how do i change career

sweety darling kisskiss

Has anyone every woke up and felt like they are in a job that is not pushing their skills. I did that a few years ago and basically i'm stuck in a rut.

I have decided that I need to re-skill and go back to college but i'm stuck in a vicious circle of researching every course out there that interests me and filling away info about all of them.eg. how much the course would cost and how much i would like to do it etc.

Now i've gotten to the stage where i just cannot decide which one to try. You see i'm 29 and engeged 1yr and half and my boyfriend wants to get married and have kids asap, but we don't have enough money for me to go back to college and to start a family.

I have not been able to commit to any course because i over analyise it and loose confidence in my abilities as opposed to following my passion and seeing where it gets me. I don't really have time to make a wrong decision.

I'm under so much pressure right now from piers making more money and asking what im doing, to my boyfriend saying he needs me to pull it together or he'll leave me, to my mum saying you'll never make it in the creative world.

Basically I studied hotel management and I've worked in it since i was 15 but i don't want to work in that area anymore. I find it soul destroying.

I want to work in a creative field. So far i've figured out that i like area's in nature geography, landscape photography, optical illusion photography, architecture, sustainable energy, interior architecture, archeology, built heritage conservation, hand crafts.

Has anyone been through this? Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

I just want life to start being fun again and enjoy it.

Thanks

Procrastastudy

Boyfriend = chuck
Mum = tell to sod off

Go for whatever you passion is. For some people that's squeezing out sprogs for others that's a fulfilling career for a luck few its both. You've plenty of time to do both but imo you need to get the qualifications under your belt first.

Do what you enjoy and generally you'll make a success of it.

tony81

Hi Op
Hotel management may be soul-destroying but it's a living. Some of the creative things you mention won't ever earn you money and there is little or no point pursing a professional career in them. On the other hand, they could become interesting sidelines and in the case of photography could make you some money on the side. As such, I'd probably advise you to take up a course part-time or as a hobby, and when you have some confidence try to monetise your new skills.

In addition to costs, also consider how long it will take to qualify. If you have already done a degree in business you could do level 7/8 post-grad diploma part-time over 2 years (may require a short bridging course first). Typically this will cost €5k and part of this is tax deductible.

RoboRat

My wife went through a career change years ago - we were not married at the time but I fully supported her as this is what she wanted and I wanted her to be happy. She had savings but I still paid for almost everything and spent every evening helping her out. It was tough but she loves her job now.

My advice:

• Research what you are looking to do and find out if there is a job there first.
• See if you can find somebody in the industry to talk to, find out what it is really like.
• Set a time frame by which time you are going to start the change.
• Explain to your fiancee that you have to do this and if he is not willing to support your decision then to be honest, you have to question the relationship.
• Finally, your mother needs to cop on, its your life and you have to live it - often this negativity is a result of their failings and their inability to have made a change.

BTW, I work as Creative Manager and I love my job but its very hard and probably one of the only fields where everybody is an expert. If you talk to any designer they will have tales of how they have been told how to 'make something look good' by people who have no clue - its very frustrating but part of the job.

Hope you figure it out anyhow.

Bigus

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Boyfriend = chuck
Mum = tell to sod off

Go for whatever you passion is. For some people that's squeezing out sprogs for others that's a fulfilling career for a luck few its both. You've plenty of time to do both but imo you need to get the qualifications under your belt first.

Do what you enjoy and generally you'll make a success of it.

This is actually worth considering.

I think you need to go abroad for at least 3 to 6 months using your current career which is ideal for travel , and see how much he wants to marry you then , tell him your going to save up money, Dubai or such ?

Otherwise ,The way things are going you're always going to be on the back foot.

College isn't everything unless you're in the civil service,where it seems nobody wants to be now .

Best of luck

sweety darling kisskiss

Procrastastudy-
Nice quote thanks! "Do what you enjoy and generally you'll make a success of it."

tony81-
Good advice I will look into taking up a course part-time and when I build my skills I'll have more confidence to try to monetise my new skills.

RoboRat-
Your advice bullet points are really helpful.

• Research
• Talk to someone in the industry
• Set a time frame
• Fiancee discussion of support
• Stop giving mom the power over the decisions in my life

I'm delighted to hear your wife has been successful in her career change it gives me hope.

Understandably it can be tough even in your creative job as you said. I'm hoping that by doing something i have a passion & skill for would make all the tough moments more of a challenge rather than a problem. For me, when you don't like your job small issues become a problem.

Bigus-
I have thought of moving to Australia to try and save enough money for architecture in UCD but time had always come to be a factor there. It takes 6 years to qualify as an architect. College isn't everything as you said and immersing myself in my hobbies like photography or media software evening classes is prob what i should do to access my skills.

I realise now I have to try something, pick an avenue and if it's a mistake, i can just start again.

If I have a pulse, I have a purpose!

Thanks guys!:rolleyes: