Career Counseling

[2rocky]

Curious if any of my fellow Hunt Talkers have done any Mid-life Career counselling to take a look at where they are and re-evaluating their careers. It would be helpful if some of you had someone to recommend who appreciates the outdoor recreation and the time and energy it takes to align with the money you need to earn to do it.

I'm also interested to hear if you talked to a Career counselor and were less than impressed with the value.

 

[Irrelevant]

Curious if any of my fellow Hunt Talkers have done any Mid-life Career counselling to take a look at where they are and re-evaluating their careers. It would be helpful if some of you had someone to recommend who appreciates the outdoor recreation and the time and energy it takes to align with the money you need to earn to do it.

I'm also interested to hear if you talked to a Career counselor and were less than impressed with the value.

I do career counseling about once a month with a few others, it's a group session. 4 drink min.

 

[TheTone]

I have a former coworker that’s constantly telling me to find a new job. I am looking forward to a retirement seminar at my companies in service training this year to hopefully confirm I’m doing the right things with 12 years to go

 

[JohnCushman]

I had a midlife career change, but it wasn't my choice. After being in the military for most of my adult life since I was 17, I was retired after being wounded in Iraq. There went everything I loved and the only thing I felt I was good at. The VA deemed me non employable, so I'm stuck being retired. I would love to work at Walmart a couple days a week in sporting goods, but with the VA diagnosis I can't. I do some volunteer work here and there, but it doesn't take the place of my military service. If you enjoy what you're doing and enjoy your life, hold on to it for dear life....you never know when you can lose it.

 

[Mudranger1]

I had a midlife career change, but it wasn't my choice. After being in the military for most of my adult life since I was 17, I was retired after being wounded in Iraq. There went everything I loved and the only thing I felt I was good at. The VA deemed me non employable, so I'm stuck being retired. I would love to work at Walmart a couple days a week in sporting goods, but with the VA diagnosis I can't. I do some volunteer work here and there, but it doesn't take the place of my military service. If you enjoy what you're doing and enjoy your life, hold on to it for dear life....you never know when you can lose it.

you sure they didn't say too ugly to be the Walmart greeter?

 

[Irrelevant]

I had a midlife career change, but it wasn't my choice. After being in the military for most of my adult life since I was 17, I was retired after being wounded in Iraq. There went everything I loved and the only thing I felt I was good at. The VA deemed me non employable, so I'm stuck being retired. I would love to work at Walmart a couple days a week in sporting goods, but with the VA diagnosis I can't. I do some volunteer work here and there, but it doesn't take the place of my military service. If you enjoy what you're doing and enjoy your life, hold on to it for dear life....you never know when you can lose it.

That's tough, I'm sorry John

 

[rke]

Curious if any of my fellow Hunt Talkers have done any Mid-life Career counselling to take a look at where they are and re-evaluating their careers. It would be helpful if some of you had someone to recommend who appreciates the outdoor recreation and the time and energy it takes to align with the money you need to earn to do it.

I'm also interested to hear if you talked to a Career counselor and were less than impressed with the value.

Interesting question, and real I'm curious to follow all of the responses. For me, work is the necessary evil to 1. provide for my family (current and future) 2. help others 3. pay for hobbies. I've never ascribed to the follow your heart philosophy of life... If I would have done that I would be divorced, broke, and hopeless.

 

[2rocky]

JohnCushman, I appreciate your perspective.

neffa, The last 2 years I've kinda lost that social circle. And also the definition of an expert is "someone from more than 200 miles away"

 

[Irrelevant]

neffa, The last 2 years I've kinda lost that social circle. And also the definition of an expert is "someone from more than 200 miles away"

Well, I'll send you an invite to the next session, I would imagine we qualify as experts but that criteria!

 

[PawPawWPG]

I actually had an intro conversation with a career counselor yesterday. Not sure if I’ll pull the trigger but I’m interested to hear about it as well.

 

[BackofBeyond]

Never spoken with a “career counselor” but I have gotten the feeling that I’m stuck at work, no enjoyment etc. Took me time to come to terms that I needed to leave the company I was with (and really enjoyed the people I was working with and for) to a new company with different challenges to be satisfied in my career again.

I’m not one that needs to be “passionate” about work. It’s a job. If they didn’t pay me to do it, I wouldn’t, but at the same time if work feels like eating the same bologna sandwich every meal of every day, then it’s time for a change.

 

[Irrelevant]

For what it's worth, everyone (or almost everyone), can't stand their job from time to time, more so with some that others.

I've thought about jumping ship dozens of times. I've looked a different jobs dozens of times. I've even applied for and been offered a few but I've declined them all.

