Career change from 9-5 to something else
Mar 7th 2021, 12:47 pm
#16
Resident Maple Leaf Lush
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,745
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
So, i've barely finished college and still job hunting...and already questioning whether I want to do a career change. Just don't think the 9-5 bum in seat desk job life is for me. I don't like the fact that most companies here expect entry level workers to work 50/52 weeks of the year...for less money then my last internship/co-op paid me. Despite being in IT where my job should be able to be done from anywhere with internet no one wants to allow work from home even during a pandemic under the guise of "we want a presence" and "customer service." No one told me how much emphasis there is in IT on "customer service". I didn't go into this to deal with people, I did it because I like technology. I don't see myself as a "customer service agent" that needs to bend to everyone's whim, I see myself as a professional who knows what they're doing. And if I hear one more time "We aren't looking for technical skills we're looking for a good fit" I will scream. What is the point of my diploma if you aren't looking for technical skills? Again I didn't do this to be nice to people, I did it to work with technology, and technology doesn't talk back. 
Am I correct in saying that this would be your first proper full time job?
Is the Internship / co-op work you did in the field of IT?
Mar 7th 2021, 2:47 pm
#17
Tea Drinker
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
I would be a on a plane and travelling the world until I had seen and visited every country feasible to visit, and see the sights of course. Then when done build a big house with a huge aquarium in the living room...ha ha
Wouldn't life be so much nicer if we didn't have to dedicate most of our life to working.
Wouldn't life be so much nicer if we didn't have to dedicate most of our life to working.
Knowing what I know now after how the pandemic has changed how people work, I would stay away from teaching unless you enjoy talking into a webcam. This remote learning is going to revolutionize teaching, perhaps not for the young children, but definitely for college and Uni students. There will be a huge increase in remote learning.
My 20 year old self was itching to join the RCMP, unfortunately I stayed in the UK and got a job in IT instead. However I did join as an A/Cst in 2010 and to satisfy my lifelong itch. Funny how things work out.
Mar 7th 2021, 3:19 pm
#18
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
1975, on holiday with my mate in Canada, staying with his dad (parents separated) in Saint John, NB. Took a camping trip around PEI and NS, stopping in Moncton for supplies.
Decided I wanted to emigrate to Canada and imagined having parents visit and taking them to Niagara Falls which we visited after the camping trip.
Naturally it all fell by the wayside as 18 year old thoughts do.
30 years later, move to Moncton, with mother having been enabled (as opposed to taking her) to visit Niagara Falls the year before when she came to Montreal for my wedding.
Funny how things work out.
Decided I wanted to emigrate to Canada and imagined having parents visit and taking them to Niagara Falls which we visited after the camping trip.
Naturally it all fell by the wayside as 18 year old thoughts do.
30 years later, move to Moncton, with mother having been enabled (as opposed to taking her) to visit Niagara Falls the year before when she came to Montreal for my wedding.
Funny how things work out.
Mar 7th 2021, 5:49 pm
#19
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
If I could work at a public aquarium as an aquarist, I would never work, it would just be paid fun.
The point I was trying to make, is that if you do something you enjoy for a living, you will never have to 'work' a day in your life. If you love working with animals, get a job in a vets, don't become a database administrator.
Knowing what I know now after how the pandemic has changed how people work, I would stay away from teaching unless you enjoy talking into a webcam. This remote learning is going to revolutionize teaching, perhaps not for the young children, but definitely for college and Uni students. There will be a huge increase in remote learning.
My 20 year old self was itching to join the RCMP, unfortunately I stayed in the UK and got a job in IT instead. However I did join as an A/Cst in 2010 and to satisfy my lifelong itch. Funny how things work out.
Knowing what I know now after how the pandemic has changed how people work, I would stay away from teaching unless you enjoy talking into a webcam. This remote learning is going to revolutionize teaching, perhaps not for the young children, but definitely for college and Uni students. There will be a huge increase in remote learning.
My 20 year old self was itching to join the RCMP, unfortunately I stayed in the UK and got a job in IT instead. However I did join as an A/Cst in 2010 and to satisfy my lifelong itch. Funny how things work out.
Mar 7th 2021, 7:41 pm
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,363
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
My suggestions.. Get a union job if there are any left and enjoy your non 9-5 life. It seems to me as though your commitment level to a career is low and you want money in order to travel and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm not sure that you researched the post school world in your field and to be brutally honest you come across with a rather entitled view of how your skills should be received by those who have put in time ahead of you. Whether you like it or not, technical skills aren't going to be the only thing to get you to the finish line. People skills, communication skills and the ability to make the best of your skills and to think outside the box is what you will get you ahead. I wouldn't suggest running your own business as, from this posting, I don't sense you have the 24/7 drive that is required to be a success in that field. Some posters on this forum can attest to that as can I. Teaching requires the ability to be a people person. Maybe a union tech job in the government.? Just my thoughts.
