Crazy for wanting a career overhaul?

[D-Mac]

For many years I've been in school....

....I went straight from high school to college

....then straight through graduate school (PhD)

....then straight to a post-doc (what you do after grad school when you discover no one cares that you're an expert on something so narrow that five people on the planet actually know what it is you study)

.....then straight to a faculty position at a university

.....then straight through the tenure/promotion process (got tenure and promotion in 2005).

So I've made it, right? I teach the courses I want, have the summers and a month in the winter to work on whatever projects I want to. I live across the street from work, set my teaching schedule, and I have a great wife and kids. With tenure I've got a guarenteed job for life if I want it (I'm 35).

So why am I so damn unhappy with my career? My wife (who is amazing) think it's because I've never left school and seen the 'real world'. She thinks I've worked so hard to climb the ladder that I've never really thought about what I REALLY want to do with my life. She also thinks I haven't taken enough risks and that I'm trapping myself in my current career. She's taken plenty of risks herself and most have paid off (she's lived in 5 countries, speaks 4 languages, and has earned several degrees).

It's true, I've played it safe (other than riding motorcycles of course:rockon. I rationalized everything at each step of the career process and felt that each opportunity to move up the academic ladder was too good to pass up, so I took it. It wasn't cheap and I devoted more than a decade to working through school and paying off loans. I now think that I might have made a mistake......

Last night I came across an ad for a non-academic, underfunded position that I'm overqualified for and which might only run for a year. It involves lots of travel and moving far away. It also involves working more directly with people to solve problems than I'm used to in my current job (right now I get paid to THINK - this job was for something I'd get paid to DO). My wife was excited and encouraged me to apply, so I spent 10 hours crafting the necessary documents. I just sent them in. After sleeping on it, I think I want this job. More importantly perhaps, I think I want OUT of my current job.

Am I nuts? Anyone else out there make a sudden career shift? How did it work out?

If I could do ANYTHING, I'd ride motorcycles all day. I doubt that's gonna happen though!!

 

[FZ1inNH]

You have to enjoy what you are doing. Being happy with your job is key and if you are unhappy, it will have an adverse effect on your performance. Are you crazy? Heck NO! I say kudos to you and good luck! I hope you get that job and are happy as an end result! :thumbup:

I swapped careers three times and it's paid off. Now I have a job that I absolutely LOVE and couldn't care less about what the pay is because it is that much fun. I have now worked this job for almost 4 years and still love it as well as worked myself into the highest paying job I've ever had.

Go for it!

 

[thethendi]

It's stories like this that make me want to just get the hell out of graduate school with a Master's degree and do something else with my life.

Edit: How about a sabbatical? That will maybe clear your head a bit and maybe allow you to take the job for the year.

 

[Pirosko]

Well I am now 50, went to technical college at 19, got a job, got into a management type postion, became a manager, went back to school for my degree, then was laid off (with severance) after 28 years working for the same company. The pay was good and of course very steady, but also very high stress. So now as a "grown up", I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, I do however know what I don't want to do, and that is work like my old career. So I am off on a new journey to do what I really want to do, regardless of pay. Whatever that may be. Good luck to all of us.

 

[inkrediboy]

D-mac wrote "If I could do ANYTHING, I'd ride motorcycles all day. I doubt that's gonna happen though!!"

Glad I'm not the only one ha ha, that gave me a good laugh, especially with someone who has achieved such credentials.. riders come from all walks of life for sure.

I have a bachelors in Computer Science - and have switched my career 3 times. Graphics arts Design - Product Management Marketing and Sales - and a 2 year attempt at being a rockstar (that one was a tough ride). I took the risk of losing everything to chase my dream - but circumstances prevented it from truly taking hold. I regret it not, and nor should you for thinking these things.

I"m back at IT again - and have to say, this particular position is not the highest paid one I've had, but the crew and the company environment make it fun. Its like working with your best friends, my face hurts from laughing so much in the office - its that good. Being happy at what and where you do it is everything, better quality of life can surely be had for less money - and I say go for it. You only live this life once, so make it a good one.

Good luck on that resume submission, i'm rooting for you brother.

