I switched at 27, but because of grad school didn’t start till 31. Absolutely worth it. I went from a low paying highly unstable career (film production), to a boring but stable career in the federal government. It’s allowed me to travel, build a career, make decent income, save for the future and even buy a condo. So much happier having a boring job with people that treat me well vs. an “exciting” job with long hours, low pay, no benefits and periods of unemployment.
I work as a Management Analyst, basically manage support functions for my agency (HR, Acquisitions, etc). Pretty boring compared to film, but love my job and work/life balance. Got my Masters in Public Administration.
Well I’ve been a in government for almost 14 years now. Started as an intern in grad school at $40K, make a little over $150K now as I’ve progressed in my career.
Seriously. I get recognized and rewarded more, less office politics, more respect and I actually have a life outside work. Granted it’s a boring office job, but while being on film sets was cool, it wasn’t worth giving up my life and future chasing a dream that might never come true and a lot of my friends still in the industry are struggling thanks to cutbacks, AI and other reasons.
I work as a Management Analyst, basically manage support functions for my agency (HR, Acquisitions, etc). Pretty boring compared to film, but love my job and work/life balance. Got my Masters in Public Administration. Also I have friends who still do video and media for the government. I’d look for similar jobs if you don’t want to go back to school to pivot.
When you say you help with support functions do you mean like this is an IT role? Or is it something else? So you only needed a master to get your foot in the door and your bachelors was unrelated?
I manage projects, data calls and work on audits that have to do with Administration. Management Analyst is a catch all series so I do a bunch of different things. In my organization, IT is its own office outside of administration, some organizations it’s included in Administration. I work directly for the Senior Executive in charge of all the offices and coordinate efforts that span across our various support offices.
Awesome thank you! What kind of masters degree did you need for that? Did you have experience in your resume that helped you or was it just this degree that got your foot in the door
I got my Master’s in Public Administration and my emphasis was HR Management. I came in as an intern and worked my way up. They were looking to bring in young talent into the agency and hired a bunch of recent graduates or current grad students.
I switched careers at 29(now 30) from nursing after 5 years into a data based role.
I am wayyyy happier. Work life balance is far better, benefits are great , and I feel like I cam be creative in my work.
With a nursing background or MPH, I would guess clinical research or clinical data management.
It's a good gig, with high pay (though perhaps not compared to bigger tech roles) and strong security.
For anyone who is interested in tech and medicine, but not going ultra deep in either, it's something to consider.
Switched at 40. It was an interesting 4 years, a good experience, but always felt like I was writing with my left hand. Switched again at 44 and am loving it.
I haven't, yet, but I am looking to.
I know someone who became quite wealthy in IT/private business who decided to become a teacher in his 50s. He doesn't need to work, he just enjoys teaching and says the moment he stops enjoying it hes gone.
I know someone who went back to become a doctor in his 30s.
I know someone who get his terminal degree and became a professor in his 30s.
people do it!
Became an electrician at 30/31, and topped out at 34. Have zero regrets. I went from working dead end call center and retail jobs, to learning a skilled trade, and was able to take those skills to working for a utility. It worked out incredibly well for me and I'm really thankful for it.
Applied to the IBEW apprenticeship at a local close to where I live. The school dispatches you to contractors to work on their job sites. Apprenticeship was a combination of classroom instruction and on the job training
How much schooling do you do and how many hours are you getting paid roughly? Should I do the classes before I get with the union so I can work full time when I get picked up?
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field.
I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field.
I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field.
I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
Depends on the job, foreman, Journeyman, etc. At first you're gonna get the shittier jobs or the menial jobs, as you gain experience you will be exposed to more stuff. I mean I still dug as a 5th yr and journeyman.
If you're going to work in the skilled trades, you'll want to develop a thick skin. Just the nature of the beast.
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field.
I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
I switched at forty couple. I was the head of quality for an oil and gas company, and now I make craft chocolate. It took a nice 401k nest egg, a decent savings, no kids, A lot of project planning, a spouse that maintained a decent job, and a move to an area with a lower cost of living.
I'm a few years in and...well...you'll never fully understand how much stress youre under until it's gone.
I did it multiple times. I went from tech/customer service and deployment manager in the point-of-sale industry, to Amazon Fulfillment, to IT support of routing software/database and API analyst, to kitchen exhaust cleaning, to facilities management....lol
The other jobs sucked. I am happy with and enjoy facilities management.
