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Back in 3/2017, you posted "I have been working in IT for over 10 years and I can't take the stress any more. If you've made a career change in your life, please tell me about it. I could use some inspiration."
Have you made any concrete steps to start a new career? Just listening to other people's tales won't get you anywhere.
I have not yet. I've spent hours upon hours trying to find something that would pay enough $50k-$60k. I have looked at physical therapy, occupational therapy, msw to name a few. But these occupations require full time schooling at some point in their program, which I can't do. Accounting, finance and sales are not for me either.
I was hoping this would help me brain storm some new ideas.
I'm in a similar boat and I HAVE taken concrete steps to a career change, and let me tell you ... the world doesn't make it easy to change.
The problem with posing your question is that we are all wired differently. I've heard my own co-workers say they love their jobs whereas that is far from the way I feel about it. And it'd be pretty easy to find someone on here that loves their job even though they do the same thing you do.
As a matter of fact, the "I love my job" threads typically produce mostly pretty boring sounding, very corporate jobs that sound very hierarchical.
Where I wanted to switch to become a nurse or teacher or MSW, there's tons of people trying to get out and saying it'd be the worst mistake ever.
OP - you have received copious responses to your past threads. Reading a few more success stories will not change anything to your situation, because it's a passive activity. Almost one year has gone by, and nothing has changed in your life.
Instead, be active: each day, do *one* thing that gets you closer to your goal. Read up on one different career, talk to one person in a different field, check out one website.
Take some personality tests (the MBTI is one example; it was useful for me, although some folks don't like it), to discover your natural aptitudes.
I have changed career several times in my life and I can tell you that it takes a lot of work. But the alternative is to be/remain miserable. Your choice.
I used to love my job. I regret stepping up into a leadership role, because the BS *far* outweighs the slight bump in pay. It doesn't help that I figured out that my take-home pay in western NC in 2017 (supervisor with a BA) is about $5K less than I took home in southern NJ in 2007 (entry-level legal assistant with no degree).
Well, crying ain't that bad. Try waking up to the thought of suicide.....I did that for several months.
I got therapy and then 2 years later got laid off. I left dancing among people crying.
Right now, I have just gotten my medical release to seek work again....Looks like I'll have to stand all day (Gee, guess that's why I got my hip replaced) and starting small to get back into the swing of working 40+ hours a week....
I love my job!!!! Seriously, I really do. I am a senior level aerospace engineer and I make a lot of money and can take time off to vacation whenever I want. Granted I work on average 60 hours a week but like I said, they pay me a lot!!!
Plus I get to work on some of the coolest stuff in research and development. Now, I didn't just land this job, it took me 20 years to get here and three degrees.
OP, understand that I was in your position many years ago and thought it sucked that I am an honest person and hard working but I never got the breaks.....you know what? life don't give a sh*t about that, you, or me. I figured if I wanted something, a better life, I would have to be the one to do it. SO I set some goals and I focused on them. One was getting my bachelors degree. I thought 5 years was coming regardless and I wanted to be 5 years down and say "man I am glad I did it and now I have my degree!" versus me saying "maaaaaan, I wished I would've went to school back then, now I am 5 years older and I am still in this rut!".
I am the first in my family to ever get a degree and it has opened so many more opportunities.
Figure out what you like or are good at and can you make a good living doing it. Now, what would it take to get there? a degree? trades school?
Good luck OP, it really isn't as bad as you think.
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