Q's for those who have switched careers

[Kristie]

Just a few quick questions about how you went about changing your career.

I'm contemplating the same thing...not going to get my PPL or anything like that but i need to get out of engineering. The only thing i like about this job is the $$ and it's essentially the only reason i stay (plus, i am good at design/drafting). My company is slowly going down the tubes, i'm tired of the political crap and i have no longing to look for another job using what i'm doing now.

But anyways, how did you go about implementing your career change? did you hop full bore or slowly move into it? If you were a 9 to 5er, how did you find the time to work on the things that needed to be worked on in order to make the change?

I'm finding that "finding time" is pretty darn hard to do when your working all day and tired at night. any suggestions on how i should go about approaching this?

I obviously won't make the $$ that I am now with the change i want to do, but the other half is a good provider and we can probably change some financing things around till my new career is up and flowing....but it's time for me to chase MY dream as he's now attained his. i've been longing to do this for years now. Now seems like a good time with the company slowly killing itself (with bad management) and my stress level at work. Any advice is welcome!

[desertdog71]

Kristie,

I made sure I had the money to do the retraining along with reserves to pay all the bills for 24 months without making a dime. Then I jumped full bore into it. However I am sure that you can take a slower pace and remain at your current job to ease the transition. Do some training at nights and weekends and make a slow transition to your next career.

You have the advantage of not being the sole provider for the family so it may make things a bit easier. This will involve cutting back on lifestyle and making some tough choices about spending sometimes. All in all though it is much better to not incur new debt while making this sort of transition.

I hope that is semi-helpful at least.

[Seggy]

Well I really have not switched careers, however, in my opinion if you want to follow your dream, go full bore into it.

Life is to short to say what if...

A lot close to me were questioning me about pursuing MY dream. They were more than supportive but they always asked me if it is smart to jump in head first into flying. Looking back at it, jumping head first into pursuing my dream is the best thing I could have done.

In my opinion, go at it full bore at chasing your dream!


BTW, What is your dream?

[ComplexHiAv8r]

If possible, start the business while keeping your present job. Let them pay you the money you wouldn't be making during startup. You also said you had time on your hands at work, so maybe you could double dip??

I worked my job and started my company over 4 months and then quit.

[LoadMasterC141]

Heya Kristie....what is your dream?

As far as changing careers, haha, well I am not all the way there yet, but I did take a year off flying and paid off major debt to be able to afford it.

[PGA07]

I am in the same situation myself! The one thing that I have learned through watching other people and life........................if there is something you want to do.........DO IT!

Each person is in a different situation and the way they go about the change has to be handled on an individual basis. If there is something you want to do................DO IT!

I have seen more than one person work their tail off in a job/career that they do not like, come home unhappy and never recover. While they made good money and were able to support their families................the stress had very negative effects on their health and home life. They were not able to truely enjoy that money.

When you end up doing what you truely enjoy........you look forward to doing it, you put more effort into it, you become more successful than others at it and you become happy with your "entire" life, not just a part of it.

What ever you decide................good luck!

[Beechlover]

Hi Kristie,

I'm not sure what you'd like to move to, but I'm sure you are or have researched what you need to know. I can only speak to my experience so here it goes..,

The first thing that made it possible for me, was to have a supportive spouse and then to be able to do it financially. She is a nurse, and so income for us (although cut by 60%) is still ok for us. The next decision I had to make was actually an easy one. Do I want to "ease" into it or go all the way. For me the answer was go all the way. My rationale, was if flying is what I'm gong to be doing for the rest of my life, and my other concerns are satisfied (read above) then anything else I'm doing will simply take valuable time away from me achieving my ultimate goal of becoming a professional pilot.

Once I made up my mind that I was going to quit my job, to begin my NEW career, the search for a flight school began. My focus was on a school that could give me the greatest opportunity to log as much multi engine flight time I could get as quickly as possible. This all began for us, about a year ago. I did find that school and have just completed my Commercial Multi and Single check rides and am Instrument rated with about 170 total multi engine hrs and 280 total time.

