Mid-Life Career Change?

If you want to work in a hospital, then your going to have to suck it up , and spend the money for the training in the career that you would really enjoy. You didn't mention what kind of hospital work you would like to do, but if you already have a Bachelors degree, then you would only need two years of training to become a Registered Nurse. It's a good field of work with a wide variety of jobs. I spent 20 plus years working in surgery, and then did a Mid-life career change, which led me into being a Professional Barber. My wife has been a R.N. for 18 years, and still loves doing it. Hope this helps ya!

First of all, 30 is hardly "mid-life". I'm 49 and currently changing careers, still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Secondly, you don't seem to have a strong desire to be a teacher or else the cost of the test would not be a factor, so it's a good thing that you aren't going that route.

Don't get stuck by what your degree major was. The fact that you have a bachelor's degree is enough to get your foot in the door of a lot of jobs. You only need to put on your resume that you have a Bachelor of Arts (or Science). You don't have to include that it's in sociology unless the job you are interested in requires that. Most potential employers will want to know what kind of applicable work experience you have. The fact that you had the brains to get a degree will set you above those that don't have one. If your GPA is decent, include that in your resume.

I would step back and look at ALL the different careers available that have aspects you are attracted to...for instance not being tied to a desk....and then take an inventory of your skills and see if you can't sell yourself based on those skills. The degree will open doors, not get you the job, unless you can sell yourself.

Good luck!!

With a bachelor's in Sociology you can do just about anything, which of course doesn't help you a bit. Have you tried taking career tests? I don't think that the skills assessment is valid for those of us who have been working, since it tends to tell us that we're best at what we've been doing. However, I took the interest test a few years ago when I was in a similar place to where you are now, and I found it very helpful. Your local university or community college offers it. Its not terribly expensive or time consuming. When your results are ready they'll actually sit down, individually or in a group, and talk about the results and interpreting them. That's what makes doing it this way more valuable than finding an online test. Once you've got a list of potential jobs, you can talk to people who do those jobs and find out whether the day-to-day routine is actually something that appeals to you.

I just finished my M.A. (at 45) While I am really glad that I went to grad school, its not for everybody. I would only go if you find something that gets you really excited that you must have the graduate degree to pursue. That's what happened to me. Good Luck!

You are 30 years old now and if you think that this is the point of your mid life then be prepare for when you hit your 40th birthday. Why don't you try EMT? Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics never have a dull moment. You have to take some training and certifications but it is not like vesting a lot of time for a master degree. There is also another option of joining the Navy.

I think the first step that you need to take is to really define what it is that you enjoy doing. This is not a simple task and is not something that most people can do overnight. In working with career changers (I am the co-founder of Career Next Step), I have found that most people want to focus immediately on "what my next job should be" without first critically thinking about what it is that they want. This is partially due to a flaw in the way schools, career centers, and society in general works.

Rather than immediately looking for ideas of what is next for you., I encourage you to think through what it is that you want. What types of environments and people energize you? What types of tasks would you want to do today if you were independently wealthy? What types of accomplishments make you feel good about yourself? If you can answer questions like this, you will be much better equipped to evaluate what jobs offer a good fit.

I wish you the best of luck. And 30 years is young!!! :)

Mark Higgins

mhiggins@careernextstep.com

www.careernextstep.com