Thinking of a career change...

[jlawso21]

Someone earlier gave you some good advice;get some therapy. No kidding. Don't throw away 10 years of a pension and a good financial stake in life because you don't like what you are doing.

Find something you like doing while working for the law enforcement agency you are with now. For example, would you enjoy a career training people? How about accounting and administration? Every large organization has to have training and administration. The trick is to stay employed while you transition to something you like. That's where the therapy comes in, and I don't mean going to a psychiatrist or anything like that.

Talk to people you think are in fields you might enjoy. Go to job fairs. Take some courses at the local community college.

If you have a family it is no longer about you, it's about them. If you make a bad career choice now it can haunt them for years. I had a nephew who wanted to get out of the air force after 11 years because he hated it. I told him he could not do it because of his wife and kids. Of course, he could have done it despite them but he listened. Last year he came back and thanked me. He had just retired and was started his own business that he had always dreamed about, secure that he was on pension with full medical.

You have to do what you have to do, but think it through, because you can't undo what you start.

Good luck!!

 

[jonnyc1999]

El Wood, I feel like I could have written your post. I also have 10 years in the law enforcement field (Federal) and in my current job I work with a lot of LEO's who have retired or moved from other organizations. I also love working with my hands and would enjoy being my own boss.

Of all the guys that I work with who made it through to retirement, the common denominator is that they changed it up once in awhile. Are there opportinities for a change in division/promotion? What about switching to traffic, or becoming an NCIC instructor, or setting yourself up to work for training? What about bike or motorcyle unit? Sometimes these small changes make a difference. Also, as other people said, sometimes switching to another organization within the LE field will make a difference. At my previous career as an MP, I had a bad few months dealing with multiple sexual assaults on children, a few bad car accident scenes, and one too many meth heads. It cemented in my mind that LE wasn't for me anymore. I got out of the military, and stumbled on my current job, which is a complete change of pace. I couldn't be happier. I suggest you look around at what is available and use your current experience to take you to a job that doesn't have the stressors that are burning you out. Not all LE jobs are created equal, even in the same organization.

 

[Redbug]

Someone earlier gave you some good advice;get some therapy. No kidding. Don't throw away 10 years of a pension and a good financial stake in life because you don't like what you are doing.

Find something you like doing while working for the law enforcement agency you are with now. For example, would you enjoy a career training people? How about accounting and administration? Every large organization has to have training and administration. The trick is to stay employed while you transition to something you like. That's where the therapy comes in, and I don't mean going to a psychiatrist or anything like that.

Talk to people you think are in fields you might enjoy. Go to job fairs. Take some courses at the local community college.

If you have a family it is no longer about you, it's about them. If you make a bad career choice now it can haunt them for years. I had a nephew who wanted to get out of the air force after 11 years because he hated it. I told him he could not do it because of his wife and kids. Of course, he could have done it despite them but he listened. Last year he came back and thanked me. He had just retired and was started his own business that he had always dreamed about, secure that he was on pension with full medical.

You have to do what you have to do, but think it through, because you can't undo what you start.

Good luck!!

================================

Darn good advise from JLawso.

There have been many days I have thought about throwing in the towel and going in another direction after many years with the outfit I am in. I am glad now that I stuck it out. Because of it...I will retire at the beginning of the new year and will never have to work another job again. Look at your long range goals.

 

[dmccarty]

This is a bit of advice I came up with years ago. I have used the advice myself to leave a few jobs...

1. If there are problems at work, work to change those problems.
2. If you cannot change those problems, you have to accept that these problems will not fixed.
3. If you cannot accept or deal with these problems, aka, reality, then it is time to leave.

Item 1 is almost impossible to do in any organization so you hare to be able to do Item 2. Item 2 requires the right attitude which might not be easy or possible. I have seen people tear them selves up because they could not stand the way a place has changed and they could not accept the change. I told them these three items many times but they could never do Item 2. Eventually they left work, not by choice though, which was an additional stress on them. They admit that THEY let the work environment get to them and it really hurt them physically, mentally and in relationships. If one cannot accept the way the place works, it really is time to leave. It is not healthy to stay in a place you cannot accept and causes great stress.

