Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with careerchange

Moving on from the helpdesk

khaibit — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:41:28 -0800

I graduated with a BA in Religious Studies, and am currently working in a tech support/helpdesk position. I would like to move into actual IT work. What's the best way to go about that?

What's a good career move for me, prefer travel?

photo guy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:08:05 -0800

What's a good career move for me? Forgive the length, as I've been giving this a lot of thought and really need to resolve this. I'm a bit unhappy with my career and have been for a while now. As it happens, I'm at a point in my life where I can make a clean break and chase my dreams, I just need some guidance.

My history: I'm 29 years old, single, no kids, and up until I was laid off earlier this year was working as an engineer. I don't have a lot of money or possessions, but have very little debt. I also own a house that I'm renting out to make some extra money. I should also mention that I'm not really the typical engineer - much more outgoing, hate being in a cubicle all day, and get bored easily.

The past five years I've spent working for a small design firm, basically writing software for cheap electronics - mostly two-way radios. I'm not a very skilled programmer (Assembly and C, that's it), found the work too stressful, and am honestly surprised I lasted there as long as I did. Before that, I spent a couple of years pulling cable for a telecom company - mostly grunt work, but worth mentioning.

Despite my misgivings in college, I finished my BS in Electrical Engineering since I was always a math/science whiz. I did reasonably well I think, given how hard the program was.

What I'm looking for: What I would really like is a job that allowed me to live abroad, or at least travel frequently. I've taken a few extended trips over the past few years, and am convinced that's what I should be doing. If I have to work stateside for the next couple of years, I would prefer to be able to at least live in another part of the country. I've been living in the same mid-sized Midwestern city my whole life, and for reasons I won't go into here, would really like a change of scenery.

What I've considered/been suggested so far:

Foreign Service - This would be perfect! I'm applying as an SEO, but have been given the impression that I will most likely not get medical clearance (which is very stringent) due to a minor condition I have to take medication for.

Other federal jobs - I've contacted a few three-letter agencies (CIA, FBI, etc), but haven't heard anything back yet. I don't know if there are any other government jobs out there that fit what I'm looking for.

Military - I'm not really the military type, but I haven't ruled it out completely.

Teaching English - Not exactly a career I would want long-term, but at least it would get me out of the States for a while.

Any other suggestions? I'm open to re-schooling if necessary (although paying for it could be an issue).

How do I save the planet with computers and stuff? and get paid!?

Gaeacon — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:19:34 -0800

I want to help guide the development of "new" environmentalism... Where should I (educated/trained as an Ecologist) start on a career change into media (online/web development)? better explained... I graduated in June with a Master's in Ecology/Conservation and a certificate called Leaders in Sustainability. I started out in the PhD program, but about half a year in I started thinking a lot about doing something at the interface of environmentalism/activism/science through an online medium. I distracted myself immensely, setting out my grand entrepreneurial vision. I thought I could balance all that....and my very demanding dissertation research abroad.

Well, I couldn't. A couple of years of tortured back and forth, I decided to take the Master's and try to explore the sort of channels I was envisioning. The entrepreneurial vision still exists, although on the back burner a bit. I was faced with the reality that I have a lot to learn, and my ideas need maturation.

I set out to learn more and gain experience. In my last year of grad school, I worked with an environmental non-prof that aimed to engage youth in recreating activism...a lot of interactive, educational pieces at events and festivals. I functioned as an event coordinator/"engineer"/educational programmer....many hats, so to speak. I really enjoyed the broad audience and the "cool" factor of this type of work. The work, however, wasn't paid and would not last forever.

Since graduating, I have worked with The Nature Conservancy. It was a short term position that has been extended by working myself into some new projects....but I am starting to earnestly look forward to what's next. TNC has been a great learning experience - amazing to see conservation on the ground and to be involved behind the scenes with all the different stakeholders. That being said, I still feel my heart gravitating to the entrepreneurial vision I had in grad school.

I know I can't rely on a vision alone, so I need the help of you MeFites to figure out my next steps....

My "vision" rests deeply upon the future of the internet/social networking and the fusing of media with environmentalism/science.

What would be a logical next step to dive into this realm? What kind of jobs can I apply to? I feel like I have been hovering around the conservation world for a bit....and maybe I should be exploring the media side some more.

I am very interested in computers and web development. I don't have much of a "formal" background in computers so I am not even sure which area would be the best (or if I even would have a chance of working anywhere).

What about back-up plan? Should I continue in the conservation world? Perhaps seeking out work with environmental consulting companies?
(OH YEAH, I am in debt and need something that pays at least 30-35k)

Any tips on career change and anything that would help get me closer to my goal would be greatly appreciated. TY

I live in Los Angeles...if that helps

Highly Qualified, but Only for a Job That Won't Exist Anymore

not that girl — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:34:45 -0800

Help an academic psychologist brainstorm possible career tracks post-layoff. I have a friend who has been teaching at the U. of Michigan as a non-tenure-track faculty member for about eight years. She is a social psychologist and teaches in the psychology department. The department has recently announced that it is going to try to get tenure-line faculty to actually teach classes--apparently faculty who get outside grant money can "buy out" of their teaching obligation by remitting half their base salary back to the U, and then the dept. hires people like my friend at a lower salary to actually teach the classes, but the department has decided it wants to hold faculty to their teaching obligations.

