-
anybody been through a career change?
-
Hi Raven,
I understand fear and insecurity so well especially as I'm pursuing grad school and trying to complete all the daunting tasks it requires. I think fear happens in periods of inaction when we let our minds get the best of us. I think as soon as you start taking action like volunteering or shadowing someone in a field you're interested in, that fear sort of melts away.
-
oh lord..sorry that posted three times
-
I was a professional fine artist my whole life, made a really good living at it, painted landscapes, portraits, and did sculpture. Did monumental Bronze sculpture, public art, traveled and loved my life. THEN, the economy went bust with the whole Wall Street thing, every single one of my galleries that carried my work went under, public art money dried up, clients weren't buying. My life was gone.
For the 1st time in my life I found myself unable to make money, owned a home car, had bills. No one would hire me, never had a job, freaked out, and there seemed to be no option but dream up a way to make money in a horrible economy.
While the fine art industry was good to me, it is likely very similar to what you are doing now. I wanted to paint flowers, clients wanted southwestern scenes, Calif market wanted beaches, Midwest wanted traditional. Markets are markets and you have to paint for them, you don't get to create what you want. Even Michael Angelo had to paint the church ceiling. I was ready to go to work and have someone tell me what to do, know I would get paid, have the weekends off and not stress over if I would have a sale.
But no one would hire me. So, I wrote out a short plan, I refuse to do something I hate. I only like three things, Art, Animals and Fitness, it boiled down to those, they all don't pay well.
I ended up opening my own Pole studio and 5 years later am still here, and I also own Tucson Fetch Pet Care the company I worked for while I was an artist, by boarding pets at my home while I was there painting all day. It employees 10 people and keeps me very busy now.
Things worked out, but there was a lot of stress, and I had to be absolutely creative with finances. I had no money to start a business, just a credit card, did it on a shoe string and it has shown a profit since day one.
My most important advice though if you don't have a large savings account or money, is to live WAYYYY below your means, in order to make your dream happen. That is the only thing I did that made it possible for me to live my dreams. I had no debt, managed my money on an extreme budget, which most people would never do like I did..I wanted freedom more than I wanted to be tied to a job. Freedom to work in my PJ's, be the boss. Working more hours than usual, and making less moneh is OK with me, because I get to do what I want.
My advice is to pick what you love, or an idea that you know will work and run with it. I don't make a lot of money but I love my life. If you have something you beleive in, that you think will work, you have to try. Sucess will come after you fail at things, make mistakes, make huge messes, look like an idiot sometimes, but you can't move forward unless you take the step, and if you trip you just have to get back up. It really is kind of that simple. Tripping part hurts though https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_surprised.gif
-
Let me give some background on my family. My parents basically settled in on jobs that put food on the table – not what they wanted to do. I was brought up with the belief that you chose one career path and you worked at one company your whole life. You didnt change jobs, you just worked – regardless if you were happy or not. Paying the bills was much more important than being happy.
My dream was to work in Television/Movies. I had known since Sophmore year of HS I was going to go to Broadcasting school. I enrolled at Broadcasting Insitiute of Maryland and was determined to be on the track of greatness. I wanted to be a producer and work behind the scenes. I felt like thats where I belonged. I have an obession of learning what goes on behind the scenes of TV. I get really giddy when I have to get mic'd up for audio and learning what type of shot they want to use for the bit etc. I graduated on time, and got my first job in the business. While it was a 4night/wk part time gig, I loved the job. I still had to work during the day to make ends meet. I also worked retail for a very long time. I swtiched stores from time to time when I needed a change (or more money). At one point before school was over, had 3 jobs just to pay the bills. I left broadcasting when my then finance now husband told me in order to afford any kind of wedding, I had to get a better paying job. I was making just enough to pay the bills and be happy. For me it worked out well since I also was a new mom, and worked at night to avoid paying for daycare. So I buckled down, left TV and got a job as a receptionist at a car dealership. I left TV for a few reason, mostly b/c I had a family to pay for and help raise. Plus with all the hours a producer puts in, I didnt think id be able to have a life outside of work. At one point, I moved from job to job so often my parents werent happy with me. They just wanted me to work somewhere and pay my bills. Since they had that, they wanted me to follow in the footsteps. I still want to persue my dreams, I want to teach my kids that it doesnt matter how long the journey takes – what matters is that you finished it.
