What is a good field or line of work for someone, LIKE ME, to study for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Become a CPA. It isn't outdoors but you can do accounting forever. Not going to be rich but it is stable.

I have given this tremendous consideration. I do exceptionally well with crunching numbers. I need to look further into this arena!

I'm in accounting/finance. Accounting is a stable career, but don't expect 6 figures coming out of school. Much like in other fields, you have to pay your dues. If you go into public accounting, you'd be expected to put in some serious hours for at least the first few years. And I believe the current requirement to sit for the CPA exam is 150 credit hours, so a master's (or equivalent).

[Anonymous]

I'd suggest looking into medical device sales

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Become a CPA. It isn't outdoors but you can do accounting forever. Not going to be rich but it is stable.

I have given this tremendous consideration. I do exceptionally well with crunching numbers. I need to look further into this arena!

I'm in accounting/finance. Accounting is a stable career, but don't expect 6 figures coming out of school. Much like in other fields, you have to pay your dues. If you go into public accounting, you'd be expected to put in some serious hours for at least the first few years. And I believe the current requirement to sit for the CPA exam is 150 credit hours, so a master's (or equivalent).

Yes, I am a CPA too, and it took me many years to make 6 figures and as PP says, lots of OT is the norm in this industry especially public accounting. Once you are experienced, it may be one of the easier fields to find a job, but sometimes I think that is because no one else wants to do it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pp that you quoted. I think people read that (i did) but found it more useful to give you ideas based on your interests.

OP here,
I had a lot on my mind and it spilled out onto my post. I should have kept it shorter and more to the point, like some of my responses. I think my curtness was taken the wrong way. I appreciate the positive feedback and words of encouragement. I set myself up for hazing and then responded when hazed. I keep mowing the grass and, damn it!, it keeps growing back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest looking into medical device sales

I was talking this over with one of my friends (yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I do have friends) that other day and he suggested that same thing. I was also thinking about possibly looking into the Pharmaceutical companies as a salesman. It seems as though everyone is on some kind of medicine these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Become a CPA. It isn't outdoors but you can do accounting forever. Not going to be rich but it is stable.

I have given this tremendous consideration. I do exceptionally well with crunching numbers. I need to look further into this arena!

I'm in accounting/finance. Accounting is a stable career, but don't expect 6 figures coming out of school. Much like in other fields, you have to pay your dues. If you go into public accounting, you'd be expected to put in some serious hours for at least the first few years. And I believe the current requirement to sit for the CPA exam is 150 credit hours, so a master's (or equivalent).

If life expectancy increases over the years, like it has in the past, I'm in this for about as long as I've lived so far and probably even longer! If I can find a way to endure the cost and amount of time it consumes, then I have plenty of time to reinvent myself. I think accounting / finance is a job that I could see myself doing in the long run. Money makes the world go around!

[Anonymous]

Yes, I am a CPA too, and it took me many years to make 6 figures and as PP says, lots of OT is the norm in this industry especially public accounting. Once you are experienced, it may be one of the easier fields to find a job, but sometimes I think that is because no one else wants to do it!

Congratulations! Do you like your job? Is it rewarding to you? Please elaborate on the good and the bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am in a Wholesale Distribution Industry. You don't need to know the actual industry, but now you have an idea.

At first I would shoot for an undergraduate degree, but depending on time and finances, I would pursue at least a Bachelor's degree.

I applaud you and your husband for the years you have invested in your educations and your careers! It sounds like you made some good and solid decisions at the right time! I wish I knew then what I think I know now... LOL!

FYI, these are the same things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP who mentioned tech work may be on to something, but the field is really becoming much more formalized than it was even a decade ago, and most high-paying tech jobs require a level of specialty that means you either need an advanced degree, project management experience (plus some tech background) or be brilliant to get.

For example, I have been in the tech sector for a long time -- I know a few highly-paid people who only got GEDs, but those guys are usually brilliant people who ditched high school so they could build robots in their garages and go to science competitions. Lots of them went on to get high-paid tech jobs at contractors after working somewhere for a few years as a server admin or something and putting themselves through school (many of the better jobs these days do require a 4-year degree, though by no means all). So they are a triple threat. One guy I know owns a contracting business and makes a ton, but he's just brilliant, brilliant, brilliant all around.

On the other hand, I had a 4-year degree and couldn't get beyond a certain point in tech because I didn't want to switch to a management track and while I consider myself intelligent, I don't think I'm at the level where I can just work magic like some guys. I went back and got a Master's and now make double what I did before, but that's 2-3 more years (depending on if you can go full time or need to do part-time while you're working).

Plus, I think tech might be one of those things you can't decide to do just because there's a possibility of high pay -- you sort of need to have the aptitude for it. If you do, it's a nice lifestyle -- I work from home 100% and, because of my specialized area, I'm recession-proof. But my DH (attorney) thinks my job is boring and/or insane and says he'd hate it (just like I think he job is boring/insane!).

Since DH went through it, I think law school is out because it'd be 7 years until you're done with that...and the legal industry isn't doing well anymore AND it's a very traditional career path and firms want you to be, like, 25 when you graduate and start working for them.

Honestly, if all that mattered was money, I think I'd go into finance. But I'll have to leave it to others to say whether that's possible for you to go into at this stage and what education you'd need.

