Did you have a career change?

[Alchemisst]

How many people changed their careers, how did you do it and how long did it take? I am considering it, looking for advice/ guidance

[Threshkin]

I changed my career continuously over my working life.  Aside from the few big jumps in my youth that many people have, my changes were generally variations on a theme, incremental changes worked better for me because I could leverage my experience more effectively.

Usually every 2 to 3 years I would start looking for new opportunities or would have morphed my official role into something completely different.  Several times I simply wrote up a new job description, presented (sold) it to management and stepped into the role.

One of my favorite tricks was to strive to be excellent at the parts of my jobs I liked best.  That way I would get more and more of that work assigned to me.  Another technique was to identify areas that needed attention and either just start doing the work or writing up a business plan for a new job or department to fill the need.

Note: About 1/3 of the way into my career, I decided that I fit better in a large corporate environment instead of small business.  Both have their pros and cons but healthcare, 401k and paid vacations won me over.  I made this decision after spending 8 years in complete control of a small (min 2 max 47 people) business.  The power and autonomy were great but the responsibilities were enormous.  Going corporate allowed me the luxury of only worrying about my core responsibilities and the ability to ignore everything else (i.e. HR, AP, Sales, Facilities, Cash Flow, etc.)

[Stoic on FIRE]

Hi Alchemisst,

I'm going through my second career change.

My first was transitioning from the Army to private sector work as a project manager/department coordinator for a utility company. I prepared for that transition over the course of about two years. The first year I made the decision and made a plan for my transition. The second year I executed the plan and hit all the goals and certifications I wanted to earn before departing the military.

I've been in the project manager/department coordinator role for over a year now, but I was getting the itch to switch out of it when I was six months in. I made the definite decision to switch careers in January after a non-productive conversation with my boss about my future in the company. While I am very good in the role I am in, it is not what I want to do if I have to work to a traditional retirement age. I am switching into software engineering.

I have been dabbling, learning, and working with software for the past year and a half. I would consider myself fine at an entry-level position though I know I have some shortcomings as a self-taught software developer, mostly data structures and algorithms. I am actively chipping away at that shortfall.

I have been actively applying on my own for software engineering/developer roles for about two months now. I have received several interviews, but no offers. The feedback from the interviews is that they are looking for someone with more experience. After 55 rejections I am not disheartened, but will now start leveraging other resources. I thought I could get in on showing a proficiency for the job and previous success, but employers in the field want someone they perceive as capable of writing a whiz-bang program the day they start (That's a whole different rant I have).

Tips I think will make the transition easier, but still requires work:

• If you have some projects or a portfolio to show how awesome you are bring it up in the interview
• Get on LinkedIn and reach out to people in the field you want to transition into and talk to them. Essentially cold-calling, but I've got a few leads from it
• Use social media to reach out to people you know who are in the field directly or indirectly (work at the company) to get your resume past the software screen
• If you have any sort of alumni organization or career services you can utilize reach out and start the process with them
• Go to meetups if they have them, that will help develop connections.
• Have I said connections matter? Make them.

Be prepared for a lot of rejection. You are selling your capabilities. It only takes one person to say yes and you're now in the field you wanted to transition into. Good luck!

[Goldendog777]

I’m currently in the long process of completely changing my career.  I’ve been in banking and mortgage since I graduated college over 20 years ago.  I have a bachelors in economics and I’m completely changing it up and going to school to be a registered dietitian.  It’s a long road but I’m excited about it.  School is harder at my age with a lot of responsibilities that kids more than half my age don’t have.  I have days where I question my decision but I have to focus on the bigger picture.  I was miserable in mortgage and I want something that I can do that is rewarding and interesting to me so I keep going. 

[Bloop Bloop]

If you work in a professional job here is my advice

* Jump ship every 2-3 years. Your present company will never cherish you unless, and until, you threaten to leave. Even so, a rival company will probably cherish you more; poaching talented staff seems to make firms happy.

* Once you have enough momentum/networks, consider becoming independent/a consultant within your area of expertise. That way you keep all the profit you generate.

I changed career paths (not industries) in accordance with the above rule.

[stashing_it]

I worked as an aerospace engineer (mechanical engineering) at a large aircraft manufacturer for 12 years out of college.  ~15 months ago I switched into an entry level software engineering role at one of the big name software companies.

My software engineering experience was all on the job at my previous company, and self taught.  I didn't go back to school at all. 

After 15 months I am becoming reasonably competent at my new job

[Chranstronaut]

I've bounced around a LOT.  I am multidisciplinary by nature, but most desk jobs are not.  This makes me bored and a little resentful at times.  The good: I have found several unique niches and developed a lot of new skills.  I am almost always learning and trying something new.  I am not afraid to ask for what I want, nor am I afraid to quit a bad job anymore.  I value myself as much more than a cog in the corporate machine and can offer a lot more than anyone else I know.  The bad: I have earned at least 20k less than I could have for 4 out of my 6 working years.  I have gone through "new job training stress" about 5 times which lasts 2-6 months per job.  I have had to aggressively market myself to HR people because they do NOT understand what it means to bring skills from another industry.  Good managers tend to see this value right away - bad managers tend to hem and haw about it.  I've worked for both, and recommend finding someone that sees how special a cross discipline person can be whenever possible.