Because of this, there is a very good chance that my friend will be out of a job at the end of this academic year, in May. She is trying to start thinking about what she can do.

She doesn't have a counseling psychology kind of Ph.D., so that's not an option. She has been on the academic job market in the past, unsuccessfully, and at this point her family is very settled into southeast Michigan and would not be inclined to relocate in any case. A few years ago she looked seriously into opening a business by buying a franchise, and found that commercial real estate in Ann Arbor was prohibitively costly, and that even with the available loans, she was undercapitalized, and she chose not to follow through.

She could look for other adjunct teaching jobs, but they will almost certainly pay less, be more work, and be less interesting classes (in her current job, as well as an intro class, she gets to teach upper-level seminars in her area of expertise, and she enjoys both).

What other options might she have? Consulting? Marketing? Data analysis (she has a strong statistical background but would need to brush up at this point)? Something else?

Brainstorm mode is OK--suggestions don't have to be eminently practical, and we're open to anything that might spark an idea. I think she would be open to an option that required a short return to school (1-2 years, maybe) to get credentials, if the job prospects at the other end were pretty good. I don't think she needs a huge salary; she makes about 50k now, I think, and although that's better than it sounds because her job is flexible and not-quite-full-time, I think her family would be fine if she found another job that paid about that, since her wife also has a good income.

There. You Did It. Are You Happy Now? (Career Satisfaction Question Inside)

webhund — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:48:07 -0800

I've been contemplating a huge career change for the better part of a year now and am almost ready to take the plunge into something completely different. But one of the nagging questions I'm still constantly asking myself is whether I'm doing this because I'm fed up with absence of personal satisfaction in my current job (divorce lawyer) or whether that feeling is something else that would, given enough time, just follow me on to the new career. So the question is: If, after long consideration, analysis, and thought about what your true passions in life are, you actually did make that leap from Career A to Career B, did your change to Career B bring you any of the fulfillment and "happiness" you thought it would after all?

For the purposes of this question, assume:

Career A: What you went to school for, trained for, fell into, spent years doing, or otherwise defaulted into, etc...

Career B: The career/job that, after long consideration, thinking, and maybe even therapy, you thought would be awesome because it would bring you personal satisfaction, related to one of your passions in life, and that you actually ended up doing (or at least something semi-directly related).

NOTE: I'm not asking about the job change where you couldn't decide between the NYC job and the one in Wasilla because you could have a dog in Wasilla but not real bagels. Not the one where you couldn't decide whether to go back to school at age 22 after a year in Europe. Not the one where you couldn't decide whether to change jobs to move from San Antonio to be with your partner in Gainesville. But the one where you spent lots of time thinking about and identifying your true "passions" in life (per many helpful previous AskMe's), how to change careers to be doing something related to that passion, and where you actually made that change a la Po Bronson, What Color is Your Parachute, The Artist's Way, etc. and all the other very helpful resources that answers to prior AskMe's point (and they're great, BTW).

So, after all that mental knashing and deliberation, did you find that happiness or life-satisfaction increased for you after changing to Career B? If so, why do you think it worked for you? If not, why not? What would you tell someone who's getting ready to make that leap?

How do I lie to my boss and everone that I work with?

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:31:02 -0800

How do I lie to my boss and everyone that I work with? I want to take a college class for personal and career development (that's unrelated to my current position). It will require me to leave work two hours early one day per week. I don't expect that my boss will have too much of an issue with me making up the time on other days, he's generally very flexible, BUT I'm not sure what to tell him about why I need to take the two hours off. He's going to ask. I need to have a good answer. Telling him about the class is not an option because I don't want him to know that I'm thinking about a career change. Also, I expect that lots of other people within my organization will be curious as well. I'd like to have a specific, believable lie to stick to rather than relying on something that's vague and evasive. Some ideas that come to mind are physical therapy or seeing a psychotherapist, but there are obvious limitations to both -- as for physical therapy, there's nothing visibly wrong with me, and this class is going to be a commitment that lasts for 3 months. As for seeing a psychotherapist, I'd be embarrassed to have to tell everyone.

My other concern is that this excuse should be something that obviously takes priority over work "emergencies." If something comes up at work and they beg me to reschedule, I'd like my activity to trump that.

Thoughts?

Midlife career change: systems librarian

LeeNicholson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:12:16 -0800

I am investigating a midlife career change from software engineering to systems librarian. Thoughts on feasibility? My background includes a bachelor's degree in music theory followed by a 25 year career in software engineering, ending this year when I was downsized from my R&D management position at a large computer company. Finding work in this field has not been fruitful and I am considering taking the time for education and starting off in a new direction.

Following this path, in 2011 I would be a 53 year old male with a freshly minted MSLIS degree (likely earned online) with virtually no experience working in a library but with career experience in technical project and people management and an affinity for working with software and hardware.

I currently live in the Northeast US.

Comments, insights and suggestions are most welcomed!

Still trying to figure out what color her parachute is...

RobotNinja — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:20:33 -0800

I need help helping my wife figure out what to do with her life. I am a very lucky person who has known for a long time that I wanted to be an engineer. I love math and science, and truthfully I can think of lots of jobs that would probably satisfy me. However, I recognize that I am in the minority in this position, and my wife, sadly, falls into the other group. She has been feeling particularly down about finding her purpose for quite a while now, and I need to figure out how to help her. Read on for the details! My wife is a business major (communications), which makes things especially hard for me; my peers and I spent much of our college years mocking business for being a "fake major." I am somewhat wiser now, but I struggle with the fact that I personally would probably find almost any businessy, non-technical job to be completely boring and unsatisfying. Like many others, my wife didn't really know what to do when she entered college. She started off as a geography major, but was persuaded by her parents that this would not be useful, and switched to business instead. She still talks wistfully of her geography classes, and I find this story a bit upsetting.