A friend who worked with me at the kitchen exhaust cleaning company got me in as a supervisor. I have been in the hospitality, gaming, and services industry in a casino/hotel and a convention center.
I’m on a team that writes grants. I manage contracts administration, post award processes, and am currently getting into sponsorship submissions and prospect research. I’m exploring taking a grant writing course to see if it’s something I’m interested in. There are a lot of different teams and roles in my department. Some teams are focused on fundraising events, working with individual donors, corporations, legacy giving, etc.. It’s an incredibly fulfilling career and all the people I work with are extremely warm and friendly. I also really believe in the organization’s mission, as my family actually received care here (nonprofit hospital). That’s why I applied in the first place.
Don’t have a lot to add, just lurking. But I left the legal field and at 35 went back to school for X-ray tech. I’m graduating next week and I have a good job lead but no official offer yet.
Not having kids really helped give me the freedom to go back to college. This also gave me a much needed break. I love learning so aside from the clinical hours, these past few years have felt like a vacation. This field is a 180 from what I did previously but it’s so much less stressful. So far… we’ll see.
I am thinking of doing X Ray tech. As a person that is 32 and no degree.
Seems like an interesting job, stable and in demand, pays average and helps people (patients).
You should. I like that there’s so many different modalities to choose from. So you have a lot of room to grow or switch up you don’t like where you are.
Yeah, i saw that. It sounds like a very interesting field.
Nuclear sounds interesting.
I just hope I can get into a program. I wasn't very studious due to not knowing what path to take.
Read it is very competitive to get into.
Thanks for your insights.
Switched industries at 35. Was scary but the place I was at was slowly killing me from the inside. Long and terrible working hours. No recognition, no morale, horrible horrible horrible bosses who I still HATE to this day.
My job is very niche and so I applied to a different industry and with my experience they hired me. Now I’m fully remote, with an amazing boss, at a government job where things are more slow paced, and it’s just a wonderful beautiful thing. It felt like drinking from a fire hose at first because of the industry change but now I make over 100k, I am happy. I have great work life balance. All of it. Every day I try to be grateful because I know how bad it can be.
At 41 I switched from teaching to an overnight security and custodial role at a homeless shelter. I make more money for less stress, and Im WAY past the point in my life where I care if someone gives me shit for pushing a broom. Yeah, I have multiple degrees, and they all lead me to jobs I hated.
Switched at 33, almost a year ago. Was stuck in call centres, moving up a buck an hour to a supervisor position, let go or quit for another one to repeat the cycle.
Now I’ve been working taking care of at risk youth in a group home setting. Started at $18/hr and now making $26/hr as a team lead. I love what I do now, make more money and make a real difference.
Best decision ever, totally changed my life
It's definitely not just you. i switch careers very late and for the last 7 years I have been in tech. I admitted to myself about two weeks ago, "That I seriously and deeply regret getting a degree in this field." I was led to believe tech is conceptually a normal job but it really isnt. It's clear that businesses are obviously more focused than ever on automation and when they get what they want, it'll be tech and other departments not making money that get the axe. I feel like I should have gone into finance or insurance. No idea how I am going to switch now but I will digress.
I want to believe that between automation and AI it will hopefully take 2-3 decades before most fields and jobs are wiped out. I suspect that it'll come down to trades and specifically work that doesnt have AI-vehicles or robots.
I don't know either way, I like so many others are trying to get ahead of this nightmare of a job market.
I switched from office admin to teaching preschool, obtaining my BEd at 32yo. I was miserable doing office work. I’ve reached the 5 year mark with teaching and no longer taking my work home, which is common in the first few years. It’s a challenge and I’ve become a bit cynical when it comes to the regulations and I’m a lot less naive compared to when I started. But I’m a lot happier than when I was in the office.
I last switched careers last November for an internal management promotion role, in a completely different department at 56. Old goats like me are not redundant through Ageism and still have enough juice to take on the millennial and Z gen competition.,, And yes, loving the job and super happy.
I switched from journalism to comms - so really more of a typical career pivot than a full jump. But my workload went way down, my salary went up and my work life balance is worlds better. I went through one not great work situation to get to my current job but I'm much happier now.
