How many of you have changed careers?

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:00 am

And if you did, how did you go about getting into another career?

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:14 am

good question... I changed once in 13 years and might end up changing again this year.

Leatherneck · Post by **Leatherneck** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:29 am

From a 20 year Gunsmith in the Corps to a Headend tech for Comcast. Gunpowder to Bandwidth - Can't get much different than that.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:47 am

//raises hand

Restaurants...cooking, later on as extra part time while in law enforcement did catering and bartending

Florist

Law Enforcement

Then got sucked into computers..and networking.

Considering following the wife into real estate next, perhaps property management.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 3:49 pm

The hardest part of changing careers is starting near the bottom and working your way back up to a respectable position again. Sometimes one aspect will blend into the new career though. Most of my jobs were with some type of troubleshooting. First fixing stereos and TV’s, then motorcycles, then computers, then back to bikes.

More then likely you’ll have to retrain in something but that helps keep you from starting out so low. There’s some bad and good to changing careers but there is nothing that beats doing something you enjoy. Makes it worth getting out of bed everyday.

Bastid · Post by **Bastid** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:49 pm

I dont think i ever had a "career" lol well, maybe once.

Illini25 · Post by **Illini25** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:33 pm

Still going through the process here. Everything is paid off, no debt. Working my way back up the chain so to speak. Although it is good to know people in the right places. In one year, I've lived in five different places.

Four of the places in the span of two months, LOL. Things are now finally settled down a bit. In August, im moving again back up to Champaign, IL. Gone full circle in that time frame.

Always learn from your experiences and direct those experiences towards what your doing at the present and in the future.

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:56 pm

Kinda sorta. Went from telco customer service to I.T. tech support from my last job to this one.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:02 am

RoundEye wrote:The hardest part of changing careers is starting near the bottom and working your way back up to a respectable position again. Sometimes one aspect will blend into the new career though. Most of my jobs were with some type of troubleshooting. First fixing stereos and TV’s, then motorcycles, then computers, then back to bikes.

More then likely you’ll have to retrain in something but that helps keep you from starting out so low. There’s some bad and good to changing careers but there is nothing that beats doing something you enjoy. Makes it worth getting out of bed everyday.

24giovanni · Post by **24giovanni** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:29 pm

CableDude wrote:

Interesting question, Are you thinking on doing this? If so, what do you plan on doing?

Sava, Same question for you.

To me, from what I hear from a lot of people, the IT field is greatly hard to find a job in right now. Do others feel that way as well?

thoughts?

thx

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:43 pm

in the process atm.

was a CNC machine setup and programming guy. pretty cool in its own right, but the cool factor wears thin after awhile. corporate attitude towards manufacturing is (generally) not good. i.e. not worthy of a premium wage. the endless cycle of reducing cost and increasing productivity can only be taken so far before it's made unpleasant. plus, i got tired of the overuse of the word "loyalty". i feel it should be illegal for corporate execs/management to use that word when addressing their subordinates.

been getting some class time to fill in some blanks in my knowledge. primarily server administration and networking details. having never really structured what i was teaching myself computer-wise, i am lacking in certain details (usually, proper terminology. the concepts are already in place).

whether IT jobs are plentiful or not, im going to make it happen.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 5:44 pm

CableDude wrote:

I think that is one of modern mans most difficult quest. To find a job that you like to do and are good at it too.

I think if it was not for getting sick with MS and dropping cop bikes, I would still be wrenching on bikes at Harley. I was really good at it, I liked to do it, and I made OK money at it. That’s why I went back to working on bikes, it was something I thoroughly enjoyed doing and it was extremely difficult giving up.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 5:50 pm

24giovanni wrote: the IT field is greatly hard to find a job in right now. Do others feel that way as well?

thoughts?

thx

depends where you are looking. cincy ohio is hiring pretty handily in a range of IT areas.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 5:54 pm

CableDude wrote:And if you did, how did you go about getting into another career?

