What did your career look like when you were 35?

I had a great career going at 35 but was frustrated by the corporate bureaucracy and I did not aspire for my bosses job. I quit at 37 and took a very entrepreneurial route that eventually got be back to a corporate job that suited me perfectly. By 45 I was a company president and did three more CEO jobs until I retired at 61. But that career "break" really got me going. It took courage as I had three little children, no salary and no benefits.

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03/10/2018 18:16

Subject: What did your career look like when you were 35?

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Anonymous

21-took my first "real" job in my first field (teaching)
23-quit after 2 school years, worked as a hotel maid, then at various low-level jobs in hotels/resorts worked all over the US and traveled a bunch
25-moved back East, took a job as a preschool teacher
26-took my first job in health care
27-started college again to get a BSN
29-took my first nursing job (bedside, in the ICU)
32-started grad school (MSN, NP track)
35-finished grad school, took my first NP job

I am now 40 and in my second NP job. I was definitely on a mommy-track and in some ways still am. At 35, for example, I was working 3 days/week (30 hours, on paper, though was not doing full 10-hour days most days, but was salaried so it worked). Kids were 4 and 1 when I started so it was really ideal.

At 36 I took a second job within the same practice and went up to 4 days/week but was like 35 hours/week. When my youngest started K I went to full time but I leave by 3:30 every day and pick my kids up from school.

Honestly I think nursing is great for this. I like my job, I have a lot of autonomy, I make low 6 figures and have a lot of flexibility in terms of schedule. OTOH I can't really see there being a "next" for me. I love seeing patients, I don't love some of the administrative BS, but I have no desire to manage or teach apart from the occasional NP student I precept.