Anyone here have a career change later in life?

[Pdubs76]

If so why? Also, how did you motivate to make the leap after becoming complacent in your first career?

[rllink]

Yes. I was able to retire at age 56 from my career. My wife is ten years younger and was a part owner and VP of an online learning software company and was a workaholic. When I retired I didn't want to sit around waiting for her to come home every day so I went out and got a "retirement job." In fact, three of them over the course of six years. And honestly, I wasted six years of my life doing that.

Then at that point my wife sold her company and landed a job as a wine consultant for a Napa winery and started working from home. So I decided at that point to quit working at all. But then I got to writing magazine articles and short stories as something to do at home and eventually wrote a novel. Then another and another. Now that has become my job. I put in a lot of time at it. I have a very nice office/work area in my house with a nice view. When I'm not writing I'm working with editors, graphic artists, promoting and marketing. And I like it. But no bones about it, it is a job. I'm seventy, and I'm still working. But I'm working for myself and on my own terms, so sometimes I can convince myself that I'm not really working.

[Pdubs76]

Originally Posted by rllink

Yes. I was able to retire at age 56 from my career. My wife is ten years younger and was a part owner and VP of an online learning software company and was a workaholic. When I retired I didn't want to sit around waiting for her to come home every day so I went out and got a "retirement job." In fact, three of them over the course of six years. And honestly, I wasted six years of my life doing that.

Then at that point my wife sold her company and landed a job as a wine consultant for a Napa winery and started working from home. So I decided at that point to quit working at all. But then I got to writing magazine articles and short stories as something to do at home and eventually wrote a novel. Then another and another. Now that has become my job. I put in a lot of time at it. I have a very nice office/work area in my house with a nice view. When I'm not writing I'm working with editors, graphic artists, promoting and marketing. And I like it. But no bones about it, it is a job. I'm seventy, and I'm still working. But I'm working for myself and on my own terms, so sometimes I can convince myself that I'm not really working.

Wow! It sounds like things really worked out great for you. Must be rewarding to make a living doing something that you love. You are truly blessed sir!

[catndahats]

My career change was more mid life--I was 40'ish.
Spent the first half of my career (started with the company in my early teens part time) in a small family held corporate setting...worked up to VP.

After, my first child was born, I found myself getting less and less excited with my career...making lots of money, but the rewards just weren't there for my soul.

Went back to school, added a teaching certificate, and shortly sold out my business interests and became an elementary teacher. Next to being a parent, it was the best thing I have ever done.

After adjusting to the financial aspect of teaching, I never missed my old life--except sometimes on payday.

Retired 3yrs ago, and am living happily ever after.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

Wow! It sounds like things really worked out great for you. Must be rewarding to make a living doing something that you love. You are truly blessed sir!

Thank you. I am blessed and thankful to be able to do this at my age. I try not to think of it as making a living though. We worked very hard to plan it so we wouldn't be still making a living at our age. And truth be known, it is probably a good thing that I'm not trying to make a living at it. I'm not one of those novelists getting rich up on the hill. Let's say that it is a nice enough retirement income.

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Hi Pdubs,

I'm not sure if I qualify for "later in life" (I'm 55), but I just started a new career. I had been a practicing physical therapist for 30 years. My career change was forced on me by an injury. I just can't do it physically any longer, and now walk with a cane. So I started this small guitar business a few months ago, online only at this point, with the goal of opening a brick and mortar store later this year (assuming we get our pandemic under control). I don't expect or even want a huge business, just something that I enjoy that can be self sustaining for the next 10 years or more. My motivation: too young and too bored to do nothing. So why not try something that I love (guitars of course, like all of us here)!

[KevWind]

My life was filed with career changes

[Mbroady]

I would not exactly call it a carrier change but 3.5 years ago I went from being a full time Chef to a Stay-At-Home dad. The pay sucks but the benefits are excellent. The plan was do this until Pre-School. Now just waiting for Covid to subside enough for life to return back to some semblance of normal.

[Bob Womack]

My father was an environmental engineer who in his fifties worked for a small company that designed and built bespoke sampling and analysis systems that were bought by government agencies. One day the company owner got a request for a machine that could sample and analyze to a certain specification a group of pollutants in the atmosphere. My father looked at the spec and told his boss, "We can't achieve that level of precision yet." The boss said, "Tell them you can anyway." My father was an extremely honest man and knew he couldn't do that. So, he took a day off and went hunting for a new job. Somehow the boss figured out he was looking for a job. When he returned, his boss asked, "Have you been looking for a job?" My honest father said, "Well, yes." The boss said, "I think you should do it full time. Empty your desk." And that was it. At 56 my father was out of a job and not an attractive prospect in an ageist society.

He spent six months looking, fruitlessly. A surgeon friend in their church invited my father and mother over for dinner. After dinner he pulled out a huge check and said, "We heard you had a rough go of it but we'd like for you to stay in town if you can. Here's some money to help you look for a job." My dad took it home and stuck it under a rug in his house.

A short while later he went on a cold call to a university in the area and was interviewed by a personnel guy. After he left he office the personnel guy called up a department head of the enviromental division of the university and said, "A guy just cold called my office. I looked at his resume' and interviewed him and.. you need this guy. Do whatever it takes - we can find the funding."

My father was called in for the department interview and given the job. On his first day on the job he was taken into one of the labs and show a "wonderful new analysis machine they'd bought from a company that went out of business." They had everything except a manual for it and it was going to be his job to figure out the machine and write the manual. My dad smiled and said, "There already is a manual for that machine and it is up here (pointing at his head)." That was the last machine he had built at the company before he was let go. They had bought the machine and hired the designer and builder without any knowledge that the two were related.

