For me it was going from job to job being employed by an agency that paid squat...now that I don't have to work, my life has become one giant bore. I still go for daily walks of about 10k, or 5-6 miles and that's good but I have to di it alone...like everything else I do...all alone
It's frustrating to know your friends all have great jobs and you don't

I think I am going to have to think on this response. I do know that I want to get out of the rut of "defining" myself by my career.

Recently discharged and am looking for work in my last field but would really like to change but I'm not that educated and that really limits my options. I'm 44 y/o. I have been driving local here in the Phoenix area for 2 years. I drove 18 wheeler OTR (over the road) for almost 7 years. I know the image or truck drivers today ain't what it used to be. Ain't sure if I want to be a part of a down hill spiral. Besides that I'm tired of fighting traffic.
Looking for something different is hard to get done. Especially due to lack or experience. Also find something else that pays good is difficult.

I was downsized from my job about two months ago now. Everyone kept saying that I have my education and experience and I should find a job in no time. To be quiet honest, I think that is what is holding me back. Because I have a 4 year college degree, I can't just go out and get a job at the local supermarke or something to help ends meet while I'm looking for the real thing. I think the hardest thing about it for me are two things: not knowing what's going to happen and how it is going to happen (Hello - can anyone say control freak!) and the lack of human contact. It's been a struggle.

I went back to college to change careers. I have an AA in Merchandise Marketing. I went back to school to learn Medical Office Administration. I wanted to do work that really helped others and work for offices that make a difference in peoples lives.

I only have one semester to go and already finding that no doctors offices want to give me a chance to work for them. Unfortunately, my college doesn't offer externships for Medical Office students (which I think is odd and ridiculous). I'm completely stressed and frustrated because I have clerical experience however doctors and hospitals just won't give me a chance even though I went to school to learn the work. Not sure what to do now and feel like I've wasted money taking out loans to go to school.

I got a BS in Business over 20 years ago. I have worked in business since I got my degree. I got tired of the 9-to-5-sit-in-your-cubicle-answer phones-shuffle paperwork routine. I took some career assessment tests and did some soul searching and knew I wanted a job helping others. Every year when the new church school year started, they were always looking for teachers for the program. Something pulled me in that direction. Once I started teaching church school, I knew I was "hooked" on teaching. I just finished my BA in interdisciplinary studies/social studies because I knew a Business degree would not get me into an education program. I started out thinking I wanted to teach middle and high school social studies. This past school year, I worked as a teacher aide with emotionally troubled middle and high schoolers. I decided I liked working with the elementary aged kids better. I started my first grad school class today. I'm working on becoming a certified elementary school teacher.

I have a BS in MIS, and was in the computer industry for 8 years. Of those 8 years, I got laid off 3 times, not performance-related, but industry related. I recently went back to school and got my BSN. Nursing is a completely different industry from computer, and I am enjoying the career change. Although, at the same time I am anxious. I went from feeling very comfortable, and accomplished in computers, to very "green." Career instability is never fun, hopefully this was a good switch.

I'm sort of a serial quitter and am in my forties. Am having a very hard time facing the job market mentally; my resume isn't the greatest and I am getting nervous. Considering school again, but not sure if for teaching, Masters in Lib Science or what. Am unemployed after brief disability and sort of in denial; working part-time.

I was a full-time music minister for 10 years. I have a masters in religion and education from a seminary. I found, sadly, that it was easier and actually more fulfilling for me to work in a secular university. The level of perfection is much, much lower. I'm still an over achiever, but the people expect much less than perfection...which is what the church people seem to expect. Since we had moved to a university town, I decided to go back to school and finish my other music degrees. I have been awarded for my teaching and have been accepted into all of the main academic honor societies. I absolutely love teaching my college students. I'm thriving in this environment. So...even though I'm going for my third graduate degree, when I finish my Ph.D., I think I will have found what I want to do the rest of my life. Even though the student loans will probably bury us, my wife is even happier because I'm such a different person now that I've changed careers.

Here's the short version. Started out as social worker, loved my job and clients, but the pay kept you in a financially precarious position...I made almost double my salary when I took a temporary job as an administrative assistant.

