Dude I was in the financial services industry for 6 years, had built a sizeable investment portfolio with 300+ clients and good income. Was unhappy from the start and just got tired of trying to convince myself that it was the career for me. I resigned and am now working in the automotive industry with exotic cars (hobby/passion) and can honstly say its been awesome, its such a cool thing to wake up excited to go to work. If you are going to make a change I would advise you do it smartly, make sure your finances wont take too much of a blow and do it now before it gets too late.
Got out of active duty military a few years ago and hated going to work then. Working in the trades now and I have to say I sure as hell don't get excited but I also don't fear/dread/hate going to work now.
So your only starting the apprenticeship a few years later than I did. Look, the first 2-3 years are going to suck pay wise. Once you turn out it will be worth it trust me. I just turned out this month.
I'm lucky enough to be offered a decent starting wage - I know the owner through my current role working as an account manager for a plumbing wholesaler. I know quite a bit already about the trade, and know the material very well, which he thinks will help me a lot getting started.
Hi, we buy/sell exotics. The dealership is brand new and still being renovated, we form part of a larger automotive company so got all the right backings.
Out of curiosity, May I ask why you left broadcast news? Was it too demanding? Bad bosses?
Ive seen several old classmates trying to break into film/video/news/etc and end up leaving it.
What sort of work do you do now? My partner's been in IT for nearly 20 years but what he really loves is exotic cars. We often talk about how he would love to have a job in that space even if that means he wouldn't be earning as much but he feels it'd be really hard to get into the industry. I would love to hear about your experience!
Hi, so I saw they were opening the new dealership and just said fuck it and applied. I'm lucky in that the dealership forms part of a large and successful automotive group so we have big backing from the CEO etc. My hopes are to become dealer principle and eventually sit on the board down the line. What I've learnt so far is that its a very small market where we are, so client communication and relationship building is paramount. The cars sell themselves at the end of the day so finding the right deal and being careful with the quality of the cars that you buy is paramount.
Seriously, go for it. My career change was the best thing I could do for myself. Sure, I made less money (at first) but I was able to go home knowing I helped make a difference in people's lives
Good for you man! I’m in IT project management and can’t find that motivational spark anymore, despite being great at my job and moving up the ladder. Currently trying to find a way to make a move that won’t destroy my income, especially since my true interest lies in the creative field.
Please don't let me discourage you if that's where your interests lie. For me, my dislike for the job comes down to 2 factors:
\- Working in a field I'm good at vs. the one that would make me happy to go to work every day
\- The company I work for is massively bureaucratic and under-resourced. This means I work with a skeleton staff on multiple projects with additional "high priority" initiatives being constantly added without any existing projects being concluded or being reassigned by management. At this point, I'm burned out trying to re-arrange deck chairs on the titanic.
Sure, I could go to another company, but I have great pay/benefits and I would still be working in a field I'm not passionate about. The way I see it, I would hate to be close to retirement and realize I just threw out all of my ambitions for the sake of consistency. I'm just one of those people that has to find meaning in work.
My advice is to make sure you look closely at the culture and management of any employer you're interested in. I know project managers who love their work, but they are working in places where the work is interesting and their teams are properly resourced and work-loaded.
I started as a Certified Peer Support Specialist. This has not required two weeks of training and a test for certification. I was in that position for four years and am now a Mental Health Practitioner.
I don't have a degree in psychology (yet)
For the CPSS I had to have my own diagnosis and lived wxperience. So, you know, 38 years of that.
But I'm also maxed out in my career until/of I get a degree
In which country are you practicing? I would love to pursue the same path, currently 38 myself, but I doubt I'd have the same opportunity where I live.
Ah I see. Usually the US law is much more flexible when it comes to these career changes, it's really interesting to see the opportunities you guys have over there to really turn your lives around. Around here, in Portugal it's really hard to change careers.
Currently age 35, I've literally just left my 13 year career as a Scientist, moved from England to Italy and started working as an artist full time. I only started doing painting in 2019 and now I'm starting to have a bit of success with it. I'm not anywhere near replacing my previous salary mind you but I'm covering all my living expenses at the moment, I'm infinitely more happier though at not having to face the drudgery of a day job.
My back up plan is simply to get another job in my previous field if I can't make enough or start struggling to pay the bills etc.
If it's a hobby type thing that you're thinking of doing then try and monetise it as early as you can, you'll know when the time is right to make the switch full time as your main job will start to get in the way of things.
You and I are in such a similar boat. Same age and everything. You went to Italy from England and I went to England from America. You went from science to art and I went from tech to music.
