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Correct. I don't precisely know what I want to do. But I just don't feel comfortable going back to school and spending virtually my entire nest egg on another degree for something that I might not end up liking anyway! The whole point of this thread was to seek advice as to how to make a career change WITHOUT going back to school, if possible.
I don't hate my job that much. It's alright. Some days are good, some are bad. I guess that's the case with most jobs?
I don't want a more challenging job, nor do I desire to make more money (although it's a plus).
I already know that it's a bad idea to go back to school, because of the cost associated with it. I mean heck, I just paid off all my student loans two years ago. It would be very depressing to rack up huge amounts of debt again or dig into my nest egg of cash. It's just going to be a huge setback for doing things such as buying a home, etc.
The problem is if you do not go back to school, the chances of successfully completing a career change become much lower. You need to show an employer at least some sign of commitment, not just ... 'I hate my job and want to try something else'.
Maybe, maybe if you are lucky, something like financial analyst, etc will pick you up and credit your old experience. But it's not that likely in this economy as they'd have to eat $ to train you.
If you are already worried about things like buying a home and retirement, then I wouldn't do it. Those things weren't even on my radar at age 30.
Most people are unhappy in their jobs. I'm in my late 20's and I've changed my "career" several times. I am working on my Bachelor's now...and it is an uphill slog. There's never a guarantee, even if you do go to school, take all that time and spend all that money, that you will get a job in your chosen field, which you may or may not even like, which you can't know until you try.
I've never been as established as you are though. I will say, I worked several years in HR and it is near impossible to land a job without the right qualifications (usually a 4-year degree relevant to employment law, 5+ years experience -which is usually very low paid, depending on your area- and more often then not PHR certification) and/or connections. I knew many HR people in my region, had hands-on experience in many areas of HR, and still couldn't land a better gig. I'd get interviews since they liked my experience but every time heard that they wanted the Bach and the PHR but planned to pay around $12-$14/hour! After awhile I got burnt out in my low-paying position and decided to change to another career and area of study (initially I went to school for HR, too).
That's my two cents. The recommendation that you make the connections is crucial. I think for HR though you will have no choice but to return to school.
Have you thought about moving out of your comfort zone? Lots of desk jobs in the oil fields of NoDak/Texas/Co/Wyo/Mont. And you can start with a good salary as well. Sometimes in life you have to take a risk and have faith in the LORD. For example 6 years ago I was laid off from what I thought was my retirement job and had to start over. My faith led me to the CBM fields of northern Wyo (which was where I was brought into this world) and was blessed with a pretty decent opportunity. I moved from the east coast to the intermountain west on faith alone. Out of my comfort zone.....you bet.......out of my wifes comfort zone....you bet. I had been away for 30 years. And to top it off, I was 50 years of age. Have faith and step out over the abyss..........the water is good. I am now living my reality, not dreaming.
Most people are unhappy in their jobs. I'm in my late 20's and I've changed my "career" several times. I am working on my Bachelor's now...and it is an uphill slog. There's never a guarantee, even if you do go to school, take all that time and spend all that money, that you will get a job in your chosen field, which you may or may not even like, which you can't know until you try.
I've never been as established as you are though. I will say, I worked several years in HR and it is near impossible to land a job without the right qualifications (usually a 4-year degree relevant to employment law, 5+ years experience -which is usually very low paid, depending on your area- and more often then not PHR certification) and/or connections. I knew many HR people in my region, had hands-on experience in many areas of HR, and still couldn't land a better gig. I'd get interviews since they liked my experience but every time heard that they wanted the Bach and the PHR but planned to pay around $12-$14/hour! After awhile I got burnt out in my low-paying position and decided to change to another career and area of study (initially I went to school for HR, too).
That's my two cents. The recommendation that you make the connections is crucial. I think for HR though you will have no choice but to return to school.
This is a good post.
Unfortunately, the way things are set up, you kind of have to leap before you look a little. For most jobs, you can't even get an internship unless you have that degree (or are almost finished) and there's no other way to truly get a feel for how it is.
Ironically, I also think people without bachelor degrees change careers more often and it is easier. My friends without degrees have gone into various ventures, some have nothing to do with each other. If my friends with degrees change careers, it's once and it's a big one. I think it's a shame because everybody should get a chance to try something new.
