Changing Careers...

[AnotherKD]

Have any of you just up and left your career for something completely different?

I've got a job that only somewhat deals with what I went to school for. It's not that great, but it pays well and I have the ability to be on different projects every 6-9 months or so, so I don't get stuck with the same thing for a long time. I've been working in this field ever since I got out of grad school, about 6 years ago. But it's so damn bureaucratic, I don't feel like I am of any importance around here, and I am slowly becoming more and more sick of it.

But in buying a house recently, I've been thinking that I should just give this up and get a real estate license. I know it's random, but it seems like I could be good at it. And I wouldn't dread coming to work every day and doing stuff that I don't like. Also, around DC, the housing market never really crashed (though it did slow down a bit, and is picking back up) and so it'd be a pretty steady line of work. But the rational side of me thinks that I shouldn't be giving up on my "career path" in my 30s and basically wasting my degree... though I guess it's not being completely utilized right now, anyhow.

Have any of you changed careers after you've started to become established in something? How did you actually psych yourself up to go ahead and do it? Was it worth it?

[33girl]

While I won't go into detail, I'm really struggling now with the concept of wasting my degree. However, I was a marketing major and you can kind of twist that to fit ANYTHING.

Thank you for making this thread, I needed to remind myself of that. As for the real estate, one of my good friends just went into it (after getting out of the shitbag that is insurance) and she loves it. I would go for it.

[knight_shadow]

Ditto on what 33girl said.

I'm in my industry (marketing), but not doing what I want to. I just got wind of an opportunity that would allow me to do exactly what I want, but I'm trying to weigh everything right now.

Thanks for making this thread

[AlphaFrog]

I'm working on it...and in the likely event my big Hollywood dreams don't come true, I still need to figure something else out, because my job is ridiculously boring. Yes, I make good money, but I'd actually honestly rather be waitressing. If I knew (for sure... that's the thing about tipped livings) I could make the kind of money waitressing that I do in office work, I'd be so outta here.

[AnotherKD]

I don't know about you guys, but when I've mentioned this to people, they all think I'm crazy because of the economy right now. And I will assume that that's one of, if not *the*, reason that you may be holding back. It sure is for me. Wondering if I'd even be any good at it, and if I'm not, then being kinda screwed.

It's funny- I am kind of bipolar about it all right now. Within 24 hours, I go back and forth a few times about whether or not I should do it. But I think the argument that's winning out is that being in my very early 30s, it is a loooooooooong time until retirement. I work with some people that are so old, and I look at them, and think to myself, "Oh, there is NO FRIGGIN' WAY that will be me." But yet I'm still here.

God, I'm a wuss.

[KSUViolet06]

Welcome to my life (although the careers aren't SUPER different.)

Got a degree in Counseling with a focus in Rehabilitation (people with disabilities/substance abuse/mental health) in 2009.

I spent a lot of time working with disabled HS students during that time, and got to thinking about a career in Sp. Ed.

After a year of thinking and praying about it, I took the plunge and applied to the Sp. Ed. program.

Cue "OMG BAD IDEA THAT'S SO DUMB OMG YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FIND A JOB" from just about everyone.

Cue "omg teaching is soooo hard and you'll probably fail at it" from every teacher I have ever met.

Cue "omg the admissions process is sooo difficult" from all the teachers I know.

Cue "OMG WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR DEGREE!!!!" too.

Well, I got in AND got a job working with special needs children in a classroom setting.

To top it off, I'm not even wasting my degree because my previous degree = 15 hours of credits that I don't have to take AND qualified me to get the the job I have.

So, in summary, do what you want. Also, don't listen to people because most of them are Debbie Downers who have no clue what they're talking about.

[AGDee]

My bachelor's degree is in Occupational Therapy and I worked for 13 years as an Occupational therapist in mental health, primary child and adolescent psych units. After 13 years, I got a Microsoft certification and have been working in IT for the last 11 years. (I got my certification eleven years ago this month!). Now I'm working on a master's degree in Information Assurance (IT Security), which, while related, is almost like a third career too because it is more focused. It absolutely can be done. I cannot even see myself having continued to work in the mental health field with the way the health care system is.

All that said, a transition to real estate could be done slowly you know. I know A LOT of people who do it part time/evenings and weekends only to start and then, as they make enough money to leave their other jobs, they do so. It can take time to start making money because you have to get some contacts established.

If I wanted to transition to something like real estate, that's how I would go about it.

[amanda6035]

Originally Posted by AnotherKD

I don't know about you guys, but when I've mentioned this to people, they all think I'm crazy because of the economy right now. And I will assume that that's one of, if not *the*, reason that you may be holding back. It sure is for me. Wondering if I'd even be any good at it, and if I'm not, then being kinda screwed.

Don't let the economy drive you. Several things you may want to look into: There's a book called 48 Days to the Work You Love. It's about finding your passion.

You can also checkout Crossroads Career Network - I actually went through the Career Explorers class about a year after I graduated (because I realized I had made a HUGE mistake with my major choice), found the job I love, and I'm now leading the ministry at my church in the new town I moved to as a result of the job of my dreams. The concept teaches you to find work that you're not only good at, but work you love and find fullfilment in. if you're not fulfilled and happy in your job, you're always going to wonder "what if?"

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by amanda6035

Don't let the economy drive you.

This is how I tend to look at things. I'm not going to postpone doing something I really want to do based on Ohio's economy. Especially when I don't have a mortage, kids, massive debt etc. to worry about.

[ADqtPiMel]

Originally Posted by AGDee

All that said, a transition to real estate could be done slowly you know. I know A LOT of people who do it part time/evenings and weekends only to start and then, as they make enough money to leave their other jobs, they do so. It can take time to start making money because you have to get some contacts established.

Yes! My dad used to be a real estate agent (he works in insurance now), and that's how he got into it. He didn't go to college, was working construction and started doing real estate during his off times. He managed to transition to full-time after a few years.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

In August, I walked away from a full-time job to pursue my PhD. I am now living on about a quarter of my salary, and it will be even less next year (because I got some one-year funding that won't renew). Some days, I think I'm out of my mind, and that my savings will run out, and that I may not even be able to get a PhD-related job after I finish, but then I realize that I'm having so much fun.

I will admit that I'm hedging, doing some part-time work in my field and keeping in touch with a lot of my professional contacts. Also, I obviously saved up a lot before I left.

But really, life's too, too short. What's to say you wouldn't be laid off from your current job? Or killed tomorrow by a pop machine? I say go, and don't look back.