New career? Back to school? Anyone else?

If you just need $100 a week, try quick contractor jobs a Upwork.

Also, you may try your hand at Ebay, dispose of the house clutter first.

I'll give that a go I think. Now to figure out what to sell.

Since you have served, and are currently serving, you will attract the attention of many potential employers once you choose your new career.
In most situations, team players are very highly valued, and not easy to find in this era of "me first". As far as next career choice, keep an open mind, because you will find that more study will open your mind to many possibilities that you currently don't even consider.
And, as far as a general comment, we only have one trip through (to the best of my knowledge), so lots of different experiences are to be valued. Good luck!

I'd agree, and I think I found a solution to put in 10-20 hours a week at my discretion and make close to what I do now anyway. Thanks too @WatchVaultNYC 's idea of freelancing!

I'm 36 and do inside sales for a giant tech company (not one of the cool ones that values their employees). At this point I hate my job. I think I'm going to find something new and work on a masters degree is counseling and therapy. The only bummer is that it takes about three years to finish the degree and get the required hours to get certified and start working full time...and it costs $35k. The way I see it I would be investing three years now and the pay off is for the rest of my life.

LOL!!!

Just for reference for the amount of time I put in.

I take one class a semester, and put in an average of two hours per day for my masters class at a California State university. 3-4 years at this rate. Faster if I take more classes per semester obviously.

I find the masters program to be much easier then bachelors because the majority of my classmates work full time and the professors understand that.

I work full time as an engineer as well which means I have to do all my schoolwork in the afternoon after work.

It's definitely not fun, but doable. I also have no kids but most of my classmates do.

Great thread, thought I'd chime in. In 2002 I was a Network Engineer, with a "great job", making more money than most of my friends, but I absolutely hated it. I just felt lost everyday. My friends and family told me it was an excellent job and I shouldn't complain, but just wasn't for me. Regardless, without thinking twice I decided to go back to school, taking night classes for prerequisites for medical school and prepping for the MCAT. In 2004 I started Med School, graduating in 2008. After finishing my residency training in 2012, I am now a practicing physician; albeit with $300k in student loans. I won't get into the politics of healthcare in the USA, but I can firmly say I am WAY happier now than I was back in 2002. So I say, if you aren't satisfied with your position and are thinking of going back to school...go for it and don't look back!!!

Great stories guys, helps with the fear of going into this.

You could say that I'm in the opposite situation, but that I'm facing a similar decision: I've recently graduated from a top school (in my country at least 😁 ), found a "sought-after" kind of job. However, I think I'm figuring out that I've tried to fit into this "school/job" box that leaves me unhappy, and I'm contemplating a career around watches (my biggest passion).
I'm trying to figure it out, which is not easy, but I've found some online content that helped me understand that I really need to understand deeply what I'm all about: Gary Vaynerchuck's youtube channel. I guess he's got a fair share of love & hate, but I'd advise to give his stuff a shot and see if you want to punch him in the face or thank him for some helpful tips 😉

Haven't updated the thread in some time and thought today would be a great day.

So far classes have gone pretty good surprisingly. We are only 2 weeks away from finishing up the first semester and I'll say for not attending school in several years, I should pass this first class with a B??? Not to brag or anything, but a B I can live with haha!

Onto the new career section. I have recently quit my job with a steady income to both go after my graduate degree and to start a new company/venture. While school is going good, the new company is doing ok at this point as well. We are sitting at over 3,000 followers on FB and hope to get to 4,000+ followers by end of August when I plan to start shipping orders. This is my first attempt at becoming an entrepreneur, and it hasn't been easy but it has been exciting. Every time an order is placed with us, or when a deal works out with a supplier, too reaching followers on FB goals, it's been a good time so far.

My wife gets a little worried since orders aren't just flowing in on a regular basis, and for sure won't pay the bills, but I hope we'll turn a tide in August! I'm giving myself till the end of the year to hopefully supplement what I would have made if I had kept my job with this new venture, and if it all works out, I have a list of products I'll be adding to the website as well within that time frame. I think I have enough ideas to keep growing our streams of revenue as long as the market likes what we have to offer!

Good luck with this Rodmar. A mentor years ago advised me that the way to look at an opportunity was to assess the worst that could happen and then the best. If the best result is the answer to your dreams, and the worst is something you can live with if it happens, then the answer is easy.