Left social work when my husband was transferred. I took on temporary assignments for a year; one of the firms offered me a sales job (custom manufacturing). The timing was right, the money was very good, and the work was interesting/challenging. However, this career path demanded 60 hours per week and travel; not particularly family friendly. Like many other industries, lots of changes over the last 15 years (technology, downsizing, corporate buyouts) that made job security a thing of the past.....it was particularly frustrating to have my work world regularly turned upside down to make the penny difference for the earnings report!

I stopped out of the corporate world when my husband was transferred and we had boys at home in HS that we felt needed an adult presence.....I realized that I would not be a good FT stay at home mom and started taking prerequisite classes at the community college - interested in an MBA or nursing. Found out that I really liked the math and science -- and I was good at it. Finally settled on a new career in OT and got in. Just 2 more years and I will be done!

It is interesting that for the first time, my OT classes, consist of people who are similar to me - have another degree, changing careers for a host of reasons, and middle aged. I am hoping that this new field will give me 20 years of meaningful employment, with a skill that helps others.

The financial squeeze (2 of in college, 1 salary) and the professional isolation were tough on me. On the whole, I was very satisfied with my classes at the community college, the culture for adults was a tough adjustment for me (I'll skip the soap box about viewing students as "clients" and interaction with faculty that entails mutual respect and professionalism....). However, I would encourage anyone who is rethinking their career to take advantage of the many services the community college has to offer; career testing, counseling, employment, flex and on-line classes, certification courses, etc. For the money, it has been a value added educational opportunity.

Good Luck, I look forward to reading your posts.

i was terminated from my job aug.3, had a new boss come in and he wanted to change everything around from the first day he started. i'm different i have learning disabilities, and i couldn't keep up with the work load, especially when he started adding more onto what i was already doing. the hardest part for me is worring where the money is going to come from to pay the bills and the mortgage, i'm 29 almost 30 in october and i live alone. i'm also beginning to get a little stir crazy, running out of things to do to keep me buisy.

I worked at the Univ. for 20 years. Loved the job, hated the politics. Great job, pay,bennefits, vacation time-travel, expense account- & I WAS MISERABLE.
Husband convinced me to join him in our joint business, which I was already heavily invovled in- in order to spend more time together. That time became an abusive nightmare. Sold that business 2yrs ago That extra time for "US" lead to divorce. Assets all tied up, no moeny, start over again, no career- so no pension- STBX being a dick & controlling about finances-not a dime of support offered- so what does a girl do?I did a personal inventory of my skills,what I wanted and what I DID NOT want, but ultimately I had to rely on Me. I started a small gardening business taking care of local estate flower gardens. HUGE SUCCESS.I went to the U. Botanic Garden this past winter and completed my Master Gardeners certification. This summer I have 10 poeple working for me and more work I can ever hope to handle. God is good. Just believe you will succeed, take baby steps where your heart leads, be patient, it WILL come if you do something you LOVE to do, have faith and pray lots

Hi I'm new hear and I never had a job before. But somone told me to become a nanny, I do love takening care of children.

I started as a hairdresser when I was 18 yrs.old. It was my passion for 34 yrs. I decided I wanted a career change because I thought that I needed another option incase i physically couldn't do hair anymore. I went back to school at 40 and got an associate degree in medical health information. I could never get a job because no one would give me a chance because I have no work experience and they would see that hairdresser and ask why don't you want to do hair. I finally got a job working in mental health as a program tech. I thought i could finally work my way into their medical records dept. I never did so I went back to hair because of the low wage. then my friend got me a job at a car dealership. i was a sales administrator. That lasted a year and the company went under and they done away with my job. I was unemployed for 5 months. Then i applied for a job as an employment consultant with a non-profit agency that find people with disabilities jobs. The lady who got my application was my high-school home ec. teacher. I got the job. I think the most important thing about finding a job is you have to know someone. I had taken a part time job in a group home and the mental health job is what got me where i am today. so any part-time job at something you would like to do helps alot. volunteer work helps too. now my job is job hunting for other people and talking to human resources and employers. so if i decide that i want a new job I will know all the right people. If you are a sales person, you can do my job.

Well, I was a certifed nursing aide for 10 yrs, it was time for a change, I kept applying to all kinds of jobs all over town, but my goal was to work at this one place. Well, finally after so many jobs and such later, I got a job that place! I started three months ago nearly as a Land Mapping tech, this is at a local petroleum company here in town. I love it and its steady! It makes me feel so much happier as I have something secure for the sake of not only me, but my precious son.