Change of career

Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
1,514
Location
Greenville, SC via Chicago, IL
After 15 years in education/educational leadership, I'm ready for a change. I consider my feelings towards my career like being in a toxic relationship. You know that relationship you kept coming back to when you knew wasn't going to last? After working 11 hour days, 5 days a week and not prioritizing my family/personal happiness, I'm simply exhausted. Life is short, so I'm on the search to find something that will check the boxes and bring me joy.

I've spoke with my financial advisor, hired a resume company to update/market me, and started the process.

Anyone hiring for remote work as I'm not interested in moving my family due?!?

Veteran
M.Ed
Management/Team lead
Willingless to learn/quick learner

On a more serious note, anyone take this leap and care to share the outcome? I'm slighly terrified.
 
On a more serious note, anyone take this leap and care to share the outcome? I'm slighly terrified.

You will be fine. Every employer is looking for high-quality people right now. You need to get in front of some, they don't know you're out there.

Talk to everyone you know that has a brain. There's tons of companies looking for people that can get things done.
 
After 15 years in education/educational leadership, I'm ready for a change. I consider my feelings towards my career like being in a toxic relationship. You know that relationship you kept coming back to when you knew wasn't going to last? After working 11 hour days, 5 days a week and not prioritizing my family/personal happiness, I'm simply exhausted. Life is short, so I'm on the search to find something that will check the boxes and bring me joy.

I've spoke with my financial advisor, hired a resume company to update/market me, and started the process.

Anyone hiring for remote work as I'm not interested in moving my family due?!?

Veteran
M.Ed
Management/Team lead
Willingless to learn/quick learner

On a more serious note, anyone take this leap and care to share the outcome? I'm slighly terrified.
I think humans are pre-programmed to adhere to the Sunk Cost Fallacy out of fear of the unknown (ex, change in financial security, relocation, etc.). Best of luck. I've wanted a career change for about a decade but the benefits and job security are too good at least that's my rationale. lol.
 
I got out of the repair business and went to law school. Huge leap of faith. That was almost 20 years ago and was the second best thing I ever did.

Sounds like you have a lot of skills that will be in demand. Maybe try healthcare administration, it's got a lot of structural similarities to ed.
 
Last edited:
After 15 years in education/educational leadership, I'm ready for a change. I consider my feelings towards my career like being in a toxic relationship. You know that relationship you kept coming back to when you knew wasn't going to last? After working 11 hour days, 5 days a week and not prioritizing my family/personal happiness, I'm simply exhausted. Life is short, so I'm on the search to find something that will check the boxes and bring me joy.

I've spoke with my financial advisor, hired a resume company to update/market me, and started the process.

Anyone hiring for remote work as I'm not interested in moving my family due?!?

Veteran
M.Ed
Management/Team lead
Willingless to learn/quick learner

On a more serious note, anyone take this leap and care to share the outcome? I'm slighly terrified.
Almost every woman in my family, both sides were and are educators. From Great grandmother, to Mother in Law, to Neices , to Wife and even one Grandfather was too. Now I have a son who has done about everything. It used to drive me crazy. He started out in college and after with a career in newspaper and tv reporting (not an on air person). While doing that he up and goes to culinary school and quits good job as editor of small newspaper to become an Executive Chef of a Country Club and then a Hotel/Restaraunt on Bourbon Street in NOLA. Left that to become a Culinary teacher in a small college for 4-5 years. Of course it dont last. All of a sudden he told me he was now a sections Manager for a giant Lowe's Hardware store near his home so no more driving about 120 mi a day to teach culinary. Of course that lasted only about 3-4 years and then he is working once again as a welder/pipefitter in his Father in Laws private ship yard..... OMG. I was getting really worried. Especially once he was married and had two kids. His wife is an HR Manager for several major companies and works out of their home so I guess that is how he is allowed to jump from job to job. Plus he and his wife absolutely HATE being in any debt so they just paid off their 2nd home at age of 40 & she is 36. They are sure doing a lot better than wife and I did. Took us almost 60 yrs to get debt free. Now the thrilling conclusion to the saga. It was all brought on because you mentioned you are an EDUCATOR. Of course about a year or two back , same youngest son tells me. "I am out of the ship yard again." I could have passed out thinking "what the h*ll is this guy gonna do for a pension or ??? retirement when he gets older? Of course they have savings etc... So duh duh duh..... He is in BACK IN EDUCATION again. Son has now for the last couple years been the Literature/History Teacher in a small public school near his new home. He tells me he is done jumping from job/profession finally because he has the young kids (ten and two) and he can now have 5 day work weeks / home every afternoon and night with no weekend work. Plus off every holiday with wife and kids and every summer. So, maybe the benefits are worth it??? Maybe if the education career you been into is Public schools and you can handle less money / salary? then maybe Private school could be a refreshing change unless you are flat out DONE with all the B/S in EDUCATION/Administration. My wife made the jump long long ago when Public school and the totally incompetent and irresponsible Public school Administrators and School Boards had made her life hell and jumped to Private schools and she has been so happy in that it is like she does not even consider it working. Loves it so much she plans to work till 70 - a few more years just to stay busy. GOOD LUCK - Everyone's situation is different. Sure hope that son finally stays put. I think/hope/pray he will but trust him to do best for his family.
 