7 years later, I am still at that car dealership. I had been promoted a few times to the accounting office. Now I am becoming the office manager for our second store. Prior to that I was doing warranty processing for both our stores and I was MISERABLE!! I hated coming to work. I was so mentally drained out, that I didnt want to do ANYTHING but sit on my couch and veg out. I didnt want to dance, I didnt want to go out. I just wanted to play The Sims for 4 hours. Which resulted into 20lb weight gain and compeletly unmotivated. I even started applying for other jobs to get a break from it all. Since im moving to a new desk, im probably going to have the same amount of stress going on. Im happy for the new change of pace, but I really want to be able to devote time for me and a creative outlet for me. Id still love to teach one day and one day that opportunity is going to come my way. Id even like to freelance my video editing skills to pole dancers for promo videos. But my husband would hate that I gave up a 40hr job with benefits to make some cash here and there. Mostly b/c he did the same thing. He gave up his dream career as a PT to become a plummer b/c it put food on the table and we had a family to take care of. Everyday he is miserable, he hates his job but keeps on trucking. But hes glad he switched careers b/c there are PT's out of work in the area since people are cutting back on luxuries. I dont want to be like that, I want to be excited to get to work everyday. My broadcasting teacher told us you want to be in a job that you love so much that for some reason you couldnt get paid to do it – youd still do it anyway. Thats the approach I take career choices. One day I am going to be able to devote time to passionate hobbies, I just gotta do all the crappy adult like work to do what I want to do.
-
I felt the same about my last job! (I got laid off last April). My boss just wanted what was safe & do the job he never wanted to try anything new or think outside of the box and he was super cheap, & didnt get that sometimes you have to spend $ to make $ concept. And me being a person who is always creative & thinking of new ideas & ways to do things it was a suffocating, boring, non challenging job. I definitely think by working there 11 years, I totally wasted my BA in Journalism/PR.
So I started thinking of other things I wanted to do & I ended up seriously thinking about nursing. Always been interested in it, just ended up taking a different career path, which I now regret. Also, I’m very good at event planning, so I’ve been considering event & wedding planning as well. Also have been thinking about getting personal training cert, getting xpert trained & then teaching pole classes (just for fun & part time). Theres just so much I want to do & try!
I love keeping busy & being challenged, I’ve always been that way…
I think there is nothing wrong with changing careers a cpl times in life because yolo & you should do what makes YOU content & happy in your life.
-
Wanted to add but make a plan if you want to switch careers, just dont jump ship cold turkey because the job market is really tough out there…ive been unemployed for almost a year & not by choice…theres just too many unemployed people & not enough jobs out there. Hang in there really narrow it down to what new career you want to try & then only quit your current job when you have a job lined up in your new chosen profession. Good luck!
-
cali – your boss sounds like my boss lol
thanks for sharing personal stories with me, it motivates me and gives me confidence that I have it in me to take control of my life and change it for the better.
I'm sorry if I came across as whingey or moaning about a good job situation, I do not take it for granted for 1 second that I have a job whilst thousands are unemployed and desperately want a job (hammered home by the fact every week there seems to be a major retail chain going into administration and all my friends from my previous 3 jobs are all unemployed because of this).
I understand I am lucky enough not to have the responsibility of families and mortgages to be worrying about. I don't care for being rich, just happy 🙂 now off to do some soul searching 😀
-
Please don't feel guilty for how you feel. I read a news story a while ago. It was about how one of the major side effects of this ongoing economic situation is that people don't feel like they can complain about their jobs anymore. It's true, many people are unemployed for extended periods of time and have bills to pay and wish they had a job at all, regardless of how terrible it is.