Overall, it was worth it.  I have found a better work-life balance and have the chance to work on some really awesome stuff (at least until I burned out or the temporary contract was over).  I rarely wonder what might have happened if I stayed put because I can see how those jobs were over by the time I left them, either because the projects were no longer fulfilling or management changed for the worse.

I was an aerospace engineer at an aircraft company for about 2.5 years, then at a small motorsports company for 1.5 years, then at a large car company for 6 weeks, then a guinea pig for science for 8 months, now at a small software company going on 1.25 years.  I have often enjoyed the weeks and months of funemployment between these jobs.

I plan to do it again in the future, but I like my current job and will probably be here a few years.  I support other engineers and it's a surprisingly good fit since every day presents a different problem and I get to use all of my skills from time to time to help other people.  Most of my past jobs had just one or two skills in common, so I never used my full breadth of skill.  My most successful and satisfying job jumps usually leverage one or two particular skills I enjoy and will teach me at least one new thing.

I worked as an aerospace engineer (mechanical engineering) at a large aircraft manufacturer for 12 years out of college.  ~15 months ago I switched into an entry level software engineering role at one of the big name software companies.

My software engineering experience was all on the job at my previous company, and self taught.  I didn't go back to school at all. 

After 15 months I am becoming reasonably competent at my new job

Huh, wonder if we might have crossed paths. 

[sui generis]

I changed careers a few times.  I never liked what I was doing and kept hoping I'd find something that felt like THE right job.  I decided it wasn't that I was a bad fit for those particular jobs, but that I just didn't like jobs. Period.

In retrospect, I would have just stayed with my first career.  I was doing really well, advancing fast and well-respected.  As I got older and switched, I learned that I didn't love that feeling of being incompetent (aka learning) for the first X months.  I could have retired earlier or on a fatter stash had I stayed and would not have had to bother learning new stuff that I also didn't like any better than the old stuff.  There's something to be said for longevity and experience.

Definitely cannot recommend someone follow my path, where they are just exploring and hoping to get lucky with something that *seems* like it might be a better fit. 

[Fishindude]

Never switched employers, but worked just about every job in the company; laborer, carpenter, ironworker, equipment operator, site superintendent, shop manager, draftsman, estimator, project manager, VP sales & president before quitting.   Some people melt down when you stick them in a new job, I enjoyed the change of scenery.  Now I'm a part time farmer.

[Gone_Hiking]

I had several job changes and if I did it again, I would just start earlier and get a few mentors.

I spent the first 10 years as a biologist in a laboratory.  I became a software developer after a few evening classes in mathematics and code development and spent four years doing that.  Next step was project manager position in IT for three years followed by two years of project management in another area of the same Big Pharma conglomerate.  The conglomerate decided to shake up our local site and lay off me and another 80 lucky people.  I then joined a software development company as a requirements writer playing role of Product Owner on Agile team and I learned Agile while I was at it.  The assignment turned out to be bad fit and I moved back to project management in IT for a not-for-profit medical board.  My boss thought I could be a good fit in another area of IT and now I manage systems administrators and desktop support people, which means I'm learning again on the job.  Like many here who changed jobs, I believe that rewards of learning new stuff are worth the effort put into the process.

In all of the career switches, only one - the layoff - was accidental.  I planned to stay at a given job for about three years.  The switch to programming happened after a few evening classes in a local college that catered to working people.  All other switches required only on-the-job training.  While it looks like all the career segments post-layoff are only one year long, I stayed for a year on the job that wasn't a good fit and I intend to stick with my current job for another three years or longer.  I really like my current place of employment and I might just stick with it until FIRE, unless I decide to launch for another position in another setting; one never knows with us lifelong learners. 

Some people melt down when you stick them in a new job, I enjoyed the change of scenery.

True that.  DH wanted to do only what he studied in graduate school, never mind that it was research in specialized sub-segment of physics.  He changed jobs only once.  He doesn't want to do that again.  The kind of stuff I've done would have driven him bonkers.

[goalphish2002]

I had several job changes and if I did it again, I would just start earlier and get a few mentors.

I spent the first 10 years as a biologist in a laboratory. I became a software developer after a few evening classes in mathematics and code development and spent four years doing that.  Next step was project manager position in IT for three years followed by two years of project management in another area of the same Big Pharma conglomerate.  The conglomerate decided to shake up our local site and lay off me and another 80 lucky people.  I then joined a software development company as a requirements writer playing role of Product Owner on Agile team and I learned Agile while I was at it.  The assignment turned out to be bad fit and I moved back to project management in IT for a not-for-profit medical board.  My boss thought I could be a good fit in another area of IT and now I manage systems administrators and desktop support people, which means I'm learning again on the job.  Like many here who changed jobs, I believe that rewards of learning new stuff are worth the effort put into the process.

In all of the career switches, only one - the layoff - was accidental.  I planned to stay at a given job for about three years.  The switch to programming happened after a few evening classes in a local college that catered to working people.  All other switches required only on-the-job training.  While it looks like all the career segments post-layoff are only one year long, I stayed for a year on the job that wasn't a good fit and I intend to stick with my current job for another three years or longer.  I really like my current place of employment and I might just stick with it until FIRE, unless I decide to launch for another position in another setting; one never knows with us lifelong learners. 

Some people melt down when you stick them in a new job, I enjoyed the change of scenery.

True that.  DH wanted to do only what he studied in graduate school, never mind that it was research in specialized sub-segment of physics.  He changed jobs only once.  He doesn't want to do that again.  The kind of stuff I've done would have driven him bonkers.