I have followed my own advice at least twice that I can remember. Looking back at one job I left, I think if I had adjusted my attitude and expectations a bit, I might have been able to stay at the job, but the pay sucked so it was time to move on anyway.

You really have to figure out why being a LEO is a problem. If the problem is the agency, then there are other agencies to work. It is not uncommon for officers to leave one agency and go to another. One city I am familiar with, is used by many officers to start their career. The city has great training and the city has quite a bit of crime, unfortunately, which makes for a great way to learn to be an officer. Many officers work for the city for a few years, and then move to another agency, often at higher pay and less stress.

If work related stress is the problem, you need to figure out the cause of the stress so you can figure out if you can deal with it in some way. If you have been in a critical incident that is affecting you, you really need to talk to someone. This book is now in its second edition. I have the first edition I read years ago, CopShock, Second Edition: Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Allen R. Kates: 9780966850123: Amazon.com: Books. A friend of mine was in a critical incident and it really rocked his world. I tried to get him to read this book, I don't know if he ever did, but I talked with his family and I think the things I learned in the books helped them.

Later,
Dan

 

[gsganzer]

One industry that's growing very quickly is "Process Instrumentation, Automation and Control". With all of the shale gas facilities going in and the push to build more natural gas combined cycle plants, I would think you'd have a pretty secure career for the next 20- 25 years. Not to mention a lot of other industries (manufacturing, building utilities that are being automated).

If I was talking to someone that was technically inclined, that's a career I'd steer them towards. You can make 6 figures pretty easily and if you like to travel to different parts of the US/world, that's also available.

 

[dave1949]

Is ten years a common point at which LEOs get an itch? I noticed that others have mentioned ten years or so as points at which they feel ready for a change.

Coincidentally, one of my younger brothers left LE in a small town at about ten years. He had worked with the local Walmart to solve some employee theft issues and they offered him a job as a district loss prevention manager. He was happy to make the change, but there were lots of hours, lots of driving around the district, lots of odd-hour and weekend phone calls, and lots of corporate bureaucracy. He came to dislike that job too after five or six years.

Anyways, that is a possible avenue that leverages your experience.

 

[coobie]

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?

I have been a electric lineman for many years,great job to say the least.If you are not afraid of heights and electricity it,s a wonderful job.You would have to go threw a 4 year apprentice program. Pays good and you get to meet a lot of good folks and see great countrysides.Best job around IMHO

 

[Uncle Doug]

I worked as an industrial electrician for 15 years before switching jobs to an industrial lab technician for a major pertochemical company in 1989. My annual pay doubled after the first year and I never looked back. There were parts of the job I loved and parts of the job I hated. I ended up retiring at age 55.

One of the guys in my hiring class back in 1989 was a Houston PD about my same age (33). He is also now retired early.

 

[dmccarty]

I have been a electric lineman for many years,great job to say the least.If you are not afraid of heights and electricity it,s a wonderful job.You would have to go threw a 4 year apprentice program. Pays good and you get to meet a lot of good folks and see great countrysides.Best job around IMHO

I knew a guy who was a lineman for quite a few years, then became a law enforcement officer for 5-10 years, before going back to being a lineman. I suspect the money was better as a lineman and the job was not as stressful. Though, the lineman I saw a few weeks back fixing a power pole in the middle of downpour did not look like there were having fun. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[coobie]

I knew a guy who was a lineman for quite a few years, then became a law enforcement officer for 5-10 years, before going back to being a lineman. I suspect the money was better as a lineman and the job was not as stressful. Though, the lineman I saw a few weeks back fixing a power pole in the middle of downpour did not look like there were having fun. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

You have those crappy days/nights for sure.The good days out weigh the bad.LOL.