Career Change?
 

Any thought of a career change after being affected by a lay off or by this recession?

Uh, yes. My field has been hit hard by the economy and there are MANY shops closing their doors. There have been many layoffs in this area. The thought of changing careers has been often.

You must adapt to the economy and times. I've had to reinvent myself over and over and over in the Real Estate business. Things just haven't stayed constant long enough to get in a groove for very long. As the old saying goes, you can't expect a different result with the same approach.

Todd -

that would be the deffinition of insanty.... Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.


I fixed the whole work thing and just retired. Work is really overrated! Besides... It interefered with my social life.

Seriously. I feel for everyone that is struggling with work, or the lack if it.

I totally agree Todd. And that is exactly what I am doing as we speak. Life is too short to simply tread water. I have always been one to make things happen and improve any given situation. Why stop now right? Time to move forward.:cheers:

I am constantly thinking about this. The job I currently have is shaky at best(paper industry). I just don't know where to go or what to do. Not having a college education doesn't help either. There are not many jobs in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (or anywhere in Michigan) so if I'm going to try to find a different career, I'll probably have to move.

My question is, how many opportunities am I going to have to get a good paying job so I can support my family (and my car habit) without a degree? Being almost 39 years old, are many companies going to take a chance on a farmboy/papermaker from Michigan?:question:

Michael.

Michael.

Maybe it's time to go back to night school while you still have the opportunity and the job to support it. There must be something in the industry you're in - that could tie your current skills in with something say more high tech, if you had the training.

Living in Washington - we have many loggers - they have NO skills outside of whacking down trees.. or pulling green chain in a mill... the problem with that is that it's so single focus. No logging - no mill - no job. They all seem to go down together. What they needed to do was gain some additional skills while the logging was still booming (It's always been boom or bust here).

My Brother in law used to hump roofing... I told him that he needed to quit actually DOING the roofing - and start to contract that out - run the jobs - and take a percentage... to which he replied "I can't afford to do that"... I told him he couldn't afford NOT to do that... because it's one thing to hump roofing when you're in your 20's - but you're pay is limited by how many square you can do in a day... and how long your body will take the abuse. So after awhile he DID start to become a roofing contractor... then remodeler... then he got into commercial work. Now he builds MiniStorage units in 3 states... has many employees and even today his work is booming. I'll take no credit except to start him thinking that he must make the effort to "change" his situation. The rest was up to him.

There has to be something for everyone - that they love to do... and, that they can earn a living at. The key is to take the chance.

I tell my kids - "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"... and it's so true. What I don't want them to do is to forget about making their plans - setting goals - and working towards them. It's not a straight line... never is...

What separates the 'broke / on a budget' but good race car driver from another one -- is that the good driver can win in a crappy car... and when he does that... the guys with good cars take notice and say - wow! If that guy can win driving that POS... imagine what he could do if he was driving for my race team. That's making your own "luck" - was he lucky - or did he push on despite all the hard work - working nights so he could race on Saturday... which finally got him noticed.

Now.... if I could just get my wife to take that 3rd job... I'd be all set!

:cheers:

Yeah, it is tough out there guys. I've been laid off now for about 7 months.
Only the 2nd time I've ever been laid off. (the very first time I was laid off, I had another job in less than a month. BUT,..that was then, this is now.)
I send out resume after resume, but there's only so many times you can send your resume to the same number of companies. I have thought about showing up in person/calling over the phone lately, maybe that will bring some better luck?
Yeah, so I'm looking at different things. Possibly something in the medical field. I would really like to be involved with radiology. There is a 21 month course in a school about 30 minutes away that will provides an associates degree when completed. Something I am looking at.
Good luck to all with these tough times.:thumbsup:

Very well said Greg!! Very well said.:thumbsup:

Tony unemployment has a program that they pay for school . Have you checked into that yet ? Maybe it will help you.
Wayne