Career Indigestion (Long)
At 30 years old, one year into a new industry, I've realized certain things happening to me that have never happened before. Along with my post heading, I've come to know what heartburn is. Gone are the days of falling asleep whenever/wherever and now are the days of eyes wide open until 1 am, mind racing. I have all of the sudden become aware that life doesn't go on forever, and you only get one shot at it. And you know what? It's got me scared stupid. You see, only until now have I acknowledged places deep inside myself of talents and desires that I have long deemed "unworthy" or "far fetched" growing up. I was the kid who muffed his way through piano lessons, who hated reading music, but could wow anyone by hearing a song once and being able to play it on piano. I had a sense of humor that by 10 years old could watch movies like Airplane! or Blazing Saddles and "get it". I watched and studied the physics of Indycar and Nascar and motorcycle racing like the New Testament of the Bible, memorized every airplane to fly in World War II and this history surrounding them. And to this day I can rattle off automobile statistics and features like two investment bankers hashing out stock trends over late night Chinese food. Judging by that last sentence, it seems I've mastered the run-on sentence. Somewhere along the way I concluded these things I enjoyed (creating, entertaining, writing, etc.) weren't part of the "real world" and aligned myself with wanting a business degree, an impressive job title, and a ton of money. I grew up admiring my cousin, who is passionate about business, and he mentioned I would be great at Marketing. Since this was around the 10th grade I had no idea what it was, but it sounded like a perfectly respectable "business like" degree and it engrained itself into my DNA....and has haunted me ever since. Although still passive interests, I kept pressing for things that, in my heart, I didn't really want. And it showed up in my grades and choices in life up to this point. I took jobs because I thought they were the "right thing", and never once allowed myself to go after my interests. I've racked up achievements, and have developed skills that have served me fairly well, but no matter what I do I have been unable (or passively unwilling) to define a career goal that would push me to places I've never gone before. I attempted to do so by leaving my job of four years because I didn't want to be in the same industry as my father, mother and older brother. I wanted to strike out on my own and take a risk and walked away from a nice promotion because it would have been the safe decision (like all of my decisions up to that point.) Now? I'm 30 years old. I make decent money but hate what I do. I make outbound sales calls to "warm leads" in the mortgage industry which in the public eye is the equivalent of being a used car salesman. I can hear it in my clients voices when they first pick up the phone. I love helping people, diagnosing issues, and proposing solutions. I crave the challenge of making high-pressure calculated decisions. I almost instinctively take charge of chaos and can delegate to my peers to find resolve. My personality and genuine appeal make me an absolute asset to anyone, and I'm always able to utilize those talents simultaneously knowing the image and perception I'm projecting best represents the company. I'm motivated by a job well done and a "thank you". I can point out and help correct a peers mistakes and instruct them to a resolve in techniques that I'm nowhere near mastering. I keep hoping these will serve me to at least make enough of a living to enjoy my interests listed above, but, to this point I feel they still lie dorment. In order to get my fix, I scour Careerbuilder and others in hopes of finding that one solution. Yet, I still find myself in my old habits looking at the company who's posting thinking "I wonder how that would look on my resume" or "that would be impressive to someone..... I was trying to impress". And as of this posting, I'm at an impasse. I'm professionally unfullfilled and due to recent fallout in my industry, on my last dime. Ask that 10 year old kid where he would be by age 30, and I'd bet my soul that he wouldn't say "working in a call center environment holding on to that February commission check". I know its not too late. I'm not married, don't have any kids and, ironically, still rent. I'm fit, I'm healthy, and still allow myself to laugh at life. However, I can't go back and take that entry-level fresh out of college $24,000.00/yr job either. So my question is this: How do I take what I know now, apply my job skills and talents, and find something that rewards me this way? I don't even know how to define who I am professionally! What do I have to do to gain the courage to believe I can get out of this rut? Is this the million dollar career question?? If so, can I borrow a million dollars? Sincerely, Fletch F. Fletch P.S. Even if nobody responds, it feels great just to VENT! :) Fletch, I wish I could offer some profound words of wisdom but they elude me. Mostly, I want to acknowledge your well written "vent". Secondly, I want to share a similar story bullet-point style. I am 53 and have a near 30 year career as a successful salesperson behind me, but in 9th grade I knew I could, should and would one day be a writer. I have a true passion for the written word. I write daily but I have no professional writing experience. After a three year sabbatical for family reasons I am attempting to re-enter the workplace in a position having anything to do with writing - right down to proofreading! I will gladly take the $24K starting salary simply not to return to sales - if it would mean working with words daily. Over the years, each time I got serious about a college education and got started, the It's Always Something syndrome struck. I found myself reprioritizing and saying "I don't have time for this now." Do we think I'll be able to convince a prospective employer my inherent ability to structure a perfect sentence supercedes the college degree requirement? Don't continue doing something you hate for another 20 years. Make the dollar sacrifice now while you're single and not sweating how to make the mortgage payment. Do what you need to do now to set yourself up doing something you love. You have a lot of years left to work. Best of luck to you! Take yourself to a career counselor. They can do testing with you to determine where your experience, skills, abilities and interests lie and what jobs those line up with. They can suggest a number of related careers you may not have considered. You can find one at the local community college or get out your yellowpages. You're only 30. You've got 35 more years of work to go. You should be a bit happier doing it. You're footloose and fancy free, take advantage of that while you can!
