Career Changes Support Group

This community is dedicated to the difficult challenges of transitioning from one career or job to a new one. Especially as we grow older, it can be very difficult to acquire the skills and relationships and take the financial risk to make the switch.

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Florida Highway Patrol or stay Marine?

ranger7722000
ranger7722000
I posted this on another group but I thought this would have been the more appropriate group to post too. I'm in the middle of a big decision. I have been a cop all my life and was recently laid off. I now have the opportunity to do something I have always wanted to do... go back into the Marine Corps and fly with the marines as a crew chief on a helicopter..lots of travel and a great job. However, all I have known all my adult life is being a cop, and it scares me to start a new career ...and life... at the age of 36 (I know I'm not old but still seems somewhat old ha). The other part of this is that I have been accepted to be a trooper in the State of Florida and continue my law enforcement career down there. The only thing is the salary stinks...$33,000 a year and no pay raises. I know I would do well there. I'm just confused about what I should do....any suggestions?
freeheeler
freeheeler
Hey Ranger, I work for an environmental organization doing work that I love. I don't get paid much.

Can you live on 33,000 a year? As a marine, you'd have great benefits, but that's not much money to live on.

Have you talked to other Florida state troopers? How do they like their jobs? How is the morale with the troopers?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Were I you, I'd give serious consideration to going back into the Marine Corps.

States, counties and local governments have ONLY BEGUN making deep, painful budget cuts. Police jobs are not the safe havens for careers that they once were, especially for the low men on the totem pole. The three top critera for careers today are security, security and security.

Semper Fi,

--Fish
joanna3
joanna3
Do what you want while you can. Nothing matters more than your attitude...and you can't fake it. Be safe!
deleted_user
deleted_user
dear ranger 772,
Im sorry you dont know me but I was part of BSO after I got out of the Army. It was so different, we had 'Weekend worriers" running things.
I ended up going back in for another enlistment. I served a total of 16 years and now work in corrections in North Carolina. Stay in the service!!!
Rick8
Rick8
One of my best friends is a cop (leutenant..23 years on the force) and likes it overall because as he puts it "it's never dull". So you have the opportunity to do something "you have always wanted to do" huh. I should mention my cousin is a state trooper and my uncle was a state trooper. It always appeared as a pretty boring job to me. Drive the interstates and pull people over for speeding or other possible issues. Seems like a pretty easy decisision to me. A question to ask yourself is do you want to be asking yourself "what if" later in life?
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