I have not really changed careers I suppose,if you could call what I have done a career, I could say that I have done different jobs in the same industry for 31 years.

and I don't think right now is a good time to change jobs,

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:48 pm

24giovanni wrote:Interesting question, Are you thinking on doing this? If so, what do you plan on doing?

Sava, Same question for you.

To me, from what I hear from a lot of people, the IT field is greatly hard to find a job in right now. Do others feel that way as well?

thoughts?

thx

I plan on moving out of IT for a while starting as soon as I can cause it doesn't appear its taking off as well as I hoped. I was makin good money where I was at the last 2 years but it was part time with full time hours. I figured it a foot in the door type job but the school I was at is state funded and the economy is of course hurting so its trickling down.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:59 pm

24giovanni wrote:Are you thinking on doing this?

Yes.

24giovanni wrote:If so, what do you plan on doing?

I have no idea, that is a major part of the problem.

24giovanni wrote:the IT field is greatly hard to find a job in right now. Do others feel that way as well?

thoughts?

It does not appear that there are any high end IT jobs where I'm at.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:00 pm

Dan wrote:I have not really changed careers I suppose,if you could call what I have done a career, I could say that I have done different jobs in the same industry for 31 years.

What industry if you don't mind me asking?

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:01 pm

CableDude wrote:What industry if you don't mind me asking?

retail/insurance replacement car stereo/12v electrical repair/nav video,ignitions,steering column/interior repair

basically all automotive interior repair

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:06 pm

Dan wrote:retail/insurance replacement car stereo/12v electrical repair/nav video,ignitions,steering column/interior repair

basically all automotive interior repair

24giovanni · Post by **24giovanni** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:17 pm

CableDude wrote:Yes.

I have no idea, that is a major part of the problem.

Join the club. Wanna open up a brunette modeling agency with me?

It does not appear that there are any high end IT jobs where I'm at.

Me neither and that sux.

24giovanni · Post by **24giovanni** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:18 pm

Sava700 wrote:I plan on moving out of IT for a while starting as soon as I can cause it doesn't appear its taking off as well as I hoped. I was makin good money where I was at the last 2 years but it was part time with full time hours. I figured it a foot in the door type job but the school I was at is state funded and the economy is of course hurting so its trickling down.

So what are you planning on giving a try at? Any ideas?

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:52 am

24giovanni wrote:So what are you planning on giving a try at? Any ideas?

no clue yet...

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:18 am

IT fields quite strong, just gotta look. Yes with some corporate/enterprise a few are doing some downsizing, but many others also growing.
SMB consulting in crazy huge demands. Absolutely exploading field.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:40 pm

24giovanni wrote:Join the club. Wanna open up a brunette modeling agency with me?

You know what......

You are now my favorite member.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:54 pm

CableDude wrote:You know what......

You are now my favorite member.

so,

uh,

it's not me anymore ?

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:19 pm

Started off in the IT Dept of a large Engineering/Architectural firm in NYC while I was in school studying CAD. Eventually moved into the design dept as a CAD Specialist.

24giovanni · Post by **24giovanni** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:41 pm

CableDude wrote:You know what......

You are now my favorite member.

If it could only truly happen.

24giovanni · Post by **24giovanni** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:44 pm

YeOldeStonecat wrote:IT fields quite strong, just gotta look. Yes with some corporate/enterprise a few are doing some downsizing, but many others also growing.
SMB consulting in crazy huge demands. Absolutely exploading field.

I am talking desktop support, Administration. If so, where cause there are none in Ma. that many people I know can't find any. I assume Sava and CD feel the same way but I can't really talk for them.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:53 pm

Dan wrote:so,

uh,

it's not me anymore ?

Yeah, you too.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:54 pm

JBrazen wrote:Started off in the IT Dept of a large Engineering/Architectural firm in NYC while I was in school studying CAD. Eventually moved into the design dept as a CAD Specialist.