 

[wing8872]

If I could do ANYTHING, I'd ride motorcycles all day. I doubt that's gonna happen though!!

Then, you should see what jobs allow you to do this. Obviously, racing would but they take only the top 1 millionth of a percent. But, the guys at all those motorcycle mags who write reviews get to ride them a lot too. You could also consider opening a motorcycle shop. You get to ride pretty much whatever you want as your demo bike And, you can probably get the government to pay for the gas too. Or, take the classes, get the certs, and become a trainer for the MSF.

For me, it was all about looking at what I did in my spare time and finding jobs I could make out of that. That was computers but I'm also considering other aves now for my 2nd career.

:Flash: All I can say is, if you believe that you can then you got a chance, if you doubt it, you will never succeed no matter what anyone else thinks or what your chances really are.

 

[hedmisten]

Do it! I am young, but have been working 40 hour weeks through high school and through college. i got into a great IT position making 60K+/year at 22, but I always kept the idea of owning my own business behind me. I love being my own boss and taking off time for my lovely wife and family outings. Out of the middle of nowhere, an Old Employer called me and asked me if I were interested in taking over his custom embroidery, screen printing, and graphic shop.(We do stuff straight on Nike contracts and I setup many D1 college athletics for big schools.) I am now super happy, and my wife will come on in May to do fulltime graphics with her graphics degree.

I thought I was stupid to leave this job, but now things are paying off cause I am very happy.

 

[Hellgate]

For many years I've been in school....

....I went straight from high school to college

....then straight through graduate school (PhD)

....then straight to a post-doc (what you do after grad school when you discover no one cares that you're an expert on something so narrow that five people on the planet actually know what it is you study)

.....then straight to a faculty position at a university

.....then straight through the tenure/promotion process (got tenure and promotion in 2005).

So I've made it, right? I teach the courses I want, have the summers and a month in the winter to work on whatever projects I want to. I live across the street from work, set my teaching schedule, and I have a great wife and kids. With tenure I've got a guarenteed job for life if I want it (I'm 35).

So why am I so damn unhappy with my career? My wife (who is amazing) think it's because I've never left school and seen the 'real world'. She thinks I've worked so hard to climb the ladder that I've never really thought about what I REALLY want to do with my life. She also thinks I haven't taken enough risks and that I'm trapping myself in my current career. She's taken plenty of risks herself and most have paid off (she's lived in 5 countries, speaks 4 languages, and has earned several degrees).

It's true, I've played it safe (other than riding motorcycles of course:rockon. I rationalized everything at each step of the career process and felt that each opportunity to move up the academic ladder was too good to pass up, so I took it. It wasn't cheap and I devoted more than a decade to working through school and paying off loans. I now think that I might have made a mistake......

Last night I came across an ad for a non-academic, underfunded position that I'm overqualified for and which might only run for a year. It involves lots of travel and moving far away. It also involves working more directly with people to solve problems than I'm used to in my current job (right now I get paid to THINK - this job was for something I'd get paid to DO). My wife was excited and encouraged me to apply, so I spent 10 hours crafting the necessary documents. I just sent them in. After sleeping on it, I think I want this job. More importantly perhaps, I think I want OUT of my current job.

Am I nuts? Anyone else out there make a sudden career shift? How did it work out?

If I could do ANYTHING, I'd ride motorcycles all day. I doubt that's gonna happen though!!

Dude, all I can say is live a little, have some fun. Life isn't where you are at, but how you got there and where you want to go. What is the point of status if you are not fullfilled?

Oh and try the business world to build on your book knowledge. That great knowledge is often applied very differently in business.

 

[jsteinb95]

2 year attempt at being a rockstar.

I'm gonna make a video of you singing and post it on here!

OP: There is nothing wrong with changing your career.....I say go for it and always listen to your wife....women are smart! :thumbup:

 

[Botch]

I've changed careers twice in my life (once involuntarily, the second time voluntarily), both times to lesser-paying jobs, but it turned out better in the end (actually within two years (better income), both times!); I'm contemplating doing it a third time right now.
The fact that you have spousal approval is just icing on the cake; Go For It! :thumbup:

 

[D-Mac]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I'm definitely up for something new. It sounds like lots of you folks out there have made this decision (or had circumstances force a change in your plans).