During my meditative sessions (circling a field on a tractor, or climbing a hill with a weighted pack) I questioned my desires to work elsewhere and the unhappiness I've felt associated with work and eventually came to the half-hearted conclusion, that these desires of mine were mostly being driven by what I actually think is "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" mentality. So in the end, I elected to stay where I'm at and find ways to make it more tolerable and more enjoyable. With some effort I have succeeded on both fronts. That's not the case for everyone or every job. The real deal breakers for me would be the people I work with, if they sucked, then I'd have to move on. Flexibility to accommodate family needs, which is simply a much in my mind. Compensation, both actual pay and other benefits (healthcare, pto, etc.), if you could be making substantially more, and have more room for professional growth elsewhere, then it's time to leave. However, I would caution against chasing the dollar, a bit more money probably doesn't lead, in a linear fashion, to a big more happiness.

 

[2rocky]

Yeah Neffa, I'm wondering myself if I need to "water my grass".

 

[geewhiz]

I had a midlife career change, but it wasn't my choice. After being in the military for most of my adult life since I was 17, I was retired after being wounded in Iraq. There went everything I loved and the only thing I felt I was good at. The VA deemed me non employable, so I'm stuck being retired. I would love to work at Walmart a couple days a week in sporting goods, but with the VA diagnosis I can't. I do some volunteer work here and there, but it doesn't take the place of my military service. If you enjoy what you're doing and enjoy your life, hold on to it for dear life....you never know when you can lose it.

Thank you for your service and for the sacrifice you made.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Taking some time to reflect on your career choice, if it makes you happy, if it provides the future you want, etc.. is a good thing no matter how you get it done. Life is short.

For some reason I fell into construction after college and running a construction company (aka adult babysitting service) was profitable but not fun. Sold my business and then a few years later went to work as a estimator and project manager for a GC and found myself in the same situation. Clearly I was dumb as I had to learn the same lesson twice.

Now I am in a much different situation and would never go back to doing any kind of construction work as it did not make me happy. I suspect a visit to an expert may have saved me a lot of years doing something I did not enjoy.

Right now much of America is looking to change career paths, the great resignation, etc for similar reasons. There should be no awkwardness about talking to a career counselor or therapist for that matter. Better to be able to ask for help than to try and figure everything out yourself.

As for John,
I found a part time job that may be a perfect fit.

A reality star who says she made $200K from selling her farts in Mason jars is pivoting to selling them as NFTs

A customer of Stephanie Matto explained to Insider why the bizarre product was so appealing to him.

www.insider.com

 

[Gellar]

Taking some time to reflect on your career choice, if it makes you happy, if it provides the future you want, etc.. is a good thing no matter how you get it done. Life is short.

For some reason I fell into construction after college and running a construction company (aka adult babysitting service) was profitable but not fun. Sold my business and then a few years later went to work as a estimator and project manager for a GC and found myself in the same situation. Clearly I was dumb as I had to learn the same lesson twice.

Now I am in a much different situation and would never go back to doing any kind of construction work as it did not make me happy. I suspect a visit to an expert may have saved me a lot of years doing something I did not enjoy.

Right now much of America is looking to change career paths, the great resignation, etc for similar reasons. There should be no awkwardness about talking to a career counselor or therapist for that matter. Better to be able to ask for help than to try and figure everything out yourself.

As for John,
I found a part time job that may be a perfect fit.

A reality star who says she made $200K from selling her farts in Mason jars is pivoting to selling them as NFTs

A customer of Stephanie Matto explained to Insider why the bizarre product was so appealing to him.

www.insider.com

Jeezuz, when you think you’ve seen it all.

 

[Gerald Martin]

As for John,
I found a part time job that may be a perfect fit.

A reality star who says she made $200K from selling her farts in Mason jars is pivoting to selling them as NFTs

A customer of Stephanie Matto explained to Insider why the bizarre product was so appealing to him.

www.insider.com

All I am gonna say is that there’s no way a pint jar is gonna contain a Cushman fart…

 

[Irrelevant]

Can you imagine a dude selling farts in a jar for 1k each? Talk about sexism.

 

[seeth07]

The saying that if you do what you enjoy, you will never work a day in your life couldn't be more true. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you will find happiness. For some, the moment doesn't come until retirement. Be smart and find it sooner because life is too short.

 

[Jbotto]

I’ve worked in four fields of work since I graduated college. Only one being what j went to school for. At 30 years old I finally took a job that I think is the one. I’ve never had a job until now where I didn’t walk in on day-one and knew that I had an expiration at that company. I could probably benefit from career counseling myself as I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, but I think I’m in a good place now if I never figure that out. It’s been a huge relief for my wife and I with a baby on the way. I know she has noticed a change in me, and I don’t dread getting up in the morning anymore.