I am considering this.  Any advice?

[Gone_Hiking]

I had several job changes and if I did it again, I would just start earlier and get a few mentors.

I spent the first 10 years as a biologist in a laboratory. I became a software developer after a few evening classes in mathematics and code development and spent four years doing that.  Next step was project manager position in IT for three years followed by two years of project management in another area of the same Big Pharma conglomerate.  The conglomerate decided to shake up our local site and lay off me and another 80 lucky people.  I then joined a software development company as a requirements writer playing role of Product Owner on Agile team and I learned Agile while I was at it.  The assignment turned out to be bad fit and I moved back to project management in IT for a not-for-profit medical board.  My boss thought I could be a good fit in another area of IT and now I manage systems administrators and desktop support people, which means I'm learning again on the job.  Like many here who changed jobs, I believe that rewards of learning new stuff are worth the effort put into the process.

In all of the career switches, only one - the layoff - was accidental.  I planned to stay at a given job for about three years. The switch to programming happened after a few evening classes in a local college that catered to working people.  All other switches required only on-the-job training.  While it looks like all the career segments post-layoff are only one year long, I stayed for a year on the job that wasn't a good fit and I intend to stick with my current job for another three years or longer.  I really like my current place of employment and I might just stick with it until FIRE, unless I decide to launch for another position in another setting; one never knows with us lifelong learners. 

Some people melt down when you stick them in a new job, I enjoyed the change of scenery.

True that.  DH wanted to do only what he studied in graduate school, never mind that it was research in specialized sub-segment of physics.  He changed jobs only once.  He doesn't want to do that again.  The kind of stuff I've done would have driven him bonkers.

I am considering this.  Any advice?

Coding dojos seem to be a thing now and people who complete these courses do, indeed, find positions in software development or testing.    You can get a job with some skills in developing apps for mobiles, for example, and learn much more once you get a foot in the door.  Another possibility to is looking at a local community college and finding out what it offers.  I learned at a university that catered to working adults and offered evening classes; it seems that community college would be much more cost-effective option.  One member of my sysadmin team will graduate with an associate degree in a few months and his job options are exploding, which tells me that community college approach might be superior to a coding dojo. Do you have access to tuition reimbursement?   

Regardless what you choose, do find time to focus on fundamentals, perhaps learning an older language that is closer to the metal.  Understanding how code translates into those 1 and 0 sequences will give you insight and intuition about selecting the best language for the job required.   Data structures is another area where you might want to focus; selection of a proper data structure for data manipulation strongly influences performance.  While many people hate C and C++, learning how to manage memory in these two languages and experience with the classic memory leak problem will bring appreciation when you start on Java or Groovy and discover that garbage collection is included.  I hope you get to lick database algebra learn how to avoid creation of cartesian products during query execution.  Cartesian products have a way to kill performance on any database-powered web application, and knowing how to make things run fast will make you marketable.  Good luck!

[ender]

I went from mechanical engineering to software development.

I guess that's a career change.

[Cassie]

I went to graduate school twice. The second masters was when I was 40.  I loved my new career.

[Just Joe]

I joined the military. Completed 'A' school and then they reassigned me to a different kind of school due to the first Iraqi war. I worked that job for the first half of my enlistment and then for the last half of my enlistment I did the job I was first trained for. Along the way I learned I wanted to settle down and have a family and I also knew I personally couldn't juggle the military and a family. Culturally it took two years for me to adapt to being a civilian again. Overall it was a very good experience that I am thankful to have had.

I returned to university and worked my way through.  I often only took a light load per semester. It was prob the right thing for me but it delayed graduation and post-graduation salaries.

Along the way I worked a number of low pay jobs which was a good education in itself. Got a degree in industrial engineering. Took a job as a draftsman (entry level engineering job in a small company). Worked there for several years. Mediocre salaries there and the management was always giving ra-ra-ra speeches. We were owned by an investment company so profits were all that mattered and they didn't share the profits with us. Good experience all the same. A friend of a friend who still works there reported an 80+ hour work week recently. No thanks. Salary based on 40 hrs so every extra hour is a discount on that original number.

Left to work as a mechanical engineer.  Work on protoypes, lots of team engineering, do some project management, lots of different skills required - minor programming, machining, welding, painting, CNC work, 3D printing. I do some ordering and record keeping. A few trips per year. Can't complain one bit.

[goalphish2002]

I had several job changes and if I did it again, I would just start earlier and get a few mentors.

I spent the first 10 years as a biologist in a laboratory. I became a software developer after a few evening classes in mathematics and code development and spent four years doing that.  Next step was project manager position in IT for three years followed by two years of project management in another area of the same Big Pharma conglomerate.  The conglomerate decided to shake up our local site and lay off me and another 80 lucky people.  I then joined a software development company as a requirements writer playing role of Product Owner on Agile team and I learned Agile while I was at it.  The assignment turned out to be bad fit and I moved back to project management in IT for a not-for-profit medical board.  My boss thought I could be a good fit in another area of IT and now I manage systems administrators and desktop support people, which means I'm learning again on the job.  Like many here who changed jobs, I believe that rewards of learning new stuff are worth the effort put into the process.

In all of the career switches, only one - the layoff - was accidental.  I planned to stay at a given job for about three years. The switch to programming happened after a few evening classes in a local college that catered to working people.  All other switches required only on-the-job training.  While it looks like all the career segments post-layoff are only one year long, I stayed for a year on the job that wasn't a good fit and I intend to stick with my current job for another three years or longer.  I really like my current place of employment and I might just stick with it until FIRE, unless I decide to launch for another position in another setting; one never knows with us lifelong learners. 

