Help Me Change my Career

[Zundfolge1432]

[nsracing]

I can live in a VW bus if I were by myself. I actually had that idea but I got married.

I was going to live the life of a nomad. Just go from place to place and just live off the land sort of stuff. But now you cannot even do that legally. The gov't wants you to be on the grid and be dependent.

I just want my own place some 200 acres and just live off of that. I can raise my livestock and grow a garden, put up a small cabin I am sure I can survive nicely. I would love to do that a whole winter in the woods some time.

Imagine chasing your own dinner.

[scrivyscriv]

A good buddy of mine recently had a major career change at 45ish.. he was married to a woman for something like 18 years or so, had two kids, and his wife owned a rural clinic as a nurse practitioner. He worked at the clinic as a phlebotomist for her. Out of the blue about four years ago she left him for his best friend. ("Best" in air quotes, right?) He then started working at a local hospital as a physical therapist assistant.. basically just making it.

He finally decided to make a change and turn his life around.. a month ago, he dropped a bomb to all of us and said he was starting a new job, as a deck hand on a river boat, going up and down the Mississippi. Pay at least doubled, if not close to tripled, and being on the boat all the time, what bills do you have to worry about?

If you're gonna find someone to get married to, it will happen... I met my wife by finding her myspace page after I googled some song lyrics I heard.
_________________
Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[Dwayne1m]

Plenty of legitimate online dating sites to meet women of all ages, and if you have an old Bug or Bus include a pic of it in your profile picture, it's a good conversation starter.

[vwinnovator]

[vwwestyman]

Hey everybody! Sorry to have skipped out on the thread for a while. I for some reason stopped getting the "topic reply notification" emails.

So first off, I really appreciate the various thoughts and perspectives. Since I checked in last, I have seen lots of additions and thoughts. I'll see if I can address some. That means this post will probably get kind of long as I think of things.

As I said, I'm cool with totally changing my career and with some kind of education and all that but I guess I just need to decide what I would want to do. I think that is half my problem.

Luckily I don't have any debt associated with my worthless degree! ha ha

I suppose that isn't totally fair to say-I would not have had the ability to do the job that up until a year or so ago I enjoyed. In starting out, it just required some kind of Bachelor degree.

As far as my singleness-for the most part I'm cool with it. For example, at around 8:30 Friday evening, I decided I was going to make my Bus my bedroom for the night (referencing the Van Life Sucks guy) and threw a few things in the Bus, loaded up the dog, and headed out to the state park. So I have lots of freedom that I wouldn't otherwise have and that can be nice. I've had married friends tell me they're jealous of the this some times.

But on the flip side, I am kind of jealous of their having someone else around to do life with.

Along with that, even though I'm planning/hoping to take some time off from it, I do feel that doing the foster care thing is important and needed and something I'm at least kind of good at. But being a single parent is ridiculously hard for anyone, and add in the trauma and everything else and it would simply be wonderful to have someone else able to "tag in" from time to time. And as has been said, there is something to be said for the ease created by sharing household chores and costs and all that.

I have been talking to and hanging out some with a girl the past couple months or so who so far is pretty cool. She seems to be understanding of the craziness of the foster world, and doesn't seem off-put by the RV plan. So we'll have to see how that plays out.

That is part of the reason I have mostly limited my job searching to the general area. I do like Manhattan anyway but don't want to move away from what seems like a potential good relationship just yet. If it falls apart, then I will be much more open.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[vwwestyman]

Again, thanks for the thoughts. I have looked into some of them-for example unfortunately there aren't any railroad jobs in Marysville and I'm not qualified for the huge sign-on bonus jobs anyway. But I did go and look at that. (I've looked at some of the others mentioned, that is just one specific example.)

Because I missed a couple weeks' worth of discussion (I figured the thread just died off) I'll go back and look at the other replies since then and look into some of those things.

Please keep throwing things out there and ask other questions.

I almost didn't finish the Van Life Sucks video because at first he sounded pretty depressing. But in reality I think he has pretty good perspective and I'm glad I listened it the rest. (Didn't just watch, I had it playing while looking at other stuff.)
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Dwayne1m]

Everything in life has a price. It all depends on how much you're willing to pay.