I doubt I'd look back when I'm 80 and wish I had stayed in the same job forever.

Someone mentioned a sabbatical. I had one for part of last year. It was awesome (a sabbatical is a paid leave you get every 7th year or so from academic positions so you can think about stuff and work on your own projects - what a concept!) Ironically, it was during all the free time I had on sabbatical (which involved some motorcycle camping and writing manuscripts) that I decided I needed a new career!

As long as I can earn enough to get by I'll be happy. If I do leave the university, I will lose the free tuition benefit for my kids (oh well!) The health/retirement benefits and salary in my current job suck anyway. What I really want is to get back to the feeling of loving the work.

 

[urbanj]

For many years I've been in school....

....I went straight from high school to college

....then straight through graduate school (PhD)

....then straight to a post-doc (what you do after grad school when you discover no one cares that you're an expert on something so narrow that five people on the planet actually know what it is you study)

.....then straight to a faculty position at a university

.....then straight through the tenure/promotion process (got tenure and promotion in 2005).

So I've made it, right? I teach the courses I want, have the summers and a month in the winter to work on whatever projects I want to. I live across the street from work, set my teaching schedule, and I have a great wife and kids. With tenure I've got a guarenteed job for life if I want it (I'm 35).

So why am I so damn unhappy with my career? My wife (who is amazing) think it's because I've never left school and seen the 'real world'. She thinks I've worked so hard to climb the ladder that I've never really thought about what I REALLY want to do with my life. She also thinks I haven't taken enough risks and that I'm trapping myself in my current career. She's taken plenty of risks herself and most have paid off (she's lived in 5 countries, speaks 4 languages, and has earned several degrees).

It's true, I've played it safe (other than riding motorcycles of course:rockon. I rationalized everything at each step of the career process and felt that each opportunity to move up the academic ladder was too good to pass up, so I took it. It wasn't cheap and I devoted more than a decade to working through school and paying off loans. I now think that I might have made a mistake......

Last night I came across an ad for a non-academic, underfunded position that I'm overqualified for and which might only run for a year. It involves lots of travel and moving far away. It also involves working more directly with people to solve problems than I'm used to in my current job (right now I get paid to THINK - this job was for something I'd get paid to DO). My wife was excited and encouraged me to apply, so I spent 10 hours crafting the necessary documents. I just sent them in. After sleeping on it, I think I want this job. More importantly perhaps, I think I want OUT of my current job.

Am I nuts? Anyone else out there make a sudden career shift? How did it work out?

If I could do ANYTHING, I'd ride motorcycles all day. I doubt that's gonna happen though!!

My uncle is in the same boat as you. But when I say uncle he's only 9 years older at 34 so we talk a lot. He got PhD in applied mathematics from Brown and now all he does is teach, research and travels around the world giving speeches at conferences. But he still keeps looking for that "better job". Wall street keeps knocking but he doesn't want the stress.

My question to him and to you. If you are not happy teaching or not happy researching or applying your degree to somewhere else in the field, what makes you happy and what do you find that you spend most time doing?

 

[Bo67]

D-Mac:

You're not crazy, you're human.

I'm willing to bet that most of us here didn't think when we were kids "Gee, I really want to do (whatever job we're doing now) when I grow up", but that's life.

As a kid I wanted to be a scientist or a forest ranger. Instead I worked on fighter jets for half of my life and loved that career. Although I could make a lot more money now working on civil aircraft the satisfaction just wouldn't be the same for me so I now work as a claims processor for the feds. Not great money but pretty good job satisfaction.

I guess all I'm trying to say is you need to do what makes you happy. Seeing as how your wife supports your decisions helps an awful lot.

Change is scary for sure. We're all comfortable in our own safe spot but oftentimes miserable as well so I think you just need to go with your gut on this one. If things don't work out I'm sure you can go back to your previous profession but if you don't make the change you want I'm afraid you might regret that decision for a long time.

I wish you all the best in your endeavours!

 

[Nelly]

For many years I've been in school....

