Help Me: What do I want to be when I grow up? (43yo version)

>> What do I want to be when I grow up?

Trick question. "When" implies inevitability.

I'm 47 (in 2 more minutes...) and I spent an hour today perfecting soft serve dirty martinis. It's like sherbert... only with olive juice, pimento and Hendricks. Does that sound like something a grown-up would do? And what adult gets a freaking soft serve machine for their birthday!?

I want to berkeley off with verve until I die. I'll leave growing up for the rest of you.

I'm Berkeleyed... Only 36 and would walk through fire for a position that kept me challenged and paid 50k a year.

Don't get me wrong I've done it managing food joints with bonuses. But dealing with owners who you have to fight with to get those bonuses along with NO life outside of the place bores me to tears.

I'm 36 and I still want to be a dinosaur when I grow up.

I love my job. I couldn't ever go back to a 9-5 "real" job ever again.

My wife says the same thing now that she's self-employed as well.

I figured it out, chatting with a friend the other day.

We both help others re-allocate their disposable income. I restore cars, he builds swimming pools.

You need to service a persons wants, not their needs.

If it's a need, they're spending money grudgingly and they're cheap as all hell about it.

If it's a want, they'll upsell themselves over and over again with the "It's only another $100" mentality.

He just finished re-working a customers swimming pool. They set the guy's name in marble in the bottom of the pool.

He killed his re-sale value and spent a lot of money stroking his ego.

All for a want.

Find yourself a job servicing the want.

Trans_Maro wrote: I'm 36 and I still want to be a dinosaur when I grow up. I love my job. I couldn't ever go back to a 9-5 "real" job ever again. My wife says the same thing now that she's self-employed as well. I figured it out, chatting with a friend the other day. We both help others re-allocate their disposable income. I restore cars, he builds swimming pools. You need to service a persons wants, not their needs. If it's a need, they're spending money grudgingly and they're cheap as all hell about it. If it's a want, they'll upsell themselves over and over again with the "It's only another $100" mentality. He just finished re-working a customers swimming pool. They set the guy's name in marble in the bottom of the pool. He killed his re-sale value and spent a lot of money stroking his ego. All for a want. Find yourself a job servicing the want.

I tried that once, all I got was a hefty fine and a lifetime ban from that Victoria's secret.

In all seriousness though, I'm with these guys. I want to be a transformer. I had a good office job. I was great at it, it gave me multiple hours a day of Grm time, absolute job security, and it paid well. And I quite literally would kill myself at the thought of going back. I now work 80 hours a week, come home dirty, wet, and covered in beer- and couldn't be happier with my job situation. It took a lot of time to reframe that one. Once I started looking for what I wanted to do, instead of what I had on my resume that paid well, it all fell into place. Don't get tricked by this adult stuff, its a trap. I truly believe that if more people did purely whatade them the happiest and less keeping up with the Joneses, Wed all be a lot happier.

xd wrote: Why do people who can work for themselves ever go to work for someone else?

There's a pretty easy answer to that. Because being self-employed is not all it's cracked up to be.

People who have never owned a business can't possibly understand. They think business people have all the money.

People who have been successful at business (who are very rare) can't possibly understand. They think it is easy, because things went well for them (and sometimes because they have some natural talents, which not everyone has).

$50K salary for the owner is a pretty high mark for most small businesses. 80% of businesses fail.

Being a small business owner is a little less like a logical well-reasoned choice then it is more like a crack addiction. Most people who do it do not do it because they are successful, they do it because they can't stop.

But your core point is very sound. Don't undersell yourself.

You can buy yourself a job...Fedex home delivery route. You'll get your exercise and also get to drive like every second counts.

SVreX wrote:

xd wrote: Why do people who can work for themselves ever go to work for someone else?

There's a pretty easy answer to that. Because being self-employed is not all it's cracked up to be. People who have never owned a business can't possibly understand. They think business people have all the money. People who have been successful at business (who are very rare) can't possibly understand. They think it is easy, because things went well for them (and sometimes because they have some natural talents, which not everyone has). $50K salary for the owner is a pretty high mark for most small businesses. 80% of businesses fail. Being a small business owner is a little less like a logical well-reasoned choice then it is more like a crack addiction. Most people who do it do not do it because they are successful, they do it because they can't stop. But your core point is very sound. Don't undersell yourself.

^X1000

I maintain that everyone should start a business at some point in their life. They will learn the harsh reality of where paychecks REALLY come from.