The only thing I couldn't really resolve in tems of comfort level (1 year ago) is what the industry was going to look like. A year ago, hiring minimums were alot higher at the regional level and so I fully expected to have to flight instruct for 2 years. Being 42 at the time would mean that I wouldn't actually enter the profession until after my 45th birthday! Well I got on the internet and found this wonderful site and met (online) other folks my age who had done it , and we're having the time of their life!

Some things were unresolvable or unknowable at the time, so you know how I was able to resolve that.., faith, plain and simple. I left it in "his" hands and said that if it's what I'm meant to do then he'll make it happen you know? So we sold our beautiful house on 5 acres in Oklahoma City, quit both our jobs, and moved to Florida so I could pursue this. Sooo.., one year into this I see many, so many opportunities opening up for us, our mandatory retirement age being kicked up to 65, airlines desparate for pilots. I mean who could have EVER imagined this a year ago! It's just amazing to me, and however this turns out, where ever we end up, I know in my heart we made the right decision. Since we started this journey, we have been blessed in so many ways.

Kristie,

This wonderful web site you and Doug have so graciously provided for guys like me has provided us (my wife and I) with invaluable insight into this profession as well as treasured friendships, and I just want to say thankyou.

So I'd say if you're really convinced that this is what you want, and you can work out the personal/financial stuff...,Take a deep breath, and take a leap of faith, the waters warm and it IS getting hotter! So jump in!!! I wish you the very best of luck!

[fltjunkie]

Kristie
In addition to some of the advice already given,
I'd also recommend taking a personality test (Myers-Briggs or Campbell Interest Study). I'm military, so our Family Support Centers give the tests and provide a counselor who goes over the results. I took both tests and it was eye-opening for me and helped put into words some of my tendencies (for example it might advise you to stay away from sales, or community activism type pursuits and focus on being an education professional) OBTW, my counselor told me the average American has 5-7 careers/jobs in their working lifetime!

I suggest taking a night class or two in an unrelated field to meet people outside of your current career field. And/or using the contacts here on JC to do "informational interviews." Ask the people you meet in class what they do, why they like/dislike their jobs, what type of training is involved, expected income, potential career growth, etc. You may find out that you have a lot of desire to be a lawyer, but after doing the research find out that being a chef, or landscape architect is much more in line with your personality. The added bonus of night classes is that most schools offer career placement offices, and will give the personality tests for free.

In the end, after the self assessment, pick the one you like the best and go for it!

Good luck and cheers

FJ

[Keebler]

My motivatioin: "as if you could kill time without injuring eternity"
...........Henry David Thoreau

[Kristie]

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions!! I really do appreciate it.

My goal is to be a SAHW/BO (stay at home wife/business owner) while working on a few internet businesses i want to start up. maybe work at a doggie day care, dog boarding or be a foster mom to dogs/cats (since we're staying childless). I'm tired of being someone else's peon... i'd rather be the boss AND the peon! haha

i have no doubt that at least one of the businesses would be pretty popular once word gets out, it's just a matter of making the sites, getting out of the job and taking the cut in pay (i get paid over $50K now). the problem is, i've had this idea for almost 2 years, have tried to get the business plan done and think of how to do the coding/site in the past and have not been able to finish (doug's more outside the box thinker than i am)... either (my) family gets in the way or work or something comes along to prevent me from working on it... some of it, i have to admit is my own fault as sometimes i just feel i need to take a break, destress and then i take too long of a break iykwim?!

When i was younger, i thought i'd be a SAHM but i just ended up not going that route. now, i've finally admitted that i'm not going that route and that i no longer want that but i still really want to work on "my things" and enjoy being my own boss for a change. i figure i could always do temp cadd work to supplement when/if needed but i really don't want to be doing what i'm doing for the rest of my career.

plus, the opportunity of being my own boss and having my own inet business would allow me a lot more flexibility to work AND travel with doug when he gets those awesome overseas trips. granted, i like the money i'm making but it sure isn't making me happy..i just deal with it and listen to everyone's negativity on a daily basis (i've become the senior person at the firm who will listen to your rantings/ravings about how bad the company/work is.. it kinda sucks!).

so maybe what i'll do is start taking my paycheck out of the mix once doug's pay goes up and put it in a separate account.. maybe save up say 6 months worth of pay OR i could take out some of my rainy day $$ and use those (altho i really dont want to go that route cuz you never know when a rainy day is gonna come up).

one things for sure, the business plan is almost done, i just gotta figure out marketing and expenditures. how does anyone figure those costs out? i just keep wracking my brain...maybe i should use SBA for info like that cuz i don't have any comparisons with other similar businesses....i just really dunno.