But that means people are also staying in jobs that they hate for longer, for lack of a better opportunity. Or that suddenly it's forbidden to vent about your frustrations because it means you're ungrateful. Just because someone is employed doesn't mean they're happy, and the ongoing strain of bottling up your emotions and suffering in silence can be just as distressing as having no job.
It's ok to hate your job and still be grateful for having it.
-
"My boss just wanted what was safe & do the job he never wanted to try anything new or think outside of the box and he was super cheap, & didn't get that sometimes you have to spend $ to make $ concept."
I have heard this kind of quote many times from people who do not own companies employ people and have no clue what it costs to actually run a business. What many people don't understand is that in an unstable economy people who own business's are not willing or unable to invest money for a few reasons.
1st Banks are not lending to small business's. It is practically impossible to get any money to expand or start. That leaves the owner to spend his personal money to do so. All of you who are employed are also not spending all your savings on starting a business. You are all in here complaining. It is too easy to say that. To say they should risk the profits or their personal savings to try something new, when a lot of you won't even do the same thing is kind of hypocritical.
What many of you who are employed and not owners of a company do not understand is that you may make $20.00 – $50.00 an hour teaching pole, for example and the owner of the company often ends up working consistently a 50 -70 hour work week covering everyone who calls in sick, and her hourly wage ends up being less than $10.00 an hour. Sometimes less than that and sometimes no money at all in the slow months while employees still make $20.00 an hour.
Starting your own company will really change your perspective on " you have to spend money to make money" while at the same time make enough to pay your own bills when you are really in the end after all taxes and expenditures making $10.00 an hour or less.
Owning your own business can in one sense free you of the frustrations you have now, but there is a whole other side you have no idea about. Once you start a company and find out how many taxes and fees there are, and how cities, states, and the feds want you to pay more and more in taxes, , credit card companies, bank fees, commercial accounts of any kind are very expensive, it's very costly to run a business.
I can tell you as a business owner we are proud to pay our employees what we can afford to, and then to hear them talk like they deserve more, when maybe they do but there is not enough to so, and hear them complain like this it is disheartning…
I understand both sides, some of you don't understand both sides because you have not ever owned a company.
Just try o be thankfull for what you have.. We are really blessed here to all be able to make money, and support families and live like we do.
-
i am going thtough one now!
having my studio for 4 years and it drives me CRAZY
I am tryin to get in a job that will pay the big bucks for real, and no bullshit to deal with!
-
Olivia,
Enjoy what you have.
I hate to break it to you but there is crap in every job. It's all the same just a different flavour.
Your a very talented lady and when I saw you take your pole to the hospital to keep your friend occupied well that lifted so many of us on here and of course your friend that I must in turn encourage you somehow but I don't know how.
*HUGS*
-
wow thanks a lot i teared up reading this!
i loved that studio and gave my 100%, but so far, the money isnt good , and i d rather get a job that pays the big bucks and do pole as a hobby
i think it was one of the biggest mistakes in my life to open that studio! I do not want to sound negative but its time to me to regain control of my life and closing the studio is the best option for me so far !
