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If you could go back and change careers, what would you do?

Superfly said:
Are you here in the states, as an actual chemist? Or are you a chemist in the sense of a UK pharmacist?
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In Canada, a chemist as I use equipment similar to those seen in CSI laboratory scenes.
 
maxparrish said:
Most likely one of three:

First, and most likely, I'd want to be a community college instructor in either political science or economics. I've done a lot of part-time teaching of I.T. subjects and loved it. Moreover, most of my students enjoyed it.

Second, either a water treatment or waste water treatment operator. It would have been a solid career, minimally political, doing technical work with certifications that I could have taken anywhere in the US.

Last, pyrotechnics expert.
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Waste water treatment. I don't know... It's the "solids" I would have a problem with.

But that's just me. I'm liable to puke just taking out the kitchen trash.
 
Superfly said:
Is that like ultrasound technology? I've thought that would be cool, but there'd always be the time when I'd have to tell the parents bad news, as well. :(
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Yes, that's what it is. And the sonographer does no diagnosing (no matter what they see). The Drs look at the ultrasounds and discuss with patients.

Sonographers can only use terms like mass and lesion and not attach any interpretation to them. (Even tho they learn what alot of things indicate of course)

OTOH some Drs do their own ultrasounds...esp. OB/GYNs.
 
Superfly said:
I think a lot of people feel this way. They do what makes the money, but they don't do what they truly are interested in. Sad.
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My army career was what I was interested in. I started down that road at age 17. I got out at one point, but after 8 years as a civilian I went back in for good. Then it got to be more "political" than "performance" oriented after Clinton started his cutbacks. I was ready to get out at that point. After that, I did stuff for the paycheck...though I did find the knowledge I gained and the technology interesting.
 
Superfly said:
I think a lot of people feel this way. They do what makes the money, but they don't do what they truly are interested in. Sad.
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My first career was my passion. Park ranger. But it paid crummy and we were never going to be able to afford a home.

The thing that finally made me go back to school for another degree was that I had moved up to the point where I would have been in an office all the time, doing budgets, scheduling, blah. No more outside doing nature walks, school programs, patrol, etc.

Forget it. So I switched careers, not necessarily for something I had a passion for, but something that would pay well, that I had a talent for, and had the opportunity for a flexible schedule and some creativity. Technical writing.
 
Lursa said:
My first career was my passion. Park ranger. But it paid crummy and we were never going to be able to afford a home.

The thing that finally made me go back to school for another degree was that I had moved up to the point where I would have been in an office all the time, doing budgets, scheduling, blah. No more outside doing nature walks, school programs, patrol, etc.

Forget it. So I switched careers, not necessarily for something I had a passion for, but something that would pay well, that I had a talent for, and had the opportunity for a flexible schedule and some creativity. Technical writing.
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One of my last classes in college was technical writing. I was worried that we'd be writing like VCR manuals and ****, but it was actually quite interesting.
 
I do what I want, always have. I'm only middle class, just blessed and lucky in this regard. There was a point when life could have gone two ways and I expect I'd have been happy either way. Ranger School or ETS and use the GI Bill. I took the education angle all the way, masters in Europe and PhD (candidate) US. I found my passion, lived in Europe and Africa, found friends around the world and where I want to settle down (Kenya). A tab might have lead to Delta, who knows, but I'm content.

I plan to buy land in a couple years and call it a deal, pursing my interests on my time. Presuming I survived an army career, mighta ended up about the same.
 
i have been blessed

i love what i do....i am good at it....and i make really good money at it

My titles have changed over the years....from corp controller to CFO to treasurer depending on exactly what company i was working for, and their corporate makeup

This will be my last job....retiring in a few years....and my career has been fulfilling in a lot of ways

But this is the litmus test i gave my kids....

If you cant get out of bed in the morning raring to go to work....you are in the wrong job

If you love what you do, you will naturally get better and better at it, and the money will follow the skills

If you despise what you do....you wont try to better your skills, and it will be a deadend
 
Superfly said:
that's cool. A pilot would be fun, and you'd get lots of chicks. :lol:

I have actually heard, speaking of flying, that air traffic control is one of the most stressful jobs out there. No ****, sherlock.
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lol. I'm a pilot and a musician and I got exactly 1 chick.

Though on the other hand I'm a bassist and the running joke among bassists is that "we chose bass because we didn't want to get chicks " :)
 
Superfly said:
I know what you mean - so many people follow the money, and then 10 years into their career, they'd rather die than have to get up and go to work. There's more to life than money. Happiness being the main thing.

And SCOTUS? Hell yeah, man. If you are going to be a lawyer, be Thurgood Marshall, for piss sakes. Make your place.
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I like my job, and actually find dealing with the people issues that come with a management job to be more challenging than the technical problems I deal with as a line engineer. But I don't love it. I love planes and flying. At this point I have a little over a thousand hours and still get thrilled anytime I'm airborne. Hell I still demand a window seat on airliners. It never gets tired.

On the plus side I'm planning to do a lot more flying now that the kids are all pretty much on their own.
 
Superfly said:
One of my last classes in college was technical writing. I was worried that we'd be writing like VCR manuals and ****, but it was actually quite interesting.
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The material can seem pretty dry but it's the design and organization of the material that is an interesting challenge to me. You have to understand different learning styles, how people learn and then design content they dont really want to read and make it very easily understood and appealing.