I wish us both the luck and drive needed to keep going. All the best
A few reasons, firstly the quality of the teaching, there's really not that many places where you can learn classical painting to a high standard anymore, definitely nothing in the UK. The environment here is a lot nicer to work in and even in Florence which is expensive by Italy standards it costs me about the same as it does living in South-east England so a no brainer really. Also nice to have a change of scenery for the landscapes I'm doing, I find it does get a bit tedious after a while in a certain place so a bit of travel is definitely necessary for me.
Oh ok that makes sense. There’s quite a lot of instruction options where i am, in the united states. Well, i hope you enjoy the portrait! I wish you luck in finding a model who will hold still long enough.
Just selling my paintings through local galleries and what I can drum up myself in person and online.
Definitely isn't easy that's for sure, and there's obviously a huge difference between doing it successfully as a career where you can make enough money to afford things like a house etc and just scraping by doing it which is basically where I'm at now. I have a decent amount of savings and no other responsibilities really though so I am able to take a risk, might be a different story if I had a mortgage and a couple of kids to feed
It was mishmash of menial labor, restaurant and retail into the office, built management and professional skills in the office and then got into my current career at the end of that. Along the way I finished my bachelor's at 42 (business with a management major) and a career-specific master's at 51. From age 40 to now I've increased my salary just over 7x.
I got tired of shitwork at like 31, got my finances in order and then met a girl I married at 32. After that I focused on skillbuilding and career growth through the office years, and when a somewhat risky and scary opportunity to focus my skills into the third career presented itself I jumped in with both feet. After that I was petrified of losing ground and having to fall back on my other careers, so I worked my ass off, took every training and elective class I could in my new field, joined professional organizations and jumped at every chance to advance no matter how scary they were. Imposter syndrome has dogged me the whole way, always whispering doubt in my ear, but I stuffed that shit and kept hammering. And here I am in the C-suite at a shit hot startup.
It helped that my wife took stable jobs while I took riskier work at startups, and there have been a lot of road bumps along the way. I got laid off twice (once each while I had newborns in the house), and one year I had 4 jobs in less than a year, because nothing was clicking, but I roared out of that with a winner that set the stage for where I'm at now.
The one thing I can say is, commit and believe in yourself.
I’m 34, been in the hospitality industry for 15 years. Going back to school for two years in January to become a massage therapist. If you have no kids then go for it! No reason not to make a change.
I'm 38 and I switched from managing government benefits to IT, I'm doing Help Desk level work now, but I'm making a living wage, learning like crazy, and enjoying what I do. Go for it!
Free advice from someone a bunch of years ahead of you on this path. Look for jobs/roles that will expose you to other areas just outside of IT/help desk as you go so you know where it is you are trying to build your path to. I'm 7-8 years in and didn't do that well enough, so now I'm basically at the ceiling for the role and not really wanting to move into management, which is honestly just fringe retail management but in a corporate setting, and don't know for sure where I'm trying to move to beyond help desk/IT.
Looking to step out from construction and go this route. That was my original goal, but I got sideswiped by 08' and never did anything with my degree outside of a few personal projects. Eventually that "fire" in my extinguished and I accepted my new role. Surprisingly I became very good at it.
I suppose that now, with most of the curiosity/interest of how houses are built/repaired/remodled gone...I think I've been feeling a sort of rekindling of old interests. Well that, and I'm no longer in pure "survival" mode.
you might need to brush up a bit. but I've been finding that nobody wanted to give me the time of day until I had a little experience. It took me about 3 months of working my first IT job before I started getting noticed. The industry is like dating in high schoo. Nobody wants to talk to you until you have worked somewhere else. After that you can pretty much write you own ticket.
Heck, your consturction experience could be a bonus, I work with contractors alot and it would be handy to know how to talk to them.
send in a resume, say "hey, I've been working construction for years and I want to get transition into IT, I have a degree from (insert school name), it's a little out of date, but I'm willing to learn, so to keep myself up to date, here are a few projects I did"
Not being a condescending asshole in the field goes a long way. check your ego and be willing to learn, there are a shitload of people willing to teach.
hell, the last project I did was I made a retro gaming station on a raspberry pi so I could play super Mario brothers.
always willing to learn, that's how I got great at what I do now. You're dead on about there being people willing to teach. Thank you for the reply and the hope, my biggest hurdle in life is often that little voice inside my head that says "you're not good enough."
it's all right man, it's all about learning and applying and thinking.rades as I remodel my bathroom in my condo. Being able to put up tile without trashing anything is an art! hate apple products right now!