Some people melt down when you stick them in a new job, I enjoyed the change of scenery.

True that.  DH wanted to do only what he studied in graduate school, never mind that it was research in specialized sub-segment of physics.  He changed jobs only once.  He doesn't want to do that again.  The kind of stuff I've done would have driven him bonkers.

I am considering this.  Any advice?

Coding dojos seem to be a thing now and people who complete these courses do, indeed, find positions in software development or testing.    You can get a job with some skills in developing apps for mobiles, for example, and learn much more once you get a foot in the door.  Another possibility to is looking at a local community college and finding out what it offers.  I learned at a university that catered to working adults and offered evening classes; it seems that community college would be much more cost-effective option.  One member of my sysadmin team will graduate with an associate degree in a few months and his job options are exploding, which tells me that community college approach might be superior to a coding dojo. Do you have access to tuition reimbursement?   

Regardless what you choose, do find time to focus on fundamentals, perhaps learning an older language that is closer to the metal.  Understanding how code translates into those 1 and 0 sequences will give you insight and intuition about selecting the best language for the job required.   Data structures is another area where you might want to focus; selection of a proper data structure for data manipulation strongly influences performance.  While many people hate C and C++, learning how to manage memory in these two languages and experience with the classic memory leak problem will bring appreciation when you start on Java or Groovy and discover that garbage collection is included.  I hope you get to lick database algebra learn how to avoid creation of cartesian products during query execution.  Cartesian products have a way to kill performance on any database-powered web application, and knowing how to make things run fast will make you marketable.  Good luck!

Thanks for the reply!  There are several coding bootcamps in Atlanta (I assume that is the same as a coding dojo).  It does seem that an Associate's degree from a community college might be cheaper, but they might not be as flexible as far a class times, etc...  I will need to look more into this.  I have an M.S. in Accounting- I thought the most logical path would be to learn how to write programs for financial analysis.  However, I suppose I need to also look at what I will enjoy the most if I make a complete career change. 

[Schaefer Light]

For the folks who changed careers, how did you get your foot in the door in your first position in the new career?  Did you already have some experience doing the new type of work that you could put on your resume?  Did you know someone on the inside who could help you get the position?

I've been trying to make a change for months, but I'm not having any luck.  I have friends who keep referring me to recruiting firms, but every time I talk to one of these recruiters/headhunters about what I'm trying to do they tell me (in so many words) that I'm not likely to be successful in making this change and they can't help me.  They only want to place me in roles that are just like what I've been doing (i.e. management, which I fucking hated).  I really want to try my hand at an entry level data analyst job.  This doesn't seem like it should be impossible for someone with an engineering degree, but the recruiters keep telling me I won't have any luck getting one of these jobs because I don't have analytics experience on my resume.  I don't know what a person who wants to change careers is supposed to do.  It feels like the whole corporate world is structured so that you won't ever get a chance to try something new.

[Metalcat]

The best jobs come from people already knowing that you have value in the job you want to be paid for.

Of course it's hard to get your foot in the door! Why would they hire someone who has no experience and is trying to bail on their existing career. You're a liability, why would I hire you?

So what? How do you get the experience needed to demonstrate your value and not just that you hate your career enough to try and bail on it???

Why not try doing some work for free or very cheap. Find an organization that doesn't have enough of a budget to get a professional and offer to do the work for them. Startups, non profits, interest groups, local political campaigns.

So what if no one is willing to pay you professional rates yet. Prove your value by offering your services at a discount until there's incontrovertible proof that your work has value.

Identify your barriers and find creative solutions around them. That's how people pull off career changes.

[Schaefer Light]

Of course it's hard to get your foot in the door! Why would they hire someone who has no experience and is trying to bail on their existing career. You're a liability, why would I hire you?

Aren't all entry level employees asking someone to take a chance on them?  Personally, I'm lucky enough to be in a position to work for very low wages or even for free for a while (maybe 3-6 months) before I have to start worrying about finances.  My problem is I don't know where to find these positions.  They don't seem to be listed online, and I don't really know many people who work for non-profits.  Or people in general ;).  Any advice on how to find these types of opportunities?

[I-Ranger]

I managed a research lab, eventually got tired of being paid so little (36k/year) for the amount of education I had (masters in biochemistry), so at age 37 I went to pharmacy school. Four years later I got my license, found MMM nine months after that, and now at 120k/year in a LCOL area, I have cash gushing out of my every pore and orifice.

The six semesters of classes were painful, but the interning and rotations weren't bad at all. I went into pharmacy for the money, but I've found that I actually enjoy it, which will make for an even easier downshift in 3 years when I'm 45, followed by FIRE a few years after that, depending on how much I'm willing to work at that point.

Best decision I ever made.

[Metalcat]

Of course it's hard to get your foot in the door! Why would they hire someone who has no experience and is trying to bail on their existing career. You're a liability, why would I hire you?

Aren't all entry level employees asking someone to take a chance on them?  Personally, I'm lucky enough to be in a position to work for very low wages or even for free for a while (maybe 3-6 months) before I have to start worrying about finances.  My problem is I don't know where to find these positions.  They don't seem to be listed online, and I don't really know many people who work for non-profits.  Or people in general ;).  Any advice on how to find these types of opportunities?