Tess If you really are on your last dime, go to the library and check out the latest edition of "What Color Is Your Parachute?" and do the tests in them. If that doesn't help you figure out who you are and what you're supposed to do in life, nothing will. You're doing one thing right: you realized comparatively early that you got on the wrong boat. There are people who don't realize that until they're too old, have a family to support, and house payments to make. I discovered my writing gift in 5th grade, and if I'd gotten support in actually getting published, I'd be making more money than J.K. Rowling and Stephen King combined--maybe. As it is now, I live with my mom, and I'm 51. Pitiful, huh? Find a writer's group in your area and go to the meetings. If the local community college offers writing classes, take them. Find your voice, your niche, and polish it. Writer's Market offers writing courses, but they're a bit pricey. Go to your local library, bookstore or well-stocked magazine rack and read/buy the writer's magazines--Writer's Digest, The Writer, etc.. Enter writing contests, but becareful of scams. Here are some sites that can help: Preditors and Editors--http//anotherealm.com/preditors/pubwarn.htm Writers Beware--http://www.sfwa.org/beware/ Writer's Weekly--Whispers and Warnings (sorry-forgot to get the site address--Google it) Hope these help. Fletch, I feel your pain. My love is for history. I let people tell me there was no money in that, no career no future. Now, I am 35 and have been working for 12 years as an Automotive Technician. I hate it, I feel you when you say people don't respect what you do. My job is NOT EASY. Especially in these days of computer controlled everything on vehicles.Yet, to nearly everyone I am just the dumb grease-monkey. I took this job because I had met a girl, who would be my future wife, and wanted to move out and live my own life. Someone told me, hey you'd make good money doing this..yeah. It is true I make a decent living but, I too know not sleeping and heartburn. Now, I am in school now. ot for history but, rather for Engineering. It is something I can do and would like a good deal. It is not history but it will challenge me and make me think which is what I crave in a job. My issue now is that I am having a hard time breaking into the field. I am 35 and to most employers my current job is not relevent experience though I disagree. I have no advice for you really other than do what you love, we only get one life. Make the most of it.
Andrew M. Maxey
Fletch, I want to thank-you for sharing this with the Board. I think your longish post put into words what a lot of readers of this Board are experiencing and feeling, but with more explained. Venting is important. And having other people learn and validate how they are feeling is also valuable. So, thank-you. I agree with the previously posted advice, but want to add some other thoughts: 1. I sense that you have a dynamic personality and can sell. If that's true (and I suppose even if it isn't), make talking to people, and meeting new people, and going after decision makers and referers in companies your number one priority. By all means, apply to jobs online, but that Apply Now button has a way of convincing you that you are doing everything you need to to get that next job. And that isn't true. As a changer, your 1-1 efforts will be more rewarded because you are able to sell yourself within context. The recruiters and hiring folks using Monster et al, due to volume of applications, tend to be quite linear in how they scan applications. Out of the box means too much work for them to figure it out. 2. Related to above, start a target list of organizations that appeal to you. Companies where you think you'd like to work. If you have one name of a company, expand the list of like companies. Think about environments that fit. Pace. Size. Broad roles vs. highly defined ones. Smaller companies, where you might have some more scope, and be a more interesting candidate due to breadth of experience, vs. being a specialist. 3. Can you use that sales ability to get into another organization where you can a) feel better about what you do / sell / market, and b) use it as a stepping stone into the next thing. Remember, people who can produce revenue are valued in any market. That might be your ticket, at least for the short term. 4. I posted a Distinction about Perfect vs. Next Step. If you didn't read it, you can find it at http://monster.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=changecareers&tid=384 and then reference this idea with your research. Monster is a great tool for research. What kinds of companies are out there? What kinds of jobs? Start cutting and pasting. Not for perfect. But for interesting elements, or ingredients. With the following in mind... - I'd like to do that and would be successful at that - I have direct or transferable experience that applies - I think I could sell it 5. If you are someone who has a track record of making things happen. Hitting performance expectations, etc., then that is very marketable. In particular in your earlier years, and in particular by more entrepreneurial hiring decision makers. In essence, they like to hire people they can train, but who have energy, potential, and drive. I could go on Fletch. Hopefully this helps. Big message: Look towards making a move that gets you closer / better than where you've been. A move that opens new doors for you. If the perfect thing is out there, it might jump out at you, but take a bit of pressure off of yourself. Keep us updated. Ian Christie Career Changers Coach | |
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