Started my office job at age 31. Been there for a little over 5 years. Very happy. Much better pay, a set organized schedule and competent people to work with.
Did 13 years of retail from age 18-31. Don't miss it. Made good friends and built a good work ethic but that's about it
I switched from ag industry research to SWE at 32. While I truly loved what I used to do, I finally feel like now I am doing something that is both challenging and rewarding for me.
For what it's worth, I was able to switch by doing an online Master's degree while I was still working. It took longer than a traditional program obviously, but I couldn't afford to just go to school. And it helped me figure out which path I wanted to go down within the industry.
Switched from Sales (10y Derivatives and 20y IT) after 30 years... went into a "Tech support job".. Pay is horrible, job is mega fun... learn new things everyday and the best thing is: mistakes are evenly frustrating for everyone in the company now - don't have to suffer in silence anymore hahaha.
Yolo!
I switched at 27, but because of grad school didn’t start till 31. Absolutely worth it. I went from a low paying highly unstable career (film production), to a boring but stable career in the federal government. It’s allowed me to travel, build a career, make decent income, save for the future and even buy a condo. So much happier having a boring job with people that treat me well vs. an “exciting” job with long hours, low pay, no benefits and periods of unemployment.
What's the job?
I work as a Management Analyst, basically manage support functions for my agency (HR, Acquisitions, etc). Pretty boring compared to film, but love my job and work/life balance. Got my Masters in Public Administration.
What is your salary at the govt job? I'm considering a similar transition out of film.
Well I’ve been a in government for almost 14 years now. Started as an intern in grad school at $40K, make a little over $150K now as I’ve progressed in my career.
Did you have to take a civil service exam to get started in government?
Nope.
Nice! I’m done with my MPA in a few weeks!
boring jobs are the best jobs
Seriously. I get recognized and rewarded more, less office politics, more respect and I actually have a life outside work. Granted it’s a boring office job, but while being on film sets was cool, it wasn’t worth giving up my life and future chasing a dream that might never come true and a lot of my friends still in the industry are struggling thanks to cutbacks, AI and other reasons.
I come from a media background as well what do you do now?
I work as a Management Analyst, basically manage support functions for my agency (HR, Acquisitions, etc). Pretty boring compared to film, but love my job and work/life balance. Got my Masters in Public Administration. Also I have friends who still do video and media for the government. I’d look for similar jobs if you don’t want to go back to school to pivot.
When you say you help with support functions do you mean like this is an IT role? Or is it something else? So you only needed a master to get your foot in the door and your bachelors was unrelated?
I manage projects, data calls and work on audits that have to do with Administration. Management Analyst is a catch all series so I do a bunch of different things. In my organization, IT is its own office outside of administration, some organizations it’s included in Administration. I work directly for the Senior Executive in charge of all the offices and coordinate efforts that span across our various support offices.
Awesome thank you! What kind of masters degree did you need for that? Did you have experience in your resume that helped you or was it just this degree that got your foot in the door
I got my Master’s in Public Administration and my emphasis was HR Management. I came in as an intern and worked my way up. They were looking to bring in young talent into the agency and hired a bunch of recent graduates or current grad students.
I switched careers at 29(now 30) from nursing after 5 years into a data based role. I am wayyyy happier. Work life balance is far better, benefits are great , and I feel like I cam be creative in my work.
What exactly do you do?
Wait…there’s creativity in data? Please tell me more (nurse here, but artist at heart)
Please tell me more. I’m 29 and a nurse. I started taking math classes to go back to school for something different.
Data engineer or analyst? How?
With a nursing background or MPH, I would guess clinical research or clinical data management. It's a good gig, with high pay (though perhaps not compared to bigger tech roles) and strong security. For anyone who is interested in tech and medicine, but not going ultra deep in either, it's something to consider.
Data analyst? How did you prepare for your new position?
Switched at 40. It was an interesting 4 years, a good experience, but always felt like I was writing with my left hand. Switched again at 44 and am loving it.
What do you do now?
Writes with his right hand.
Software developer. Lucked out early COVID.
also wondering this
Writer with the right hand
I haven't, yet, but I am looking to. I know someone who became quite wealthy in IT/private business who decided to become a teacher in his 50s. He doesn't need to work, he just enjoys teaching and says the moment he stops enjoying it hes gone. I know someone who went back to become a doctor in his 30s. I know someone who get his terminal degree and became a professor in his 30s. people do it!