How long has it been since you left schooling. Few of us remain in the same career path our whole lives. You've got lots of time to reinvent yourself.
I wouldn't recommend car sales which I think is a declining industry. You have lofty goals of how you would approach that industry but I think the industry would grind you down. I have a close relative in the field and the whole buying a car process is one I hate and the stories I hear about customers (aka 'people') would drive me up the wall.
Hope this didn't come across too negative.
This website has some good food for thought from a serial entrepreneur.
https://brucemfirestone.com/what-wil...emic-subsides/
How long has it been since you left schooling. Few of us remain in the same career path our whole lives. You've got lots of time to reinvent yourself.
I wouldn't recommend car sales which I think is a declining industry. You have lofty goals of how you would approach that industry but I think the industry would grind you down. I have a close relative in the field and the whole buying a car process is one I hate and the stories I hear about customers (aka 'people') would drive me up the wall.
Hope this didn't come across too negative.
This website has some good food for thought from a serial entrepreneur.
https://brucemfirestone.com/what-wil...emic-subsides/
So, i've barely finished college and still job hunting...and already questioning whether I want to do a career change. Just don't think the 9-5 bum in seat desk job life is for me. I don't like the fact that most companies here expect entry level workers to work 50/52 weeks of the year...for less money then my last internship/co-op paid me. Despite being in IT where my job should be able to be done from anywhere with internet no one wants to allow work from home even during a pandemic under the guise of "we want a presence" and "customer service." No one told me how much emphasis there is in IT on "customer service". I didn't go into this to deal with people, I did it because I like technology. I don't see myself as a "customer service agent" that needs to bend to everyone's whim, I see myself as a professional who knows what they're doing. And if I hear one more time "We aren't looking for technical skills we're looking for a good fit" I will scream. What is the point of my diploma if you aren't looking for technical skills? Again I didn't do this to be nice to people, I did it to work with technology, and technology doesn't talk back.
Last edited by Partially discharged; Mar 7th 2021 at 7:43 pm.
Mar 7th 2021, 11:14 pm
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: SW Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,960
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
Re teaching ..................
do you really want to be at the beck and call of kids in high school, School Principals on your back all the time, parents who their children are little angels all the time?
Never be sure in June whether you will have a position in September, and if you do, will it be at the same school.
Do you really want to spend 10, 15 or 20 years without basically have a permanent position?
It's a unionized job ....... last in first out, regardless of subject.
It really isn't the cushy job that you think. Every school teacher I've known (including myself) has a) worked hours after school, and at weekends, b) run ragged in school, c) spent at least the first week of every vacation just getting over the bone tiredness.
Just think back to some of you classmates in high school. Would you really ant to teach them??
From the little I've picked up about you on these boards, I really do not think you would enjoy teaching.
do you really want to be at the beck and call of kids in high school, School Principals on your back all the time, parents who their children are little angels all the time?
Never be sure in June whether you will have a position in September, and if you do, will it be at the same school.
Do you really want to spend 10, 15 or 20 years without basically have a permanent position?
It's a unionized job ....... last in first out, regardless of subject.
It really isn't the cushy job that you think. Every school teacher I've known (including myself) has a) worked hours after school, and at weekends, b) run ragged in school, c) spent at least the first week of every vacation just getting over the bone tiredness.
Just think back to some of you classmates in high school. Would you really ant to teach them??
From the little I've picked up about you on these boards, I really do not think you would enjoy teaching.
I think you're in IT so i'll toss a brief description of my resume - I started Sept 2016 as a high school co-op (unpaid but earning school credit) doing computer hardware break/fix, then level 1 helpdesk, then starting to coordinate Win7-10 upgrades. Summer of 2017 that employer gave me a full time contract, which went down to part time once I started College then full time again in the summer. Stopped working there in Sept 2018 when I had to go back to school and they weren't able to keep me on part time. For all of 2019 I worked for a different employer, same deal both full and part time co-op position while I was in school, doing essentially L1 helpdesk. Then beginning of 2020 back to full time school, summer 2020 I went back and worked for the first employer again since they were offering me more $$ and way closer to my house. Plus it was covid so I was taking whatever I could. Contract ended and they didn't have capacity to keep me part time, then December 2020 I graduated and here I am March 2021.
In between all of that I have run a small business on the side (registered and legit with CRA
) doing IT consulting, mostly for home users, simple issues and SSD replacements but I have had a couple of business contracts configuring routers, switches, accounting software, etc.So I recognize i'm still green in my career but for someone who just graduated I have a good amount of work experience, more so then the peers I graduated with, in addition to graduating with above average GPA...although most employers don't really ask about that.
