Have you changed careers? Please tell me your story. (licenses, employed, secretary)
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I haven't had a full career change, but have seen a lot of industries.
The first few jobs I had out of college were IT support in the financial services space - one at a Fortune 500 financial firm, another for a software company in the investment banking industry, last one as an application administrator at a bank. I was an economics major in college and got stuck in IT call centers.
I work at a healthcare firm now in their IT department. Much better quality of life, feels more stable than financial services. I wouldn't go back into the banking side - that's for sure.
Graduated from college with a degree in Finance, worked for over a decade on Wall Street in different capacities including equity trading. I grew tired of the people, the atmosphere, and losing my job every few years when the economy took a nosedive and decided to go in a completely different direction. I've spent the past few years hammering my way through pre-reqs for a Physician Assistant or BSN program, volunteering at a hospital, and taking EMT and CNA certification courses. I'm pretty optimistic and excited about a future healthcare career, and after recently seeing firsthand the incredible care given to my Dad during a 6 week hospital stay (they saved his life) I'm sure I've made the right decision.
Career changing has become much more common over the past decade as the economy transforms and people need to adapt. The days of people staying with one career/one company for decades seem to be a thing of the past.
When I was 26 I started my own insurance agency. It was a demanding business with long hours and very few days off. I had to sell something nearly every day to pay for my office and support myself. Then I met John. I had to change careers because I barely saw him. I ran the agency and went back to school for a very intense one year program to become a Respiratory Therapist. It's normally a two year program. It was by far the worst year of my life. My best friend died at the end of the school year, another best friend's husband died at the beginning of the school year. My dog died in the middle of the school year, and we bought a wreck of a house just before I went into school. I got through all of it and I now had the flexibility of being able to have days off with him and vacations. Changing careers is not easy, but I had to do it the hard way. Doh!
My mom worked as an accountant in her early career and changed careers in late middle age after returning to school for a master's degree in social work. Her second career involved working with mentally ill children. Could that job be more different than accounting?? She always said she wished she had made the decision earlier and loved her second career.
People live a long time now. There is no reason not to change careers two or three times in a lifetime as interests change.
Graduated from uni two years ago, found a job in IT administering their datacentres and supporting VMWare. At the same time got certified in VMWare and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and 12.
But a month ago I decided I wanted to move away from working for someone else, and to work for myself as a consultant - bigger risks, more responsibility and decision-making, but the money is better, the mix of clients is also a benefit, and at present no two jobs are the same.
Not sure how long I'll stick with this, but for the moment I'm happy
I had a lot of job changes when I was younger. My first actual career was 13 years of selling apartment buildings as a real estate broker. When they changed the tax laws, apartments lost their luster and my business collapsed. I went back to school and became a real estate appraiser with my own business. That was 25 years ago, best decision I ever made.
Joined the Marine Corps in 81 for Air Traffic Control/$35K bonus upon completion of the school, which had a 70%drop out rate. I wasn't into the job, just the money and, honestly, I was doing what my parents wanted, not me.
I quickly washed out and was put into Aviation Maintenance. Not a great mechanic by any means. I eventually moved over to facility maintenance and have loved it ever since. First military (AF CE) Now I'm a civilian working on Navy Facilities. Love it.
Spent 30 years as an automotive parts specialist, the last 5 building online business.
Took the skills I had accumulated and went solo, out of the rat race and with my own business.
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My husband has been a Mechanical Engineer for 20 years for a medical sterilization company and LOVES it!!
