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I am trying to change careers as my current job is wearing on me too much. I love working with people and definitely don't want another job that heavily involves sitting behind a computer. In my current job I sit in a cube at a computer for about 9 hours a day and I hate it but the pay is great. I've thought of being a teacher but I hear nothing but negative stuff about teaching. Are there any careers that fit someone who is more of a people person and who wants to get away from being stuck to a computer and cubicle with decent pay.
You could try a career counseling service, that will run you through some tests on aptitude, environment etc. Maybe a way to find those online. Or check books like "What Color is My Parachute?" or Pathfinders, these can help you plan or figure out what you want to do. It's sometimes hard to make a decision to change when one is earning a living they are ok with but sometimes it can be fun to plan out an alternative and know how you will do it.
Teaching is something you really have to want to do or else you will burn out quickly. What about one of the allied health fields or nursing? Solid pay and definitely people oriented.
Teaching is something you really have to want to do or else you will burn out quickly. What about one of the allied health fields or nursing? Solid pay and definitely people oriented.
What you said about teaching is even more true for nursing. You also need VERY thick skin. They do earn good money generally speaking, but there are MANY reasons for that It is not easy money, that's for sure. The attrition rate for nurses is within the neighborhood of 50% after 5 years. They are also being worked harder then ever, many times being required to cover 7 patients in a 12 hour shift. It's also becoming more difficult for new nurses to find a job in this country. Hospitals don't make money on new nurses, as they cannot turn a profit while they cover only 3-4 patients. They all want experience if they can get it, and they are willing to pay good money. I expect things to get ore hectic in that profession, as so many folks have flooded into nursing school for the money. If money was their motive, I imagine they won't last long. I decided the job wasn't worth $20/hr and left nursing school after a year and a half. You can all have it!
When I was in college I took a couple of personality tests which compared personality type to happiness in career occupation. It was based on real world surveys by people with the same personalities and their satisfaction in a given career.
Obviously, some discretion needs to be used, as a satisfaction index rated high as a statistician or actuary paired with an incumbent that cannot get out of College Algebra with anything over a C- is a recipe for disaster no matter how close the personality match. Still, it could be a good starting point.
So true. My cousin recently graduated from NYU accelerated nursing program a few months ago and secretly confided to me that she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She didn't sound very keen on the job and she's only been at it for a few weeks! She feels PA may have been the better call...
So true. My cousin recently graduated from NYU accelerated nursing program a few months ago and secretly confided to me that she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She didn't sound very keen on the job and she's only been at it for a few weeks! She feels PA may have been the better call...
I try to guide young people into emerging technologies. I tinker with machines for a living. They are much more pleasant than people, even when they are cranky.
The OP is a "people person". As a jaded veteran of both "people" and "non-people" jobs, I will say that everybody and his brother claims his selling point is being a "people person". Regrettably, there are enough people who consider themselves to be "people persons" that it carries zero value in the job market. If you're a professional, you are ALSO expected to be a "people person" as appropriate. Just as you are ALSO expected to know how to write. So being a "good writer" also carries zero value in the job market, other than by it absence - you won't be hired as a professional XYZ because you're a good writer, as that's expected, but you CAN be canned if you write poorly. Another attribute that many people think is their selling point is having a "great work ethic". Guess what? You're expected to bring that to the table, so it carries no value in the market and you are looked on as a neophyte if you bring it up.
Similarly, if your job consists of moving electrons, it is vulnerable to offshoring. Any job that can be done with a computer and a desk will eventually be relocated to a place that has cheaper people and cheaper desks.
Your best play is a job that has a high barrier to entry with a low likelihood of being offshored. "Barrier to entry" being niche skills that require a physical presence. Anything that requires a security clearance, in short, or sales. A great career - but real salespeople and therefore serious sales jobs are commission only, and require REAL skills. E.g., you can't walk in and make a living. Do you really want to sign up for a learning curve with no income and the real risk of getting canned for failing to make your quotas?
