Anyone change fields and love what you're doing now?

[waterbuffalo]

Hello everybody. Anyone got advice for someone who wants to get back into their pre-twi field and has discovered how hard it is to even get an interview at 50 something?

If you have had success in finding work outside of your field, I would love to hear from you.

If you have found work in your field or any field that you like and feel it's a good fit for you, I congratulate you!

Here's a teacher who writes what it's been like for her trying to get hired (and I'm sure she much younger than I am). This is a real person from a chatboard:

It's not you...it's me!

________________________________________

"It's not you...it's me...no really..."

Nothing you said or did

You are perfectly qualified, in fact...uh..a little too overqualified

I could really use somebody like you

It's just that...

I just don't think that we would be fair in keeping you from other opportunities.

(What?)

oh, you wouldn't understand...I'm sorry, have a nice day

Really!?

Let me try to guess.....

You are hiring your friend, and this is just a waste of my time.

You are hiring your cousin, and this is just a waste of my time.

You are not hiring anyone, you know you will make one teacher take both classes and have a 2/3 split.

You are secretly looking for new ideas and lesson plans. So you make everyone write one for the interview.

You just want practice interviewing.

You have to interview at least one _________ (insert your race/sex/age group here.)

You are going to hire somebody you don't like, so you can pay them less.

You'll probably realize you made a big mistake with the other person, and will call me you 3-6 months from now, so really hope I don't find anything.

No, I do understand! Thank you, for reminding me I only need one yes, and I must get a lot of no's until the right opporutnity comes my way!

[waysider]

And if you do manage to get an interview, they ask you something crazy like, "Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?"

At almost 60, you would think the answer would be obvious.

[waterbuffalo]

omg, I know.....

[coolchef]

i retired from the phone co after 32 of credited service

went to school and became an ex chef

did that for 10 years now i am fully retired

you can find another carrer and enjoy it i did

good luck!

[Oakspear]

I left the newspaper circulation business (not as glamorous as Raf's job) 9 years ago and went into retail grocery management.

Most days I like my job and the pay's better.

[waterbuffalo]

Cool Chef and Oakspear,

Thanks so much for the positive feedback. How did you get into those fields? I understand Cool Chef, you probably liked to cook and wanted to learn/do more in that field. But, Oakspear, what made you want to get into retail grocery management? Those are the kinds of things that could help me evaluate where I am and where I could go careerwise.

Thanks in advance for your personal experience *ideas.*

I think most people find it inspiring when someone else tells about good things that happened to them.

[cheranne]

I was in Nursing until a car accident and couldn't lift paralyzed bodies anymore

so I got into retail.

Not as much gratification,I loved my job at a Medical Day Program 7-4 weekends off.

But,working at a book store is fun if you like books.

[Oakspear]

But, Oakspear, what made you want to get into retail grocery management?

I was up to my eyebrows in debt and needed to get a second job to start digging my way out. I had worked as a night manager at a grocery store about 15 years earlier and still had some connections. One of my old buddies was a manager at a grocery store and got me a job as a part-time night stocker.

The company was doing some expanding, so there were a greater-than-usual number of management openings. I was hired for the first one that I applied for.

There wasn't anything specifically about grocery management, I was just in the right place at the right time. I've been a manager of one kind or another since I was 18, and I believe that the skills transfer across types of businesses. There was an opportunity and it turned out it was a good fit for me.

Not a lot of deep planning went into the move.

[waterbuffalo]

cheranne, sorry to hear that, but glad you found something you enjoy instead.

Oakspear, thanks. So, networking, skills that transfer, and being at the right place at the right time played into your career move. Each component was imporant, I suppose.

[Sushi]

The relevant part is at about five minutes in, but, enjoy. (there isn't ONE swear word in this, so, no disclaimer )

Edited December 20, 2008 by Sushi

[Zshot]

The first thing you need to figure out is what you are good at, and what you are not good at. (The ugly truth is, you might want to be a supervisor/manager (for example), but if you are not good at it, you are setting yourself up for failure. (please note: I did not say anything about qualifications. You might have the qualifications, and still not be good at something). Figure out where you work best. We might all want to "work from home", but that might be the place where you might be the least productive. Many people are more productive when they have to be at a certain location and/or enviroment to work productively.

I admit that I am very fortunate. I am a budget analyst for the Army. I like what I do, and I am good at it. I worked my way up from the bottom of the tottem pole to where I am now. Based upon my pay grade and years of experience, I am qualified to be a supervisor. However, I know I would not be good at supervising (seen the job and don't want it, even for a pay raise).

Sometimes to find a job, it's all about "who you know". This is where it pays off to belong to a gym, be active in a church, go to and/or play or go to sporting events, help coach a "little league" team, etc... In short, you need to be where people who can influence hireing decisions go to when they are not working.

Sometimes it all boils down to this. Working at a job you hate, usually pays better than not working.

[waterbuffalo]

Sushi, that interview segment is funny. Thank you for the tips! Now, I know what I've been doing wrong!!!!

Actually, I'd be happy to GET an interview in my field.

Zspot thanks for the tips, also--all good ones that I'll keep in mind.

[waysider]

Around here it's been reduced to just finding a job------ANY job!

[ebn1957]

I am so thankful that I entered nursing as a profession more than 20 years ago. Not certain if I chose nursing or it chose me - but I have been able to work in such a variety of settings. Started as an aide and now am a nurse practitioner. Just this month I accepted a position as a nursing instructor - totally new role for me!

Funny thing is that I have always been an "adult learner" - I have always been one of the oldest in whatever class I am in. My life is marked by being an old novice - a life long learner, slightly out of step with my contemporaries. It is not always comfortable - but I am sooooo glad that I never have considered myself to be too old to do something new.

My advice?

Read and re-read, "Let Your Life Speak" by Parker Palmer - It encourages listening and responding to the inner call vs the outer call. I have learned to honor who I am instead of trying to be someone Im not (no matter how noble).

Check out Peter Block's book, "Stewardship" and learn to "Choose Adventure over Security" - Scary at times, but I have never been disappointed in the long run.

Consider failure as an option to consider another choice - Failure used to scare me. Now I know that it isn't necessarily lethal.

Maybe after I actually start as a classroom instructor I'll have more sobering advice. For now I am happy to do something that I think could be the job I am supposed to to for the next few years, instead of the job that paid better and was certainly more prestigious.

Best regards for your journey

EBN

ps

Still get to be a nurse practitioner 2 days/week - doesn't get better than that!

[waterbuffalo]

Awesome. I'm so happy for you. Will check out the books. Thank you!