She worked sales for a short while, and then got a job at a high-powered consulting firm. She rose through the ranks quite quickly, and I always tell her that one of her most amazing skills is that she actually cares about doing a good job at work, even if she hates the job itself. She is dedicated and takes pride in what she is doing, but she often hates the environment she is in. She eventually left the consulting firm because she felt sickened by the fact that they were advising people on issues that they had little knowledge about, and also because any further career progress would have required her to "sell her soul" to the company - a huge percentage of the people above her were divorced and routinely working 80 hour weeks. There were other reasons for leaving, but for now I'll leave it that big-name consulting was not for her.

She is now working in project management, but is becoming dissatisfied again. I have trouble getting her to articulate all the reasons, but among them are:

1) She feels that many of the people she works with are bad at their jobs, and she winds up picking up the slack.
2) She has never felt that she has ever developed a specialized skill set. When job searching, she usually feels unqualified for most positions, or doesn't even know where to start looking.
3) In general, she just doesn't enjoy the work very much and dreads the idea of doing this same old thing for another 20-30 years.

I'm sure that part of the issue here is self esteem, and I'm trying to help her with that. However, I don't really know what other advice to give her. She has read through "What Color Is Your Parachute?", "What Should I Do With My Life?", and done various online tests that are supposed to help you find your calling, but to no avail. It seems that a major issue is that she doesn't have any particular passion that translates into a job. What she is good at:

1) Organization. She is highly frustrated by people that don't think ahead and plan for the future. She likes making lists, speadsheets, and databases.
2) Research. Back in the day, she joked about being a travel agent because she like researching vacations. However, she doesn't have much experience with academic research, and isn't crazy about reading through papers all day long.
3) Editing/Proofreading. Goes with #1. She has previously handled "style guides" for various writings done at the consulting firm, and helped manage the publishing of large documents and reports.

Again though, she isn't really passionate about any of those things. She has considered working in editing or publishing, but feels she has very little experience. She is also very prideful, and already took a significant salary decrease to switch to her current job. Taking some "simple", entry-level position in a new field will be very difficult for her to swallow. She does have education benefits in her current position and is very interested in going back to school; the problem, of course, is that she has no idea what for!

My own job choices will always be really obvious. I have specific technical skills that are in high demand, and will likely one day go into technical management of some kind. I have a lot of trouble with the nebulous, vague world of business, and confess that I often wonder what all these people really do all day. I think my wife is confused about her own skill sets and how to find a job that she can enjoy. So what can I do? What can she do? Help me help her, hive mind!

Former classical musician not qualified to do anything but be broke...?

vilolagrl — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:53:41 -0800

Professional musician going through a career change, not having much luck, what am I qualified/supposed to do? What methods do you recommend? So, after spending 10 years working as professional (classical) musician, I'm changing careers because of economic (and physical/mental) necessity.

I'm 26, just dropped out of a performance masters program, have an undergrad in musicology (with about 23 credits of English work) from UVA, and a performance certification from another conservatory. All through my undergrad/grad years I ran a booking business to help my quartet and other friends get gigs, I was a TA in grad school, and have had multiple waitressing jobs/coffee shop gigs plus a few semesters as a library assistant at UVA. I also have been teaching lessons close to full-time for about 10 years.

I'm now living with my parents in northern-ish Virginia (close enough to commute to DC if I really need to, but far enough that I'd like to avoid 4+ hours in traffic each day if possible).

I'm subbing at schools (my mom is a reading specialist in the local school district), teaching at a local music studio and starting/conducting a youth orchestra in the area, but I need a 9-5 career-type job (Full disclosure, I would love to get into copywriting, as writing+money = awesome, and have taken a few classes through Media Bistro. I've had some experience with graphic and web design, so I currently trying to pimp out any and all freelance-type skills I have. I'm doing some Elance gigs and some volunteer things to get my resume/portfolio in shape. Music biz-type jobs are right up my alley and I'm experienced, but in VA they're hard to come by. Music education would require at least a year and a half of full-time study and the programs don't start until the fall).

I've been applying to government jobs, administrative jobs, and lots of minimum wage Target/Kohls/Walmart/Starbucks gigs, and despite trying several different resume tricks (dumbing down my resume considerably, trying my regular resume, leaving out "music", etc) for the past 7 months I've gotten a handful of interviews (maybe 2, and they were because I refused to leave without seeing a manager... stuck my foot in the door essentially).

I did try the public-school route, but I'm only eligible for alternative certification. There is a glut of certified music teachers in this area - each county's HR has to abide by the "more certified teachers we can hire, the more funds we get from the government", so I have literally been recommended by three principals to be hired (In other words, I went through the interview process, the principal liked me, called and offered me the job, then sent my application to Human Resources who called me and said something to the effect of "we can't allow the principal to hire a non-certified teacher in the current economic environment, we have to wait for a certified teacher... sorry but we're sure you'll find something!").

Well, I'm not finding anything (like many others in this economy). But I'm also feeling like I'm not qualified for anything other than teaching!