My suggestions.. Get a union job if there are any left and enjoy your non 9-5 life. It seems to me as though your commitment level to a career is low and you want money in order to travel and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm not sure that you researched the post school world in your field and to be brutally honest you come across with a rather entitled view of how your skills should be received by those who have put in time ahead of you. Whether you like it or not, technical skills aren't going to be the only thing to get you to the finish line. People skills, communication skills and the ability to make the best of your skills and to think outside the box is what you will get you ahead. I wouldn't suggest running your own business as, from this posting, I don't sense you have the 24/7 drive that is required to be a success in that field. Some posters on this forum can attest to that as can I. Teaching requires the ability to be a people person. Maybe a union tech job in the government.? Just my thoughts.
How long has it been since you left schooling. Few of us remain in the same career path our whole lives. You've got lots of time to reinvent yourself.
I wouldn't recommend car sales which I think is a declining industry. You have lofty goals of how you would approach that industry but I think the industry would grind you down. I have a close relative in the field and the whole buying a car process is one I hate and the stories I hear about customers (aka 'people') would drive me up the wall.
Hope this didn't come across too negative.
This website has some good food for thought from a serial entrepreneur.
https://brucemfirestone.com/what-wil...emic-subsides/
How long has it been since you left schooling. Few of us remain in the same career path our whole lives. You've got lots of time to reinvent yourself.
I wouldn't recommend car sales which I think is a declining industry. You have lofty goals of how you would approach that industry but I think the industry would grind you down. I have a close relative in the field and the whole buying a car process is one I hate and the stories I hear about customers (aka 'people') would drive me up the wall.
Hope this didn't come across too negative.
This website has some good food for thought from a serial entrepreneur.
https://brucemfirestone.com/what-wil...emic-subsides/
You're right, I did not research the post school world in my field very much, I was going off the premise of being a 17-18 year old and being told "Just go do something you enjoy"...it took a little bit of life experience to realize I might need to be more creative if I wanted something that would give me a more flexible lifestyle compared with most 9-5.
I never expected to get places just based on my technical skills, it's just disheartening to be told in an interview that they essentially don't matter. It makes you feel like the education and work you've put in thus far is for naught since they'd sooner hire someone with better customer service skills. Which let me be clear, on paper I have great customer service skills and have past experience with other employers and references to back it up, and i'm good at emphasising that in an interview, i'm just frustrated with how much emphasis is put on it by the employer.
I agree re car sales, I don't like the car buying process and as recently as last year I was almost screwed over by a dealer trying to buy a new car.
Mar 8th 2021, 1:40 am
#22
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
Elevator repair? It pays bank in BC, but almost impossible to get into if you don't know someone in the union, but maybe its not so hard in Ontario?
Mar 8th 2021, 1:43 am
#23
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
What is MSP stand for in regards to your post Gozit? I tried to google it but MSP in BC is medical services plan so it was just links to various medical crap in BC, but I assume it means something different in your part of the world, just curious is all.
Mar 8th 2021, 2:32 am
#24
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: SW Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,960
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
Mar 8th 2021, 10:31 am
#25
Lowering the tone
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Here and there
Posts: 7,351
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
Right now if anyone wanted a non 9-5 career and they were good with technical stuff, I would recommend training as an offshore wind turbine technician.
Mar 8th 2021, 12:59 pm
#26
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
Mar 10th 2021, 6:23 am
#27
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 704
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
That's a good call. Everytime I look for help with technical stuff recently, I seem to get an offshore wind technician.
Mar 10th 2021, 4:56 pm
#28
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
Mar 10th 2021, 6:15 pm
#29
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
Your posts are very contradictory. As I said before you say you don't want to deal with people then list jobs that need you to actually like people as well as deal with them. You didn't realise that you would dealing with people in IT yet have done many co-op placements in IT? Why didn't you? Seriously you need to get a job and knuckle down. Get something worthwhile on your resume, hoping about from one college program to another won't look good. My imoression from your previous posts is that you always want to run before you can walk and don't want to do anything that doesnt suit you.
I see you are off to Malta for a while, why not make use of your training and get an IT job there and travel round Europe during your vacations? That might make mundane work more tolerable to you.
I see you are off to Malta for a while, why not make use of your training and get an IT job there and travel round Europe during your vacations? That might make mundane work more tolerable to you.
Mar 10th 2021, 7:04 pm
#30
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 704
Re: Career change from 9-5 to something else
[QUOTE=Siouxie;12982199]There are no offshore wind turbines in Canada yet https://www.nationalobserver.com/202...atabase-canada so getting training for it may be difficult.[ /QUOTE]
Ground-floor opportunity then. And on that basis, might even tie in with the elevator thing...?
Ground-floor opportunity then. And on that basis, might even tie in with the elevator thing...?