-
I've been batteling the whole "what to do with my life" arguement for the past few years and it actually is leading me to a lot of anxiety and constant worry. I was in retail jewelery for about 7 years on and off, mostly with the same company, but moved a few times, and went through a big break up which made me move back home, broke, and having to quit the store I worked at that was really enjoyable and the people I worked with were great. After I finished school, which took like 6 years to get an Associates in Fine Art because I had so many changes in my major because I had no clue what to do, I worked in more retail which was awful and was treated like crap. I got another jewelry job with the same company that I had been with before, but it was a verrry slow store with a ton of drama and peole constantly gossiping and causing problems, including dragging me in to it and calling me a stripper. I have consistantly taught pole over the past 5 years but have ended up leaving almost every studio that I've been with for not being good engough in the owners eyes, which is a huge knock on my self esteme which just seems to get lower and lower as the years go by. (Trying to change that!) So anyway, right before this past Christmas, we get told our store is closing because it's not busy enough, but we were PROMISED to be transfered to another sister store, and closer to home….yay! I was so happy to have a better opportunity because I was dreading going to work every day. I fractured my foot about 2 weeks before Christmas, so it made running around the store very painful and pretty much impossible as I was ordered to stay off my feet. Right after Christmas I was told I was the only one not getting transfered and they were letting me go because my numbers over the hollidays were the lowest in the store….no questions asked, nothing I could do and no one to reason with over it. Hello??!! I had a broken foot!!! This devastated me and I had a nervous breakdown, suffered from severe depression and felt like all i do is FAIL at everything I do. I've been teaching pole for about 6 months at a wonderful studio and have amazing students, which is probably the only reason I've stayed sane is my pole and aerial silks training. I'm on unemployment now, because I just don't know where to go from here. I want to go back to school to get a bachellors or beyond in art and design. I really love graphic design, even though I know that may not be a perfect career, but I will feel much more accomplished if I can manage to get into a program and graduate and hopefully get a job in the field instead of continuing with retail going nowhere hell! I don't know if I will get in to any colleges, but I'm sure going to try. Right now, I'm just trying to work on me and getting my mindset back to a healthy and positive one. All I do is cut myself down and feel inferior, and I know that needs to change. Even if I did manage to get another jewelry job full time, I don't think I could handle it mentally right now, and then would have no time to focus on my portfolio required to get in to school! I was running myself dry working 2 jobs every day with an hour commute. I still don't know what I'm going to do when unemployment runs out, hopefully I will be teaching full time so I don't have to get another miserable retail job and feel "stuck" again. Sorry this is so long, it kinda felt good to get it out!!
-
Hi Raven Kai! I'm a graphic designer too! And i've had my fair share of working for a jerk boss in a non-creative/sweatshop work environment. The pay was so terrible, it's too embarrassing to mention. But it'd had been 2 years since I was laid off at my previous job, my unemployment was running out so I took the position. It was nothing but grunt work. And to be honest, a lot of graphic design is grunt work. A lot of clients have no idea what GOOD design looks like. And when the boss is nothing but money hungry, you're supposed to play god and design a complete brochure/poster/logo design in less than an hour. Luckily I had a few freelance clients that allowed me to use my creative freedom.
Six months later, I made the irrational decision to quit my job and pursue another opportunity. (which didn't pan out at all) BUT it got me to leave that god forsaken sweatshop! After freelancing for a few months, losing a few pounds from stress, a headhunter contacted me about a Flash Development job. (I was applying for at least 10 jobs a day!) I hadn't used Flash in years (and I kinda hated it), but the company was willing to train and the pay was good. I got the job and turns out I LOVE working in Flash–and I learned a new skill. I finally have the kind of job I always wanted, ie: relaxed work environment, flexible hours, great team, fun office parties, etc. But it wasn't easy getting here! I've been out of school for over 6 years and been designing for over 9 years.
I took a BIG leap of faith, something I don't usually do, but it paid off in the end. Under normal circumstances, I would of waited until I had another job offer lined up before quitting. Having a job that doesn't make you happy can really affect your personal life. I've been there. My boyfriend had to experience my depression too unfortunately.
I know it's easy to just say 'do what you enjoy.' But sometimes there aren't any opportunities to do what you enjoy….YET! Don't give up! Life isn't easy, and it takes a lot of strength to make it through the storm. But once you made it, it was worth the fight! I see a lot of talented people give up and it angers me. The people who inspire me the most are the fighters!
-
If you do change careers, please keep in mind that its OK to admit if it doesn’t work out.
I changed careers last year and spent the whole of last year miserable.I felt like I had to stick to my decision after taking such a huge plunge. It took me all that time to admit firstly to myself that I was unhappy then to everyone else.
Luckily I managed to get back into my original industry. Its a bit annoying to have on my cv, but at least I tried…
Log in to reply.