Most entry level positions are being staffed with young, inexperienced people, not people who are trying to walk away from their existing careers.
Without experience it's very hard to differentiate yourself as eager and talented instead of bitter and burnt out.

Of course the kind of opportunities I described aren't posted online, they aren't opportunities that exist until someone decides they should exist.

Also, none of the best opportunities exist online or even at all. Actual applying for actual pre-existing jobs should be the very bottom of the barrel of your career building efforts.

I personally wouldn't even bother with job postings if it were me. I would consider it a waste of my time.

If you want to build a new career, then first you need to learn how to network effectively. You need to learn how to generate the kind of opportunities you want because the system isn't set up to hand them to you.

How do I know networking is so effective? Because I actually have a second job in a professional area that's totally different from my day job just because I'm good at networking. My job didn't exist until I offered to do it.

Networking isn't just important for finding jobs, it's a professional skill in and of itself and sure, some people can succeed without it, but it's a hell of a lot easier with it.

So that would be my advice: learn to network.
Pro-tip: the goal of networking is to be useful to others, not to try and get anything directly from your connections.

[OurTown]

Big time career change.  Involuntary, however.  My first career crashed and burned circa 2005.  Instead of getting depressed and crying in my beer, I went to law school 2006-09, and have been a practicing attorney ever since.

[Cassie]

I changed careers by going back to graduate school for a second master’s. Once a week the school had a newsletter with job opportunities all over the country that employers had sent to them. I applied to those and had lots of offers.

[goalphish2002]

For the folks who changed careers, how did you get your foot in the door in your first position in the new career?  Did you already have some experience doing the new type of work that you could put on your resume?  Did you know someone on the inside who could help you get the position?

I've been trying to make a change for months, but I'm not having any luck.  I have friends who keep referring me to recruiting firms, but every time I talk to one of these recruiters/headhunters about what I'm trying to do they tell me (in so many words) that I'm not likely to be successful in making this change and they can't help me.  They only want to place me in roles that are just like what I've been doing (i.e. management, which I fucking hated).  I really want to try my hand at an entry level data analyst job.  This doesn't seem like it should be impossible for someone with an engineering degree, but the recruiters keep telling me I won't have any luck getting one of these jobs because I don't have analytics experience on my resume.  I don't know what a person who wants to change careers is supposed to do.  It feels like the whole corporate world is structured so that you won't ever get a chance to try something new.

Have you tried to go into cost engineering, which would probably lead to data analysis?

[eljefe-speaks]

@Malkynn I hear what you're saying and it is depressing. To change careers you need to become a professional, part time schmoozer? You're permanently stuck in your dead-end career if you do not have a good networking aptitude?

As someone who also entertains the notion of a potential career change, I am on Schaefer's team. It should not be so difficult and discouraging to change careers. I think businesses are risk-adverse to a fault.

[JLee]

Police 2006-2011, (relocated) -> security 2011-2012, IT 2012-now (relocated again in 2015 for a different job)

[eljefe-speaks]

Police 2006-2011, (relocated) -> security 2011-2012, IT 2012-now (relocated again in 2015 for a different job)

Any color to provide between security / IT? Coding bootcamp? Associates Degree? Self-taught?

[wxdevil]

As others have said, networking is the best way to get a new job. But I've also had a lot of success with  a few LinkedIn recruiters contacting me out of the blue. In fact, because of that, I am now interviewing for a job which would be a major career shift at a company that is very prestigious and notoriously difficult to get a foot in the door. Still can't believe it's happening. I am slightly underqualified but it's going to be a good experience regardless.  Point being, you gotta put yourself out there every way you can. Make yourself attractive and people want to hire you, but certainly don't act desperate for a change.

[JLee]

Police 2006-2011, (relocated) -> security 2011-2012, IT 2012-now (relocated again in 2015 for a different job)

Any color to provide between security / IT? Coding bootcamp? Associates Degree? Self-taught?

Self-taught to start. I had been building computers for ages and was/am generally tech-savvy. I managed to get a very entry level position with a referral from a friend - I did well there (5 promotions in 3 years) and then was hired elsewhere with another referral from someone I've known for quite some time. I didn't even interview for my current position - basically my friend said "you should hire him" and they did.  I do have an AA but it's unrelated (general studies).

[eljefe-speaks]

LinkedIn recruiters contacting me out of the blue. In fact, because of that...

You just inspired my to get my LinkedIn fully up-to-date.

However, are you in a highly sought-after STEM career?

[Metalcat]

@Malkynn I hear what you're saying and it is depressing. To change careers you need to become a professional, part time schmoozer? You're permanently stuck in your dead-end career if you do not have a good networking aptitude?

As someone who also entertains the notion of a potential career change, I am on Schaefer's team. It should not be so difficult and discouraging to change careers. I think businesses are risk-adverse to a fault.

Oh good grief.
If you equate networking with schmoozing, then yeah, you have a problem. Networking is not schmoozing, and it's not self promoting, and it's not attending "networking events" and it's not stalking people on LinkedIn.

Networking is making useful connections, being useful to people, and generating ideas and projects that benefit everyone involved. Participating in this forum is exactly like networking.

Also, I don't at all find businesses to be risk averse to a fault, but I do find that they need some evidence of value before they're willing to invest, which just seems like common sense to me.