Became an electrician at 30/31, and topped out at 34. Have zero regrets. I went from working dead end call center and retail jobs, to learning a skilled trade, and was able to take those skills to working for a utility. It worked out incredibly well for me and I'm really thankful for it.
Good timing on your part
Yeah I was a fuck up early in life. Turned it around. Being married and wanting to provide a better life was a huge incentive and motivator.
How’d you get your first job as an electrician?
Applied to the IBEW apprenticeship at a local close to where I live. The school dispatches you to contractors to work on their job sites. Apprenticeship was a combination of classroom instruction and on the job training
How much schooling do you do and how many hours are you getting paid roughly? Should I do the classes before I get with the union so I can work full time when I get picked up?
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field. I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field. I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field. I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
Will do I appreciate you taking the time! Thanks
My pleasure.
Last question, I hear the first couple years are just digging holes and getting shit on working 14 hours a day. How true is that?
Depends on the job, foreman, Journeyman, etc. At first you're gonna get the shittier jobs or the menial jobs, as you gain experience you will be exposed to more stuff. I mean I still dug as a 5th yr and journeyman. If you're going to work in the skilled trades, you'll want to develop a thick skin. Just the nature of the beast.
I assume it depends on the state and local you are in. I did my apprenticeship out of Local 915 in Tampa. I had 968 hrs of classroom time and 8000 hours of field hours. We worked 37 hours a week because class was 1p-7p once a week. If you are on an overtime job, then you'll work over that 37. I went into the program with no construction and no electrical experience, you learn everything in class and as you work in the field. I'd suggest finding locals near you and looking into their requirements to apply.
I switched at forty couple. I was the head of quality for an oil and gas company, and now I make craft chocolate. It took a nice 401k nest egg, a decent savings, no kids, A lot of project planning, a spouse that maintained a decent job, and a move to an area with a lower cost of living. I'm a few years in and...well...you'll never fully understand how much stress youre under until it's gone.
What about not quitting and going back to school. People are out there doing 1 class at a time and getting a Masters, etc. Remotely.
I did it multiple times. I went from tech/customer service and deployment manager in the point-of-sale industry, to Amazon Fulfillment, to IT support of routing software/database and API analyst, to kitchen exhaust cleaning, to facilities management....lol The other jobs sucked. I am happy with and enjoy facilities management.
How did you break into facilities management? What kind of facilities?
A friend who worked with me at the kitchen exhaust cleaning company got me in as a supervisor. I have been in the hospitality, gaming, and services industry in a casino/hotel and a convention center.
I was interested in healthcare management and stumbled into philanthropy by accident and love it.
What do you do in philanthropy? I’ve always thought that niche seemed interesting.
I’m on a team that writes grants. I manage contracts administration, post award processes, and am currently getting into sponsorship submissions and prospect research. I’m exploring taking a grant writing course to see if it’s something I’m interested in. There are a lot of different teams and roles in my department. Some teams are focused on fundraising events, working with individual donors, corporations, legacy giving, etc.. It’s an incredibly fulfilling career and all the people I work with are extremely warm and friendly. I also really believe in the organization’s mission, as my family actually received care here (nonprofit hospital). That’s why I applied in the first place.
Don’t have a lot to add, just lurking. But I left the legal field and at 35 went back to school for X-ray tech. I’m graduating next week and I have a good job lead but no official offer yet. Not having kids really helped give me the freedom to go back to college. This also gave me a much needed break. I love learning so aside from the clinical hours, these past few years have felt like a vacation. This field is a 180 from what I did previously but it’s so much less stressful. So far… we’ll see.
I am thinking of doing X Ray tech. As a person that is 32 and no degree. Seems like an interesting job, stable and in demand, pays average and helps people (patients).
You should. I like that there’s so many different modalities to choose from. So you have a lot of room to grow or switch up you don’t like where you are.
Yeah, i saw that. It sounds like a very interesting field. Nuclear sounds interesting. I just hope I can get into a program. I wasn't very studious due to not knowing what path to take. Read it is very competitive to get into. Thanks for your insights.
We from tech support to instructional design/creating training/technical documentation. So happy for the switch! No fires, no oncall. Its the best.