I'm really trying to get into a new, and more lucrative, career but as a "starving musician" I didn't have cash to save (for real, paying full-time tuition and squeaking by on 6-8000 a year since I was in a conservatory at 16). So I am completely tapped out, and the parents will NOT provide any assistance for schools/training programs/trainings... I'm 20, 000 grand in the hole because of grad school. It's hard to get ahead and look toward any Ad Schools/real estate, or even like, cosmetology school, when I can barely put gas in my car... or get a McJob. They're trying the "tough love" route, which blows, frankly (but I get why they're doing it).

I'm open to many different fields, so long as they are creative-ish and I can make a reasonable amount of money eventually. I can work the mail room and intern like nobody's business, so building up from nothing isn't a problem, I just don't know where to start.

Arg, help me mefi people, if you can! Being really good at something while being completely unqualified for anything else is frustrating, but I'm trying my hardest to stay positive.

When the economy was better/I was in college, I never had a hard time landing jobs, so I don't think it's me... at least I don't think so!

Oh, and just fyi I was in/first chair of several pick-up (ie weekend, one concert a month) professional orchestras but frankly I don't have the skill, patience, or physical/mental fortitude (My doctor recently told me that I would need between 3-4 surgeries to continue playing as much as I am/would need to... carpel tunnel and rotator cuff problems) to do the full-time orchestra route. I have a performance certification from a very good school and have studied with some masters, but honestly, I didn't go to Indiana or Julliard so the numbers game of "open spots v. amazing players willing to audition for 10 years until they get one" has me screwed either way.

Sorry for the length. I'm at my wit's end with all this.

I know what's good.

chan.caro — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:59:14 -0800

How do I become a buyer for a restaurant? I've decided I'm done with being a desk jockey. The steady pay is nice, but the drudgery isn't.

I'd like to work in the restaurant business, but as a "buyer" for a restaurant or other establishment. I'd like to put knowledge I will have gained working on a farm to practice in an environment where I'll be able to basically tell restaurants "This is what you should be buying because of x, y, and z," or just do the buying outright. I'm open to the supply side as well.

Going back to school is a possibility, but not preferable, though my lack of a business background will probably necessitate taking some classes.

Is this possible? Does such a position exist? I'm sure I'm missing a lot of details as this is conceptual - please feel free to plug holes. Anecdotal evidence particularly appreciated.

Some deets: 23, in NYC, journalism background, currently working as a paralegal in BigLaw.

I Wish I Could Go Back to College

SansPoint — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:01:39 -0800

Would going back to school help me find a job that doesn't suck? I'm growing increasingly unsatisfied with my job. I've known for some time that sales and telemarketing were not for me, but recently it's gotten to the breaking point. I've had several days where I very nearly walked out on the job.

Attempts to find employment in other fields have been fruitless, as well. I know the shitty economy isn't helping matters. I've mostly been trying to get a foot in the door with non-profit development, having had four years of work doing direct tele-fundraising for the performing arts. Sadly, tele-fundraising and development seem to be not as closely related as I thought. Nobody seems to want to give me the time of day in that field.

The things I want to do are stuff that my degree (in English) leave me rather unqualified for. While I know a great deal about computers, I don't have any certifications for IT work. It probably wouldn't be hard to get my A+ certification—I likely wouldn't even have to study much based on some of the practice tests I've found online—but have no idea how to get it or if it will really help. I really would like a career in graphic or web design, but I lack anything more than a course in "Introduction to Web Design" which simply taught me what I already know.

The biggest problem with going back to school, though, is that I'm already $40,000+ in debt, and struggling to pay it off.

So, what if I were to go back to school to get a degree in something useful? Would this actually help me find a job I like, or would it just pile on still more debt and not change my situation much? How can I change careers with what I have now? I absolutely refuse another sales job. I'm lost, and running low on options.

(Additional information: 25, male, BA in English, living in Philadelphia.)

Is a uni degree essential?

stillnocturnal — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:58:11 -0800

Should i finish a uni course in a field i dont want a job in? So, ive done 2 years of my university course, and ive realised that i only took it because my parents expected me to go to uni and i had to pick something. So i picked a school subject i found easy.

Im now realising that personally, id rather have a job that makes me happy than pays me a lot of money. And i want to be financially independent of my parents, who currently pay my rent and bills, because while they are lovely people, they get on my nerves. I know this is probably more about me than them, but still, i want to cut off their control from my life. So im seriously considering looking for a full-time job in a field im interested in (starting as an apprentice), and if i can find one, dropping out of uni.

Is not finishing uni a terrible idea? Will i have doomed myself to debt and struggling? Will i seriously regret it?

Im in the UK, btw, and 19.

6 or 1/2 dozen the other?

hwyengr — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:37:35 -0800

Consulting engineering is driving me up the wall. Would being a patent agent be any better? I have a BS in Civil Engineering, my PE, and I've been a consulting engineer for 7 years. Technically, I love the work when we have it. But, the office I'm in doesn't seem to do the kind of work I like (see prev AskMe). I'm a nuts-and-bolts plans production engineer for highway and railroad design, and this office does a lot of non-technical pre-design work. I'd try to get another job, but even in this "recession-proof" industry, nobody's hiring and there aren't that many firms in Los Angeles proper that do what I want to do.

