New career or just suck it up?

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Soulive

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I'm torn lately about what I do. It doesn't really hold my interest, but it pays well and is flexible. I know everyone wants the job that makes them job out of bed in the morning, but also pays very well. I can't decide if I should just suck it up and find motivation from within or find a new career I'm passionate about and hope the money will come. I've been looking into Web Design but that industry seems to be saturated. In a perfect world I'd run the world's most lucrative brewpub...
 
Ryan_PA said:
Perhaps this should be firewall protected. What do you do now?

Good point, but no need. My company is aware and supportive. Right now I'm a recruiter for the apparel/fashion industry in NYC...
 
Web design is a good skill to have, but the wide open window of opportunity for making a living on it has really started to close. Now designers are graying the line with web application development, which is more tha a little coding and throwing a dancing jesus on a page.

I can throw a suggestion out there. You have business experience, so perhaps you should look into Project Management. If you are close to NYC, you can make a real good living with a PMP certification ,adn do better than most working in the industry while trying to get the cert. I am a PM for a large company in the IT world. It is great if you tend to lose interest as all projects are temproary by definition, you will always have an end in sight, and something new on the horizon. Look into any continuing ed cources offered in your area if interested. PM me if you have any specific questions.
 
The grass ain't always greener. If you're in a place that is understanding and flexible use that to your advantage and try looking into something else. But now may not be the best of times to think about a carrer change. As long as your happy in the end that's all that counts. Best of luck with what ever you decide.

:mug:
 
I dunno. Tough call. Something tells me that at one point in time you were probably passionate about what you do now. That is the problem with making decisions based on passions. Sometimes it wears off and you are stuck. However, having said that, my dream has always been to open a restaurant and if I had the funds and the balls I would do it.

Like I said, tough call, but I would not move. If you HATE your job, that is one thing. If you are just bored and dispassionate about your work, I would stay where the money is. That is my two cents.
 
I think it depends on what else you may want to do, and how much that should pay in the sort time and what it may pay in the long time..
maybe your new carrier pays a little less, but has more potential
I know there are a million recruiter's around the Chicago area for IT, maybe stay in the recruiter space with just another area..
 
cubbies said:
I dunno. Tough call. Something tells me that at one point in time you were probably passionate about what you do now. That is the problem with making decisions based on passions. Sometimes it wears off and you are stuck. However, having said that, my dream has always been to open a restaurant and if I had the funds and the balls I would do it.

Like I said, tough call, but I would not move. If you HATE your job, that is one thing. If you are just bored and dispassionate about your work, I would stay where the money is. That is my two cents.

Yeah it is tough. I never really loved it but I don't hate it either. The other thing is, I could come back to this job if I had to. So I really want to make sure there isn't something else...
 
I think Web Design without a Computer Science degree would be a bad move. Even if your focus was web art, it would be hard to get interviews without a degree in Graphic Design/Computer Animation. I could be wrong, though.

Even my buddy who has is quite talented has problems getting a good paying gig. Link
 
njnear76 said:
I think Web Design without a Computer Science degree would be a bad move. Even if your focus was web art, it would be hard to get interviews without a degree in Graphic Design/Computer Animation. I could be wrong, though.

I have an I.T. degree already, although its not in Web. I'd also most likely be doing my own thing...
 
I'd rather be broke but doing what I want than having something that pays well but I don't like. I just can't hold a job that doesn't hold my interest, so I've been doing my own thing for the past 7 years.
 
Soulive said:
I have an I.T. degree already, although its not in Web. I'd also most likely be doing my own thing...
An IT degree definitely helps. You could always take classes at a local college if you wanted to beef up on a subject. I'm considering doing this to get a little bit of business know-how.

I hope I didn't upset your or anything with my response that wasn't my intent.

Are you interested in the following: product testing, technical writing, product management, networking, or database management? An IT degree can help you get into those fields.
 
Man, I'm not sure now is quite the time to jump ship, giving the shinanegans the economy is throwing our way right now. It might be worthwhile to ride it out until the forcast looks a bit better...
 
Bedlam said:
Man, I'm not sure now is quite the time to jump ship, giving the shinanegans the economy is throwing our way right now. It might be worthwhile to ride it out until the forcast looks a bit better...

I know its a risk, but as I said earlier I could come back to this job if I had to...
 