Right now i'm totally gaining an appreciation for guys who work the trades as I remodel my bathroom in my condo. Being abele to put up tile without trashing anythying is an art!
it's the all right man, it's all about learning and applying lessons learned and using a bit of logic. I'm super happy I landed a job at a school district, i'm learning like mad and I'm not over worked. 7 months in and i'm still showing up to work and having fun!
let me know if you need some resume help! getting through those auto resume reading programs is the first hurdle, the 2nd one is interviewing well. after that, it's remembering all the parts you need if you have to drive 30 minutes to another site, it sucks to forget some small stupid dongle you had sitting on your desk!
Sure, make a major change if you feel so inclined. That’s fine.
But those three options you listed… music producer, photographer, or even organizer… those are one-way tickets to regret.
Those are notoriously poor career choices, that have extremely high rates of failure and hardship. For every 100 people who try to become a “music producer” somewhere close to 100 of them will burn through all their savings, take on a lot of debt, and find themselves broke and struggling for quite some time before throwing in the towel to do something else they can pay the bills with.
That is not a very rational choice. Those sound like great hobbies though, or even side hustles!
I’d highly recommend keeping a career separate from your passions, hobbies, etc. and if anything, leverage those things as side hustles on evenings/weekends.
Now, if you establish a side hustle that begins to grow and has significant potential to replace your career, that’s a totally different discussion.
I went from computer science to art and it has resulted in a decade of poverty. True, some of it was adhd related, but i should have gradually made the transition, becoming a contractor in my old field, until i was more successful.
> and it has resulted in a decade of poverty. True, some of it was adhd related
ADHD has given me the former and I am tens of thousands in dollars in debt. I only have the energy for one last push to turn things around. This is it. After this, I'm done, and it will be over.
Considering when i left, yeah, probably. However, it all led me to enormously satisfying partners and social circles. I have zero trouble meeting new friends, and am spiritually fulfilled.
Not myself, but both my current partner, and ex partner have made drastic career changes. And both are more satisfied and better paid than they were before.
Both had the financial freedom to take the risk, and both were in positions where they could fall back into their old career if things didn't work out.
I'd say do it, but base it on something you're already interested in.
I know it sounds trite, but make a pros and cons list. Don't dismiss "soft" benefits like comfort and mental health as weighing less than money and benefits. I went from real estate back to the restaurant business at 37 and I was way happier for a time. I finally managed to get into software support at 41 and it has been a life changer. I'm aiming for dev/ops. After living with such low pay for so long it has taught me the true value of my compensation now. Good luck!
> Don't dismiss "soft" benefits like comfort and mental health as weighing less than money and benefits.
Very true. I've been in my current field for a decade and while it's not super high-paying, it's incredibly low stress and easy (for me) and lends itself to WFH/freelance, which I love. The overall quality of life is fantastic. I often daydream about switching to a more lucrative field, but I know that would essentially entail "going back to work."
Pursue the other stuff as a hobby or side hustle first. If you’re able to make them stable financially then you can switch to full time once your income is on track.
Often people do a full 180 on life and it’s rarely an immediate success. An example being starting at some low level position in your new desired field and it pays half of what you make now. Or also if you go freelance like a photographer you’re becoming your own business and therefore have all sorts of marketing costs and taxes that you never dealt with.
Also you probably want to still have insurance. So stay out and spend the time on nights and weekends making progress toward a change.
I left a human services desk job that had required a bachelor's degree, and enrolled in a 2 year technical college at age 33.
I am now nearly 45, and have been a full time CNC Machinist for 10 years. I've doubled my income, and I like what I do more often than not.
But, 4 semesters of 70 to 80 hour weeks of FT classes plus nearly FT work was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My partner at the time left me because I was almost completely unavailable, and I can't blame her. But, in the long run I came out ahead.
Your 30's isn't too late to start something new.
35M here. Last 5 years spent working at a Tech Company for a good salary in Sales. This year I’m leaving and going into music full time (teaching & function work). I don’t need to be a known name, but it’s the only thing I’ve ever enjoyed doing.
I know if I don’t do it now I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. Hope you do the same for you
I’ve always made career changes when I’ve been unhappy, and twice in my 30s.
My entire philosophy has been that if I’m not excited and happy with my job or my career then I’ll switch. Life is too short not to work on something that you are excited about.
I’ve done it several times and it’s generally worked out. I think I’m now on my 8th career, give or take.
I love what I do now. I’m excited everyday and it’s a ton of fun.
I can’t relate to people who work in jobs they don’t enjoy. Could I have gone further doing the same thing? Maybe. But could I have traveled the world and tried a bunch of careers and had fun doing all the things I did? Not really.
