Thinking about changing careers... What would be good choices??

[JOSEPHLB]

I'm beginning to become down and out about the IT industry right now. I have eight years of telecommunications/electronics technician experience from being in the military for 8 years. My previous job only lasted 6 months due to layoff (was a Windows 2000/NT admin)..

Luckily, I've not invested too much time and money into any form of education (as of yet).. was pursuing a degree in computer networking... I'm not sure if that is going to be a safe bet these days. I've been thinking of changing careers.

Does anyone have any opinions on what would be something to get into that would be marketable??

I would have about $20,000 from my G.I. Bill that I could get my hands on for any sort of education needs.
Its just been really really tough. Unemployment insurance is not cutting it.

 

[yobarman]

priesthood?

 

[Scarpozzi]

Go to school if the gubment will pay for it. With the unemployment rate as high as it is, you probably would have a lot of advantages by pursuing a degree. Then you'd be eligable for internships.....and many internships have hiring options after you're there a while. That's an easy way to get an entry-level position somewhere....

 

[Ameesh]

career military

 

[rudder]

Medical career. Great pay, and you can get a job in virtually any city you like. In our dinky little 14,000 person town, that has been the only job listing in our paper for about a year.

 

[Fausto]

It would help if we had an idea as to your academic strengths and weaknesses were. For instance, engineering is a good course of study in terms of finding employment and making some nice money once you do. However, the coursework is really tough and doubly so if you're not a "math guy" (which is essentially why I went with chemistry over chem E).

 

[Queasy]

I was down about the IT industry as well (I was working for a telecoms company and was laid-off). However, I've learned that there are areas of the IT industry that are more stable than others. Get out of telecoms and stay out but search for other more stable segments of the IT industry such as banking, credit industry, etc. More education is always helpful though.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Fausto1
It would help if we had an idea as to your academic strengths and weaknesses were. For instance, engineering is a good course of study in terms of finding employment and making some nice money once you do. However, the coursework is really tough and doubly so if you're not a "math guy" (which is essentially why I went with chemistry over chem E).

LOL...same reason I went MIS over Computer Engineering. I discovered I was better at the business aspects of IT than the heavy math.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Fausto1
It would help if we had an idea as to your academic strengths and weaknesses were. For instance, engineering is a good course of study in terms of finding employment and making some nice money once you do. However, the coursework is really tough and doubly so if you're not a "math guy" (which is essentially why I went with chemistry over chem E).

LOL...same reason I went MIS over Computer Engineering. I discovered I was better at the business aspects of IT than the heavy math.

No doubt. All the calculus in Physical Chem (had to take a year of it to finish my BS) nearly killed me.

 

[GasX]

crack ho is a growing career option...

 

[JOSEPHLB]

Well... I've actually thought about the health field.. but I'm not too fond of blood.. so I guess being a nurse is out of the question

Here is what my background consists of :

My Background & Skills

 

[Shelly21]

Do crafts and sell on ebay. Yes, I'm serious... some people are making a killing out there.

 

[Jmmsbnd007]

"...Possesses a Department Of Defense Top Secret security clearance. "
:Q

 

[JOSEPHLB]

haha

Shhh... "If I tell you; I might just have to kill ya!"

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: JOSEPHLB
Well... I've actually thought about the health field.. but I'm not too fond of blood.. so I guess being a nurse is out of the question

Here is what my background consists of :

My Background & Skills

Well, you could still go into the health field and even incorporate your tech background if you went into something like bioinformatics or computational biology. Make some nice cash as well.

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: rudder
Medical career. Great pay, and you can get a job in virtually any city you like. In our dinky little 14,000 person town, that has been the only job listing in our paper for about a year.

I agree with a medical career.....there is a nurse shortage right now if you want to jump into that..

Edit: n/m..you dont' like blood.

 

[xuanman]

Originally posted by: Chadder007

Originally posted by: rudder
Medical career. Great pay, and you can get a job in virtually any city you like. In our dinky little 14,000 person town, that has been the only job listing in our paper for about a year.

I agree with a medical career.....there is a nurse shortage right now if you want to jump into that..

Edit: n/m..you dont' like blood.

the whold blood issue can be overcome. i think going to school to become a physician's assistant is 1-2 years, and in a decent-sized city, one can probably make 70-80k.

 

[JOSEPHLB]

define being a "math guy" ?

believe it or not.. math was my best subject in high school.. Slept through Calculus class, and passed with an A. I've always loved math and numbers... Even did accounting my sophmore year to fill up my schedule..

 

[Siddhartha]

International investment banking. Long hours but the pay is great.

