I'm posting this here as this is more likely a concern for the middle-aged than the young... Have any of you ever changed careers or had to "reinvent" yourself? At the start of the new year, I decided I need to change careers. I have become disillusioned with my current line of work, and identified a new field (data analysis / science) to move toward. Identifying a new line of work flew up suddenly, almost by chance. I was reading about a company that works closely with industry to train Web developers and data scientists and achieves a high placement rate. Tuition is expensive though...and the three-month program is so intensive that I would have to quit my existing job in order to complete the program. That's about a year away anyway, as I have to learn some new technical skills before even starting the program. And in contrast with my current line of work, which has become crowded with people from southwest Asia and ex-military types (and with a conservative outlook), this data science training company welcomes LGBT folks with open arms, even offering scholarships targeted to LGBT applicants. However, this kind of career change / reinvention requires I learn a completely new skill set (which will take at least a year), and then convince someone to give me a shot in an entry-level position (which is hard to do as all employers want 'experienced' candidates). I don't think I can get significant experience in data analysis/science before completing that three-month intensive. Can anyone offer advice about how to make this daunting task more approachable? I've already started some on-line courses on data analysis programming (R and Python) and statistical analysis. What worries me more than learning these new skills is how to get that first job.
i've been in a number of fields, food service (chef/cook/baker), hospitality industry, bartender, waiter, auditor/manager(hotels), military, and public service (the last 2 concerently) so yeah i have "re-invented" myself a couple of times mostly not by choice though as one industry hit hard times and jobs got hard to find i "retooled" and made a new living.
Yes, and by personal choice. In deference to most people's situation, my transition was relatively painless. I went from sales with FedEx into teaching. I already had an undergraduate and a graduate degree in English that I'd not really used. I had the luxury of an inheritance and a wife who made about three times what I made. I worked as a teacher's aide to see if it was an environment that I liked, while taking my Intro. to Education course. I then went to school full time and had an M.Ed.S. in about a year and a half. I've taught in an urban district for 11 years. I'm tenured and vested so I am tied to this district, age is also a factor. With what has happened in Education I could hardly recommend the field, but the first three quarters were great; very rewarding. I had it easy in preparing for a new career, but it is still an upheaval and fraught with challenges you never dreamed existed. If you can, try and shadow someone in the area in which you think you want to be. To the best of your ability jump in with both feet and don't look back. You'll gain nothing by doing it. Good luck to you.