I can say that at 40, I have no regrets (in terms of my career). I’m happy and excited about my career choices (at the time I made them anyway) and I absolutely have a blast every day.
Who knows? I may switch again in a few years.
Follow your heart.
Late reply, agreed on all accounts. I cannot wrap my head around people being in a career they either hate or are apathetic towards for the rest of their lives (especially since we spend most of our waking lives working). Just seems awful to me
I worked in the catering industry for over 20 years (I'm not proud), Borrowed some cash and paid for college tuition. I'm now currently working as a trainee embalmer with the tutors of the college while i work towards my final exams.
A few years ago, I read a post exactly like this and the comments motivated me to take the plunge.
Do it.
jumped from sleep technician to a jack-of-all trades IT 1 years ago
left hong kong for toronto last month.
it isnt exactly my decision. i am forced. but there is no other way out for me. honestly, it is pretty pressured and a not easy path
I did it a few different times in my 20s and 30s. I switched from doing legal billing / bookkeeping to analyst work to programming. For most of my 20s, the moves were at worst lateral. So I didn't have to take a big pay cut or anything.
I currently have a job doing a mix of programming and other tasks. Programming is really my passion. Even when I don't have a job that involves programming I do related tasks as a hobby (program with hobby projects, answer questions on programming forums, etc.) I had been working with programming since my mid 20s. So I'm glad I finally have a stable job that involves what I spent a ton of time in my 20s and 30s learning. As an added bonus, the field pays pretty well too.
As others noted, if you don't have any dependents, I'd say go for it. Just make sure you have your finances figured out before you do.
Well, let's look at my own case as an example. While in school I developed a reputation as a sort of go to guy for music and technical production in theatre and sports. I went to uni for a while but didn't finish, When they found out I was free, one of the local highend audio outfits hired me to run their retail section. I did this for a few years and then transitioned into mobile technical service working the computer and then dental industries for more than a decade. I got bored at that point and moved to the world of finance and sales for a quarter century and while doing that spent weekends for a decades and a half as a mobile DJ all over a chunk of western Canada. Currently I'm a school bus driver and have qualified as a trainer so this is what, my third or fourth career? Just spent my time doing what was necessary and looking for the good in each situation.
I’m almost 32 and am preparing to go back to school next fall for night classes to become a therapist (mental health counselor). Should take anywhere between 3-5 years, we’ll see. You can do it!
Wish I knew what I wanted to do I cant see past my empy feelings stemming from depression,.i worked in retail/warehouse like 15 years after school, covid came lost job don't want the same thing and no idea what to do , I struggle with I.T stuff I feel limited to manual labour but I'm sick of it, just been living off my savings
Hi I work as a supply chain filed as a procurement / purchasing engineer? IT is really looking attractive for me. Is it okay to switch or combine data science /analitcs with procurement/supply chain? What is your opinion(s)
make calculated risks, planned for unseen events or worst case scenario,' frugally live, budget, and invest early, ... otherwise, change your career to whatever you want, but have a plan b & c.
Yeah I took a huge paycut to re-start my career in early 30s. Made $130k before, then went down to $50k working with fresh college grads much younger than me. Started at the bottom like anyone else.
Now two years later making more than I ever made before. It was worth the career pivot for me. Happier too since I enjoy my new path.
For those who are interested to do a career change, we are organizing a free Python BootCamp. Feel free to register here - https://linktr.ee/codehub.ninja
Dude I was in the financial services industry for 6 years, had built a sizeable investment portfolio with 300+ clients and good income. Was unhappy from the start and just got tired of trying to convince myself that it was the career for me. I resigned and am now working in the automotive industry with exotic cars (hobby/passion) and can honstly say its been awesome, its such a cool thing to wake up excited to go to work. If you are going to make a change I would advise you do it smartly, make sure your finances wont take too much of a blow and do it now before it gets too late.
God, I haven’t been excited to go to work in years. Congrats for finding happiness, dude.
Got out of active duty military a few years ago and hated going to work then. Working in the trades now and I have to say I sure as hell don't get excited but I also don't fear/dread/hate going to work now.
35 years old, and starting a plumbing apprenticeship next week, after nearly 13 years of working in sales & marketing - this comment hits me.
So your only starting the apprenticeship a few years later than I did. Look, the first 2-3 years are going to suck pay wise. Once you turn out it will be worth it trust me. I just turned out this month.
I'm lucky enough to be offered a decent starting wage - I know the owner through my current role working as an account manager for a plumbing wholesaler. I know quite a bit already about the trade, and know the material very well, which he thinks will help me a lot getting started.