After 15 years in education/educational leadership, I'm ready for a change. I consider my feelings towards my career like being in a toxic relationship. You know that relationship you kept coming back to when you knew wasn't going to last...

On a more serious note, anyone take this leap and care to share the outcome? I'm slighly terrified.
Retired now but truly hope this helps.
Been where you are, (been there, done that)
A partner in a successful business for about the 15 years maybe more. I was burnt out tired of the same thing and also felt limited as to what I could do. I did not want to go through the rest of my life like that.

Oh boy I was concerned about leaving though, it was a successful business and people might have thought I was nuts. So I went a step further to a gosh, dont know if this is the right word "physiologist" career study type person to see if my thinking was straight. I had a young family and could not afford a mis-step in my income. I did this in a way that was fully researched as you can tell.

At the same time I did have a comfortable "cushion" and being in business I know a change to a new one would be costly but calculated I could realistically fund myself for over an year if things didnt go well.
This career person "physiologist" thought my thought process was very realistic and with that I also did a lengthy test that was sent off to some center across the country and my personality matched what I wanted to do.

Which for me was real estate as a 1099 (self employed) I was starting with the right organization, I knew myself and my drive to achieve, I knew things do not happen overnight and the fact that the failure rate is sky-high in the industry, I kept myself looking at the big picture, focused on activities and kept moving forward, slowly and methodically. Doing everything I was being taught.

No excuses, failure was not an option.
Wow! It was the most fantastic ride of my life, literally walking the streets and putting flyers in people doors house to house, over and over, countless phone calls and cold calls I turned into what I would like to believe "textbook" success. I LOVED it, I was killing my competition taking over areas as a listing agent, everyone knew my name and ultimately in less then or around 4 years, I was in the top 25 at my peak around 13 of over 5000 agents in the NY metropolitan area. Truly my competition didnt know what hit them, I loved it so much, loved the recognition, the parties *LOL* and people I have met, even on a corporate and national level.

What I am saying is, you can do whatever you want in life sometimes there is little luck as far as the right people showing you what needs to be done but they key is, you need to go out and do it. "failure was not an option" was a word I repeated over and over.
In my training another phrase stuck in my head. "Whether you think you can or think you cant you will always be right"
I actually got to the point of training people, I loved what I was doing so much that I enjoyed sharing my success with them.
You seem to have a background already Im willing to bet if you really focus, day and night you can find something that greatly is rewarding to you.
Good luck!

BTW- one of my biggest drivers to success was being honest with people and truly working for my clients and consulting with them, leaving decisions to them with the information I had. That caught on like wildfire in NY!
 
Last edited:
.....DONE with all the B/S in EDUCATION/Administration. My wife made the jump long long ago when Public school and the totally incompetent and irresponsible Public school Administrators and School Boards had made her life hell.....
You summed it up nicely. The benefits and schedule while our 4 kids went through school has been what kept me. Our youngest has 1.5 more years. Some days are incredibly frustrating and the waste of money and materials makes you sick.
 
After 15 years in education/educational leadership, I'm ready for a change. I consider my feelings towards my career like being in a toxic relationship. You know that relationship you kept coming back to when you knew wasn't going to last? After working 11 hour days, 5 days a week and not prioritizing my family/personal happiness, I'm simply exhausted. Life is short, so I'm on the search to find something that will check the boxes and bring me joy.

I've spoke with my financial advisor, hired a resume company to update/market me, and started the process.

Anyone hiring for remote work as I'm not interested in moving my family due?!?

Veteran
M.Ed
Management/Team lead
Willingless to learn/quick learner

On a more serious note, anyone take this leap and care to share the outcome? I'm slightly terrified.

My brother is chair of the Dept of Phil at UVM. In a past life he started his own school. It was very successful and is flourishing still.

Many parents are desperate for something other than today's state sponsored indoctrination.
 

“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”​


― Tony Robbins


jump and learn to soar.

fly.jpg
 
I feel having a career is much less important than having a job you like. It is much easier to move around since most are not tied to a pension just a 401k and can take it with you from job to job. As long as you are a hard worker why not move around a bit. I started out cooking and being a janitor. Went to school, got my A&P and worked for the Airline for 20 years. Wanted something else, worked in a stone fabrication shop for a few years and then got the hankering to try something else. Have worked at a couple defense contractors since then doing different things i really knew nothing about. Never regret any of the changes I made even tho I think some thought i was nuts at the time. I've always been happy with every job and as soon as I wasn't it is time to move on. Financially it's not always about what you make but how much you like your job and your investments along the way.