Instead of going the foster child route, you could volunteer for things like Big Brother, YMCA, Hope Rescue Mission, etc. You won't be as locked down with those.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

not knowing what your degree will buy you, I checked on the state of CT website....seems there are some good paying social services jobs with the state...starting at 65K and up....

they were looking for a teacher in a correctional facility...90-105K/year.....with hazard pay, you'd be out in 20/22 years with a full pension.

I guess you're in a tough spot....the thing is state, local, or ANY employer WILL pass you over for huge gaps in employment...so take that into consideration if you decide to take a lot of time off.

my wife will see this often....a woman takes time off to raise a family then wants back in the game after 5-10 years....they usually get passed over due to this....they would much rather take a kid out of school than someone that has been too far removed from the workforce.
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[nsracing]

I know this guy and he lives alone. House paid off. Just deals w/ machinetools...buy and sell of sort. I got my first batch of machines from him before I knew where he was getting them. WEll, I have since eliminated the middleman.

He has the nicest machinetools I have seen at his garage and all he does is hobby shop all the day long. He once told me he was married before and the wife ran off w/ his best friend. I supposed the poor sap should be been on the wife more than the Leblond lathe.

It all depends on what you want out of life. No guarantees in life what you get. But YOU are in control of the effort 100%.

My son's last year in college. I look forward to him finishing. I am already shopping for my Harley Davidson -will be a single seater. I miss my lowrider back when I was younger. I will be like a pig in shit when that time comes.

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

Career change.... Yes I feel that pain of anxiety.

I am at that crossroads in life.. where after 30 years of turning wrenches professionally for a living.. it's all I've really "known" as a career .. but ... I don't want to do it anymore.. ..
My auto tech career.. has done its job.... paid for a home, raised a family, put our son through the first 4 years of college.. made life comfortable.. and debt free.. so really can't complain about what it's provided.
I make good money.. at 100% flat rate, (sorta like a percentage of shop rate no salary). Most of us top techs do, especially when we pigeon hole ourselves into one brand.. That can be a two folded problem as it makes you good at one brand.. but you will lack experience in other brands.
There are days.. that go so smooth and are profitable that I would not want to do anything else.. then there are those full moon weeks where I am disappointed when I come to work to find the building still standing and didn't burn down overnight..
You who are in the industry (or similar) know exactly what I mean..
It's even got to the point where I don't want to partake in my home auto hobby now..
I have been spoiled the last 17 years (through 2 franchise owners). Top of the shop heap.. huge newer A/C'd,.. and heated.. well equipped shop.... but new owners who have no idea what the car business is.. are now at the helm.. Needless to say lots of new faces and warm bodies have come and gone... The latest 2 have been co techs of mine for the entire time. Sad..
Makes me really think.. why am I the fool for hanging on..

My last job change I jumped ship before the plank was set in place..... It was sold and its now.. bigger and better than ever.. I am trying to be patient this time. It's hard. When will enough be enough to say adios :fist:

I know what I "think".. I want to do next.. but hell.. frankly it's scary to take that plunge into the abyss of the unknown money. I know money can't buy happiness.. but it sure pays the electric bills.
My wife has a pretty secure job.. so it's not the end of the world if I just call it quits.. But that's not who I am..

I figure I have 20-25 good work years left.. .. and don't want to be miserable doing something that takes up 75% of each day...
I just want to find that next thing that once again sparks my energy and makes me happy.. ..

Life is a series lessons... never stop learning and remember what you learn..




.
_________________
aka Ken {o\!/o}
Its your vehicle- stop askin' for approval-do what YOU like for cryin' out loud
Better to roll em' how you want and wear em' out-than lettin' em' rot out
Its about the going not the showing
Rebuilt to drive not decorate
WANTED: Local Eatin' Joints, Triple D for TheSamba contributions here http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=570510
Search "VOLKSWAGNUT" on YouTube since you cant watch a "certain" BELT change video round here
Usually and often edited

[skills@eurocarsplus]

I'm right there with you....I want out so fucking bad I can taste it. Looking into other things myself. I love what I do...just hate the "trade" and the b/s that comes with it....
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[TDCTDI]

[Zundfolge1432]

So if a young person was considering a career as mechanic would you encourage them to pursue this field of work? I knew a woman that had been a mechanic for about 20 years got tired of it and went back to school to become an RN.