It seems like every engineer's dream to break free of the mid-level salaries of consulting and become a high falutin' patent lawyer. In my case, the lawyer part would be far off since I'm sans JD, but I think I could handle being a patent agent for a while. What scares me off, though, is that I might be giving up one form of stressful mind-numbing work for another. The ol' greener-grass thing.

Does anyone have experience with a career jump like this? Can I even do this with a degree in Civil, when most patent jobs seem to want EEs or MEs? Should I stand pat and just be happy I have a decent job (for now, bankrupt state and all...)?

How to successfully transition into a teaching career in your 30s?

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:43:07 -0800

Due to the economic crisis, the small business I’m a partner in very likely won’t last through the end of the year. After a lot of soul-searching, I’m not sure I want to continue in my current industry and am looking at a possible career change at the age of 35 – becoming a high school English teacher. Basic information – I’m in California and have a B.A. in English from a state university. What exactly do I need to do to earn a credential to teach at the high school level? More importantly, is it possible to earn a credential while still working full-time (and how would student teaching interfere with this)? Is where you get your credential a big deal or would I be ok going with a school that caters to working people like University of Phoenix or National University? I’m married with 3 kids, so the idea of moving in with my parents or a buddy and living on little income while I go through this transition isn’t really a realistic possibility.

On a similar note, my understanding is your pay scale as a teacher goes up if you have a Masters. Does it make sense to try to earn this at the same time I’m getting my credential? What kind of time frame am I looking at before I can be in front of a classroom?

Also, due to the cost of living and economic conditions, I’m seriously considering leaving California and moving somewhere with a lower cost of living. If I do that do I need to go through the credential process all over again or does one state’s teaching certificate easily transfer to another state? Is there anything I’m not taking into consideration or other questions I should be asking?

Throwaway email is teachingcareerchange@yahoo.com

professional options for Dr. who has lost license to practice

Anonymous — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:55:02 -0800

My brother has surrendered his license to practice family medicine because he tested positive for a pain medication that was prescribed for our other brother who was dying of cancer... We are a family of 6 adult siblings. Three years ago our youngest brother died of lung cancer. We tag-teamed his care while he wasted away and died. One of our siblings was a family practice Dr. and he assumed a shared role as caregiver and medical advisor. This brother died and then two years later another brother was diagnosed with lung cancer too. Because of geographic proximity, my Dr. brother assumed a greater role in the care of the second brother. Simulteneous to this event, my Dr. brother had lost his job when the company he worked for lost its medical care contract at the state prison. He went to work for a medical temp agency while trying to relocate his family to be nearer our cancer stricken sibling. While under the stress of caring for another dying brother and being away from his own family for extended periods of time, he used drugs prescribed for our brother for pain, and was caught because of a previous substance abuse problem. He had been clean for 5 years. He surrendered his license to practice in this state with the understanding that the medical board would review his case and give him conditions for having it reinstated. Our second brother died in February. It has been 6 months since he has surrendered his license, the board shows no interest in reinstating, and he has been stymied trying to find employment. I am looking to the hive to help to find related employment for a physician without a license to practice. I think his substance abuse problem is currently under control, and he attends Naranon and AA meetings weekly. He is desperate to find employment that uses his medical knowledge. Somehow he is staying optimistic but I am concerned because I know that there is a high rate of suicide in the medical profession, and with all the events that have transpired in the last 6 months, he is a likely candidate. Please give some creative ideas about finding a new career direction that uses his medical training.

Recommend Career Coach in Seattle

matildaben — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:15:31 -0800

I need recommendations for a career coach or career counselor in the Seattle area. I'm in my mid-40s, just got laid off for the 5th time throughout my 13 years in the web/tech industry, and have been thinking for a few months that I need a change, but I don't know what my next move is. I think I want more meaning in my work life instead of just going through the motions building the next widget for synergistic end to end solutions or some other corporate B.S. I don't just want a career counselor who will give me a bunch of tests and say "you should be a journalist or a librarian or whatever", I really want someone who will help me figure out how to be more fulfilled in my work life.

searching for....something

gnutron — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:03:33 -0800

Zero to Career Change in 2 years flat? Long, vague and indecisive, with details and arbitrary personal restrictions inside. Hope me, strangers! So last week I got laid off from my job as a video game designer. I had been really tried of sitting in an office for 40 hours a week anyway, so I'm taking this crisistunity to potentially go back to school and/or choose a new career path.

I had been working in the game industry for six years. My education is a BA in Anthropology from a liberal arts college. Besides being able to use a computer, I don't have much in-demand marketable skills. I'm 30 years old. And after 8 years of office work, I'm hoping to find a job that doesn't have me staring at a screen all day long.

So I got to thinking thinking about going back to school. Here's where things get complicated. My wife and I are expecting our first child this summer. And within 2-3 years we intend to move across the country (west coast -> east coast) to raise our family closer to our parents. So if I go back to school, I need a program which will: 1. take about 2/3 years, not 4+ years. 2. doesn't demand a ridiculous amount of my time, especially over this summer when mama & baby will be my highest priority. 3. doesn't cost 3 arms and 2 legs.

Some of my ideas and interests and why I'm hesitant to pursue them right now.

Pastry Chef: I have worked as a cook before, and I love kitchen work. Not really into working nights, weekends and holidays, tho.

Massage Therapist/Acupressure: I have a strong interest in TCM and Acupuncture, but I don't have the undergrad science chops to get into those fields right now. I am also not confident that Massage Therapy is really a wise/viable career option.