I say go for it and find something that makes you excited to go to work again and everything else will work it self out.
 
You summed it up nicely. The benefits and schedule while our 4 kids went through school has been what kept me. Our youngest has 1.5 more years. Some days are incredibly frustrating and the waste of money and materials makes you sick.
I could be so much more well off today financially had I not cared and just sent my sons to "free" public school. I knew better and wanted them to have every extra chance to do a lot better off than I did when I attended public schools growing up. I learned way way too much of what not to do and how to waste your most important school years in that type of environment. I even paid for them to go to college and the wife a 2nd round of college to change proffessions when I could have been socking that money into all sorts of investments. While I lost out on a fatter savings account I still feel like I gained the wealth in all sorts of other aspects of our lives. Better quality of life today for all of us and two sons living right , never in trouble and very successful , far beyond where I was at their ages. Wife went from Health Care proffession into Education also like our son did at middle ages. They are both very happy they chose to do that. It is rough and tough on families and husbands and wives when one or both are always at work different hours etc and not around at night or weekends and holidays with families. I've seen it end marriages a few times. Tough.
Wife has been so lucky and blessed that she changed schools/jobs when she did. She is in a nice , small , private neighborhood school (7mi from our house) that her mother, herself and my youngest son (the teacher too again now) all attended at some point. Some days I bring her coffee and lunch that I cook for her and some of her friends who work there too. She is in charge of the Pre school thru Kindergarten so she is under almost ZERO pressure. It is a wonderful small school that the people in the area all love. They even have all kinds of newer students whose parents have seen the light and removed their kids from inner city public schools as far as 25-30 mi away with vouchers to attend there. There are really happy n welcomed and actually help keep the smaller schools like it stay operating since tuition and our economy always keeps making things harder and harder on young couples just starting out who can struggle to afford private schools. The school is about to have its 100th year anniversary. Wife is by now the oldest tenured teacher in the place and has been thru many Administrations and even turned down offers to be the Principal. She is like I was on the job. She has learned everything she could (even not her responsibilities) and takes charge when the principal is off but wont take a permanent promotion. I too learned all the jobs where I worked and would take the Maintenance + Operations Supervisors places when they were out ill or on vacations YET I would never accept permanent promotion as there is entirelly too much repsonsibility and B/S to deal with. No way. Not even enough pay could entice me. I have seen lots of friends who were just dying for promotions and all they thought would come with it end up having to actually leave and change proffessions entirely after they learned all that really came with those once envied positions of Management. Jobs that chewed them up and spit them out. Someone has to play the Boss but it takes some really thick skinned and tough people to handle all that comes with the positions for sure.
 
Last edited:
My adult son got out of the chef career and is much happier and better off now.

40 years ago (80's recession) my workplace forced me to move from the Upper Peninsula, south across the Mackinac bridge to become a "troll" and/or fudgie. While traumatic at the time, it probably resulted in a better, fuller, more rewarding career and life.

You sound like a survivor. You will succeed and look back at your excellent decision. Yes, life is WAY too short.
 
I got out of the repair business and went to law school. Huge leap of faith. That was almost 20 years ago and was the second best thing I ever did.

Sounds like you have a lot of skills that will be in demand. Maybe try healthcare administration, it's got a lot of structural similarities to ed.
I made a similar change. I graduated with a BSEE degree at age 21 and went to work in an oil refinery with a major oil company. This was a long time ago. A lot of what I saw was stupid, and thinking outside the box was definitely frowned upon. After several years of me not liking them and they not liking me, I went to law school. My plan was to work in an area of law where I could apply my engineering knowledge. I found it. I went into public utility regulation, and litigated many cases against utilities seeking exorbitant rate increases. The utility engineers and lawyers feared me, as I knew more about the entire subject than both groups. Ultimately, I became affiliated with a major world wide consulting organization, and advised foreign nations setting up utility regulatory systems for the first time.

My advice is, when you change careers, if possible, do something where your past knowledge enhances your new career.
 
I think humans are pre-programmed to adhere to the Sunk Cost Fallacy out of fear of the unknown (ex, change in financial security, relocation, etc.). Best of luck. I've wanted a career change for about a decade but the benefits and job security are too good at least that's my rationale. lol.

Sounds like 80% of the people I’ve met over the past 50 years.
Sometimes a career change works out…. sometimes it’s a disaster.

I prefer less stress for less money and not being owned by my employer for more money.
Great benefits and pension kept me at my employer for 35 years, luckily I had good bosses majority of the time.
 