I appreciate the time and effort that went into your reply! You seem like a genuine nice, and very intelligent, person! I wish you were my mentor when I was younger! I must have overlooked your response while spewing replies to others.

I DO have project management under my belt, 17 years of it to be more precise, however, this doesn't translate into the type of project management that would immediately transfer into another industry. I may be overthinking it, as I often do, but I would think that you would need to know specifically about the industry that you're working in to know how to effectively project manage. If you didn't know the specific lead times for all of the products it would make it difficult to plan, organize, and execute. I guess these are just the smaller things that come with the territory.

I'm just trying to "feel my oats" and see what else is out there. I've lived my life in this industry with blinders on this whole time. It's like not seeing the forest through all of the trees. It's time for me to try and take control of my future. It might take a tremendous amount of time, resources, and money, but I'm going to find something that I enjoy doing that enables me to make a decent living while doing so!

Finance might just be what gets me to where I need to be, but I need to find a career that lets me have fun while selling other people's money to other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you specify more about what you did/do in that industry - high level management, sales, stocking shelves, etc - that will help identify a general set of skills (not simply the qualities you described in your OP) that could be applicable to other industries with or without having to attend school. Getting jobs these days is very much about how you can show that skills from X experience translate well to Y opportunity.

So agree with this. If you can put the skills you learned in your job of 25 years and apply that to a new career,you will be miles ahead of those you graduate with.

OP here,
Of course, I agree with what you said. That doesn't mean that whatever the new career is has employers willing to hire us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It kind of helps to know what you enjoy doing. On this board, you are going to find a HUGE selection of jobs and careers (for instance I'm an RN and DH is an exec). What do you like doing? What are your strengths in? Science? Math? Writing?

No offense, but if you are planning to choose a career path based on salary and how interesting it sounds, you're setting yourself up for failure.

OP here,
You are most likely absolutely correct. Please elaborate on how you like being an RN. Likes, dislikes, advantages, disadvantages? I'm not against going into the Medical Profession. I have considered it, but it requires a lot more time than some of the other choices out there. Yes, haters, there are males nurses!

The post for the surveyor sounds like it might meet your needs. You're outside and inside, not micromanaged. Also, the nursing field has many male nurses albeit the majority are female. It is one of the very few professions where being middle age does NOT work against you. The median age of Registered Nurses is 48. It is not unusual for a middle age nurse to change specialty areas with little difficulty. For many RNs, it's a 2nd career. Although, there are associate degree programs available, most hospitals or other medical situations require a BSN (Bachelor in Nursing).

[Anonymous]

There are many online programs that offer bachelor/master's degrees and won't cost an arm or a leg AND give you the flexibility to keep working. No school will come cheap (I would stay away from the 'for-profit' schools like U. of Phoenix, Kaplan, etc.

I did my master's online in my PJs. And please don't let anybody tell you that not being in the classroom does not provide the same benefit. Many online classes are live. I opted out of the visual and went for solely for the live audio with my headphone 'cause I was extremely casual at my laptop. Some classes are 'pre-recorded'.

For the working person with other responsibiities, you can't beat online. Btw, even Stanford University has an online program.

http://www.umuc.edu/
http://onlinecampus.uwf.edu/
http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-schools

[Anonymous]

How about project manager? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_manager

You could work at Accenture, Booz Allen or Deloitte?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It kind of helps to know what you enjoy doing. On this board, you are going to find a HUGE selection of jobs and careers (for instance I'm an RN and DH is an exec). What do you like doing? What are your strengths in? Science? Math? Writing?

No offense, but if you are planning to choose a career path based on salary and how interesting it sounds, you're setting yourself up for failure.

OP here,
You are most likely absolutely correct. Please elaborate on how you like being an RN. Likes, dislikes, advantages, disadvantages? I'm not against going into the Medical Profession. I have considered it, but it requires a lot more time than some of the other choices out there. Yes, haters, there are males nurses!

The post for the surveyor sounds like it might meet your needs. You're outside and inside, not micromanaged. Also, the nursing field has many male nurses albeit the majority are female. It is one of the very few professions where being middle age does NOT work against you. The median age of Registered Nurses is 48. It is not unusual for a middle age nurse to change specialty areas with little difficulty. For many RNs, it's a 2nd career. Although, there are associate degree programs available, most hospitals or other medical situations require a BSN (Bachelor in Nursing).

Honestly I think this is instead because nurses are aging out of the profession (baby boomer nurses retiring) and far fewer younger folks are coming in as nurses.

OP - I'm not the PP you quoted re: project mgt but while your project management experience may not be in the new field you wish to pursue, 17 years in another field may translate to fewer years in the new field and not start you right at the beginning. Personally I'd try punching in "Project manager" into a job search engine and see what comes up in terms of salary, agency/organization/company, years of experience needed. Your job would be to convince the employer to hire you because even though you don't have "specialized" experience in such an industry (whichever you'd pursue a new job in), you have proven skills in this area based on your prior experience.

It's important that you understand that regardless of industry, people who change careers dramatically typically take a pay cut to start off, unless they've gotten an additional degree/different degree. Even then they may receive a pay cut, but are willing because it's the career they've decided is the "the one."

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

General contractor or contracting for home improvement projects. You could make a lot of money and you would work for yourself and there is a huge demand for decent contractors. You already have experience in the area.