RN/Radiology Tech/Nutrition: I'm interested in healthcare, but lacking the undergrad science chops to make this happen quickly.

Teacher: I really like the thought of teaching. However, most of the teaching fellow programs in my area require a serious commitment over the summer, which is not in the cards for me this year.

Am I being unrealistic? Should I hold off on pursuing more education until after I move and we adjust to being parents so I can devote more time and energy to it?

Baby Got Post-Bacc

julthumbscrew — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:40:00 -0800

I managed to complete my rinky-dink English degree online without quitting my job or tearing out MY hair. But now I need a few semesters of full-time, brick-'n-mortar hard science and I'm not sure how to swing it. I received "the call". It told me, "Dude, go take your pre-med requirements!" But there are confounding factors. I have a decent full-time job. I also have a fantastic part-time preschooler (I'm divorced with 50/50 custody). I have a great support network (awesome long-term live-in boyfriend, close siblings/parents/friends). I'm pretty sure I could tackle med school without dying or plotzing. Money DURING medical training isn't an issue (there are state/federal/military loan repayment programs and massive-but-worthwhile loans). However, I'm not sure how I should hack going back to school full-time to complete the pre-med stuff. I'm considering several options:

- Live frugally, pour the bulk of my income into my 401(K) or a 529 plan, quit job when designated fund reaches a certain level, live on proceeds during pre-med year.

- Live frugally, pour the bulk of my income into a savings account, so on and so forth.

- Attempt to obtain part-time work at a school with generous student tuition benefits, quit job, work/learn at fabulous new institution (not bloody likely, I know).

- Quit job in lieu of part-time under-the-table work (bartending, etc.), use this and boyfriend's income to finance post-bacc year (also lowers my income on next year's FAFSA).

- Sell my body to science: become a gestational surrogate (a silly whim... but it's $20K+ and pregnancy was super-easy for me).

Were I alone, I could sleep on my parents' couch and take out loans. But with a small person depending on me for 50% of his PB&Js and Garanimals, I need to think this out VERY thoroughly before I proceed.

Well, Mefites? Thoughts? Alternative ideas? Personal stories? Encouragement? Brutal naysaying?

Help me start a new career

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:23:03 -0800

I need a list of careers which do not necessarily require a University degree or formal training. After 15 years of dealing with long hours, little pay and stress that was beginning to damage my health, I walked out on my job. I really do feel that I could use a change of career (worked in Broadcast), something refreshing with better hours, pay and challenges. Problem is, at my age (38) and with not a heck of alot of money in the bank, I really can't afford to go back to school. So, do careers out there exist that I could explore without having to invest time and money in school? For example, I noticed that one could begin a career as an Actuary by demonstrating proficiency through a written exam. Math isn't my thing, so that's out of the question, but I imagine there are other careers like that, where you can demonstrate ability and learn on the job...thanks!

Brother, can you spare the time (for an interview)?

buzzv — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:45:16 -0800

Ex-tech-manager left it all for the creative life; now needs it back! How do I improve my job-search curb appeal? Out of engineering grad school, I racked up 13 years of jobs as a systems consultant, programmer, technical architect, training developer, project manager—all related to software development. Then, just before the dot.com bubble burst, I cashed in and took the plunge into the creative life. I got up to speed in metal working and opened a business making artistic metal furnishings for architects, contractors, and the like, but never got a contractor’s license myself. That went okay for 5 years, and now demand has tanked, at least for me, if not for others in the trade, and I’ve gone Chap 11 on the business.

Now, I’m looking all over for a job back in the technology sector. But I’m facing what seems to be a set of negative factors lowering my curb appeal:

1. Age 47
2. 7+ years out of the software industry, thus no recent experience
3. Off-the-rails career change from tech industry to the trades, now back again, which looks a bit unfocused in the near term.
3. Failed business sent me into Chapter 11, but still need to make enough resolve non-dismissed debt.
4. Appearing overqualified because of the master’s degree and manager-level focus
5. Appearing not qualified without years of recent technical or professional management experience

I know I share a lot of these issues with many others. I know I made this bed and it might be very hard to get a new one. I think my prior tech industry experience and running a small business are actually compatible and valuable to the right company, but where to look? Advice seems to come in from completely different directions, one strongly encouraging one direction while others implore taking the complete opposite. So, AskMeFites, I turn to you, ready for more of the same of course, but also hoping for some new opinions that I haven’t heard yet.

Any suggestions on how I approach employers so that they will respond to a resume enough for at least a screening interview?

Any hiring managers out there in technology: what resume would appeal to you more, a chronological/dated one that shows the radical career change and 7 year hiatus, or an undated one that starts with the latest related stuff first, leaving out the “other life” I’ve had career-wise?

Are others having success addressing a job-hunt situation like this? Care to share?

Is this too many questions for one FPP?

Can a former English major become a healthcare tech?

sureshot — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:32:57 -0800

How can a former English major make a transition into the healthcare field? Remember me? I'm the "English major cliche" who posted a few months ago about career options, life after a BA, and balancing creative work with a stable day job. Following some really brilliant advice found here on AskMe, I'm dedicating the next few months to some wide-open career exploration.

My current curiosity involves technician jobs in the healthcare industry. Things like ultrasound tech, radiologic technologist, and the like. The obvious appeal is that these jobs tend to be stable, recession-proof, decently paid, and that they usually afford enough free time to pursue other interests (or so I hear).