Last edited:
Retired now but truly hope this helps.
Been where you are, (been there, done that)
A partner in a successful business for about the 15 years maybe more. I was burnt out tired of the same thing and also felt limited as to what I could do. I did not want to go through the rest of my life like that.

Oh boy I was concerned about leaving though, it was a successful business and people might have thought I was nuts. So I went a step further to a gosh, dont know if this is the right word "physiologist" career study type person to see if my thinking was straight. I had a young family and could not afford a mis-step in my income. I did this in a way that was fully researched as you can tell.

At the same time I did have a comfortable "cushion" and being in business I know a change to a new one would be costly but calculated I could realistically fund myself for over an year if things didnt go well.
This career person "physiologist" thought my thought process was very realistic and with that I also did a lengthy test that was sent off to some center across the country and my personality matched what I wanted to do.

Which for me was real estate as a 1099 (self employed) I was starting with the right organization, I knew myself and my drive to achieve, I knew things do not happen overnight and the fact that the failure rate is sky-high in the industry, I kept myself looking at the big picture, focused on activities and kept moving forward, slowly and methodically. Doing everything I was being taught.

No excuses, failure was not an option.
Wow! It was the most fantastic ride of my life, literally walking the streets and putting flyers in people doors house to house, over and over, countless phone calls and cold calls I turned into what I would like to believe "textbook" success. I LOVED it, I was killing my competition taking over areas as a listing agent, everyone knew my name and ultimately in less then or around 4 years, I was in the top 25 at my peak around 13 of over 5000 agents in the NY metropolitan area. Truly my competition didnt know what hit them, I loved it so much, loved the recognition, the parties *LOL* and people I have met, even on a corporate and national level.

What I am saying is, you can do whatever you want in life sometimes there is little luck as far as the right people showing you what needs to be done but they key is, you need to go out and do it. "failure was not an option" was a word I repeated over and over.
In my training another phrase stuck in my head. "Whether you think you can or think you cant you will always be right"
I actually got to the point of training people, I loved what I was doing so much that I enjoyed sharing my success with them.
You seem to have a background already Im willing to bet if you really focus, day and night you can find something that greatly is rewarding to you.
Good luck!

BTW- one of my biggest drivers to success was being honest with people and truly working for my clients and consulting with them, leaving decisions to them with the information I had. That caught on like wildfire in NY!
Great story. Thanks for sharing that. Man do I wish I could have found an agent like you years ago. I made one of the biggest mistakes of my financial life with purchase of our first home. It was a bloodbath / masacre as I was only about 25 years old with zero knowledge of real estate or banking and finance. I am certain you recall the disasterous mid to late 1980s economy + insane interset rates and illegal (finally today) loans that were allowed to go on. Long story short (and painful to repeat) I did the ultimate dummy move and trusted a family member to build and sell me our first home. Did not go well. We were underwater on the loan/value almost instantly. Certainly a life lesson about a few things and especially about who not to trust.
Sounds like 80% of the people I’ve met over the past 50 years.
Sometimes a career change works out…. sometimes it’s a disaster.

I prefer less stress for less money and not being owned by my employer for more money.
Great benefits and pension kept me at my employer for 35 years, luckily I had good bosses majority of the time.
I was lucky like you describe also. Longest one (last job) I stuck with for 28 years until forced out for medical reasons. But always had good bosses who looked out for me. I guess I was one of the mental ones. I enjoyed my work and was no where near ready to retire when I was forced out in my 50s.
 
I'm working my way through sidestepping out of a manager role and back into engineering-only. But it's being coordinated with my employer, so, I'm not of much help, other than to ask, after you update your resume, do you plan to give the current employer one last crack at fixing things? People aren't expected to stay in one position for decades. Up and out in some circles, over and around in others.
 
I changed my career almost 2 years ago with a substantial drop in pay. Probably couldn’t have done it if not for my wife. We don’t have kids by the way. Granted, the change wasn’t made for the same reasons as you either.. I just wanted an actual career and to be a skilled worker. Aside from my machine shop job being dead end, it was a simply 7-3 job close to home in a climate controller building.

Now, I’m making more than I ever have. More benefits and job security too. Finally aggressively contributing to a 401 too.
 
I changed my career almost 2 years ago with a substantial drop in pay. Probably couldn’t have done it if not for my wife. We don’t have kids by the way. Granted, the change wasn’t made for the same reasons as you either.. I just wanted an actual career and to be a skilled worker. Aside from my machine shop job being dead end, it was a simply 7-3 job close to home in a climate controller building.

Now, I’m making more than I ever have. More benefits and job security too. Finally aggressively contributing to a 401 too.
Whats that saying again........?
Look, look very closely at every successful man.
You will see standing right behind him a really good woman - a woman supporting him, loving him, holding him up , and
LOL ! rolling her eyes at him! :rolleyes:
 
Back
Top