How do you like it?

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:28 pm

24giovanni wrote:I am talking desktop support, Administration. If so, where cause there are none in Ma. that many people I know can't find any. I assume Sava and CD feel the same way but I can't really talk for them.

Desktop support is really easy and at times carefree so you don't have to worry about much, you get paid well and you get the perks that most others get. Around here there just isn't too much of a need for it. I'd say more than 50% of the people in this small area commute about 30miles+ a day to get to their jobs. Love the area but too many older people want to keep it a retirement community or the mormons just want to take over the rest. A few places to eat at around here stopped selling alcohol cause of the promises to send more business their way if they did so it pushes us "town folk" away more and more.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:41 am

might not be a good time to leave a job if you have one cause all that money the Govt sunk into the country trying to do something good isn't working.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The battered U.S. labor market took a step backwards last month as employers trimmed more jobs from their payrolls in June, according to a government report Thursday.

There was a net loss of 467,000 jobs in June, compared with a revised loss of 322,000 jobs in May. This was the first time in four months that the number of jobs lost rose from the prior month.

The June job losses were also far worse than the forecast of a loss of 365,000 jobs by economists surveyed by Briefing.com.

The unemployment rate rose for the ninth straight month, climbing to 9.5% from 9.4%, and hitting another 26-year high. Economists had been expecting that the unemployment rate would hit 9.6%.

Nearly 3.4 million jobs have been lost during the first half of 2009, more than the 3 million lost in all of 2008.

The job losses don't tell the full picture of the pain the labor market either. The average hourly work week fell to 33 hours from 33.1 hours in May, a record low in readings that go back to 1964. Average hourly wages were unchanged, so the shorter week shaved $1.85, or 0.3%, off of the average weekly paycheck.

Those who have been out of work for six months or more, and thus have run out of unemployment benefits, climbed to nearly 4.4 million, a record high.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/02/news/co ... 2009070208

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:31 am

Sava700 wrote:might not be a good time to leave a job if you have one cause all that money the Govt sunk into the country trying to do something good isn't working.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/02/news/co ... 2009070208

You said that when I left my job last year.

I gave myself a damn good raise too.

All I can say is follow your heart and don't be ruled by fear.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:44 am

Debbie wrote:You said that when I left my job last year. I gave myself a damn good raise too.

All I can say is follow your heart and don't be ruled by fear.

Well you got lucky...read the numbers, and around here its prob far worse than up that way or at least it seems like it. Following your heart doesn't pay the bills.

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:27 pm

Sava700 wrote:Well you got lucky...read the numbers, and around here its prob far worse than up that way or at least it seems like it. Following your heart doesn't pay the bills.

Stats don't mean **** to me.

I don't run my life based on stats.

It is called manifesting what you want. But then again, that is a whole new thread now isn't it?

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:21 pm

Debbie wrote:Stats don't mean **** to me. I don't run my life based on stats.

It is called manifesting what you want. But then again, that is a whole new thread now isn't it?

numbers...not stats. 2+2=4 not 5

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:40 pm

Sava700 wrote:...numbers...not stats. 2+2=4...

I think that’s why I hate math so much. Everything is always so clear-cut and defined. No margin for error or imagination.

I’m a “do what ever in the hell makes you happy” kind of person, even more so after my resent diagnosis of MS. I’m telling you man you never know when life will jump up and kick you square in the nuts.

You may hunt your entire life for a job that makes you happy and pays the bills though.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:54 pm

RoundEye wrote: You may hunt your entire life for a job that makes you happy and pays the bills though.

Very true..I haven't found it yet

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:45 pm

Sava700 wrote:Very true..I haven't found it yet

What really sucks is that once I found something I did well and seemed to fit in I got sick.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:03 pm

RoundEye wrote: You may hunt your entire life for a job that makes you happy and pays the bills though.