If you can afford to make a move then go for it, especially if you have your current job waiting for you as a fallback.
 
njnear76 said:
I think Web Design without a Computer Science degree would be a bad move. Even if your focus was web art, it would be hard to get interviews without a degree in Graphic Design/Computer Animation. I could be wrong, though.

Even my buddy who has is quite talented has problems getting a good paying gig. Link

Nah, design sites are easy. You can customize templates for a lot of jobs, and if he doesn't have design experience he could always outsource it. As long as you can interact with clients well, manage projects efficiently and can write some code, it can be done.

I'd agree with Soulive that the web design market seems a bit saturated atm.
 
ohiobrewtus said:
Nah, design sites are easy. You can customize templates for a lot of jobs, and if he doesn't have design experience he could always outsource it. As long as you can interact with clients well, manage projects efficiently and can write some code, it can be done.

I'd agree with Soulive that the web design market seems a bit saturated atm.

This is how I feel as well. I just have to learn the coding which shouldn't be an issue for me since I learned SQL. My friend who is very successful in the industry said the saturation is nothing to worry about. Supposedly 8 out of 10 designers aren't good at it...
 
*Sorry! I didn't bring my clover avatar today*

It is a fairly bad time to make a leap right now. There is a chance that whatever you switch to will be worse, and your old job may not be available.

Good luck.
 
with a recession on the horizon you could just wait to get laid off... then you really would have to start your lucrative brewpub, no other jobs around. j/k,
 
I'm in a similar position. I've decided to add hobbies (brewing, beekeeping) that I really enjoy and keep me interested and inspired, and look at work as a way to support myself and my hobbies. I think there are very few people who love their jobs so much that it causes them to jump out of bed every day. If your job supports you well, doesn't really give you anything to complain about but a general malaise, supplementing with something that inspires you might be a better choice. It would stink if you switched careers and in 5 years, found yourself in the same place you are now.

And be careful about turning hobbies you love into a career...once you *have* to do something, it becomes a lot less fun.
 
On the web design note, I freelance producing flash sites. I buy the template for my client and take all their info and pics and sweeten it all up. I then outsource the actual work part to people I know who know flash and then do the uploading/delivery. A guy could probably make a career out of it if he wanted to.
 
So I enrolled in the Web Design program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. They have an online delivery system and the courses look very good. I didn't want to incur student loans, but oh well. Hopefully it'll be worth it!
 
cubbies said:
Good luck man. I am sure if you put in what you want to get out, it will all work itself out.

Thanks. I think I'm better suited for this line of work. I won't mind giving it 110%...
 
If you feel it's time to go then, there is something telling you that and if you try to ride it out, over time it will show in your work.

I've been in all 3 scenarios.

Had the High Paying job. Plus all the stress, travel, and responsibilities. The pay was great but my life was inexistent and I am not the personality type that live to work. In the first 5 years of my marriage I had spent maybe a year in the actual presence of my wife but we could afford to live by the seat of our pants and had annual international vacations.

After that I started my own company. Became my own boss and was flat broke. Work was spotty at best and 90% of my time, expenses, an efforts were in trying to fond the next customer. When the work was there I was elated but the income was barely enough to get me through between contracts.

Finally I took a jobby-job. Nearly a 40K per year pay cut from the first career but it is at least a steady check and I know what the job requires. No stress, work at my own reasonable pace, show up at 8 and leave at 5. The pay isn't the best in the world but it covers the bills and gives us enough to plan with plus I have enough of a life to raise a child, or two.

Basically it really comes down to what's really important in the here and now.
 
Soulive said:
So I enrolled in the Web Design program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. They have an online delivery system and the courses look very good. I didn't want to incur student loans, but oh well. Hopefully it'll be worth it!

Any chance of getting tuition reimbursement from your company?

I've been going to school online for over two years now (done in December) and all my tuition and books are reimbursed by my company.


Most companies only reimburse for certain degrees, if that is the case, then you could tell them your major is like Business and at least get reimbursed for the required classes that are common to both degrees.


Just a thought.
 
Flyin' Lion said:
Any chance of getting tuition reimbursement from your company?

I've been going to school online for over two years now (done in December) and all my tuition and books are reimbursed by my company.


Most companies only reimburse for certain degrees, if that is the case, then you could tell them your major is like Business and at least get reimbursed for the required classes that are common to both degrees.


Just a thought.

Yeah thats always something to consider. In my case, my company will keep paying my same salary eventhough I'll be working 10-15 hours less per week...:D
 
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