As a global economy, we're in a long term decline. There's less of the pie to go around, and more people snatching for a slice of it. I wish I were more positive, but dislocations like this one are tough as heck on us all.
My personal opinion: get the stars out of your eyes. You're being paid to perform a service, not to pout about your underutilized potential as a "people person". Being a "people person" is not going to cover the monthly nut. If that's all you've got, be grateful you have employment. If you want an outlet for your "peopleness", get a boyfriend, join a church, or volunteer at your local VA hospital or hospice.
I apologize for being un-PC. But I'm not seeing it, asking people here, on an employment forum, to help you find a career you "love" when you are already employed, but pouting about it. Many people here would love to have your job, and your complaints, but they'd likely keep the complaints to themselves.
The OP is a "people person". As a jaded veteran of both "people" and "non-people" jobs, I will say that everybody and his brother claims his selling point is being a "people person". Regrettably, there are enough people who consider themselves to be "people persons" that it carries zero value in the job market. If you're a professional, you are ALSO expected to be a "people person" as appropriate. Just as you are ALSO expected to know how to write. So being a "good writer" also carries zero value in the job market, other than by it absence - you won't be hired as a professional XYZ because you're a good writer, as that's expected, but you CAN be canned if you write poorly. Another attribute that many people think is their selling point is having a "great work ethic". Guess what? You're expected to bring that to the table, so it carries no value in the market and you are looked on as a neophyte if you bring it up.
Similarly, if your job consists of moving electrons, it is vulnerable to offshoring. Any job that can be done with a computer and a desk will eventually be relocated to a place that has cheaper people and cheaper desks.
Your best play is a job that has a high barrier to entry with a low likelihood of being offshored. "Barrier to entry" being niche skills that require a physical presence. Anything that requires a security clearance, in short, or sales. A great career - but real salespeople and therefore serious sales jobs are commission only, and require REAL skills. E.g., you can't walk in and make a living. Do you really want to sign up for a learning curve with no income and the real risk of getting canned for failing to make your quotas?
As a global economy, we're in a long term decline. There's less of the pie to go around, and more people snatching for a slice of it. I wish I were more positive, but dislocations like this one are tough as heck on us all.
My personal opinion: get the stars out of your eyes. You're being paid to perform a service, not to pout about your underutilized potential as a "people person". Being a "people person" is not going to cover the monthly nut. If that's all you've got, be grateful you have employment. If you want an outlet for your "peopleness", get a boyfriend, join a church, or volunteer at your local VA hospital or hospice.
I apologize for being un-PC. But I'm not seeing it, asking people here, on an employment forum, to help you find a career you "love" when you are already employed, but pouting about it. Many people here would love to have your job, and your complaints, but they'd likely keep the complaints to themselves.
Excuse me but I asked for career advice, not for someone to come on here and be nasty and negative to me. Sorry I am employed and it bothers you so much but I have the right to seek out a career that makes me happy.
Yes you are obviously very jaded and exactly the type of person I am trying NOT to be, which is why I need to find something that makes me happy. And you are wrong not everyone likes dealing with people. I work with a lot of introverts and that is just not me.
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It is not easy money, that's for sure. The attrition rate for nurses is within the neighborhood of 50% after 5 years. They are also being worked harder then ever, many times being required to cover 7 patients in a 12 hour shift. It's also becoming more difficult for new nurses to find a job in this country. Hospitals don't make money on new nurses, as they cannot turn a profit while they cover only 3-4 patients. They all want experience if they can get it, and they are willing to pay good money. I expect things to get ore hectic in that profession, as so many folks have flooded into nursing school for the money. If money was their motive, I imagine they won't last long. I decided the job wasn't worth $20/hr and left nursing school after a year and a half. You can all have it!
Excuse me but I asked for career advice, not for someone to come on here and be nasty and negative to me. Sorry I am employed and it bothers you so much but I have the right to seek out a career that makes me happy. 
