Farmer X's great career change

[Farmer X]

Some of y'awl know that I've determined a career change is a must. I just don't want to mess around with nasty chemicals anymore. I'm considering a few options.

One option is something to do with computers. Just doing research on Raspberry Pi made me see a ton of potential with them. I've also considered robotics. Game warden, forest ranger, and such appeal simply because my outdoor comfort range is much greater than indoors. And if you told me 25 years ago that I'd consider becoming a social worker, I'd have laughed and said, "you're full of smurf." But here I am. Social work comes with a stipulation: I'd only be willing to work with veterans.

We shall see how it goes. Quite a lot of planning may be required. Of course, I'm very open to advice and suggestions.

[AzteCypher]

Let us know what you decide and let me know if you need anything. 

[SteveC]

Some of y'awl know that I've determined a career change is a must. I just don't want to mess around with nasty chemicals anymore. I'm considering a few options.

One option is something to do with computers. Just doing research on Raspberry Pi made me see a ton of potential with them. I've also considered robotics. Game warden, forest ranger, and such appeal simply because my outdoor comfort range is much greater than indoors. And if you told me 25 years ago that I'd consider becoming a social worker, I'd have laughed and said, "you're full of smurf." But here I am. Social work comes with a stipulation: I'd only be willing to work with veterans.

We shall see how it goes. Quite a lot of planning may be required. Of course, I'm very open to advice and suggestions.

Might not be the best timing for a government job.

[nate j]

Based on my LI feed, it seems like it might be a tough time to try to break into computers/tech/IT.  But I know we have some folks on the forum that work in that field; maybe they could comment.

Game warden/LEO - Many law enforcement agencies give preference to veterans.  However, some have age limits and or physical fitness requirements; would probably have to check with the specific agency of interest.

Social worker - Seems like this is the only one on the list simply because you want to do it, so maybe that is telling?

[LoopCutter]

I am very happy and proud of your decision to move forward now!

You have had a tough go of it the past couple years.

Waking up to a new challenge is a great thing. Healing and improving is always better than being stagnant and just getting by.

DoNOT wait for the BEST time, or just right conditions, sometimes just jumping forward to a direction that you KNOW there is a flicker of PASSION is awl that you need.

Keep your MTo family updated  as you begin charting your new journey. 

Also, be aware, once you select a path does not mean, you must stay that path, turns and twists may require investigation.

👍

[ThisAlarm7]

Whatever you choose, I hope you love it and it's much better than your last gig.

[Alan K.]

Patient Advocacy is a type of social work that my sister has been researching as a retirement gig, but some people make it their career.  You meet with patients in the hospital and help them navigate between their doctors and insurance companies and get them the care that they need. My sister says it can be very rewarding. No medical background required.

[PitCarver]

I'm definitely not one to ask.
My last career change left me retired, but good luck in your quest.

[Farmer X]

Based on my LI feed...

I'm showing my ignorance here...what is "LI feed?"

While taking care of business at the VA, I pulled up the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. It's a great resource that gives lots of details about various occupations.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

At least a bachelor's degree seems to be desired, if not mandated, for the great bulk of computer-related jobs. Same for social work. Robot operators (the BLS has a rather long name for them) may only require an Associate's degree, but their median income is under my target. I was unable to find a section on game wardens specifically, but wildlife workers seem to be pretty far away from my target income.

So, with my target income being a little high and my limited desire to go back to school, what's left? I found one field that's projected to grow at a slower than average pace, but will grow nevertheless (unlike power-plant operators). It mashed every other button and doesn't seem to try to defeat safety interlocks on buttons that should not be pushed.

Looks like I may well try to become a rail worker. We shall see how awl this goes.

[gustophersmob]

If you don’t mind sharing, what part of the country are you in?

[LoopCutter]

He is located in the Detroit, Michigan  area.

[gustophersmob]

Cool, thanks.

Sending you a PM, Farmer X

[Farmer X]

PM replied to.

[nate j]

I'm showing my ignorance here...what is "LI feed?"

LI = LinkedIn, a professional networking site

[Whoey]

IT is actually not as difficult as you might think to get into at some level. I started in electronics manufacturing and switched to IT later, although they aren't totally unrelated fields.

That being said, IT is a much wider field than most people think. I recommend finding something you at least like, and specialize in it, don't be a jack of all trades like me. While it's good for firefighting, it's not great in terms of personal fulfillment. Also there's a lot of stress, but that may be a personal thing with me as I actually care a little too much.

Based on some of the profiles we get for subs for our usual on-site support team we see all sorts. Many who changed dramatically from some other field as you are suggesting, some not so young, but who already had a good background or took time to go back to school.

Initiative, common sense, life experience and positive attitude will carry you far. I see many young people who don't have basic skills or initiative like some of the older generations.

Entry level positions will be soul devouring. Expect a lot of pebkac and ID 10t errors

[Sos24]

Good luck.  Hopefully you find something that can be fulfilling while also making you the money you need.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Barry said most of what I wanted to say- I swear sometimes he and I are on a pretty close wavelength!   

I think right now helping veterans is a great idea, and I won't say why because we don't do politics here.  Unfortunately there is probably a lot of very experienced people in that area that are currently looking for opportunities as well, so the competition may be high.