I made a hard choice 10 yrs ago when I wanted to leave the corporate world and go out on my own. I did it and a few months later a recruiter called and had a great offer for an executive position in Florida. Well, my wife's father had just been diagnosed with cancer and he lived nearby where the opportunity was. So we moved and I gave up the dream and went back to the corporate world for several more years. The choice made then was the right choice because I realize that helping family is always the right choice, and one I regretted for many years before that as I was traveling the world and couldn't (didn't) help when I should have. Now I feel I've made peace with as much as possible. They say the only regrets you really have life are the things you didn't do that you know you should have. Regrets weigh heavy my friend, more than any attempt and failure could. Now I'm back out there and its better than ever because I'm in an even better place now. Go out and do it, you'll be surprised how many people will help you when you have passion for what you are doing. Just be sure to maintain balance in your life...health, faith, family, profession. The right balance there will give you peace of mind and the right attitude.

Just saw this thread and I thought I'd contribute based on my similar experience.

A little over 4 years ago, I realized that I hated my job. I was working insane hours and doing something that I'd grown to loathe - my friends, when I rarely had time to see them, would remark that I looked.... tired... ill... generally not myself. That said, I was being paid reasonably well and I'd risen to a semi-senior level.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that every day I stayed, it would be harder for me to leave the golden handcuffs - I'd be more trapped each day I stayed.

So, I started to look around in my meagre free time and decided to change industries entirely. The new industry was finance/consulting based and seemed like it was a great amalgamation of the skill sets I'd gotten in my previous jobs. However, I had ZERO experience with the technical aspects of the field. I asked a friend in the industry for some contact people at the firms he'd recommend and received 4 interviews for different positions at different companies - because of zero industry experience and semi-senior current position, the feedback was that I was over-qualified for a junior position but under-qualified for a senior job. That said, one company offered me a job - at 1/3 of my salary at the time and in a very junior role. I decided to take it and it was VERY hard. My girlfriend and I had to move from our luxury downtown rental condo (we live in a big city) into her uncle's suburban basement. I'd walk by restaurant patios on Friday night trudging to the subway and want to head in for a beer with friends but I genuinely couldn't afford it. Lunches were packed and holidays non-existent. Humble pie was consumed nightly (and daily at work, learning my new craft).

I sit here typing this now knowing it was the best career decision I could've made. My work is challenging, but in a positive way. I have options and upside. I'm making considerably more than I ever did in my old job and I enjoy coming in, even on Monday morning. Entering the industry at a junior level allowed me to pay my dues in the eyes of those around me and earn my way up the ladder via merit. I'm well beyond where I was in 4 short years - it was tough for a year and a half, but so, so worth it.

If you're unhappy in your current job - if you can't picture yourself doing it in 10 years.... start looking for something else now! Don't wait! You don't have to be miserable. Success, to me, is more about finding a way to be happy - to get what you want in life.... It will be hard but the longer you wait, the harder it will be. Bet on yourself!

Nice to read to everyone's stories; thanks for starting this thread, @Rodmar. Hoping to learn more about your business.

Just as a side note - I am an oncologist. In this field, no matter our best efforts, people die. Some die young. Nothing hits me in the gut harder than when I see someone my own age (I am in my mid-late 30s) die of cancer. Someone with kids my age. Then I think about dreams and passions unfulfilled...it is the rare person who says "I've lived a good life, the life I wanted to live." We should all strive for that. Always. Sh*t happens in this world, to good people and to bad.

Any time I hear these tails they are all positive and they always work out fine, the person always ends up better and the old life was always for the birds. Is that because we always try to make the best of what we are? or do the people that fail just not report it? According to this thread 100% success rate on life gambles? really? If that's the case why does this thread even exist? why even worry about taking huge gambles with your life...it seems it always works out for the better.

In the bar, on threads, in the restaurant, at school reunions, I have never once heard anyone say "do you know what I took the gamble and just regret every day of it. If only I realised I was actually living the best of days back then". Maybe its just human nature to always think we are doing better than yesterday.

I think you're likely right on there being a bias towards reporting the positive outcomes over the negative.

However, I've found the most successful people I know have taken some swings and either missed or risked missing, until eventually achieving success. Capitalism rewards those willing to take on a risk premium...

As well, when you take on a risk like a major career move, it tends to cause you to refocus and work harder, thereby increasing your likelihood of success.

My $0.02