You are not really an entrepreneur until you are two days away from payday, and your account does not have enough to cover payroll. And yet you still somehow manage to get through.

Again thank you to all of you responding.

To those who recommend growing the business-It's not off of the table, I just know almost exactly how much I can make with a reasonable amount of effort and that needs to favor well when compared to potential careers. I also have to take into account the $ value of benefits and the value of my early mornings and late evenings.

So far the Physical Therapist Assistant, InfoSec, and PA stuff have me the most interested. Beyond being interesting the PTA and InfoSec choices have a big possible plus: My wife works for the local CC and that means I can take the needed courses for free.

The PTA is interesting because with my experience all I need to do is add the education and I can walk into the field with a huge headstart over the other grads. There are quite a few jobs in the area and I have some contacts in the local facilities so the likelyhood of being hired is high.

The InfoSec stuff is interesting because it is new. I've been training people for a looong time and the idea of a new field is exciting. I have a logical brain and don't think the education would be a problem, but I do worry that I would be competing with people who geek out about computers as much as I geek out about cars and that level of passionate outside learning might be hard to "study" up to. On the flip side I have years of experience working with people and people do the hiring.

The Physicians Assistant is a hard one. It is by far the most work. You have to have a full year of 40 hours a week hands on work with patients before you can even apply and I would probably need a year of coursework to get some pre recs and bring up my GPA. That would just be to get me on a level playing field with the other applicants. Then I need to stand out some other way than being older. It pays the best by far and is a rather interesting career, but I would be competing with a slew of super excited very bright 26 year olds so I would definitely have to be at my best.

Interesting stuff, keep it coming.

I went through a very interesting career change recently and it was very challenging. A boss once told me that you should think of a job change with respect to your two feet. You need to have one foot squarely into a new place you have never been before but your other foot must be on some familiar ground. This way you push yourself but also give yourself a fighting chance. I went from aerospace manufacturing to transportation strategy in e-commerce. It was a hell of a shock and took me over a year to get myself sorted. Now I'm seen as an expert in my field internally, but man what a ride full of emotional ups and mostly downs.

So be mindful and use your experience to set you up for success in the future. Don't throw away all your years of great work, build on them.

Another vote for Physical Therapist. They were recently ranked #1 for job satisfaction out of all jobs... I've worked with several and been the patient of one and they all love their jobs. Good hours, good money, you help people, and it matches your existing skills well.

So my 6 AM client is a Doctor. I asked him about careers this morning. He says to be a Physicians Assistant and he will help me get the needed hours of direct patient contact to apply for the program. Hmmmmmmmmm. I think its time to make a list of questions and get an appointment with the advisor for that program.

MrJoshua wrote: So my 6 AM client is a Doctor. I asked him about careers this morning. He says to be a Physicians Assistant and he will help me get the needed hours of direct patient contact to apply for the program. Hmmmmmmmmm. I think its time to make a list of questions and get an appointment with the advisor for that program.

Do it.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm 47 (in 2 more minutes...)

Really? July 19? Crap, I just turned 48 the 18th. So close but so different.. You still want my race car, though.

To the thread- I don't get the hate of regular '9-5' jobs. For what they lack of personal satisfaction, they also deliver in regular pay, regular days off, and regular vacation. Plus- given a family emergency- the ability to leave for an extended time without worrying about my business going under. The older my parents get, the more important that is.

I work to live, not live to work. So spending time at a desk sucks, but the result of doing that is pretty fun.

With a background like yours, my first suggestion would be to get a job managing a wellness program for a company, or be a wellness representative for a HMO. The person who comes in to companies and helps them set up a wellness program. This would mean regular office hours, benefits, and the ability to use your experience to your advantage.

Not fun, but you could do your needs pretty easily within 5 years at any health insurance company if you like sucking up to your boss and burying your peers.

Great suggestions and advice! PAs are in increasing demand, just make sure you're in the right hospital/office, as there's a danger of getting burnt out. Wellness programs are another good opportunity, our company just started one last year and the majority of folks here are participating. If the company becomes slightly more healthy, the program will have a huge return on investment in terms of decreased medical costs.

IT Security is another good area, right now security, analytics, and project management are the only three areas in IT that I could recommend as having long-term potential. Everything else has been commoditized and will be outsourced shortly (if it hasn't been already).

Wohoo! I've been accepted into Community College.

MrJoshua wrote: Wohoo! I've been accepted into Community College.

Awesome