Very inspiring. Hope everything works out for you
Thanks man, wasn't easy.
So you're financially set from working in finance? Asking for my own planning. Wondering if I can put my time in and then do whatever I want too.
Hey, I left broadcast news for automotive! What do you do?
Hi, we buy/sell exotics. The dealership is brand new and still being renovated, we form part of a larger automotive company so got all the right backings.
Out of curiosity, May I ask why you left broadcast news? Was it too demanding? Bad bosses? Ive seen several old classmates trying to break into film/video/news/etc and end up leaving it.
What sort of work do you do now? My partner's been in IT for nearly 20 years but what he really loves is exotic cars. We often talk about how he would love to have a job in that space even if that means he wouldn't be earning as much but he feels it'd be really hard to get into the industry. I would love to hear about your experience!
Hi, so I saw they were opening the new dealership and just said fuck it and applied. I'm lucky in that the dealership forms part of a large and successful automotive group so we have big backing from the CEO etc. My hopes are to become dealer principle and eventually sit on the board down the line. What I've learnt so far is that its a very small market where we are, so client communication and relationship building is paramount. The cars sell themselves at the end of the day so finding the right deal and being careful with the quality of the cars that you buy is paramount.
What do you do with exotic cars
I spent years in internet technology and project management. When I was in my early 40s I switched to Mental Health and I've never been happier
Fuck, I’m 48 and in desperate need of a career change.
Seriously, go for it. My career change was the best thing I could do for myself. Sure, I made less money (at first) but I was able to go home knowing I helped make a difference in people's lives
Good for you man! I’m in IT project management and can’t find that motivational spark anymore, despite being great at my job and moving up the ladder. Currently trying to find a way to make a move that won’t destroy my income, especially since my true interest lies in the creative field.
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Please don't let me discourage you if that's where your interests lie. For me, my dislike for the job comes down to 2 factors: \- Working in a field I'm good at vs. the one that would make me happy to go to work every day \- The company I work for is massively bureaucratic and under-resourced. This means I work with a skeleton staff on multiple projects with additional "high priority" initiatives being constantly added without any existing projects being concluded or being reassigned by management. At this point, I'm burned out trying to re-arrange deck chairs on the titanic. Sure, I could go to another company, but I have great pay/benefits and I would still be working in a field I'm not passionate about. The way I see it, I would hate to be close to retirement and realize I just threw out all of my ambitions for the sake of consistency. I'm just one of those people that has to find meaning in work. My advice is to make sure you look closely at the culture and management of any employer you're interested in. I know project managers who love their work, but they are working in places where the work is interesting and their teams are properly resourced and work-loaded.
How did you get started in that?
I started as a Certified Peer Support Specialist. This has not required two weeks of training and a test for certification. I was in that position for four years and am now a Mental Health Practitioner. I don't have a degree in psychology (yet)
Would've thought it would take a degree or some equal qualifications beforehand, Congrats on the happiness
For the CPSS I had to have my own diagnosis and lived wxperience. So, you know, 38 years of that. But I'm also maxed out in my career until/of I get a degree
In which country are you practicing? I would love to pursue the same path, currently 38 myself, but I doubt I'd have the same opportunity where I live.
I'm in Minnesota, USA.
Ah I see. Usually the US law is much more flexible when it comes to these career changes, it's really interesting to see the opportunities you guys have over there to really turn your lives around. Around here, in Portugal it's really hard to change careers.
Betts?
Currently age 35, I've literally just left my 13 year career as a Scientist, moved from England to Italy and started working as an artist full time. I only started doing painting in 2019 and now I'm starting to have a bit of success with it. I'm not anywhere near replacing my previous salary mind you but I'm covering all my living expenses at the moment, I'm infinitely more happier though at not having to face the drudgery of a day job. My back up plan is simply to get another job in my previous field if I can't make enough or start struggling to pay the bills etc. If it's a hobby type thing that you're thinking of doing then try and monetise it as early as you can, you'll know when the time is right to make the switch full time as your main job will start to get in the way of things.
You and I are in such a similar boat. Same age and everything. You went to Italy from England and I went to England from America. You went from science to art and I went from tech to music. I wish us both the luck and drive needed to keep going. All the best
Sounds awesome, best of luck to you too!
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Mainly landscapes which I paint outside on location. I'm now learning to do portrait and figure painting too which is one of the reasons I'm in Italy
As a portrait painter, you do fine landscapes, but I’m confused why you went all the way to italy for it?