So, I'm looking for all the information I can get about this type of work: pros, cons, education/certification requirements, pay, affordable ways to find training, is one specialty better/more marketable then the others, etc. I'm basically wondering if this is something I should consider. I'm especially looking to hear from anyone working in the healthcare field who may have come from a non-medical background--or anyone who chose the field for reasons of stability rather than passion.

Again, this is mainly a logistical question (what are these jobs like?). But it's also a philosophical one (is it feasible to work in such a field even though it may not be my passion?). All thoughts are welcome.

Forgive me if this all sounds terribly naive.

Finally, I live in Minnesota, so extra points for state-specific certification advice.

What Do I Do With My Life (Next)?

springbound — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:07:04 -0800

Looking for alternate career paths: one 30-yo-ish web designer who just ain't into it and seeks pastures in shades of More Meaningful. I'm pretty friggin' unhappy doing what I'm doing. I've done the 'What Colour Is Your Parachute' exercises (results within) but am being held up by uncertainty and not really knowing much about many careers outside my immediate sphere of influence. And, ok, probably by being an INFP, too. ;) Help? Sorry -- this is long. Background
My first Real Job has been in web design, the result of studying a Bachelor of Multimedia which I got through ok but without much interest; and that has thus far seen me do all the pretty stuff at the company for which I've worked ever since (where, for full disclosure's sake, I rather dislike the commercial nature of the beast and the people who are into it). My only interest when I got into the field was markup, standards compliance stuff, usability and whatnot -- not all this pretty stuff I'm doing now. Somehow I got a bit diverted and don't know how how to find my way back, or that might be my first port of call.

But I rather suspect it wouldn't be my last. I could certainly try and work out how to move back onto that path - and if anyone has any suggestions on how I might do so easily I'd be really appreciative about hearing them - but I also am wondering if I'd be any more happy doing that. Overall, design's really not worth much to me (at least for its own sake), and it's such a field full of impassioned artists that generally I think I'd best just leave them to their effusions and go find something I feel similarly about. Certainly I figure I should think about it before I invest a whole lot of time into any change of direction.

After I did my B.Mm, for interests' sake alone I studied a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies. Did an honours year and wrote a thesis on queer young adult novels. Now that was some cool shit: all sorts of things I'd never learnt before and that made me into a better, more aware, more authentic (capable of thinking for myself) person, plus gave me the opportunity to give something back. Personally, politically, philosophically relevant and rewarding... All up, a great way to spend some time.

Alas, also a good way to gather some student debt. Accordingly (and because, y'know, I'm terminally single and still hope one day despite this state of, uh, independence, to raise funds enough to purchase a dwelling of some kind for myself), I've adverse to returning to study, accruing more debt (eek!), and staving off gainful employment (worse! no way of paying BACK debt!), unless I'm sure I'm putting everything aside for The Most Positively Absolutely Right And Perfect Field For Me (stamped and signed with the approval of an all-knowing deity would be good).

Insert current problem. What do I doooo??

Ideas and Ideals
In my ideal world I get to read all day and learn brain-twisting new shit and discuss ideas with people and get paid for it. Meantime, back in reality.....

I've considered librarianship, and indeed am looking at a deadline of Friday for an application to a Masters course therein (have printed out the application form, but am dragging my feet in uncertainty), but everyone on here seems to shriek "No! There's too many of us already!" at every wannabe librarian. I've read your horror stories. I've read your complaints of little monetary compensation (security's important to me). On the positive side, yay for information and learning and all that sort of fulfilling stuff; I could get behind that, assuming I enjoyed the day-to-day stuff adequately.

I've also considered academia, but my honours thesis supervisor, whilst saying she's glad I'm considering it, tells me the conditions are pretty pitiful at present and she wouldn't get into it today if she was just thinking about starting out. Again, too, the pay seems a bit blah.

Myers-Briggs-wise, I'm an INFP. (I know! Imagine! I can't make a decision! Whoever would have thought?!) I'm pretty reserved around people I don't know, and a bit self-conscious when making noise or drawing attention to myself, so am not much into getting up in front of crowds, though that may be something I'd be willing to work on if it was the only thing holding me back from something awesome. (I tend to like challenging myself anyway and doing a Toastmasters course is on my To Do list.)

Going by the list below, which represents the "Everything On One Piece Of Paper" page of 'What Colour Is Your Parachute', does anything occur to you that might be perfect for me? Apparently I'm looking for something:

Utilising my favourite transferable skills: developing/improving, researching, writing, analysing, interpreting others' ideas, organising/systematising/classifying

In a field defined by my favourite interests: communication, books, learning, philosophy, nature/travel, queer rights/anti-discrimination, ethics

Serving my favourite values and goals: growing in wisdom and compassion; having an impact; helping fight discrimination/unkindness; helping people

In organizations having my favourite people environments: interested in making the world better somehow; have progressive ethics; sensitive to nontraditional issues; at least moderately socially "ept"; heterogeneous in gender and race and hopefully even sexuality; humorous; with I/A/S type people (I = investigative/analytical/curious, A = artistic/imaginative/innovative, S = social/into informing, training, developing, curing or enlightening)

With my favourite working conditions: good feeling of teamwork/morale/support; variety in my tasks; ability to control the noise environment around me (quiet when needed); friendly, effective management; adequate resources to perform my job as well as conceivable

At this salary and level of responsibility: $55k+ (Aussie $); creative control over my work; overtime hours appreciated rather than expected; able to select people I have to supervise, but preferably no hierarchical management duties.