I'd also agree with Steve on his comments about government work, and again, won't expand any further.  I feel like park ranger is a very poor decision at the moment for the same reason above.

Ditto for social work.

Law enforcement is always a good plan for veterans, and I believe many police forces are actively recruiting so that could be an excellent option and some versatility for different regions depending on where you'd like to find yourself.

LoopCutter also had it right when he said don't wait for the right time.  There really is no time like the present, and he who hesitates is lost.   

Come to think of it, there is a lot of really good advice in this thread.  We have some really smart cookies on this forum!

Def

[Farmer X]

  I, unfortunately, am not one of said cookies.

If game wardens are considered law enforcement officers, that's very likely out. While I could get myself in better shape, a maximum age would almost definitely be an insurmountable hurdle. Private sector is probably a better way to go than government right now...especially since local government doesn't pay worth a smurf at entry level.

  to Whoey for thr write-up on IT! That remains a possibility.

Goong back to school is something I hesitate to do because I've never had to juggle school and work. I've always treated schooling as a full-time job. I'd drive myself into the madhouse if I tried to hold down two full-time jobs. A part-time job could become more practical in the future, though. Many  things are up in the air and waiting to settle down.

When they settle, I'll be able to take a better look into things.

[LoopCutter]

If balancing a job and schooling at same time maybe an issue have you considered work in the trades?

Many of the local unions operate apprentice programs that combine training and on the job experience.  Welding, Electrical, plumbing, construction are the main ones that come to mind.

If you remember Mike Rowe from DIRTY JOBS fame, he is a major advocate for promoting skilled jobs in the trades and the fact there is a lack of people entering these fields.   Age is not a factor either, maturity is, as well as responsibility to do a good job.

As you know both of my sons are professional firefighters.  24 hours on and 48 hours off.  So they and other Fireman have side jobs.
My son told me yesterday that one of his crew completed a welding course and know is working a few days a week welding frames for a plant in town, $45 to $60 per hour  part time, depending on the type of job the factory has him assembling. 

A skill mastered does not go out of style!

[Farmer X]

I nearly went into a program that was a precursor to an apprenticeship in the trades. Now that you've mentioned it, I will have to see about getting into it again. That door should still be open if the program wasn't shut down. Operating engineer (the guys who drive diggers, bulldozers, and such) was my first choice there.

[AzteCypher]

I always wanted to learn welding but never made the time for it.  I've told my wife that if I get tired of IT work, I'm going to look into schooling for welding. 

[Vidar]

From around here the operators in those high building/ shipping cranes seem to always be in great demand. Although sitting in one place all day would drive me somewhat nuts I guess. The other one, which was a bit of a surprise to me, is fulltime specialized forklift driver. When I took the forklift license back in the day part of the course was the current job situation. And for a good full time forklift driver back then the pay could be surprisingly good. For ships and similar, where time in port was wasted money, they paid very well for effective forklift drivers  - about USD 120000 per year was mentioned. And that was in the 90s so likely much higher today.

[Vidar]

Did it again - quote not edit. There should be a badge for that. 

[pfrsantos]

Whatever you choose, I hope you love it and it's much better than your last gig.

Good luck.  Hopefully you find something that can be fulfilling while also making you the money you need.

Pretty much this! Hope everything works out fine for you, bro!

 

[Farmer X]

Thanks, y'awl!

The precursor program I mentioned earlier is still going. And there's a possibility I may be staying in this area longer than I thought. If so, I'll definitely be going into that program.

[Farmer X]

Last week I went to ONET, which is similar in scope to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It's not as compartmentalized as the OOH, and it has some additional tools. One is a self-assessment that may help the types of work best suited for you. Here are my results:

  [ You are not allowed to view this attachment ]  

Well, then! I scored a 0 for the Social category. Guess social worker isn't a great choice for me. But I scored high in Realistic and Conventional. Both of those are associated with rail work (and the trades, I'm assuming). Nice to confirm things you already know are indeed true.

[Farmer X]

I went back to ONET yesterday and did a little more digging. Turns out that after completing the self-assessment, one can search for careers that match one's interests and desired preparation level. My desired preparation level is no more than an associate's degree. Since I already have one, I shouldn't need to do much more than the field-specific courses. That opened up a few new options: digital forensics analysts, graphics systems information technologists, computer systems engineers and architects, and web developers.

But the one that really surprised me was avionics technicians. I already have an Airframes and Powerplants certificate, so I have at least some familiarity with aircraft. My AS is in aviation maintenance technology. And I trained in electronics in the Navy. I'm thinking that avionics could be a great field to get into, even though it may be a little competitive.

[AzteCypher]

That sounds like a pretty good gig to try out for.  I'd say give it a go.

[Sos24]

That sounds like a pretty good gig to try out for.  I'd say give it a go.

  I think definitely worth try.  With your prior knowledge of both, you wouldn’t be starting from nothing as far as knowledge. I would think some of the general knowledge of troubleshooting and maintenance that you learned in Navy would be able to be applied  to any technician type job.

[Alan K.]

I had a friend some years ago that worked on private jets and he said it was interesting work, and a pretty good gig, except for the occasional rush job that required working long hours and sometimes overnight.