[adreamer]

I thought you and Doug are going to open a flight school...

[Kristie]

that's another opportunity we're talking about but seriously, i don't think he wants me to leave the industry. he likes the additional income (who wouldn't) and he says HE wants to do the same thing I want to do... of which, lately, i have to remind myself that "it's my turn" and he already got what he wanted. i knew by sacrificing what i wanted early on, for his career that someday i would be able to do what i really wanted to do...comeon now, like most that get into the airline biz, it's either one or the other until one goal is acheived...didn't know it would take this long for me to finally be able to actually say "i'm sick of this, it's my turn". now, i wanna do it.. i just don't know how or if i have the actual gumption to go for it. which is probably the real reason doug wants me to stay in my field...it'd be better to stay in and work on the side than not (realistically speaking, that's obvious), it's just not what "I" want to do or find easy to do (altho i suppose i shouldn't complain eh.. some people have it harder, i know).

for some reason, i still have this thing about making sure "man" is happy with his life goal..and i have to remember that i too have a life goal, i just let everything else get in the way (like most women do) like the past year + has been all "my dad", now that that's subsided for the most part, i have *some* time to do this but not enough and it seems like you just don't have enough time to get on a roll and make some progress.

[Swen]

Put your site up as soon as you can with a description of your products/services. Then use a going live countdown.

In the meantime, generate as much flippin' buzz as you can about your site. Google bomb if you have to.

[Kristie]

going live countdown?? how do you go about google bombing?

i see what you mean tho...i'm talking more about figuring the numbers out for the business plan vs just putting it up and *seeing* if it hits or not.

[Swen]

how do you go about google bombing?

Here


It would be sweet.

[Kristie]

awesome!! thanks!

[mr bubbles]

Originally Posted by Kristie

doug wants me to stay in my field

why dont you just get knocked up. then doug would have no choice but to support you in your desire to stay at home. after you use this time to set up your "business," you can let somebody adopt the little rascal since you dont want to have kids.

[Kristie]

well, isn't that just "jerry springer"ish? is that how you go about solving problems.. by creating more (permanent) problems?

why don't i just get "knocked up" and adopt the little sucker out..well, to be blunt, cuz that would just be stupid. i mean honestly, kids are not a means to an end...they're a beginning of something different and having them shouldn't be taken so lightly. there's no guarantee that i'd be able to be a SAHM nor that i'd be able to continue the business after having kids because kids are 24/7 job that require constant attention (for at least the first 5 years)...Do i want to have kids only to "use" them to get my way... hell no! I'm a better person than that.

[Ian J]

When I was trying to decide whether or not to get out of the Army, I solicited my Dad for advice who retired from the Army after 33 years of service. I could stay in my current assignment for another a year before I'm eligible for deployment again, but I really felt the pull to get out. The conversation kind of went like this:

Me: "I'm thinking about getting out in the summer and..."
Dad: "Do it."
Me: "No, wait, you see there are lots of things to think about -"
Dad:"Uh, uh... do it."
Me: "But I could save -"
Dad: "No, just get out."

It took him 33 years to sort of figure out what he really wanted to do in life and he didn't want to see it take so long with me. He said all my planning and saving and thinking wasn't really that important.

"Do you really think you and Kris will be homeless, living in a box, Ian? Or do you think you'd be okay if you got out this summer."

Good point. I dropped my paperwork that day.

______________________________

As for your business ideas, I have watched Kris run her own business since her book came out and have the following observations:

- She is her own worst boss. Seriously, she works ALL the time.
- Networking is key. But heck, you already know that from this site! But its amazing who will help you if you just ask. Kris cold-emailed a lot of famous authors for help/ reviews and nearly all of them wrote back, and many of them offered help.
- Marketing is hard work if you are trying to do it on the cheap. It takes a lot of outside the box thinking to get your product out there. A great thing that worked for Kris is getting free advertising in the form of newspaper articles.
- Working for yourself and doing what you want seems to be rewarding as hell.

