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I'm thinking of changing careers...

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R

rasczak

Lifer
I like my job, a lot (sys admin). However, I feel I want to do something more meaningful with my life. I'm currently considering the medical field and becoming a registered nurse. Unfortunately the schools for nursing here are impacted, but I can't move to another city or state (wife is currently in grad school, my two kids are in school). Can anyone chime in on their second careers?
 
My careers:

Around 14 - 15 years in the welding field building ASME certificated heat exchangers and pressure vessels.

Around 8 years in computers

Thinking of changing careers yet again.

When I started going to college for computers, I was working full time, supporting a family and went to a local community college. You do what you have to do with what you have on hand. Community colleges might get ragged on by people who can afford to go to a more expensive college, but community college was cheap and it was close to home.
 
The problem with getting a job related to technology is most of us end up in jobs where it just turns into a daily grind.

I enjoy learning new things and designing slick solutions to problems, and eventually in your career that stops happening very often. Eventually your only place to go is to move into Management (which I don't want to do right now personally, certainly not for the company I work for).

Sorry I don't have much to really give you. But I do understand where you're coming from.

Now seems like a pretty bad time to switch careers if you have a steady job you can stand though.
 
Wait... you really like your job but you want to try something else?
Being a male nurse can suck, because you have to do all the heavy lifting and crap jobs because you can "handle it".

By all means, if you don't like your career, change it... but you said you like what you already have.
 
BTA said:
The problem with getting a job related to technology is most of us end up in jobs where it just turns into a daily grind.
Click to expand...

Very true. I'm in that situation now.

I started studying for the PMP certification in the spring but got distracted during the summer and put it aside. I hope to pick it back up soon and knock it out early next spring.

I enjoy learning new things and designing slick solutions to problems, and eventually in your career that stops happening very often. Eventually your only place to go is to move into Management (which I don't want to do right now personally, certainly not for the company I work for).
Click to expand...

I'd actually like to move back into management, but IT management jobs are very hard to find right now. If you have technical skills, you won't have any trouble finding jobs but management is an entirely different story, unfortunately.

Sorry I don't have much to really give you. But I do understand where you're coming from.

Now seems like a pretty bad time to switch careers if you have a steady job you can stand though.
Click to expand...

I agree. Every time I think I need to find a new job, I remind myself of the fact that a) I need to stay about 1.5 more years to fully vest in a big portion of my retirement; and, more importantly b) I won't find anything with better benefits/perks and more stability. Yes, I could make more money but I am worried about the economy crashing hard in the next couple of years and as a new employee elsewhere, I'd probably be one of the first to be let go.
 
IMO, your job is the bread and butter that'll let you do other things. What about volunteering? There are plenty of non profits that would welcome your computer skills. I've enjoyed habitat houses.

1st: consumer finance, unsatisfied.
Looked and couldn't find anything that paid any $$
2nd: self employed, consumer finance. So far, great.
 
I was a graphic designer in a publishing house & art director at a webdev firm. I just wanted to earn more money and wanted to do something on my own. I hated working hard for someone to make money off me. An opportunity came my way and I jumped at it. I am making much more now, but I can't say I haven't looked back with nostalgia. Design is what I was born to do and was very good at IMO. What I do now any reasonably intelligent person can do. I enjoyed the work I used to do much more. That's life though.
 
wow OP, same here. for the last few years i have been thinking of leaving IT for nursing. same reason: to do something more meaningful
 
we had a recent thread on nursing

it sounds fun but it ain't easy, and you get to clean up shit

think long and hard
 
You gotta do what makes you happy, but I like the volunteer idea better. You can come and go as you please, and if you're really dedicated, you can be a decision maker instead of just another cog.
 
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