Changing Careers?

esstee33 · January 2015

Have you done it? Were you happier?

Since I moved to FI's city, I've had a lot of leads for jobs, thrown out a ton of resumes, have had some interviews, and I think I'm about to be offered a really good position. The trouble is that the idea of taking that job fills me with dread. I really don't think I'd enjoy working in that atmosphere, and I'm finding myself longing for a career outside a cubicle in general.

My degree is in English. I've done a lot of customer service- type things usually, and I'm really good at sales. My jobs haven't been miserable for me, but haven't really made me all that happy, either. But all I ever really wanted to do was go to beauty school. My high school had a reciprocal program with a local vocational school, and I wanted to do the Cosmetology program as a junior. At graduation, I would've been trained and ready to take my state licensing exams. It was $500, which my parents didn't have, so I didn't go. And here we are, FIFTEEN FUCKING YEARS LATER, and I'm still thinking about it.

So there's a school just up the road from my apartment that has a 10 week course, $6,000, to become an esthetician, which is what I'd like to do way more than hair services. I love skin care and makeup, and the idea of working in the beauty field is SO incredibly appealing to me. I'm just paralyzed by fear about this. My earning potential is probably greater than I realize, but even at my typical earnings, I'd be taking a massive step down. I already have significant student loan debt from undergrad, specialized courses, and a semester of graduate school. I can't justify taking out more loans to get another degree that's going to result in me making half my total student loan debt annually. FI keeps saying to just go for it -- that we can continue to chip away at my loan debt over our lives -- but I can't help but feel like I'm setting myself back professionally if I do this.

Or I can continue to work in cubicles doing whatever companies will pay me to do.

HALP.

novella1186 · January 2015

It's been 15 years and you're still stuck on it. Time to go for it! I know this is a cliche but you get one life, so make it a good one.

I have a degree in writing, English, and psych. I applied to grad school for writing two years in a row and got turned down by every school I applied to so I got my MBA instead. Now I work in clinical research, (just kind of fell into it) which I really like, but getting my master's in writing is my unrequited dream. I honestly don't know what my life-long career will end up being but sometimes I find my job boring and I never pictured myself in a cubicle. And I definitely can't imagine staying in that cubicle my whole life.

I just think if it's something you really want to do, and that's what will give you fulfillment and make you happy, then that's what you gotta do! It's like 30-40 years before retirement age, right? Do you want to do something you're not that excited about for 30-40 more years?

rcher912 · January 2015

Also, 40+ hours per week is a lot. You might as well spend it doing what you like, not doing so is exhausting.

I had a job I hated, to the point where I had to quit even before I found a new gig - it was just killing me. I know this can be a really difficult decision.

You're very lucky to have FI's support! I vote see if you can get a weekend/night class or something, just to get your feet wet. But I agree with @novella1186 - if it's been that long and you're still thinking about it, that definitely says something!

WinstonsGirl · January 2015

Just do it!! A friend of mine just did this, to try running a restaurant (as manager, not opening one) cos he'd ben thinking of it for years. He did it for a year and found he hated it. He's now back to his older job (sales). He doesn't love it, but he's good at it and it pays his bills. He sometimes considers that year as wasted, but I reminded him that if he hadn't tried it, he'd still be wondering "what if??"

Really, if you love it, then you're happier. If you hate it, you can always try something else or go back to your current position.

LabLove86 · January 2015

I'm a little more than a year and half out from a career change . .. .

I was previously a Vet Tech - and I loved my job. But the earning potential wasn't there. I couldn't afford groceries for myself. Let alone pay down my student loans. It was a career that was hard on my body. And even though it was emotionally rewarding at times, it was also tough to have to deal with people who didn't treat their pets the way they I believe they deserve to be treated.

I finally decided I needed to make some changes. I knew I didn't want to be in school forever, I knew what aspects of working with animals I liked (which medical aspects I mean) and how much I could afford for school.

The thing that fit the bill for all of its as Dental Hygiene - so I went back to school; toughest 2 years of my life BTW - and now that I've switched careers - I couldn't be happier.

I still love animals, and will eventually be doing some volunteering at my local SPCA - but for now I know that the career change was necessary.

For me it was more out of financial necessity - but if I was in your shoes - I would still go back and do what you've been thinking about for years. Emotionally/mentally I think it would be worth it - and I hope it works out for you! Best of luck!!

Also - I've always said that if I ever have to go back - it would be to be an esthetician! So - I wanna hear all about it so I can live vicariously through you!!!!

esstee33 · January 2015

Thanks, guys. I think I've been getting super caught up in the "but what if it doesn't work out or I hate it?" question without realizing that I don't have to forfeit my Bachelor's and career experience. I can do something else if I hate it, like y'all have pointed out.