Okay, some of this isn't going to happen, but I'm including it all anyway because who knows what connections might get drawn. Also open to general advice on career selection, on choices generally, or whatever you think is relevant. Hit me!

Thanks MeFites; you rock!

Changing careers without going back to school?

kaudio — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 16:51:00 -0800

CareerFilter: Any advice on undertaking a career change when going back to school is not an option? A bit of background: I'm 29 years old and currently work as an Audio Assistant (A2) and Audio Operator in live television. Freelance pays well, but the hours are completely unpredictable and there's little-to-no possibility of getting a full-time position in the near future, since most of the major broadcasters in Canada have recently gone through major layoffs. At this point in my life, I need some stability in my career and a steady paycheque, neither of which are provided by my current vocation. I'd also like to move in a direction which could lead to full time work, since I may want to start a family in the next few years and, in Ontario, you must work full time for a continuous year to qualify for Employment Insurance maternity leave benefits.

I've worked in the technical side of television since I left high school (without a diploma). I went to University of Toronto (Spanish and Latin American Studies) for two years as a mature student, but I could not afford to continue my studies because my availability for work was heavily impacted by my class schedule. (I still carry a fairly large amount of debt from that attempt to educate myself.) I feel that I would have enjoyed studying something more vocational, rather than cultural studies theory; however, at the time, I was still feeling pressure from my family to get a university degree.

I don't know what sort of career I'm looking for... I'm technically savvy, but I'm not really an expert in anything other than TV-specific audio. I'm very analytical, a competent and creative problem-solver, and I often notice things and make connections that other people don't. I'll be checking out some of the books found this mefi thread to try and figure out what path I should take, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself that anyone will want to hire me without a proper education. It's starting to keep me up at night.

Do I have to go back to school (read: further into debt) to make a career change? Are there any resources (Toronto/Ontario/Canada) that can help me through the transition? Any advice from the hive mind is welcome.

Is it realistic to start a career as a clinical psychologist aged 40?

elke — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:39:21 -0800

Is it realistic to start a career as a clinical psychologist aged 40? I'm 32 and, after much research, have decided I want a career in clinical psychology.

My background is writing (copywriting, PR, journalism) which I've recently taken in the direction of mental health advocacy in my spare time. However writing on the whole is not satisfying enough (I only chose it because it was easy and stuck with its more evil varieties because it paid well) and the thought of doing it for the next 30 years is terrifying. I want to leave media roles behind me and move into clinical psychology, where ideally I’d like to combine hands-on work with patients with research and mental health advocacy.

The thing is, according to all the part-time, off-campus, postgraduate study options I've looked at with reputable universities, I'll be 40 by the time I'm qualified to practice as a psychologist in Australia. Am I only dreaming that I can get a career off the ground, as a clinical psychologist, from scratch aged 40? (I can't afford to study full-time, as I don't receive financial support, so it's not an option for me to fast track.)

In a couple of ways, it makes sense to me that clinical psychology should be my mid-life career change: I want to have a child in the next couple of years, so say I have one at 34, he or she will be in school when I’m 40, which will allow me to a little more career freedom with regards to hours.

But how can I make the next eight years count professionally towards clinical psychology while I study part-time? Should I go and do media or copywriting for a mental health charity? Or should I not try to combine the two, and stick with more lucrative copywriting so I can spend more time with my future child while working much less, then make a clean break at 40? If I do make a clean break at 40, will I find that I'm unemployable as I have no experience and I'm competing with much younger graduates?

Apologies in advance if the answers seem obvious, and I know that if I don’t study I won’t have a new career in eight year’s time, but I just want to make sure that my dreams of a career change slotted in around motherhood, and competing with much younger graduates, are realistic.

NB: I don’t want a hugely successful career as a clinical psychologist, as mothering will always come first so I won’t put in the extra hours necessary to climb the ladder, but I would like a secure career, that pays an average income.

I can tell you how to make your site better! Really!

pdb — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:44:57 -0800

How do I go about marketing myself as a usability expert? I've been a business systems analyst for about 14 years now, and it's starting to bore me. I'm a contractor, so I temper that boredom by switching jobs/industries every year or so, which forces me to learn a fresh industry; the mechanics of being an SA/BSA are really starting to bore me, though.

So, I'm starting to ponder "next move" options. The logical/usual next move for someone in my position is into project management, but the thought of being a project manager makes me want to set myself on fire; nothing against the PM's that may be reading this, but it's not a skillset I have or want to develop. I've done some programming/DBA type stuff, but that doesn't really interest me either.

In my time as a BSA, I've really tried to make every product I develop extremely user-friendly, and to make them flow in a way that makes real-world sense. I have no formal usability training, but it's something I think I'm really good at, and I think now that "usability" is a thing (it wasn't so much when I started), I'd like to head in that direction.

So, to that end, how do I tailor my resume to stress that while I'm not formally trained in usability, I'm really quite good at it? I'm also willing to take a step backwards, career-wise, if starting from scratch is the best way to go. Unfortunately, going back to school is not an option for me right now (my wife's probably going back to school soon), but I would be open to some sort of online study course/tutorial if it's not too time-sucky on a daily basis.

Any ideas on how I might re-orient my career would be most helpful.