All I'm saying is that the path you want isn't going to be paved for you. The right sequence of opportunities aren't just going to appear online in the exact sequence you need in order to make a major career change in just a few months.
That's not how it works.

As long as you see networking as some kind of bad thing that you don't want to do, then yes, this will all continue to be much much harder than it needs to be.

So yes, you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone, but that if you think of networking as schmoozing, then you aren't going to have much luck with it.

[wxdevil]

LinkedIn recruiters contacting me out of the blue. In fact, because of that...

You just inspired my to get my LinkedIn fully up-to-date.

However, are you in a highly sought-after STEM career?

Sort of. My career options are currently very limited outside of my current role, but I have a scientific background. I highlighted a lot of the skills I thought would be relevant for jobs I actually want, like data science and communications skills. So if I have any advice to give, make yourself look well-rounded and highlight anything that could be applicable to the career you want. The role I'm applying for is data scientist at a consulting firm, and I'm not currently a data scientist or even formally trained in it.

[wxdevil]

Another piece of advice for LinkedIn -- if you find a job you want, act like you have nothing to lose. The recruiter started ghosting me, partially for good reason since I was wavering back and forth. I ended up applying still and she still wouldn't respond. I thought it was dead in the water.

I started doing some research and found out who the hiring manager was on the team I was applying to work for. Sent her a message telling her I applied and asked if I could chat. I had very low expectations, but she actually responded and then a few days later the recruiter contacted me to set up an interview. So be aggressive and assertive! Don't wait for opportunities to fall in your lap.

[Metalcat]

Here's a quote from APowers in another thread about building a business in response to a post I made about consulting with/networking with professionals instead of trying to do everything by yourself when starting a new business.

What he is describing is the definition of networking.

"This.

I'm a professional handyman/fix-it guy, and honestly, I [/i]love[/i] it when I can give my friends and customers guidance on something and see them accomplish it themselves. I sometimes do this unsolicited with confused looking people in Lowe's. If it turns out you can't do it yourself, I got you covered, but if you *can*, I'm excited for you.

A professional who would refuse to share value with folks without first seeing some cash in their pocket has things backwards, imo. Although I thought this was how the world worked for the longest time. Since then, I've learned differently. The world runs on value delivered-- if I go around delivering value to people, that value comes back around to me as people recognize what I provide; if I want that value to return to me in the form of "money", I just need to be positioned so people know that. So I've learned to care more about delivering the greatest value, and focus less about making sure there is a check written."

[SharkStomper]

So I started some 20+ years ago in copier repair and then as the industry shifted to digital I began working on the networking side of making them print/scan.  This led to a position as help desk for companies that needed part time IT.  I continued throughout this process of teaching myself networking and getting a bunch of certs. 

Once I got my CCNA I started getting hit up for network engineer positions by head hunters which led me down my current path.  Over the past 5 years I've more than doubled my income and now have hope for FIRE.

[Zola.]

I am in the middle of a career change right now.

Changing from a Web & Graphic Designer & Junior Salesforce Admin, to a proper certified Salesforce Admin as well as a Front-End Designer.

The Graphic Design is being passed on (thank God!), Ten years of it...  3 separate job hats now into 2...

I am hoping now that I have earned my Admin certification (going for App Builder cert next week too), that I should be able to command a higher salary soon, as I am about £7000 down on the market average for my role.

[Schaefer Light]

Of course it's hard to get your foot in the door! Why would they hire someone who has no experience and is trying to bail on their existing career. You're a liability, why would I hire you?

Aren't all entry level employees asking someone to take a chance on them?  Personally, I'm lucky enough to be in a position to work for very low wages or even for free for a while (maybe 3-6 months) before I have to start worrying about finances.  My problem is I don't know where to find these positions.  They don't seem to be listed online, and I don't really know many people who work for non-profits.  Or people in general ;).  Any advice on how to find these types of opportunities?

Most entry level positions are being staffed with young, inexperienced people, not people who are trying to walk away from their existing careers.
Without experience it's very hard to differentiate yourself as eager and talented instead of bitter and burnt out.

Of course the kind of opportunities I described aren't posted online, they aren't opportunities that exist until someone decides they should exist.

Also, none of the best opportunities exist online or even at all. Actual applying for actual pre-existing jobs should be the very bottom of the barrel of your career building efforts.

I personally wouldn't even bother with job postings if it were me. I would consider it a waste of my time.

If you want to build a new career, then first you need to learn how to network effectively. You need to learn how to generate the kind of opportunities you want because the system isn't set up to hand them to you.

How do I know networking is so effective? Because I actually have a second job in a professional area that's totally different from my day job just because I'm good at networking. My job didn't exist until I offered to do it.

Networking isn't just important for finding jobs, it's a professional skill in and of itself and sure, some people can succeed without it, but it's a hell of a lot easier with it.

So that would be my advice: learn to network.
Pro-tip: the goal of networking is to be useful to others, not to try and get anything directly from your connections.

I totally agree with the bolded part about online job applications.  I can't even work up the energy to fill them out any more.  I started applying for new positions in mid-December, and the only places that have called me back have been places where I had a personal connection. 

I do want to clarify something.  I didn't bail on my existing career without having anything else lined up.  That choice was made for me when new management came in and got rid of all the long-time employees.  That being said, I wasn't happy in my job and hadn't been for a long time.  Managing people was never a good fit for me, but it was the only way to get a raise and I probably would have been laid off even sooner had I refused to take the management position when it was offered to me.  So, I knew I needed to make a career change but now I've been forced to do so.