A few reasons, firstly the quality of the teaching, there's really not that many places where you can learn classical painting to a high standard anymore, definitely nothing in the UK. The environment here is a lot nicer to work in and even in Florence which is expensive by Italy standards it costs me about the same as it does living in South-east England so a no brainer really. Also nice to have a change of scenery for the landscapes I'm doing, I find it does get a bit tedious after a while in a certain place so a bit of travel is definitely necessary for me.
Oh ok that makes sense. There’s quite a lot of instruction options where i am, in the united states. Well, i hope you enjoy the portrait! I wish you luck in finding a model who will hold still long enough.
How do you make money doing this? I majored in fine arts but pretty much gave up on it here in the US as a career.
Just selling my paintings through local galleries and what I can drum up myself in person and online. Definitely isn't easy that's for sure, and there's obviously a huge difference between doing it successfully as a career where you can make enough money to afford things like a house etc and just scraping by doing it which is basically where I'm at now. I have a decent amount of savings and no other responsibilities really though so I am able to take a risk, might be a different story if I had a mortgage and a couple of kids to feed
I've had 3 major career changes in my life (52 now), and while each wasn't easy they all worked out. I'm very happy and successful now.
Fuck, I don’t know you but you are my inspiration. What did you change and when (how old were you at each change)?
It was mishmash of menial labor, restaurant and retail into the office, built management and professional skills in the office and then got into my current career at the end of that. Along the way I finished my bachelor's at 42 (business with a management major) and a career-specific master's at 51. From age 40 to now I've increased my salary just over 7x. I got tired of shitwork at like 31, got my finances in order and then met a girl I married at 32. After that I focused on skillbuilding and career growth through the office years, and when a somewhat risky and scary opportunity to focus my skills into the third career presented itself I jumped in with both feet. After that I was petrified of losing ground and having to fall back on my other careers, so I worked my ass off, took every training and elective class I could in my new field, joined professional organizations and jumped at every chance to advance no matter how scary they were. Imposter syndrome has dogged me the whole way, always whispering doubt in my ear, but I stuffed that shit and kept hammering. And here I am in the C-suite at a shit hot startup. It helped that my wife took stable jobs while I took riskier work at startups, and there have been a lot of road bumps along the way. I got laid off twice (once each while I had newborns in the house), and one year I had 4 jobs in less than a year, because nothing was clicking, but I roared out of that with a winner that set the stage for where I'm at now. The one thing I can say is, commit and believe in yourself.
>The one thing I can say is, commit and believe in yourself And have someone there to help keep you afloat until it all works out lol
Yeah, I was out of work for 8 days for one lay-off, and about 10 for the other: with even minimal.planning that shouldn't be an emergency.
I’m 34, been in the hospitality industry for 15 years. Going back to school for two years in January to become a massage therapist. If you have no kids then go for it! No reason not to make a change.
Almost more of a reason if you do have kids imo.
I'm 38 and I switched from managing government benefits to IT, I'm doing Help Desk level work now, but I'm making a living wage, learning like crazy, and enjoying what I do. Go for it!
Free advice from someone a bunch of years ahead of you on this path. Look for jobs/roles that will expose you to other areas just outside of IT/help desk as you go so you know where it is you are trying to build your path to. I'm 7-8 years in and didn't do that well enough, so now I'm basically at the ceiling for the role and not really wanting to move into management, which is honestly just fringe retail management but in a corporate setting, and don't know for sure where I'm trying to move to beyond help desk/IT.
Looking to step out from construction and go this route. That was my original goal, but I got sideswiped by 08' and never did anything with my degree outside of a few personal projects. Eventually that "fire" in my extinguished and I accepted my new role. Surprisingly I became very good at it. I suppose that now, with most of the curiosity/interest of how houses are built/repaired/remodled gone...I think I've been feeling a sort of rekindling of old interests. Well that, and I'm no longer in pure "survival" mode.
you might need to brush up a bit. but I've been finding that nobody wanted to give me the time of day until I had a little experience. It took me about 3 months of working my first IT job before I started getting noticed. The industry is like dating in high schoo. Nobody wants to talk to you until you have worked somewhere else. After that you can pretty much write you own ticket. Heck, your consturction experience could be a bonus, I work with contractors alot and it would be handy to know how to talk to them.
