hey chosties what do you do when you reach your 30s and the industry you've worked in for a decade suddenly implodes and also you realize you've been burnt out on it for the past three years so you simply don't have the energy or desire to carve yourself a shittier, worse-paid niche on the remains of said decimated industry but you also don't know how to do anything else and wouldn't know where to start figuring out what you even want to do?
hypothetically speaking
This hypothetical situation sounds more severe than mine but this is relatable content
after taking about nine months off to just recover enough from burnout to even think about future work without having a meltdown, I'm looking into picking up a trade skill that I could use to help out my community (electrolysis). idk if it'll pan out but it's something
I think making a decision starting from "what's needed around me" instead of "what do I want to do" may be a good thing for me, thank you
My industry wasn't imploding but I was dissatisfied with my career trajectory so I went back and got a Master's degree. I did that part-time while working part-time, which is a lotta work and juggling but I would definitely do it that way again given the choice.
Turns out it didn't change my job much. (At least not immediately, I'm just now starting to get into things that are related to my Master's, five years later.) It did help me get re-excited about my field, so that's addressing the problem at least partially. Just setting realistic expectations...
There was a rather fortunate confluence of circumstances that made this financially feasible for me that may not apply to others. I'm not recommending this exact path, just offering some experience. Maybe something adjacent might work out for you, or may fortune smile on youl
I will say going back to a college environment as a thirty-something is a very different experience. Makes you feel much more like A Real Adult, even if you don't feel that way right now, because a person with work experience will just have their shit so much more together than students that haven't left the college life yet. You will empathize and connect more with other Returning Students on that basis alone.
Funny you mention that because I am desperate enough to look into going back to school
The difference would be I never actually finished a BA, never needed it in my current field and now... I am in a specific circumstance that would allow me to study, even if it won't be easy
thanks for sharing your experience
This happened to me in my 40s (radio & journalism). I poked around in areas of past part-time jobs (museum education) and found some work there. I have since found some work to help me gain more experience in the classroom. Happy to provide more specifics via email, if that's helpful to you: vhhancock@gmail.com
thank you for sharing, knowing it's possible to change paths later on is honestly helpful
I emailed you
Hypothetically someone could get a gig as a library worker while they figure stuff out. Workload depends on where you work, but it can be an ok way to make money while you figure something else out.
Hmm hypothetically, this sounds really appealing, but I thought library workers needed specific degrees?
Librarians need degrees, but you can be a library assistant or associate without one. The positions sans degrees are basically just babysitting the library and dealing with patrons.
