Changing careers

[Suzanne & Jack]

Just wondering what types of careers are represented here. Now that I'm unemployed I'm trying to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. Curious what others do or did for a living and why?

[Lynda Kamrath]

I'm a retired teacher and loved teaching when I was doing that.  After I retired, I did substitute teaching for several years and still substitute once in a while.  However, I discovered that I really love gardening and have been gardening at home and at a school setting in Monterey with students from all over the county.  Many of them are home schooled students and also have a love of gardening.  This year, I am going to do an after-school gardening project at one of the schools where I taught in the past.  The school was all set up for gardening (garden boxes for any teacher that wanted one by his/her classroom) but they had all gone to weeds.  We cleaned out all the boxes on the last day of school last year and will start replanting and caring for the boxes this year.  The students learn not to waste seeds, water, or soil.  They enjoy planning, planting, harvesting, and eating the vegetables.  We have a few fruit trees (producing) and some flower gardens also.  I am really looking forward to doing this again.  Find your passion and go with it.

[Hua]

I'm a chartered accountant working for a public accounting firm.  I work like maybe 30 hours a week in the summer, but it gets busy in the spring (tax season. lol) where I have to put in about 50 hours a week for about a month.    When I was articling with one of the big four accounting firms I was working on average 60-70 hours a week and had no life.  Now that I had my designation and switched to a smaller firm, my schedule is much more flexible hence the new addition in my life this summer. :-)  I got my degree in engineering but couldn't find any work after I graduated.  I worked part time jobs here and there for about 2 years and then just said screw this I'm changing career path.  It's worked out well for me.  It was hard starting out because I had to go back to school while working full time, then it was 3 years of articling (where they work you like a dog and pay you crap) on top of the studying, and then this horrifying 3 day exams (called the UFE that you can only take 3 times in your life and took the whole summer to study and prepare for).  But it's all worth it in the end, I got an awesome career doing what I like and good at it, very good pay, lots of room to move up, or other opportunites (like go into industry, especially since I have oil and gas experience and lives in Calgary.)  I think everything happens for a reason and no matter how grim things look now it'll eventually work out.  I don't know the circumstances of your unemployment but it could very well be a blessing in disguise.  Good luck with everything!

[Suzanne & Jack]

Thanks, I am looking at it as an opportunity. I've been in retail for over 20 years. Some good, some bad. Ready of change

[Jennifer and Jack]

 I used to be an early childhood educator and director then I switched careers and became an RN, I did Emergency and Trauma most of my (short) Nursing career and then I switched and worked in the Cath Lab for a few years. I am on disability right now and have been for a few years.

I can't stand not working, with the way my health is going I for sure won't be returning to work and it is hard. Oddly enough I have been debating writing a post of what stay at home doggies moms do to keep themselves busy. I am single, unable to drive right now or get out too much and I am bored.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Most of my career I was an Executive Assistant at the Corporate President or Military General Officer level.  I also did office management, Air Force Protocol,  and a lot of event planning.  The event planning was my favorite part of my job.  I retired at 50 and that is when I got the girls and got involved with Pet Therapy.  That is the passion I've been looking for my whole life.  The pay stinks (zero) but the rewards are priceless!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I really love hearing what others careers are. Good post. I am a Registered Nurse, have been for 21 years. My passion was Labor and Delivery and it eventually evolved into my other passion that goes way back into my personal life, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I have the perfect job for me and love playing with babies and helping empower new mommies everyday. I actually did not get my Nursing degree until age 40 and it was the absolute best decision of my life. It has afforded me experiences few people will ever see or do in their lifetime and it speaks to a spiritual, emotional, humanitarian and intellectual side of most every nurse I know. It is a profession you can have your whole life, and take with you anywhere and work in just about any field of medicine you choose.
As you can see, I recommend it!!

[BG and Gavin]

I was a child and family counsellor and supervisor at a residential treatment centre for troubled adolescent girls. After 24 years funding went away and I was offered a position doing in home treatment for child welfare cases. I did it for three months and decided it was not my cup of tea so I took the plunge and set out on my own. I snagged two part time positions at our community college, one teaching in the social service worker program and another as a learning specialist in an integration program for students with moderate to severe learning disabilities. I love both, work 24 to 30 hours per week and have four months off in the summmer. I volunteer doing therapy work with Gavin and often bring him to the college to be with my students. One of the best risks I ever took.

[Alesha Oppatt]

I have been a stay at home mom for years and have just gone back to work as a REALTOR. I love it and I can work from home to be with my kids and dogs. It was scary but working for Keller Williams is terrific and they give so much training. The market is great here in Greenville. PM me if you want some more info.

[Julie and Charlie]

I'm an underwriter for a large not-for-profit health insurance company. I use algebra every day, evaluate risk, solve problems, take part in contract negotiations and provisions, and work on training, policies, and best practices. Almost no one intends to end up as an underwriter-- I have the job because I had math skills (more than algebra!) and could talk to customers and be reasonably clear.  It was my first job out of college, and it's getting harder to leave- I do a variety of things, and have the ability to choose my own projects and assignments.

It pays the bills and has enough location flexibility that I was able to spend the first 6 months with Charlie working at home half of the day, and in the office the other half. I work about 50-60 hours per week March through July or August, but the rest of the year is much more manageable at 35 or 40- it all evens out, I think.

[Adina P]

Registered Dietitian for over 10 years.  Worked at a small hospital as the 'Everything But Food Service Dietitian' for the majority of those 10+ years: outpatient nutrition counseling, inpatient diet teachings, inpatient nutritional evaluations, helped in deciding on TPN and Tube Feeding decisions (formulas, etc), was a liason between patient issues and kitchen staff, did cooking/health classes for the community, diabetes classes, etc.  But for the past 2 years I've worked in a small clinic and do only outpatient nutrition counseling and my favorite part is working with parents of kids and helping them fix feeding problems. I'd do ALL peds/family centered nutrition if I had a choice.

[Bridget and Lupin]

Cool post idea!  I'm a landscape architect.  After my son was born 4 years ago I realized I was really supposed to be a midwife, so I'm going back to school to become a nurse-midwife at age 40.  In addition to being a student I'm also a birth doula and also a bereavement doula.  I hope more people post bc I love hearing about what people are passionate about (in addition to their pups!).