I do think it's bullshit if older candidates aren't even considered for entry-level positions, though.  That seems like blatant age discrimination to me.  It's almost as if the whole corporate system is designed to make it harder for older employees to change careers.  I don't mind competing with younger candidates or working for an entry level salary.  All I'm asking for is a level playing field.  Give me (and other older candidates) the same opportunities as the twenty-somethings.

One other thing (and this isn't aimed at anyone in particular) - don't ever tell someone how easy it is to find a job in this economic environment.  Say that to an unemployed friend, and you might just lose that friend.  I hear people say that and I want to kick them in the fucking teeth.

[Schaefer Light]

Have you tried to go into cost engineering, which would probably lead to data analysis?

I hadn't thought of that, but thanks for the idea.

[goalphish2002]

Have you tried to go into cost engineering, which would probably lead to data analysis?

I hadn't thought of that, but thanks for the idea.

I am in project controls (I have an accounting degree so I can't call myself a "cost engineer"), and I'm interested in going into data analytics.  I just need to figure out how to get the training and software to use at work.  But, I think this could potentially work.  I can let you know if it works for me. 

[Metalcat]

Of course it's hard to get your foot in the door! Why would they hire someone who has no experience and is trying to bail on their existing career. You're a liability, why would I hire you?

Aren't all entry level employees asking someone to take a chance on them?  Personally, I'm lucky enough to be in a position to work for very low wages or even for free for a while (maybe 3-6 months) before I have to start worrying about finances.  My problem is I don't know where to find these positions.  They don't seem to be listed online, and I don't really know many people who work for non-profits.  Or people in general ;).  Any advice on how to find these types of opportunities?

Most entry level positions are being staffed with young, inexperienced people, not people who are trying to walk away from their existing careers.
Without experience it's very hard to differentiate yourself as eager and talented instead of bitter and burnt out.

Of course the kind of opportunities I described aren't posted online, they aren't opportunities that exist until someone decides they should exist.

Also, none of the best opportunities exist online or even at all. Actual applying for actual pre-existing jobs should be the very bottom of the barrel of your career building efforts.

I personally wouldn't even bother with job postings if it were me. I would consider it a waste of my time.

If you want to build a new career, then first you need to learn how to network effectively. You need to learn how to generate the kind of opportunities you want because the system isn't set up to hand them to you.

How do I know networking is so effective? Because I actually have a second job in a professional area that's totally different from my day job just because I'm good at networking. My job didn't exist until I offered to do it.

Networking isn't just important for finding jobs, it's a professional skill in and of itself and sure, some people can succeed without it, but it's a hell of a lot easier with it.

So that would be my advice: learn to network.
Pro-tip: the goal of networking is to be useful to others, not to try and get anything directly from your connections.

I totally agree with the bolded part about online job applications.  I can't even work up the energy to fill them out any more.  I started applying for new positions in mid-December, and the only places that have called me back have been places where I had a personal connection. 

I do want to clarify something.  I didn't bail on my existing career without having anything else lined up.  That choice was made for me when new management came in and got rid of all the long-time employees.  That being said, I wasn't happy in my job and hadn't been for a long time.  Managing people was never a good fit for me, but it was the only way to get a raise and I probably would have been laid off even sooner had I refused to take the management position when it was offered to me.  So, I knew I needed to make a career change but now I've been forced to do so.

I do think it's bullshit if older candidates aren't even considered for entry-level positions, though.  That seems like blatant age discrimination to me.  It's almost as if the whole corporate system is designed to make it harder for older employees to change careers.  I don't mind competing with younger candidates or working for an entry level salary.  All I'm asking for is a level playing field.  Give me (and other older candidates) the same opportunities as the twenty-somethings.

One other thing (and this isn't aimed at anyone in particular) - don't ever tell someone how easy it is to find a job in this economic environment.  Say that to an unemployed friend, and you might just lose that friend.  I hear people say that and I want to kick them in the fucking teeth.

For me, it's not so much age discrimination, it's the warning bells of someone walking away from a good career. I'm inclined to worry that they might be burnt out.

I would more inclined to hire a happy 55 year old who is looking to downshift over a bitter 35 year old who is burnt out any day.

I would really encourage you to try and better understand the position of the people you are trying to secure jobs from rather than jump to conclusions that their practices are unfair and discriminatory.

The better you understand a potential employer's interpretation of your background, the better prepared you will be to make yourself appealing and to market yourself appropriately.

[HP]

How many people changed their careers, how did you do it and how long did it take? I am considering it, looking for advice/ guidance

There are a lot of variables to this. How much of a career change is it? Do you have demonstrably transferable skills, and are there educational/certification boxes you need to check? Do you have contacts in your new field of interest who can point you to good opportunities or be a reference? Etc.

Personally, after ~10 years of being a SAHM, I'm starting from scratch in a completely unrelated field (medical lab scientist) from what I did before (clerical assistant). None of my skills or education is transferable: I need a bachelor's degree with a biological/medical focus (I barely even did science in highschool), some post-graduate training, and a certificate. So that's five years of effort put into switching careers in which I barely have time for anything else. For other people with more work experience and education, it may be easier, depending on how dramatic the shift is, I guess.

How much work you're willing to put in directly correlates to how badly you want this.