Good luck Kristie!

[Swen]

- Marketing is hard work if you are trying to do it on the cheap. It takes a lot of outside the box thinking to get your product out there. A great thing that worked for Kris is getting free advertising in the form of newspaper articles.

That really is an excellent idea. It is essential to play the public relations game for early success in a business.

[meyer336]

After serving nearly 9 years as a police officer and 5 years as an EMT, I decided it was time for me to again pursue my dream of aviation. I began looking at flight schools and started taking part-time flight lessons locally. I
knew I had to continue my education due to the fact I was not getting any younger. The airline industry has a mandatory retirement age of 60. So I began to research several options and decided to enroll at Ohio State University and obtain my degree in Aviation Management.

I resigned from my position as a part-time police officer and am continuing to work full-time on the weekends as an EMT as I am enrolled as a full-time college student. I also am taking flight training on the side part-time.



Financially it has been a burden, but my wife stepped up to the plate and got another part-time job to help make ends meet. If it wasn't for her I don't think I could have started down the path of full filling my dreams. I am not anywhere close to where I want to be, but I am closer then I have ever been.

[Kristie]

I am not anywhere close to where I want to be, but I am closer then I have ever been.

see, stuff like that really does inspire me.. everytime i'm able to get one thing done... i remind myself that i am one step closer...

Thanks!

[sdfcvoh]

Kristie,

I think everyone who switches careers has to have some serious motivations. I've been selling insurance now for almost 13yrs. Before that, army (4yrs), before that pro bicycle racing(4yrs). I got into insurance b/c it was a family business and the $ was attractive. But a desk jockey I am not. (The money is amazing.) But I absolutely DREAD waking up in the morning for work. I recently was married (well - 3 years ago) and I see my work wearing on our relationship b/c I am a constant salty dog. After many, many, conversations about how to get away, I finally had the epiphany that flying, something i've dabbled in for most of my life, was my true calling. So...there was the reason. And my wife is so supportive its mind blowing.

How I'm doing it? Well - lets say I'm going in face first. My wife and I are moving to Tucson so I can train full time, then CFI for another year or so for the hours. We've both left our jobs, and we're going to hold onto a few apartments we own to try to supplement income for a while without having to dive into our retirement savings. She'll take a job teaching in Tucson. I'm still taking a loan to cover training, and I understand that the first many years doing the regional thing will be a painfully small income. I just personally do not care. If we need to dine on ramen, then hey - thats all part of the adventure.

If you are in a job that you don't enjoy. If you feel like your work is sucking the life out of you. If you haven't been able to get flying off your mind since you were 8 years old. Drop everything and find a way to get in the air full time.

On the other hand, if you can keep your current job with out losing your mind, while flying on the side for sanity - then do that. There will never be any sure fire instruction book for a huge career change like that of going into aviation - since I really think it comes from the heart of each individual. A year from now I might post that it all crashed n' burned for me. (i hope not!) But all in all I believe that it comes from the heart.

Life is so incredibly short, don't waste it. Follow your heart. You'll be happier for it when you are having your final thoughts in this world.

[aloft]

KK: the difference I'm sensing between you and the career changers here is PASSION. It's one thing to pursue a passion like many of us are doing here, but you seem only to be running from an unsatisfying job (aren't they all?). You'll track straighter running to something than from something else. [insert NDB homing joke here.]

That doesn't mean you can't pursue employment elsewhere until you figure out what your burning passion is. Look into marketing your services as a consultant. Teach CAD at the local community college. Write a book.

Just my $0.02.

[HeyEng]

Granted, I haven't changed careers YET (15 years in the Air Force) I have many friends who have. Maybe they left the service early, retired, whatever. I would say that a good 90% of them are glad they did it. Money won't make you happy, sure it can help you out in deciding HOW you are going to suffer, but I have met few people who made 100K+ that REALLY loved what they were doing (except for some of the mainline guys and gals out there...). From a practical point of view, I think that you have done an amazing job "hanging in there" for Doug, so now it's his turn. If you have someone who will support you (mentally more that money), you'd be amazed how much easier the transition will be. Well as for the networking, I think you probably have many more connections than you realize...just start jotting down names and you'll be amazed how fast the list grows!