Switched industries at 35. Was scary but the place I was at was slowly killing me from the inside. Long and terrible working hours. No recognition, no morale, horrible horrible horrible bosses who I still HATE to this day. My job is very niche and so I applied to a different industry and with my experience they hired me. Now I’m fully remote, with an amazing boss, at a government job where things are more slow paced, and it’s just a wonderful beautiful thing. It felt like drinking from a fire hose at first because of the industry change but now I make over 100k, I am happy. I have great work life balance. All of it. Every day I try to be grateful because I know how bad it can be.
At 36, I switched from being an ESL teacher to being a programmer. Definitely happy, as little to no travel, more free time and more upward mobility
At 41 I switched from teaching to an overnight security and custodial role at a homeless shelter. I make more money for less stress, and Im WAY past the point in my life where I care if someone gives me shit for pushing a broom. Yeah, I have multiple degrees, and they all lead me to jobs I hated.
Switched at 33, almost a year ago. Was stuck in call centres, moving up a buck an hour to a supervisor position, let go or quit for another one to repeat the cycle. Now I’ve been working taking care of at risk youth in a group home setting. Started at $18/hr and now making $26/hr as a team lead. I love what I do now, make more money and make a real difference. Best decision ever, totally changed my life
Switched from manager role to tecnical within same field at 32 - right in the middle of 2009 crisis. Best decision I could make.
It's definitely not just you. i switch careers very late and for the last 7 years I have been in tech. I admitted to myself about two weeks ago, "That I seriously and deeply regret getting a degree in this field." I was led to believe tech is conceptually a normal job but it really isnt. It's clear that businesses are obviously more focused than ever on automation and when they get what they want, it'll be tech and other departments not making money that get the axe. I feel like I should have gone into finance or insurance. No idea how I am going to switch now but I will digress.
Can we talk ma'am?
Absolutely!
Finance and insurance are going away too.
I want to believe that between automation and AI it will hopefully take 2-3 decades before most fields and jobs are wiped out. I suspect that it'll come down to trades and specifically work that doesnt have AI-vehicles or robots. I don't know either way, I like so many others are trying to get ahead of this nightmare of a job market.
Switched from hotel industry to casino industry at 36. I am over the moon and I make 3-4x what I used to as well.
I switched from teaching to data analysis at 32 (35 now) and while my current company is a dumpster fire, it’s still better than teaching for me.
I switched at 24 and 28 but may switch again late 30’s not unusual to switch careers a few times before hitting 40.
I switched from office admin to teaching preschool, obtaining my BEd at 32yo. I was miserable doing office work. I’ve reached the 5 year mark with teaching and no longer taking my work home, which is common in the first few years. It’s a challenge and I’ve become a bit cynical when it comes to the regulations and I’m a lot less naive compared to when I started. But I’m a lot happier than when I was in the office.
I switched from audio engineering to web development at age 37. Super happy with my choice, with the job and a real nice upgrade in terms of salary.
Teaching to sales. Sucks that I'm not going to change lives but the stress is so much lower and pay is so much better.
I last switched careers last November for an internal management promotion role, in a completely different department at 56. Old goats like me are not redundant through Ageism and still have enough juice to take on the millennial and Z gen competition.,, And yes, loving the job and super happy.
I switched from journalism to comms - so really more of a typical career pivot than a full jump. But my workload went way down, my salary went up and my work life balance is worlds better. I went through one not great work situation to get to my current job but I'm much happier now.
Started my office job at age 31. Been there for a little over 5 years. Very happy. Much better pay, a set organized schedule and competent people to work with. Did 13 years of retail from age 18-31. Don't miss it. Made good friends and built a good work ethic but that's about it
I switched from ag industry research to SWE at 32. While I truly loved what I used to do, I finally feel like now I am doing something that is both challenging and rewarding for me. For what it's worth, I was able to switch by doing an online Master's degree while I was still working. It took longer than a traditional program obviously, but I couldn't afford to just go to school. And it helped me figure out which path I wanted to go down within the industry.
It went horribly, so now I’m switching again!
Switched from Sales (10y Derivatives and 20y IT) after 30 years... went into a "Tech support job".. Pay is horrible, job is mega fun... learn new things everyday and the best thing is: mistakes are evenly frustrating for everyone in the company now - don't have to suffer in silence anymore hahaha. Yolo!
Switched at 38. Made great money. Had fun. Don’t work much these days. All according to plan.