How late it too late to totally change careers? Who's done it (w/o being $$-secure already)?

[hawkman71]

I appreciate all the replies. What a lot to think about!

There has been a development in the case, though! I've been too caught up in that to keep you posted but a company called me and hired me. Increased travel but also significantly increased salary. It puts me in a more professional situation, I believe, with increased communication and accountability. Plus, it provides me with a 50% increase in pay, not including bonuses. Praise the Lord!

This job will challenge me in a way I haven't been before and I look forward to it.

I still may need all of your advice down the road and I'll refer to it often.

Thank you.

 

[NorthIDHunter]

I think it was a thread I saw on Rokslide about "what we do for a living/what funds the hunting" that made me think about posting this here. Not sure if this is complicated or if it's a common situation - probably more so than I realize.

I know we barely know each other - what is this, maybe my 2nd post but I thought I'd ask.

• 50yo.
• Ph.D. in Agronomy but have worked in the field and research a lot. Actually did the grad school on the side. Not an ivory tower guy. (Getting a Ph.D. is more a sign of perseverance than intelligence, imho).
• Worked Saturdays and summers from 12yo to adulthood working my ass off in greenhouses, construction, and farming, etc.
• Varied interests - I feel I could do anything, work in many fields.
• Point is - not scared of working with my hands.
• 
  
• Married with 4 kids. One grown, one in college, and two in middle school.
• Wife is a teacher but makes little money at a small, rural Christian school.
• I worked for the state for 19 years making poor money but wasn't aware of what was "out there".
• Frugal but not much to show for it after 25 years.
• Doubled my salary by going to the private industry and thought "I'm finally there".
• ...but 19 years of struggle means you are behind.
• Saving for a better house, one my wife could be proud of. (She's LOW maintenance but the tiny, old p.o.s. we gutted, remodeled, and have lived in with four kids isn't the one to expand with. We had 3 girls and a boy with only two bedrooms for the four of them. Hey she/we would like kids and their families to come visit someday!)
• 
  
• I look around and see what other people are driving (new Tahoes, building homes, or barns/mancaves; vacations, etc) and I'm blown away.
• What do these people DO for a living?
• Sure, maybe some of them have inherited money or received help from parents, etc., but I don't just assume that nor critique anyone for that. I assume they have worked hard and earned it.
• I work for a retailer of agronomic inputs (seed, fertilizer, chemical) but am not a salesman. Not a position in the company that is rewarded with incentives. (The age-old mentality is we sell stuff. The service side of the business is hard to understand even though service increases sales).

Yet, I know I'm blessed and wealthy compared to so many people. I also have the blessing of a wonderful family and good health and I'm thankful to God for that.

I'll cut to the chase. I feel I'm too chicken to go on my own and start a business (probably b/c I've had five mouths depending on me plus my own) Maybe I shouldn't feel that way.

Have any of you felt lost at this stage of your life, maybe filled with regret, and then made a change that yielded dividends, either financially, personal wellbeing, or family-wise, or all of the above? I may have come across as being a crybaby. I hope not. Just in a bit of a slump mentally.

hawkman.

I am 37 and have a very similar family life. Beautiful wife, 2 boys, 2 girls, younger kids though 5,8,9,12 all in a 1300sqft 3 bed 2 bath on 1/3 acre. This was a choice we made, from a larger home in a larger city. So far what we have found is the floor plan of the smaller home so far has been far more functional, and is a platform that we could easily update, and likely earn all our equity plus quite a bit back. No plans to sell and move now. My father in-law and his brothers have all been career State employees, have all been very frugal, nice but not new cars. Nice but not huge or new homes. My in-laws have 1 source of debt now, a Condo in Hawaii that they are going to pay off this year. Now a caveat for them is they did get a sizeable inheritance, the inheritance came from parents who retired military and also retired from the State. The pension they are all going to receive from these State jobs is fairly impressive.

Now as for changing careers, I basically just did that, moved my family 350 miles from where we were, started a new career, albeit still in Health Care but from clinical patient care to computers. I couldn't be happier to have made the move and the career change, it is going to open up so many more potential job opportunities in the future. Your knowledge and experience gained over your life is extremely valuable and it may take the right employer to recognize them as valuable and show you that.

 

[Anglo-American]

Id first day this:

Those other people are living with debt.
I assume you don't.

I wouldn't take on extra debt to buy shinny toys.

I also find it's important to be greatfull for the meny blessings we and it sounds like you also have.

I'm self employed. It's very different. Work comes home, more. Free time is often less, not more.

In the end though, follow your heart.
It's better to regret the decisions you made, rather than regretting the decisions you never had the courage to make.

Thing about what's important to you and yours.
Plan your exit to the ninth degree, then make your decision.

Good luck to you.

I think it was a thread I saw on Rokslide about "what we do for a living/what funds the hunting" that made me think about posting this here. Not sure if this is complicated or if it's a common situation - probably more so than I realize.

I know we barely know each other - what is this, maybe my 2nd post but I thought I'd ask.

• 50yo.
• Ph.D. in Agronomy but have worked in the field and research a lot. Actually did the grad school on the side. Not an ivory tower guy. (Getting a Ph.D. is more a sign of perseverance than intelligence, imho).
• Worked Saturdays and summers from 12yo to adulthood working my ass off in greenhouses, construction, and farming, etc.
• Varied interests - I feel I could do anything, work in many fields.
• Point is - not scared of working with my hands.
• 
  
• Married with 4 kids. One grown, one in college, and two in middle school.
• Wife is a teacher but makes little money at a small, rural Christian school.
• I worked for the state for 19 years making poor money but wasn't aware of what was "out there".
• Frugal but not much to show for it after 25 years.
• Doubled my salary by going to the private industry and thought "I'm finally there".
• ...but 19 years of struggle means you are behind.
• Saving for a better house, one my wife could be proud of. (She's LOW maintenance but the tiny, old p.o.s. we gutted, remodeled, and have lived in with four kids isn't the one to expand with. We had 3 girls and a boy with only two bedrooms for the four of them. Hey she/we would like kids and their families to come visit someday!)
• 
  
• I look around and see what other people are driving (new Tahoes, building homes, or barns/mancaves; vacations, etc) and I'm blown away.
• What do these people DO for a living?
• Sure, maybe some of them have inherited money or received help from parents, etc., but I don't just assume that nor critique anyone for that. I assume they have worked hard and earned it.
• I work for a retailer of agronomic inputs (seed, fertilizer, chemical) but am not a salesman. Not a position in the company that is rewarded with incentives. (The age-old mentality is we sell stuff. The service side of the business is hard to understand even though service increases sales).

Yet, I know I'm blessed and wealthy compared to so many people. I also have the blessing of a wonderful family and good health and I'm thankful to God for that.

I'll cut to the chase. I feel I'm too chicken to go on my own and start a business (probably b/c I've had five mouths depending on me plus my own) Maybe I shouldn't feel that way.

Have any of you felt lost at this stage of your life, maybe filled with regret, and then made a change that yielded dividends, either financially, personal wellbeing, or family-wise, or all of the above? I may have come across as being a crybaby. I hope not. Just in a bit of a slump mentally.

hawkman.