Of course it's more than words, it's videos, interactive modules, Q&A, images, etc.
 
So yeah - if you could go back and change careers, what would you do?
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eh, i'm ok with what i do professionally.
 
Superfly said:
Interesting choices. Wastewater treatment? I could have lived 1,000 years and never expected someone to say this on this thread. :lol:
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Well, its not so different than being hip deep in here, no? ;)
 
Superfly said:
So yeah - if you could go back and change careers, what would you do?

If it's not considered too personal for you, what do you do now, and what would you do if you could start all over?
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I wouldn't change at all. I had 21 years active duty with the Army followed by another 26 working for the Army as a civilian. Retired now. I wouldn't want a different career. Being drafted in 1966 was the best thing that ever happened to me.
 
Superfly said:
I think a lot of people feel this way. They do what makes the money, but they don't do what they truly are interested in. Sad.
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This is a tough dilemma. I know a lot of people who got PhDs in things like music theory, philosophy, or 19th century Russian literature, and basically are scrounging now to make a living as a handyman or tutor for junior high students or something.

Was that a wise way to invest so many years of their life? I don’t know. It’s a tough call. I can see both sides of the argument.
 
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It's been a bit of a haphazard ride. I joined the Navy out of High School and scored high enough they said I could do anything I wanted. Chose submarines. Ended up on a fast attack out of Charleston doing things you aren't supposed to do in places you're not supposed to be. Hell of a way to make a living. But as a non-conformist, I was a terrible sailor. I got out and stumbled into robotics in telcom valley in CA. Made three times the money for a few years till the company moved to TJ. I hated production crap more than the Navy. Then, because of one particular skill and one particular school in the Navy, I was hired to do mechanical inspections of the hydronic and HVAC systems of a large facility (28 acres). 8 months later at the end of construction, they offered me a job. I stayed there as chief engineer for 19 years. Working with the elderly was not something I ever thought about, but it was satisfying, meaningful work and I enjoyed my job. And I just stumbled into the job I have now. A reference from a temp agency. I ended up building equipment for the Navy. For about ten years I worked on first article, (prototypes), and the testing of them. Now I work in the engineering office and check drawings and write the technical manuals and do 3-D, exploded models.
I never had a plan or if I did, life didn't follow it. Never did get that degree, but it has worked out OK. I have been pretty happy going to work for most of my life. But 1,273 days and I am out of here. Unless they make me a ridiculous offer to come back and consult. They are known to do that. And while I'm not sure what my price is, I'm sure I have one.
 
ecofarm said:
I do what I want, always have. I'm only middle class, just blessed and lucky in this regard. There was a point when life could have gone two ways and I expect I'd have been happy either way. Ranger School or ETS and use the GI Bill. I took the education angle all the way, masters in Europe and PhD (candidate) US. I found my passion, lived in Europe and Africa, found friends around the world and where I want to settle down (Kenya). A tab might have lead to Delta, who knows, but I'm content.

I plan to buy land in a couple years and call it a deal, pursing my interests on my time. Presuming I survived an army career, mighta ended up about the same.
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I've always found you and your endeavors very interesting.
 
gdgyva said:
i have been blessed

i love what i do....i am good at it....and i make really good money at it

My titles have changed over the years....from corp controller to CFO to treasurer depending on exactly what company i was working for, and their corporate makeup

This will be my last job....retiring in a few years....and my career has been fulfilling in a lot of ways

But this is the litmus test i gave my kids....

If you cant get out of bed in the morning raring to go to work....you are in the wrong job

If you love what you do, you will naturally get better and better at it, and the money will follow the skills

If you despise what you do....you wont try to better your skills, and it will be a deadend
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Nicely put. Gotta enjoy what you do.
 
Gaius46 said:
lol. I'm a pilot and a musician and I got exactly 1 chick.

Though on the other hand I'm a bassist and the running joke among bassists is that "we chose bass because we didn't want to get chicks " :)
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:lol: You are a musician and a pilot and chicks aren't throwing their panties at you? You gotta be doing it wrong. :lol:

Or you are a lucky man, who found the right one early. Good on ya'. :) :)
 
Gaius46 said:
I like my job, and actually find dealing with the people issues that come with a management job to be more challenging than the technical problems I deal with as a line engineer. But I don't love it. I love planes and flying. At this point I have a little over a thousand hours and still get thrilled anytime I'm airborne. Hell I still demand a window seat on airliners. It never gets tired.

On the plus side I'm planning to do a lot more flying now that the kids are all pretty much on their own.
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Excellent. I am doing things I enjoy more now, also. School is finished (for now). The kids are grown and doing their own thing. I am teaching myself to sketch, and also trying to learn how to grow things.
 
Lursa said:
The material can seem pretty dry but it's the design and organization of the material that is an interesting challenge to me. You have to understand different learning styles, how people learn and then design content they dont really want to read and make it very easily understood and appealing.

Of course it's more than words, it's videos, interactive modules, Q&A, images, etc.
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This is exactly how my professor explained it. :)
 
Superfly said:
I've always found you and your endeavors very interesting.
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Thanks. In a couple years I'll be posting from Kenya again. I can't wait.
 
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