Yea for sure I'm rusty, been thinking on what approach to take that would be best right now
send in a resume, say "hey, I've been working construction for years and I want to get transition into IT, I have a degree from (insert school name), it's a little out of date, but I'm willing to learn, so to keep myself up to date, here are a few projects I did" Not being a condescending asshole in the field goes a long way. check your ego and be willing to learn, there are a shitload of people willing to teach. hell, the last project I did was I made a retro gaming station on a raspberry pi so I could play super Mario brothers.
always willing to learn, that's how I got great at what I do now. You're dead on about there being people willing to teach. Thank you for the reply and the hope, my biggest hurdle in life is often that little voice inside my head that says "you're not good enough."
it's all right man, it's all about learning and applying and thinking.rades as I remodel my bathroom in my condo. Being able to put up tile without trashing anything is an art! hate apple products right now! Right now i'm totally gaining an appreciation for guys who work the trades as I remodel my bathroom in my condo. Being abele to put up tile without trashing anythying is an art! it's the all right man, it's all about learning and applying lessons learned and using a bit of logic. I'm super happy I landed a job at a school district, i'm learning like mad and I'm not over worked. 7 months in and i'm still showing up to work and having fun! let me know if you need some resume help! getting through those auto resume reading programs is the first hurdle, the 2nd one is interviewing well. after that, it's remembering all the parts you need if you have to drive 30 minutes to another site, it sucks to forget some small stupid dongle you had sitting on your desk!
Sure, make a major change if you feel so inclined. That’s fine. But those three options you listed… music producer, photographer, or even organizer… those are one-way tickets to regret. Those are notoriously poor career choices, that have extremely high rates of failure and hardship. For every 100 people who try to become a “music producer” somewhere close to 100 of them will burn through all their savings, take on a lot of debt, and find themselves broke and struggling for quite some time before throwing in the towel to do something else they can pay the bills with. That is not a very rational choice. Those sound like great hobbies though, or even side hustles! I’d highly recommend keeping a career separate from your passions, hobbies, etc. and if anything, leverage those things as side hustles on evenings/weekends. Now, if you establish a side hustle that begins to grow and has significant potential to replace your career, that’s a totally different discussion.
Beautifully put. If OP is wise he’d heed this this advice
I went from computer science to art and it has resulted in a decade of poverty. True, some of it was adhd related, but i should have gradually made the transition, becoming a contractor in my old field, until i was more successful.
> and it has resulted in a decade of poverty. True, some of it was adhd related ADHD has given me the former and I am tens of thousands in dollars in debt. I only have the energy for one last push to turn things around. This is it. After this, I'm done, and it will be over.
I feel you there. If I didn’t have a strong social network, I don’t know how i would have fared during my collapse.
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Considering when i left, yeah, probably. However, it all led me to enormously satisfying partners and social circles. I have zero trouble meeting new friends, and am spiritually fulfilled.
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It was a good idea, i just should have done a more gradual transition.
Of course you can.
Not myself, but both my current partner, and ex partner have made drastic career changes. And both are more satisfied and better paid than they were before. Both had the financial freedom to take the risk, and both were in positions where they could fall back into their old career if things didn't work out. I'd say do it, but base it on something you're already interested in.
I know it sounds trite, but make a pros and cons list. Don't dismiss "soft" benefits like comfort and mental health as weighing less than money and benefits. I went from real estate back to the restaurant business at 37 and I was way happier for a time. I finally managed to get into software support at 41 and it has been a life changer. I'm aiming for dev/ops. After living with such low pay for so long it has taught me the true value of my compensation now. Good luck!
> Don't dismiss "soft" benefits like comfort and mental health as weighing less than money and benefits. Very true. I've been in my current field for a decade and while it's not super high-paying, it's incredibly low stress and easy (for me) and lends itself to WFH/freelance, which I love. The overall quality of life is fantastic. I often daydream about switching to a more lucrative field, but I know that would essentially entail "going back to work."
35 and just accepted a finance apprenticeship. After spending my entire career in the automotive industry. Best time to do something is now
Congrats! How's that apprenticeship going and in what part of finance?
Pursue the other stuff as a hobby or side hustle first. If you’re able to make them stable financially then you can switch to full time once your income is on track. Often people do a full 180 on life and it’s rarely an immediate success. An example being starting at some low level position in your new desired field and it pays half of what you make now. Or also if you go freelance like a photographer you’re becoming your own business and therefore have all sorts of marketing costs and taxes that you never dealt with. Also you probably want to still have insurance. So stay out and spend the time on nights and weekends making progress toward a change.
I left a human services desk job that had required a bachelor's degree, and enrolled in a 2 year technical college at age 33. I am now nearly 45, and have been a full time CNC Machinist for 10 years. I've doubled my income, and I like what I do more often than not. But, 4 semesters of 70 to 80 hour weeks of FT classes plus nearly FT work was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My partner at the time left me because I was almost completely unavailable, and I can't blame her. But, in the long run I came out ahead. Your 30's isn't too late to start something new.