[KTPhil]

Ok, time for a little humor.....

Poster seen at a workplace:

Want to make a change?
Want to meet new people?
Want your freedom?
Want new challenges?
Just fuck up one more time and your wishes will all come true!

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[vwwestyman]

Skills-

Are the conversions you do what you would consider part of your overall business? (You're independent now, right?) Or is that kind of side jobs for you? Maybe you could change directions and go that way?

I was considering all this this morning while lifting. (Bench and setup are in my garage.) I had the door open and was looking at the green bus between sets.

I know the '78 conversion project had lots of starts and stops and blow ups, but I think I've figured it out now. I always regarded that project as an experimental thing and learning platform. So I was thinking, maybe I could do it again in the green bus and make it look pretty this time and maybe people would pay me to do it, too...
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[cdennisg]

I have been considering a career change, too. Been doing construction for 25-ish years, and it's starting to hurt. Not sure what's next for me, but I need to finish my own home addition this summer before I stop this shit.

Also, it saddens me to see so many folks recommend a gov't job. Not that the job is bad or unnecessary, just that something is wrong when the best pay and benefits are with institutions that only take, they don't generally create.
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nothing

[ach60]

There comes a time in life where we have to decide “what am I going to do when I grow up”, but that time is limited.
You don’t want to be changing careers in your 40’s unless you win the lottery.
You have nine years in at the place you work now, so you started there when you were 27.
My bet is you worked someplace before that doing something similar.
You have learned the job(career), and worked with the kids, so I don’t honestly think the job(career) is the problem.
I think you have simply out grown your current place of employment, and you need to find another place to work, so that you can continue to develop your career.
I looked up Manhattan, Kansas and to my surprise it’s a city with a population of 53,000. My view is you should be looking for another position.
With a foster child in the house, it wasn’t like you could have just quit when the Executive Director made her changes, but action does need to be taken.
You got screwed over, and you should using nine years of experience, your fostering skills, and the contacts you have made working and being a foster parent to find a new job that will continue to develop your career.
While you are doing this, and before you get another foster child, you may want to see what kind of classes K-State has that would further your mastery of your career.
May be look into Life Span Human Development at K-State, or something similar like Public Health, or Social Work.
A lot of people work Jobs, a few percentage of us have careers, and even smaller percentage of us get to do what we love to do.
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Good Luck
Al

[vwwestyman]

Wow, that was a very thoughtful post. (Not that others weren't!)

Just the fact that you bothered to look up Manhattan and K-State and mentioned at least one program I hadn't heard of.

My friend just quit his director position (so he was just below the person who screwed me over) at the same organization to open his own private practice as a therapist. He told me he was so upset at that decision that it was a big part of what started him looking at going into private practice.

Several years ago I had considered going back to school to eventually get licensed but after not getting accepted at one college dismissed the idea thinking 1) it wasn't going to net me that much of an increase in pay and 2) I'd be stuck in an office bored all day.

But after seeing his excitement at opening his own place and hearing about the actual income potential, it is all becoming much more appealing. I think I will look into this more again.

Prior to coming to the current organization (which could be figured out with just a little more googling, I bet! go for it!) after college I worked as a school bus driver, attempted real estate for a while, and worked at a brewery. Along with delivering pizza on and off for a while. It was after being laid off at the brewery that my friend told me to apply.

I applied for a position at K-State the other day and got an email that they would be making calls to schedule interviews with candidates they were interested in in the next day or two. So we shall see.

In the mean time, I'll put in a shameless plug for the blog that my good friend at work and I have started on being dads of foster kids. He and his wife are 25ish, and very very close to finalizing on adoption of a 14 year old boy from foster care. (All that is left is going before the judge to finalize it.) I've gotten a few very gratifying messages of how my most recent post was helpful for people in similar situations which is awesome. Maybe one day it'll become an income-producing venture. But for now it is great knowing I've helped out a couple people.

thefosterdads.com
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing