Career Change Advice

NDFAN420

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Man, this speaks to my soul. Going into year 19. The job has changed a lot. People don't understand how hard it is (but that's probably true of almost anyone looking at a job from the outside that they have no experience with).

I usually get the itch by now that school is starting soon, but this year it's just dread and anxiety.

I know I should probably stay because of the years I have put in and how dumb it would be at this point to not get the retirement benefits. But, that also seems a very long way down the road and I just don't know if I can mentally get there.

I also really don't know what else I would do that would have comparable pay. As someone with Secondary Education and History undergrad degree and two Masters in education and educational technology I feel like there's not much out there outside of education that I am qualified for.
If you're really dreading your work and need a change, look for industries that hire 'outside-the-box". There are IT jobs that regularly hire non-IT people. A google search for "get into IT from education" yielded some interesting results, but CyberSec firms are always looking for innovative people not necessarily in Tech already.

I'm not a tech guy, but I've heard a lot about how they hire.
 
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ulukinatme

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Man, this speaks to my soul. Going into year 19. The job has changed a lot. People don't understand how hard it is (but that's probably true of almost anyone looking at a job from the outside that they have no experience with).

I usually get the itch by now that school is starting soon, but this year it's just dread and anxiety.

I know I should probably stay because of the years I have put in and how dumb it would be at this point to not get the retirement benefits. But, that also seems a very long way down the road and I just don't know if I can mentally get there.

I also really don't know what else I would do that would have comparable pay. As someone with Secondary Education and History undergrad degree and two Masters in education and educational technology I feel like there's not much out there outside of education that I am qualified for.

There's all kind of positions in the business world you would qualify for, especially if you have technology background. Could get into Project Management maybe.
I don't want you to skip out on the retirement bonus, but it's never too late to change careers. My sister in law managed a pizza chain for the last 25 years. She worked the same job from the time she was a Junior in high school till last month. Now she's working in an office and loves it.
 

Irish2155

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I found myself job searching for the first time in 10 years earlier this summer. I had a few prospective employers that seemed over the moon about the interview and they didn't get back for 3+ weeks. It turned out one of the other hiring managers was out of the office on vacation and they had to conduct a secondary interview before anything got finalized. Schedule was a bit busy after the vacation and all that. Unfortunately for them I had already taken a new position by the time they got back to me with an offer, and my current job was better. That's the way things go in the corporate world sometimes, hiring processes can take awhile. I would follow up for sure to let them know you're still interested, but try not to push any buttons.
Horrible business practice. Never leave hot candidates waiting. It’s truly a race for talent.
 

Irish2155

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Man, this speaks to my soul. Going into year 19. The job has changed a lot. People don't understand how hard it is (but that's probably true of almost anyone looking at a job from the outside that they have no experience with).

I usually get the itch by now that school is starting soon, but this year it's just dread and anxiety.

I know I should probably stay because of the years I have put in and how dumb it would be at this point to not get the retirement benefits. But, that also seems a very long way down the road and I just don't know if I can mentally get there.

I also really don't know what else I would do that would have comparable pay. As someone with Secondary Education and History undergrad degree and two Masters in education and educational technology I feel like there's not much out there outside of education that I am qualified for.
Send me your resume. No promises but I can absolutely get it into many of the right hands. Happy to help if I can.
 
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thekid33

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Send me your resume. No promises but I can absolutely get it into many of the right hands.
Appreciate that! Going to spend some time brushing it up first, but I'll follow up.
 

Irish2155

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Appreciate that! Going to spend some time brushing it up first, but I'll follow up.
You bet. Let me know what you’re looking for too or at least narrow it down, if you don’t mind.

I work with one client but my staffing partners work with many. Worth a roll of the dice… especially with this background
 
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FDNYIrish1

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Thanks for all the input. I’m hoping it’s just corporate red tape and that it works out in the end.

It’s been a difficult experience. The only reason I truly started looking for jobs was to find one that allowed me to spend more time with my kids.
Hang in there brother. My side job takes me in and out of the corporate world and I can tell you most offices are either a quarter full or some variation of remote/part time in person. I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff slipping through the cracks in the current set up. I would definitely follow up. Good luck!
 

Fbolt

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Interested if anyone has work in or contacts in Corporate Security (not IT). I have a career in Personnel, Physical, and Technical, to include Executive Protection with senior level international program management. Retiring in the next 1 to 2 years. Please PM if you do. Thanks.
 

Some Irish Bloke

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The saga continues...

Job opening 4 and 5....

4) A fully remote position fell into my lap. Could it be fate?! No. After multiple interviews (one of which required me to test out of specific cases....I passed easily), the manager decided against hiring me. I still don't quite understand the reasoning. They claimed I'm not a fit for one particular clinic but could possibly fill needs elsewhere, but those needs elsewhere aren't pressing so they're going to circle back. As of today, they still haven't filled any of their positions.

5) I followed up with the company mentioned in Job #2 above (post 213) and was forwarded to a HR rep in Ohio for an opening. I'm not looking to re-locate so the talks stalled. However, months later they contacted me and said the same position is now available remotely. I did two interviews (phone and virtual) and then voluntarily drove 3 hours (one way) to meet the staff in this clinic. I offered to work there, in person, for the first 2-4 weeks in order to establish a good relationship, etc. They were thrilled. Everything went great.....I haven't heard from them since. It's been over three weeks. I've contacted them twice. No response. There is still hope, I guess. But it's weird to get ghosted right? To my knowledge they haven't interviewed anyone else. They reached out to me for crying out loud!


Note: Job #3, as mentioned above (post 213), has yet to be filled as well.


At this point, I've completely lost hope and confidence. I'm not getting any feedback as to why clinics aren't hiring me. I get all the way to the end, everyone says they love me and can't wait to get me on board....and then nothing. And for some of them to not even fill the position....what the hell is that all about? I feel its me. Do I not interview well? Do I come across poorly? Do I not ask enough questions? I have no idea. Everyone paints me as their best candidate and then either hires someone else or doesn't fill the position at all. This has been the worst professional experience of my entire life.
The job I'm currently in now, I think my first interview was right before Thanksgiving in 2021, and I didn't get hired until March 2022. There were only three total interviews during that span (the first being the BS recruiting screen to vet me as a candidate).

For some odd reason, sometimes it takes an organization some time. Especially a Non-profit. NOt sure if the clinic you worked at is a NFP or not, but thought it worth mentioning.

I'd say not all hope is lost yet with #5, if they haven't confirmed that you're out of the running. They might have just missed your email while they're vetting new candidates.

Keep the faith, brother. I sincerely hope you find something soon that improves your work/life balance.
 

Irish#1

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I would agree with this, except I wouldnt do the personal side thing. There's a chance they are just having corporate dysfunction and your potential position has been put on the backburner. Sounding accusatory on a voicemail could cause them to actually reject you.

I don't think I've ever been ghosted after an in-person interview, so your whole situation seems really strange. I think I would definitely leave a voice-mail (max one per two weeks until after the second VM then call twice per week) asking for an update, restating your excitement for the potential position. If they make you send a second voice-mail, I would begin to include a request that they let you know so you can move on to other opportunities.
I guess I should clarify what I meant by getting personal. lol

I meant appeal to their personal side. Ask them something like, "If you were in my position, what would you do next?" or "If you were in my position, what would you recommend my next step be?" It might be enough for them to at least provide a little more info.
 

Some Irish Bloke

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I GOT A JOB!!!!

Prayers answered!!

I had to look nationally and it took some persistence on my part, but I eventually negotiated a fully remote role with a physics company in Ohio.

Thank you all for your prayers and positive thoughts and advice.
Congratulations, man, and kudos to you for sticking with it through what seemed like a very, very challenging time.

Absolutely thrilled for you.
 

irishff1014

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I GOT A JOB!!!!

Prayers answered!!

I had to look nationally and it took some persistence on my part, but I eventually negotiated a fully remote role with a physics company in Ohio.

Thank you all for your prayers and positive thoughts and advice.

Congrats. Rock out!
 

Veritate Duce Progredi

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I GOT A JOB!!!!

Prayers answered!!

I had to look nationally and it took some persistence on my part, but I eventually negotiated a fully remote role with a physics company in Ohio.

Thank you all for your prayers and positive thoughts and advice.
This is a great lesson in resilience and continuing to push forward. Happy for you BBG!
 

Irish#1

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I GOT A JOB!!!!

Prayers answered!!

I had to look nationally and it took some persistence on my part, but I eventually negotiated a fully remote role with a physics company in Ohio.

Thank you all for your prayers and positive thoughts and advice.
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