My father went on to this second career building environmental systems, traveling all over the world, and conduction environmental research as a representative of the U.S. Government while working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He tried to retire at 70 but had all the work he wanted until he was 75 years old, when he became a consultant. It was the best career job of his entire life.

And the check? He invited the doctor and his wife out for dinner, after which he was able to present the their check back to them, with thanks from the bottom of his heart.

Bob

[lfoo6952]

Bob: That's a wonderful story.

[RP]

I was tired of being a Special Education teacher after about ten years. My true love was in the outdoors, and I tried to figure out a way to make a commensurate living doing outdoorsy stuff. I was co-founder of a large bicycle touring company and began writing an outdoor column for the local paper. I then went on to write three Virginia outdoor guides https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Porter/...4279602&sr=1-1 as well as some freelance stuff all the while still working as a teacher. Personal issues arose, and I just ran out of gas. I stuck it out teaching until getting to thirty years, and I retired. For financial reasons I'm glad that I didn't walk away from my day job...

[Pdubs76]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

My father was an environmental engineer who in his fifties worked for a small company that designed and built bespoke sampling and analysis systems that were bought by government agencies. One day the company owner got a request for a machine that could sample and analyze to a certain specification a group of pollutants in the atmosphere. My father looked at the spec and told his boss, "We can't achieve that level of precision yet." The boss said, "Tell them you can anyway." My father was an extremely honest man and knew he couldn't do that. So, he took a day off and went hunting for a new job. Somehow the boss figured out he was looking for a job. When he returned, his boss asked, "Have you been looking for a job?" My honest father said, "Well, yes." The boss said, "I think you should do it full time. Empty your desk." And that was it. At 56 my father was out of a job and not an attractive prospect in an ageist society.

He spent six months looking, fruitlessly. A surgeon friend in their church invited my father and mother over for dinner. After dinner he pulled out a huge check and said, "We heard you had a rough go of it but we'd like for you to stay in town if you can. Here's some money to help you look for a job." My dad took it home and stuck it under a rug in his house.

A short while later he went on a cold call to a university in the area and was interviewed by a personnel guy. After he left he office the personnel guy called up a department head of the enviromental division of the university and said, "A guy just cold called my office. I looked at his resume' and interviewed him and.. you need this guy. Do whatever it takes - we can find the funding."

My father was called in for the department interview and given the job. On his first day on the job he was taken into one of the labs and show a "wonderful new analysis machine they'd bought from a company that went out of business." They had everything except a manual for it and it was going to be his job to figure out the machine and write the manual. My dad smiled and said, "There already is a manual for that machine and it is up here (pointing at his head)." That was the last machine he had built at the company before he was let go. They had bought the machine and hired the designer and builder without any knowledge that the two were related.

My father went on to this second career building environmental systems, traveling all over the world, and conduction environmental research as a representative of the U.S. Government while working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He tried to retire at 70 but had all the work he wanted until he was 75 years old, when he became a consultant. It was the best career job of his entire life.

And the check? He invited the doctor and his wife out for dinner, after which he was able to present the their check back to them, with thanks from the bottom of his heart.

Bob

Love hearing stories like this!

[Pdubs76]

Originally Posted by Organic Sounds Select Guitars

Hi Pdubs,

I'm not sure if I qualify for "later in life" (I'm 55), but I just started a new career. I had been a practicing physical therapist for 30 years. My career change was forced on me by an injury. I just can't do it physically any longer, and now walk with a cane. So I started this small guitar business a few months ago, online only at this point, with the goal of opening a brick and mortar store later this year (assuming we get our pandemic under control). I don't expect or even want a huge business, just something that I enjoy that can be self sustaining for the next 10 years or more. My motivation: too young and too bored to do nothing. So why not try something that I love (guitars of course, like all of us here)!

I’m sort of in the same boat. Have to search for a less physically demanding job do to joint problems.

[rmp]

funny you bring this up!!

I work in an IT org for a location technology provider, (wont name names, but you could have our software on your phone to find directions on where you're heading)..

The IT dept is being outsourced to a company in India, there's bout 100 of us in the same life raft right now.

We can take a severance (1/2 years pay for me), or take the offer from the company in India, hmm,, how long will working THERE last? haha! yea.. fahgetaboudit..

so it looks like I'm about to embark on a job search... I'll be 64 in like 6 weeks

I swear, if I hear one millennial ask me where I see myself in 5 years in an interview, I'm probably gonna vomit all over them..

the good news is, we have no mortgage and with some manageable debt, but the ability to kill it.. Maybe there's a future for me at a home depot?

"Garden tools you say? that would be Isle 2"

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by rmp

funny you bring this up!!

I work in an IT org for a location technology provider, (wont name names, but you could have our software on your phone to find directions on where you're heading)..

The IT dept is being outsourced to a company in India, there's bout 100 of us in the same life raft right now.

We can take a severance (1/2 years pay for me), or take the offer from the company in India, hmm,, how long will working THERE last? haha! yea.. fahgetaboudit..

so it looks like I'm about to embark on a job search... I'll be 64 in like 6 weeks

I swear, if I hear one millennial ask me where I see myself in 5 years in an interview, I'm probably gonna vomit all over them..

the good news is, we have no mortgage and with some manageable debt, but the ability to kill it.. Maybe there's a future for me at a home depot?

"Garden tools you say? that would be Isle 2"

Sad news to lose a job to outsourcing. I imagine it's very difficult to get a job in IT at the age of 64. Best of luck in your search.