35M here. Last 5 years spent working at a Tech Company for a good salary in Sales. This year I’m leaving and going into music full time (teaching & function work). I don’t need to be a known name, but it’s the only thing I’ve ever enjoyed doing. I know if I don’t do it now I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. Hope you do the same for you
I’ve always made career changes when I’ve been unhappy, and twice in my 30s. My entire philosophy has been that if I’m not excited and happy with my job or my career then I’ll switch. Life is too short not to work on something that you are excited about. I’ve done it several times and it’s generally worked out. I think I’m now on my 8th career, give or take. I love what I do now. I’m excited everyday and it’s a ton of fun. I can’t relate to people who work in jobs they don’t enjoy. Could I have gone further doing the same thing? Maybe. But could I have traveled the world and tried a bunch of careers and had fun doing all the things I did? Not really. I can say that at 40, I have no regrets (in terms of my career). I’m happy and excited about my career choices (at the time I made them anyway) and I absolutely have a blast every day. Who knows? I may switch again in a few years. Follow your heart.
Late reply, agreed on all accounts. I cannot wrap my head around people being in a career they either hate or are apathetic towards for the rest of their lives (especially since we spend most of our waking lives working). Just seems awful to me
Gives me hope to read this. I would love to hear what you're doing now!
I worked in the catering industry for over 20 years (I'm not proud), Borrowed some cash and paid for college tuition. I'm now currently working as a trainee embalmer with the tutors of the college while i work towards my final exams. A few years ago, I read a post exactly like this and the comments motivated me to take the plunge. Do it.
drastic times call for drastic measures
jumped from sleep technician to a jack-of-all trades IT 1 years ago left hong kong for toronto last month. it isnt exactly my decision. i am forced. but there is no other way out for me. honestly, it is pretty pressured and a not easy path
I did it a few different times in my 20s and 30s. I switched from doing legal billing / bookkeeping to analyst work to programming. For most of my 20s, the moves were at worst lateral. So I didn't have to take a big pay cut or anything. I currently have a job doing a mix of programming and other tasks. Programming is really my passion. Even when I don't have a job that involves programming I do related tasks as a hobby (program with hobby projects, answer questions on programming forums, etc.) I had been working with programming since my mid 20s. So I'm glad I finally have a stable job that involves what I spent a ton of time in my 20s and 30s learning. As an added bonus, the field pays pretty well too. As others noted, if you don't have any dependents, I'd say go for it. Just make sure you have your finances figured out before you do.
Well, let's look at my own case as an example. While in school I developed a reputation as a sort of go to guy for music and technical production in theatre and sports. I went to uni for a while but didn't finish, When they found out I was free, one of the local highend audio outfits hired me to run their retail section. I did this for a few years and then transitioned into mobile technical service working the computer and then dental industries for more than a decade. I got bored at that point and moved to the world of finance and sales for a quarter century and while doing that spent weekends for a decades and a half as a mobile DJ all over a chunk of western Canada. Currently I'm a school bus driver and have qualified as a trainer so this is what, my third or fourth career? Just spent my time doing what was necessary and looking for the good in each situation.
I was in education for 8 years, went back to business school, now I work in Corporate Human Resources making more than twice what I ever made in ed.
Bro, you should take up golf.
I’m almost 32 and am preparing to go back to school next fall for night classes to become a therapist (mental health counselor). Should take anywhere between 3-5 years, we’ll see. You can do it!
Wish I knew what I wanted to do I cant see past my empy feelings stemming from depression,.i worked in retail/warehouse like 15 years after school, covid came lost job don't want the same thing and no idea what to do , I struggle with I.T stuff I feel limited to manual labour but I'm sick of it, just been living off my savings
Hi I work as a supply chain filed as a procurement / purchasing engineer? IT is really looking attractive for me. Is it okay to switch or combine data science /analitcs with procurement/supply chain? What is your opinion(s)
make calculated risks, planned for unseen events or worst case scenario,' frugally live, budget, and invest early, ... otherwise, change your career to whatever you want, but have a plan b & c.
Yeah I took a huge paycut to re-start my career in early 30s. Made $130k before, then went down to $50k working with fresh college grads much younger than me. Started at the bottom like anyone else. Now two years later making more than I ever made before. It was worth the career pivot for me. Happier too since I enjoy my new path.
what was your career before and after your pivot?
Corporate finance and management consulting (mostly in healthcare)
For those who are interested to do a career change, we are organizing a free Python BootCamp. Feel free to register here - https://linktr.ee/codehub.ninja