 

[Grasshopper27]

Originally posted by: JOSEPHLB
I'm beginning to become down and out about the IT industry right now. I have eight years of telecommunications/electronics technician experience from being in the military for 8 years. My previous job only lasted 6 months due to layoff (was a Windows 2000/NT admin)..

Luckily, I've not invested too much time and money into any form of education (as of yet).. was pursuing a degree in computer networking... I'm not sure if that is going to be a safe bet these days. I've been thinking of changing careers.

Does anyone have any opinions on what would be something to get into that would be marketable??

I would have about $20,000 from my G.I. Bill that I could get my hands on for any sort of education needs.
Its just been really really tough. Unemployment insurance is not cutting it.

You can use money from a G.I. Bill for flight training, you could become a fixed-wing or a helicopter pilot!

Given the state of the airlines right now, I would suggest the helicopter pilot route.

Hopper

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: JOSEPHLB
define being a "math guy" ?

believe it or not.. math was my best subject in high school.. Slept through Calculus class, and passed with an A. I've always loved math and numbers... Even did accounting my sophmore year to fill up my schedule..

In that case, I would totally look into something along the lines I suggested. There are plenty of options in the engineering field to hold your interest (bio, chem, electrical, computer, mechanical, etc), you'll probably have recruiters harassing you before you've even finished if you get into a good progam and you'll likely make at least 40-50k per year right off the bat.

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: xuanman

Originally posted by: Chadder007

Originally posted by: rudder
Medical career. Great pay, and you can get a job in virtually any city you like. In our dinky little 14,000 person town, that has been the only job listing in our paper for about a year.

I agree with a medical career.....there is a nurse shortage right now if you want to jump into that..

Edit: n/m..you dont' like blood.

the whold blood issue can be overcome. i think going to school to become a physician's assistant is 1-2 years, and in a decent-sized city, one can probably make 70-80k.

The course itself is just over two years, if you have the following:

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Program is via a competitive selection process. Thirty students are selected to begin the Program in mid-May of each year. Applicants must fulfill the following criteria to be considered for a class position:


A baccalaureate degree by the time of matriculation in mid-May.

Successful completion of the following prerequisite courses or equivalents.

All prerequisite course work must be completed by the end of the spring term 2003. Preference will be given to those whose prerequisites are complete by the end of the fall term 2002.
All science prerequisite courses must be those for science majors.
Only grades of C or better are acceptable in transfer; grades of C- will not transfer.
English (College Composition & Literature) 6
? Mathematics (College Algebra) 3
Statistics 3
Social or Behavioral Sciences
(Psychology, Sociology) 6
College Chemistry (2 semesters) 8
Biological and Life Sciences:
Microbiology (Medical Micro w/Lab preferred) 3-4
? Anatomy 3-4
? Physiology 3-4
Additional Biological and Life Sciences 6-8


? A higher level mathematics course may be substituted with Program permission.

? Combined Anatomy & Physiology (6-8 sem. hours) may be substituted for the separate anatomy & physiology courses listed above.


Grade point average (GPA): Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a math/science GPA of 3.0.

One year of health care experience: This experience varies and can be acquired on a full- or part-time basis, as an employee or as a volunteer, in credentialed or non-credentialed roles. For example, one applicant's health care experience may involve serving as an aide in a nursing facility. Another may have extensive background as a paramedic or RN. Preference will be given to those applicants with credentialed experience in providing direct patient care.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Official GRE test scores must be submitted to the Program by the October 1 deadline.
The "institution code" for Saint Louis University is R6629. The "department code" for Allied Health is 0601.
No other admission tests may be substituted for the GRE.
Applicants are required to take the General Test. "Subject Tests" are not required.
Applicants who have taken the GRE previously are not required to retake it unless the original test date is more than five (5) years prior to seeking application to the PA Program.
Scores of 500 or above in the Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical components of the GRE are considered competitive.

 

[kranky]

If you decide you want to stay in computers, look at computer security. But in any event, you need to pursue something you enjoy.

 

[squirrel dog]

Nurse/p.a./anything in the health field.

 

[laFiera]

forget nursing, unless you like wiping butts full of fecal matter; it pays decent the first 3-6 years but after that you're stuck...
now, you can also make the same money if you do something in radiology.they have different branches and depending on the state and city you live in, you can do it in one or two years and start at least at 18/hr; then you can specialize in different areas and be making some decent money...
not as glamorous as an IT career, but you can get a job any place you wish..nursing...unless you were going to do anethesiology or some other specialty, i wouldn't even consider it...i did it for 5 years and i still work a shift here and there,and is a nasty profession---oh that's if you want to call nursing a profession which i dont think it is...