bed is work. What time isn't taken by the actual money making jobs is taken by the administrative tasks that are required to be in operation.

I don't know of many tasks people can do every day for 10 years and not feel somewhat burned out. I know I do and my job was initially a love and hobby; now I can hardly stand it. I think that's why once you're doing something for a living, even if it is something you love or enjoy as a hobby, is still referred to as "work". I think the best we can hope for is to find something we can tolerate until retirement.

 

[murphy1244]

Happy to go to work is rare.

 

[Rayster]

I was an IT guy from 1989-2001. The market was becoming and still is flooded with college kids with IT degrees. Eventually, a company could hire two people under 30 with degrees for what I was making. The job actually sucked, in my mind. Because, you only hear from people when something didn't work. It was a thankless job, with nothing to to show for at the end of the day. Not to mention those departments are liabilities to most corporations.

I was let go from an IT Director position, and drew every penny of unemployment. While starting a manufacturing business. I had some items in national catalogs and business was good. I had 500K of equipment pumping out 4000 parts a month. There is something to be said in being able to show what you did in a days work. Then the 2008 crash put 3 of my main customers out of business, and work dropped to the point I had to sell out and took a 20K loss. I paid every penny back, and did not declare bankruptcy.
I now work for a manufacturing company designing fixtures and programming CNC equipment, while providing tech. support for the routine processes. They pretty much pay me not to quit (if that makes sense). But I like what I do, and it's a skilled trade that not everyone can do.

My advice would be; do research (lots of it). Study the market that interests you. Look at the longevity of the business as well as the politics, economics, and feasibility of your interest. Work your current job for as long as you can while you study, and set yourself up to succeed in your new endeavor.

 

[murphy1244]

The great thing about your job now is there will always be Bad guys.

 

[JimRB]

Well since you are not living in Germany or England where they expect you to pick a trade by the time you are 15, sure you can change. I have bounced around from job to job doing different things and making better money each time I bounced. Well last two jobs were 7 years and 13 years so some might not call that bouncing around but every job was sort of cumulative in that what I did in the last job was useful in the next job. Heck even that college degree was somewhat useful over the years.

I know one person who was a CPA then a lawyer. Another who was a lawyer then a veterinarian. Or a high school buddy who wanted to be an optometrist back in high school and has been the past 27 years. A friend who trained as a kid in England as a welder and is doing it 30+ years later.

 

[murphy1244]

I know a welder that was a lawyer.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I started hanging with my carpenter father at eight, mowed lawns at ten, washed dishes, caddied, started apprenticing electrical at 15 but had to give it up because of the distance to work and the loss of my ride, ran a 977 CAT at 17, drove truck for a collective 20 years or so, got a degree in electronics, worked in QA/engineering for 25 years, put up windmills for a year, did some welding, worked for a friend's electrical/havc business for awhile, etc, etc.

First off, I would say that you need to think twice about throwing away a ten year investment. Another ten and you will have 20, would that make you pension eligble? Don't take this as an insult but maybe a little therapy would help? I was lucky/unlucky at 53 when I got laid off from the semiconductor field. I had the age and time to get my pension. I was union scale so I got a decent amount compared to the pitiful amounts I hear from others.

Working with your hands? Realize the compition. There are alot of people who are good at working with their hands. By the way, twisting cable at 20 or 30 is one thing but when you get to be 50 or 60 it can hurt. Then there was a time when electrician's never lacked for work but I have seen that change in the last few years. HVAC might be a better field though both often go hand and hand.

I have left more than one job because it, shall we say, "stank". I will be the first to admit that I should have held back a bit longer. But then, you do hear of people who made major changes and did not look back. I guess I am saying, just think it through. All fields of work these days have issues that our fathers and grandfathers never would have dealt with. We are regulated, insured and pigion holed to death.

 

[deerseeker001]

if you aren't happy and don't enjoy your job at your age it is time for a change.i wouldn't worry about what you are giving up,you have 35+ years to work so find something you enjoy.there may a few more before you find your calling.if we have to work every day you might as well enjoy what you do.