....I went straight from high school to college

....then straight through graduate school (PhD)

....then straight to a post-doc (what you do after grad school when you discover no one cares that you're an expert on something so narrow that five people on the planet actually know what it is you study)

.....then straight to a faculty position at a university

.....then straight through the tenure/promotion process (got tenure and promotion in 2005).

So I've made it, right? I teach the courses I want, have the summers and a month in the winter to work on whatever projects I want to. I live across the street from work, set my teaching schedule, and I have a great wife and kids. With tenure I've got a guarenteed job for life if I want it (I'm 35).

So why am I so damn unhappy with my career? My wife (who is amazing) think it's because I've never left school and seen the 'real world'. She thinks I've worked so hard to climb the ladder that I've never really thought about what I REALLY want to do with my life. She also thinks I haven't taken enough risks and that I'm trapping myself in my current career. She's taken plenty of risks herself and most have paid off (she's lived in 5 countries, speaks 4 languages, and has earned several degrees).

It's true, I've played it safe (other than riding motorcycles of course:rockon. I rationalized everything at each step of the career process and felt that each opportunity to move up the academic ladder was too good to pass up, so I took it. It wasn't cheap and I devoted more than a decade to working through school and paying off loans. I now think that I might have made a mistake......

Last night I came across an ad for a non-academic, underfunded position that I'm overqualified for and which might only run for a year. It involves lots of travel and moving far away. It also involves working more directly with people to solve problems than I'm used to in my current job (right now I get paid to THINK - this job was for something I'd get paid to DO). My wife was excited and encouraged me to apply, so I spent 10 hours crafting the necessary documents. I just sent them in. After sleeping on it, I think I want this job. More importantly perhaps, I think I want OUT of my current job.

Am I nuts? Anyone else out there make a sudden career shift? How did it work out?

If I could do ANYTHING, I'd ride motorcycles all day. I doubt that's gonna happen though!!

You are not crazy,
Can you apply to take an un paid sabbatical? As the two jobs are related you can strengthen your case to do it.
I was a employed as a chef for 13 years, started working in kitchens whilst at school and then worked my way up to management.
In 1998 I had a motorcycle crash and decided that I was going to give up my management job and become a nurse.
Making that choice meant that I went from earning enough for a comfortable life style to earning just above the breadline.
I am now established in the hospital I work in and love it, I have worked hard to get up the ladder again and recently finished a degree.
Go for it.
The best bit is, I met my wife whilst I was getting my qualifications for Uni entrance.

Nelly

 

[chickwebb]

Don't ignore your muse. That said, don't forget that you are responsible not just for yourself now. Your hard work has put you in a position in which you have options. Don't give that up too easily. You have a lot a free time that you could use to pursue other interests; perhaps that's something to consider.

It takes a lot of cajones to blow up a life well-earned in order to follow your muse, and it doesn't always turn out the way you hope. Trust me on this one. Be careful what you wish for... you just might get it.

Chick

 

[keira]

Good luck in whatever decision you make. I am in my internship portion of my Master's right now, so I have a lot of time on my hands (part-time internship and not working otherwise) to wonder if this is really what I want to do with my life. It is scary to think I could be just wasting my time, and 5 years down the road I will want something different, but at the same time this has been a dream since high school. I was a smart kid then, so I am trusting that I will be happy doing this. It is just scary right now...

 

[necrotimus]

As one of the few voices of caution... before you take the leap at least "gear up"... if you can stay at your job for another 6 months to a year do it and only use what a new career would pay you... you will learn what sacrifices you would have to make and if you could make them... if you can make the sacrifices then in the end you will have some extra change socked away and you will be better prepared for taking the downsize... if you can't make the sacrifices then you probably wont be happy in your new career...

one of the highest reasons for divorce is fights over money

 

[kemmer]

I majored in computer science and worked in the field for about three years before discovering that what I really wanted to do was sales. I did some sales in college but looked at it as a way to pay the bills, not a career. Once I got done with school and realized I didn't enjoy the work I was doing, it took a big leap of faith to go back to sales. It's tough going from 60k a year to a commision only job, but I did it and so far it has been good. I'm not quite making what I was before, and the job is more challenging, but I'm much happier. It shouldn't be long before I am making more than I was, and 10 years from now I will probably be in a much better finacial position than I would have been in on my previous career path.