I keep thinking about the other educational things I've done, too, and I'm having a hard time with that. Like, after I graduated, I wasn't sure what to do because the plan all along was to get my PhD and teach in university, and I decided right before graduation that I didn't want to do that. So I took some courses in paralegal studies to see if I liked law, since I'd considered law school. I didn't like it, and I didn't like that specific school program either, so I left. Then a year or two later, I thought I might like to be a librarian, so I applied to grad school and threw myself headfirst into that, until realizing that all my librarian friends who told me not to were totally right, and I should've listened to them. So I left that program, too. After I left grad school, I sorta promised that I wouldn't go chasing any more educational whims, and here I am again... pretty sure I'm about to do exactly that... but I don't think I'll stop thinking about it if I don't do it.

500days · January 2015

$6k doesn't sound like the worst investment ever for something that you have been interested in for 15 years.

I was in your position a few years ago. I managed a bakery/cafe and I loved doing it, but it was tiring. And I wasn't able to save any money- everything went to paying the bills. I ended up tutoring Spanish (my undergrad degree) to middle and high school students in order to save or have any extra money. Many of the students' parents would ask why I wasn't a teacher, because I was great with their kids and the kids were improving their grades with my help.

I started looking into grad programs for teaching. I found one that I liked, even though it would set me back thooooouuuusands of dollars. I graduated and have been teaching for 3 years now. I LOVE my job. I'll never be a millionaire or make 6 figures, but the time off (paid) and massive benefits have made me feel so more secure. I wouldn't change anything about the path it took to get here. I think you should take the plunge.

theartistformerlyknownas · January 2015

Is there any middle ground you could pursue that wouldn't involve more debt, at least until you're more sure/more established in your new town? At least then it's not quite such a big leap of faith.

But I don't think you should let yourself get further stuck in something that doesn't make you happy. It'll only be harder to leave once you have more work experience and are making more money.

wrigleyville · January 2015

If you can make the finances work, do it.

I gave up a career as a psychiatrist to go back to school. I now work part-time at a community college since it's the only thing that has the flexibility for my class schedule. I make just over minimum wage now. One paycheck is equal to what I made in 2/3 of a day at my old job. It's... shocking... but OMG am I happier. I am seriously so, so, so, so much happier.

It was scary, and I worried about money, and I worried if I was making a stupid decision, but it was honestly the best thing I've ever done for myself. I wish I'd done it years ago.

I had forgotten what it feels like to go to bed and not dread going to work the next day. That feeling is PRICELESS.

Do it.

esstee33 · January 2015

lolo883 said:

Is there any middle ground you could pursue that wouldn't involve more debt, at least until you're more sure/more established in your new town? At least then it's not quite such a big leap of faith. But I don't think you should let yourself get further stuck in something that doesn't make you happy. It'll only be harder to leave once you have more work experience and are making more money.

The only middle ground I can think of is getting a job at Ulta / Sephora / a department store makeup counter, which all typically don't require you to have your esthetician's license. I wouldn't really be able to do any of the skin care / facials, though. I'm going to apply for the one position open here and see what happens. Since it's part-time, I could also do it while I'm taking classes.

That last bolded part is very wise. I sorta feel like if I don't do this now, I'm never going to, and that's depressing.

500days said:

$6k doesn't sound like the worst investment ever for something that you have been interested in for 15 years.

That's a really good point. And I'd still end up with significantly less debt than I was already prepared to take on to complete my M.L.I.S.

wrigleyville said:

If you can make the finances work, do it.

I gave up a career as a psychiatrist to go back to school. I now work part-time at a community college since it's the only thing that has the flexibility for my class schedule. I make just over minimum wage now. One paycheck is equal to what I made in 2/3 of a day at my old job. It's... shocking... but OMG am I happier. I am seriously so, so, so, so much happier.

It was scary, and I worried about money, and I worried if I was making a stupid decision, but it was honestly the best thing I've ever done for myself. I wish I'd done it years ago.

I had forgotten what it feels like to go to bed and not dread going to work the next day. That feeling is PRICELESS.

Do it.

Thank you!! This is FI's attitude about the whole thing entirely. All he wants is for me to be happy and to have a career that I love and am passionate about. He knows how much I hated the last job, and he knows how much I'm dreading any of the jobs I've been applying for. The thought of sitting in a windowless office for the rest of my life is just totally soul-crushing.

wrigleyville · January 2015

That's exactly the attitude H had. He said he'd rather eat ramen and stop taking vacations than see me unhappy for one more day.

charlieyankee03 · January 2015

I'm all for changing careers if you find something you're passionate about. Even if it sets you back in pay a few years, it may be worth it to take the leap.

I got my bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I wanted to be a criminal psychologist, but I lost the passion for it as I neared the end of my senior year. I knew I wanted to stay in the Savannah area for work, so I found a company at a job fair and charmed my way in. It was a position as an account manager for a logistics brokerage company. Instead of interviewing serial killers, I was setting up shipping schedules for clients and hiring truck drivers.