Because I don't want to spend a few years and tens of thousands of dollars on something that I might not like. Sure, I have some ideas of what I would like to try, but how do I know if I will REALLY enjoy it? That's scary.
Then you might need to do what you are already established and have a job doing during work hours to earn a living, and save "what I like to do" for your free time. There are plenty of people who don't feel particularly fulfilled by their 9-5 job. Is it great when you also enjoy it? Sure, but if you don't really have a strong idea or calling for what you'd rather be doing, I fear you'd do exactly what you said--spend a lot of time and money and ultimately come up with something you don't like any better.
I would stay in the current job and use evenings and weekends to try out other things to find your greater interests. You could take a class or two in a few different areas. You can work on hobbies.
FWIW some days I enjoy my job and some days it's tough and it's what I get through in order to pay for the free time I enjoy when I'm not at work. The janitor who cleans the floors and scrubs the toilets in your office building probably isn't feeling particularly fulfilled either, and I'm guessing you have a lot more disposable income to enjoy on your free time than he does. I would explore if there are other fields I might be happier in, but I wouldn't give up a good thing for a "maybe?" when it could just be that you're having the itch for something different but wouldn't necessarily be "$30,000 and 3 years worth happier" after you finish devoting all the time and money it would take to make the change. Good luck.
What would it take for you to be a CPA? Maybe you already are? Become a notary. Then, look into becoming a Certified Financial Planner. Start your own business doing Financial Planning and then doing Tax Returns during "peak". Your notary ability can be helpful in your own business and in nearby businesses in bringing in a trickle of base income. Get a small office or a shared office in a business "incubator".
I don't think this only happens in America. Every field is specialized these days so you can't just switch into another career easily just because your interests changed. I realized long ago my career field isn't my forte but at this point, I don't hate it enough to want to start from scratch. I think for a lot of people, work is just work so they find fulfillment in outside activities. Long term unemployment is usually the only motivating factor for a drastic career change.
Well, specifically, I'm a tax accountant. I just don't like the constant pressure, deadlines and complexity. The U.S. tax code is just SO complex and it makes my head want to explode.
I have tried moving out of tax accounting and into general accounting, which follows GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) rules but I'd have to take a $20K paycut (down from $75K). I'm okay with that, but it would be a tough pill to swallow. I mean, whether it's tax accounting or general accounting, I would still be sitting in an office in front of a computer all day, dealing with a set of rules, spreadsheets, numbers and deadlines anyway. So I don't know....
The only career change that I could possibly wiggle my way into would be a financial analyst, of the type that forecasts and budgets a company's financials. But based on my observations over the years, financial analysts or FP&A (financial planning and analysis) professional work like 50+ hours per week, which I don't want to do. I value work-life balance strongly.
But being in tax accounting for nearly 7 years, I'm just average at it, to be honest. I think from time to time, management has been disappointed with me for various reasons.
Have you thought about going down the road to the CFA? That may open a lot of doors for you. I remember seeing some prior posts of yours. If I remember correctly, you're quite picky about where you want to live (mostly in the northeast and/or liberal environments) and frankly, $75K is not going to be excellent in CT. Above average, slightly, but it's equivalent to about $45k in Nashville TN. It's decent for a single person, but if you were willing to relocate to a lower cost area, then you could save a ton of money. Just ran a CNN comparison on $75k in Stamford (aren't you in FFC?) vs. where I am in Indy and that's $47k equivalency. Honestly, I don't think you'd be going backward that much in effective disposable income if you go to a cheaper place. You can probably make this change easier than you believe.
Take the Myers-Briggs personality test and determine your personality type (I'm an INTJ). Use your personality type to find the most suitable jobs for you. You may find that you're not suited for any sort of accounting or finance jobs.
Just google 'Myers-Briggs' and you'll find several free online testing sites. The test is less than 100 questions. With most testing sites, you'll get your 4-letter personality type right away. Then google your personality type with the word 'jobs' ie. INTJ jobs.
Try a couple of different test sites. In my case, I'm always an INTJ regardless of the testing site.
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