[HP]

Oh good grief.
If you equate networking with schmoozing, then yeah, you have a problem. Networking is not schmoozing, and it's not self promoting, and it's not attending "networking events" and it's not stalking people on LinkedIn.

Networking is making useful connections, being useful to people, and generating ideas and projects that benefit everyone involved. Participating in this forum is exactly like networking.

Will someone pleeeeease tell this to the MLM people. :P

[Threshkin]

Oh good grief.
If you equate networking with schmoozing, then yeah, you have a problem. Networking is not schmoozing, and it's not self promoting, and it's not attending "networking events" and it's not stalking people on LinkedIn.

Networking is making useful connections, being useful to people, and generating ideas and projects that benefit everyone involved. Participating in this forum is exactly like networking.

Will someone pleeeeease tell this to the MLM people. :P

Nooooo!  Then they will show up here! 

[HP]

Oh good grief.
If you equate networking with schmoozing, then yeah, you have a problem. Networking is not schmoozing, and it's not self promoting, and it's not attending "networking events" and it's not stalking people on LinkedIn.

Networking is making useful connections, being useful to people, and generating ideas and projects that benefit everyone involved. Participating in this forum is exactly like networking.

Will someone pleeeeease tell this to the MLM people. :P

Nooooo!  Then they will show up here!

And stop being MLM, since it benefits no one?

[AlotToLearn]

I have changed careers three times over a span of twelve years, with the most recent coming due to a a layoff in late 2014. Looking back, each time I did it, it forced me out of my comfort zone, and the prior company/career I was in was no longer fulfilling me personally, professionally or financially.

[Channel-Z]

For me, a journalist, a career change (I'm over 40) would be extraordinarily challenging. Our transferable skills are much more vague (organized! deadline-driven!) than someone in a scientific or technological field.

Of my former co-workers, most who left journalism went into marketing or public relations, for basically the same amount of money. Some were unemployed for many months before landing such jobs. I know of one guy who worked overnight and attended medical school during the day. He functioned on two or three hours of sleep, perfect preparation for residency I suppose. Another former co-worker went back to school full-time to become a teacher, taught for two years before getting fired, and now sells MLM and tries to rent out her dog as a therapy dog. A former news anchor of mine worked overnight and went to law school part-time over many years. She was able to quit and work for a law firm eventually. Another former co-worker quit, thinking he could get a better job, and now works for less money in a property rental office. The paths go many ways.

[plainjane]

I really want to try my hand at an entry level data analyst job.  This doesn't seem like it should be impossible for someone with an engineering degree, but the recruiters keep telling me I won't have any luck getting one of these jobs because I don't have analytics experience on my resume.

What I did was find a way to argue that in fact my whole career I had been doing components of the new career, and that I was really great at learning new things in each new organization I joined. I went to a bunch of meetups, listened to industry podcasts, and read lots of articles so that I had the language down pat and could speak about the industry trends during interviews. Of course a recruiter doesn't want you, they get a percentage of your salary for placing you.

Data analytics seems to be one of those roles that could mean almost anything, so make sure you understand what it means at the orgs you are applying at, and then explain in your cover letter about how in your previous roles you always preferred the projects where you got to do x, which made you realize you wanted to do data analytics full time.

[jmechanical]

I worked as an aerospace engineer (mechanical engineering) at a large aircraft manufacturer for 12 years out of college.  ~15 months ago I switched into an entry level software engineering role at one of the big name software companies.

My software engineering experience was all on the job at my previous company, and self taught.  I didn't go back to school at all. 

After 15 months I am becoming reasonably competent at my new job

Can you expand a little more on what resources you used to be self taught and what kind of projects you worked on at your previous company?

I'm getting burned out on mechanical engineering. One of the things that appeals to me about software is that the barriers to executing an idea or building a product are much smaller (ie instead of working on a project that is by necessity years long and requiring millions of dollars of capital and production infrastructure/tooling, all you need is a computer and your brain).

[A Fella from Stella]

How many people changed their careers, how did you do it and how long did it take? I am considering it, looking for advice/ guidance

I have made the error of changing too much.

I left the military to be a SAHD and college student (good move)
Went into federal service, but was impatient and went to an accounting firm (terrible workplace, but  valuable move, overall)
Was offered to go back to federal service, but chose another private company (good experience, but was cheated by my boss, so began working for another company from his location, and left)
Went back to federal service (good move)
Got a 2nd job teaching, which I absolutely love, and all of the past career changes have made me much more valuable in the classroom.

What hurt me was the constant moving around: staying in the military would have been bad for me and my family, but my pay would be higher (not worth it).

Now my plan is to stay in the federal government, which I plan to leave in 10 years, before the pension can be drawn, so I can teach full-time.

The only variable is if one of my side projects takes off in a big way. Then I'll be self-funded and out. This would occur if I was debt-free and had $1.5MM in available cash.

[jinga nation]

first career: electromagnetics, design/test, lasted 4 years. great boss and team, terrible employer, not seeing growth or long-term prospects.
2nd: system design/integration/test engineering for IT systems, lasted 7.5 years
3rd: cloud engineering/developer, 1.5 years and going (was dabbling with this in 2nd career, got spotted and poached)

seeing where tech and jobs are going, connecting dots, getting the latest tech certs helps make the wallet fatter. having a BS and MSEE helped, makes me a better well-rounded engineer to understand projects from multiple facets, and got to be the lead on several projects.
having a side RE hustle made me understand costs, deliverables, timelines.

running to where the futbol will land.