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I wanted to start a thread for those who are thinking about changing careers, or have changed careers in the past and want to share their experience.
I have graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology 9 years ago. I worked in fashion industry for years, for top design houses in New York City. While I was working, I knew deep down that I'm not sure I want to do this for the rest of my life. It is a very stressful cut-throat industry. Very superficial, long hours, very competitive. It was bringing me good money, especially last 3 years, but I felt like my soul was dying and I needed to get out.
Due to many undisclosed reasons, we relocated to Florida. We moved to Sunshine state a month ago. Needless to say, it's a hard place to find work even in a better economy, and I realized that perhaps it is a perfect time for me to do a turn-around and start fresh. I'm only 31 years old.
Right now, I'm really looking deep into myself to see what I really want to do for the next 30 years of my life. I can always go back to fashion with experience that I have, but perhaps there is something better waiting for me.
Is anyone else right now in the same boat?
Has anyone changed his or her career completely? Were you happy with this decision or did you go back?
Devil Wears Prada comes to mind when reading about your career.
Most successful career changers go from one unskilled job to another. Or to another skilled filled but one that uses many of the same skills. Like someone who goes from teaching to a corporate trainer or a Jornalist to a Public Relations Expert.
Most successful career changers go from one unskilled job to another. Or to another skilled filled but one that uses many of the same skills. Like someone who goes from teaching to a corporate trainer or a Jornalist to a Public Relations Expert.
True but some changes work with less of the same skills (but still some to the same extent). Teaching is the best example I know of. I know quite a few ex-Wall Streeters who became Math teachers, ex-researchers for drug companies who became Chemistry teachers, etc. But that works best when there's a "shortage" and this year there's not much of that.
A lot of time you can switch to Nursing or Health care in general with a small to moderate science background mostly due to supply and demand as well.
The OP said "Right now, I'm really looking deep into myself to see what I really want to do for the next 30 years of my life."
I can't answer that for myself. My first job was farm hand, at the ripe old age of 14 and I've got Social Security witholdings to prove it. After that it was fast food, chef's assistant, prep chef, carpenter, mason, roofing, surveyor up to crew chief, owned a business, then high rise glass installer, went to college became accountant, then financial counselor, then UNEMPLOYED, then government, then Masters degree, then auditor, then JD, then lawyer... and HECK, I don't know what I want to do next but I sure don't see anything paying well enough to commit to 30 years.
I can see supporting my family and doing the responsible tour of duty for til the day I die. Seeing the return on my investment in family is the best hard labor I ever put in. I used to work hard, then play hard and now I want it easy but for some reason this darned Country makes it harder and harder. Guess they ain't met me yet... Oh did I mention that I worked a septic inspector... lordie lordie that was a smelly job.
Career change at middle age after going back to school to learn a new trade is possible but much more difficult because MOST EMPLOYERS like younger workers in entry level jobs. Can we agree on this?
What you write is true on the face of it but I think you're missing an important point.
Most career changers are typically able to build on some substantive nuance related to their previous work experience.
For the OP for example, she could learn accounting but seek to be an accountant in a fashion related business, such as for a clothing manufacturing or retailer. Her real world experience can be harvested in a way that gives her a unique advantage.
Indeed, almost anyone with previous professional experience can utilize it when combined with new education.
The mistake that many people make however is not building on what they have already done and instead they apply for totally newbie positions for which they're perversely overqualified.
In fact, people need to be willing to step out of the box (to use a hackneyed expression) and seek interviews for jobs that in fact may not even exist in a company, provided one can make a case that he or she can bring economic value to the organization based on their idiosyncratic abilities.
There are corporations that highly regiment everything and count on baby-faced BBAs and MBAs as grist for their treadmills, but such places are typically unattractive to work for after one has worked for a decade - unless one is aiming for a very high level position.
The greater opportunities thus rest with smaller employers (which are indeed MOST EMPLOYERS) who need more mature employees- those who can wear many hats- and who are independent thinkers and actors.
I personally think that having to change careers is equivalent to "giving up" or "quitting".
I am a believer in the old philosophy of finding something you like and are good at and sticking with it.
Changing jobs (but staying in the same field), changing companies, and changing locations would be my choice BEFORE I would even consider giving up on something that I have put so much energy and time into.
I personally think that having to change careers is equivalent to "giving up" or "quitting".
I am a believer in the old philosophy of finding something you like and are good at and sticking with it.
Changing jobs (but staying in the same field), changing companies, and changing locations would be my choice BEFORE I would even consider giving up on something that I have put so much energy and time into.
Hrrm... okay, fresh out of school and after 5 years and 3 jobs all in the same field, find that you can't stand it and have no interest in what you majored in at university...Why would you suffer another 35 until retirement? I've worked in IT professionally and know a huge amount that "want out". The last contract job I had was in a 24x7 NOC... and virtually every person there was going back to school for something else, from RN to Pharmacy to Law School and just doing that because they knew it and it was easy.
I've ran into so many very bright people that should be doing something else in their life and feeling stifled by the industry its crazy.
I personally think that having to change careers is equivalent to "giving up" or "quitting".
I am a believer in the old philosophy of finding something you like and are good at and sticking with it.
Changing jobs (but staying in the same field), changing companies, and changing locations would be my choice BEFORE I would even consider giving up on something that I have put so much energy and time into.
Quaint. But the world is changing too fast these days for such a romantic notion.
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Oh did I mention that I worked a septic inspector... lordie lordie that was a smelly job.
I've worked in IT professionally and know a huge amount that "want out". The last contract job I had was in a 24x7 NOC... and virtually every person there was going back to school for something else, from RN to Pharmacy to Law School and just doing that because they knew it and it was easy.