After two years I had started hating my job, so my dad suggested that I look into flight control. I changed career paths for the second time in my twenties and I've finally found what I love and am good at. I'm open to changing careers again if the opportunity arises, but I found a career where I can make six figures and there's plenty of upward mobility. If you find something that makes you happy, go for it!

jenna8984 · January 2015

I happen to really enjoy accounting (which prob sounds crazy) but I did have to find my niche too. In college, they push all accounting majors towards public auditing so I thought that was just the thing to do. Well, I did it for a year and hated every second of it. It was long hours, cutthroat coworkers, hours scanning through other companies' financials looking for errors. I was always like I don't want to be searching your JE's for errors- I want your job making the journal entries. So all my friends stayed in that field and I left and went into private manufacturing accounting and I love it. It may have stunted my career a little in the field, and I'm definitely making less than audit but I don't even care because leaving at 5 everyday is SO worth it to me.

I agree with others, you should give it a shot! One of my friends started doing wedding makeup on the side, then did go to a school like that and got a job doing treatments at Ulta and she hated it. She's back in school for her business degree and working at an insurance company and she's really doing well and climbing there. It was good that she least gave it a shot when she was still young enough to bounce back to a new/old career.

lovegood90 · January 2015

I totally understand the struggle with this! I'm in a field completely unrelated to my degree (also have a degree in English!) and although the pay is good and there's a clear development ladder to climb, sometimes I play the "what if" game too-ie should I have taken my degree and ran with a more creative career even though it's more unstable, etc? I still don't know the answer!

I think if it's been 15 years and you're still thinking about it, if you have the support, and can make a financial plan that will work for you, go for it! Like PPs said, may as well make a shot at it or you'll always be wondering!

porkchops926 · January 2015

I'm totally with the crowd you need to go for it. If you can make the money work while you're going to school then it's a no brainer. Don't think about the earning potential for it now, just concentrate on getting it done and getting your first position. If you've been thinking about it this long you will always regret not trying for it. Plus if you hate what you've been doing and just keep on that track it's a quick way to misery. Because you have to do it. Every. Day.

As far as earning, just concentrate on seeing if it's right for you and if so, developing your talent. Yeah it might not be the highest earning thing in the world, but don't ever discount the many ways to make more money. You can always get experience and open your own business eventually, hell even formulate and sell your own makeup or skincare line. Creating something thats your own in your field is how people really make the big bucks, because you'll earn money whether you're working or not. You could feasibly make more money than you think if you're creative.

hellosweetie1015 · January 2015

DO IT. 1000000000%. If you think it's something you want to do, then don't even wait, especially if your H is down for it.

Your situation is almost exactly my brother's. He started talking about wanting to go to cosmetology school in, like, 10th or 11th grade, but my parents kept telling him he needed to get at least an associate's degree first. So he kept putting it off and slogging through classes he HATED, until finally last year he found the Paul Mitchell school he's in now and convinced my mom that it was the best thing for him. It's an hour each way from his house, and he's not working because it is a full-time unpaid job in and of itself, and he gets up at 6:00 every morning, and he has LITERALLY never been happier. He's had some setbacks - minor medical issues and such - so his graduation has been pushed back a little bit, but he absolutely loves what he's doing. We got off a 10-hour flight plus a 4-hour drive Friday, and he was back at school at 8:00 AM on Saturday - gleefully.

If it will make you happy, and since it's stuck with you longer than a few months, there is absolutely NO reason not to do it if you can.

ETA: RE: your earning potential. Think about it this way. I dunno exactly what an esthetician does that's different from a stylist, but those professions are always in demand. There's always going to be someone able and more than willing to pay someone else to pamper them, and if you're good at it - which I am SURE you will be - you'll always be in demand.

esstee33 · January 2015

I found another school that looks like it's only $4k, even though it would be about an hour drive. I'm not too concerned with the commute since the program would only be a few months.

And I think I've decided to just go for it. FI and I have discussed it a ton, and every doubt I've raised has been met with "Yeah, but X..." He's so awesome and supportive.

Thanks, guys!!

wrigleyville · January 2015

Yay!

NYCMercedes · January 2015

Do it, says this voice of maturity and wisdom. I wasn't happy in my first job in marketing so at 29 went back for my MBA so I could become an accountant and I loved it. I was working for a software firm with accounting products and loved it. They sent me for another masters in IT in my late 30's so I started in that field with accounting software firms in my early fourties and I still love it.

Work is called work because it's work. If it were fun, it would be called fun. It doesn't have to be called horrible, however. You'll work a long time and sacrifice your time with fun and family, so you have to be somewhat happy. Good luck!

novella1186 · January 2015

Ok I can't find a gif of Happy Gilmore singing "Back to school" damnit. But YAY! I'm so excited for you!

ETA: Maybe I couldn't find the gif because it's Billy Madison who sings back to school. Ugh.

larrygaga · January 2015

You only have one life to live and if you have a shot at happiness in your career then take it dammit!

theartistformerlyknownas · January 2015

Yay!

sophhabobopha · January 2015

Do it girl! My mom has an english degree and is now in her second year of law school at fourty with two kids under 10. You can do anything!

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