Thinking about a life change
By scorpiobabes
@scorpiobabes (7225)
United States
April 21, 2013 6:28am CST
I'm considering going back to school again. I'm getting a lot of conflicting advice from others, so I figured I'd talk to the people of myLot, and see if the advice I'm offered is clearer.
When I graduated high school in 1989, I wanted to be a photographer. I did go and get my AS in photography in 1995 (I started a family and was working FT). Intending to transfer, I contacted two local colleges, both suggesting I needed MORE education and that I stay put at the community (junior) level, so I did. I ended up taking 2 more years in the Graphic Design program but before I could get my degree, I found a new full time job in the field.
The job laid me off six weeks later, my old job was filled, so I job hunted, only found PT work but finally found a full time job close to home. But I was bored quickly, and felt like I wasn't learning anything there. After yet another potential-job rejection, I signed up for school. I was laid off five months later-this was December 2005.
Since then, I took classes part time and worked intermittently part time-I couldn't find a full time job. Once again-fast forward to 2013-working a part time job once in a while, like I worked in early March for a one-hour gig; prior to that, I hadn't worked since early September! I've been looking for a full time position for some time-either in print production (my last job) or administration (prior jobs) actively since July-I've gotten only five requests to interview.
At this point, I'm really discouraged. Not even low-paying retail jobs appear to want me! I have multiple sclerosis, which limits the number of jobs I can do (I can't lift heavy objects or walk long distances).
I've come to the conclusion that I need to be retrained-okay, I'm willing. But at 41, I need a job that in the end pays me more than minimum wage. I thought about what I enjoy and what pays well and hasn't really changed much in 25 or so years-and I came up with accounting. It's a job that could accommodate my physical limitations I'm starting to have, plus the major skill set doesn't change. When I graduated with the AS in photography, film was on its way out, and digital was on its way in; my first full time graphic design job required an extensive knowledge of QuarkXpress but then jobs required InDesign.
I have some people to talk to next week, as well as some in investigating. I have too many student loans from going to school the last time, so I'm hoping to pay for a class at a time with cash, scholarships and grants. This time I'm starting out at the junior college level-the entire year's worth of classes today are equal to two classes worth at the Art Institute.
I spoke to some women in a group at Cafe Mom; most were quite discouraging (but they also didn't think I had ANY degree). One or two had positive suggestions that I'm going to try-I just need it to be Monday!
This is something for ME-my significant other (boyfriend, partner) has demonstrated to me time and time again that he'll never be able to provide me with the degree of care I'm looking at in ten to twenty years (due to the progression of multiple sclerosis). And it's time to start looking out for me.
Selfish? Crazy? I'm looking for suggestions but if you don't have anything helpful to add, please don't respond.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@honor00 (185)
•
21 Apr 13
The way you've described your history, makes your career to date seem a little 'bitty'. I suggest you think through your CV first. A future employer likely sees a flitter. Put reasons by each job move, then explain why you are training to become an accountant, don't assume 'they'll know', 'they' may guess, 'they' may guess wrong. Doing the exercise of thinking through why you're re-training helps you to clarify your thinking and should help you find an answer to the dreaded how do you see your future developing type interview question. Then sit down with a blank sheet of paper make two columns; one is strengths, the other is weaknesses. For this to be a positive move strengths must be more than weaknesses. Finally draw up a budget. Include pleasure money. See the minimum of what you need. Give up what you don't need. Eg I was a smoker, by stopping I have saved £3,000 a year; maybe you can live comfortably on the minimum wage.
1 person likes this
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
21 Apr 13
You've got some very good suggestions, and I do have some good reasons for switching jobs but I'm not sure how to put that on my CV. And I'm not legally obligated to disclose I have multiple sclerosis-that's against the law to discriminate against me on that basis. As for giving up any/everything, I quit smoking 3 or 4 years ago, which helped me to pay for rent/car insurance. I gave up getting biweekly manicures because: 1) couldn't find a salon here to do it right and 2) too expensive. And I sold my car to allow my boyfriend get on-saved on repairs and insurance, but now we are paying more for insurance and a payment. I've given up everything but my phone-and need it for anyone to get a hold of me, or to access the Internet.
Thank you for some good suggestions!
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
21 Apr 13
I can't say for sure that I know how you feel, but I can say for certain that I can sympathize with you, because I have been there. I have spastic diaplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy. I haven't worked in over a year due to a back injury. I have applied for disability, but haven't heard a whole lot from it. I am still waiting on a court date.
Unfortunately, I can tell you from experience that the cards are stacked against you from the start in a job interview if you have a physical handicap. You are automatically discriminated against from the moment they find out about your condition, no matter what job you are trying to get. Employers will never admit it, but it happens.
Accounting is a good field to get into. Anything with computers is also a good choice. If you like photography, maybe you should try to persue something with that. Good luck...
1 person likes this
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
21 Apr 13
Going back to school isn't a bad idea at all. You aren't selfish or crazy for wanting to do more with your life. I would suggest you look into different fields for what you want to do and research them better such as the job market for where you live and what employers want. You may have to move out of state for an accounting job for example. I am currently in the process of deciding on whether or not I want to move.
Now as for the accounting degree, do you really want to know how much work it is?
I am not going to discourage you from it at all. I love accounting and find it to be fun. The major skill set for accounting changes as often as any accounting rules and laws change which can happen at any time. You will have to continuously keep up on any changes in tax laws, software, business codes and regulations and a few other things such as changing terminology and ways to account for different thing such as depreciation of product.
Most jobs in accounting prefer a bachelor's degree and some require certain certifications such as a CPA license which you need four years of school, a certain amount of credit hours, and about 1 year of relevant experience to take it at least in PA.
Depending on the job you go for would depend on how much you would need to move around or do any walking. A job in an accounting firm may have you traveling to the locations of different work and a job in an insurance company may have you continuously needing to walk around and deliver reports to different departments.
It can be very high pressure and stressful at times as well. Managerial Accounting which is the internal accounting such as inventory, cost forecasts, and other such thing and is a bit more fast paced with a somewhat different set of skills than financial accounting. Both managerial accounting and financial are different than non-profit or governmental accounting in how they are set up.
All in all, it is a lot of work, but not too bad. I just wanted you to know more about the actual job and coursework considering some colleges will just breeze over such things to get you to sign up for it.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
21 Apr 13
I am very aware of how much work goes into it-my mother received her Bachelors in Business Adminisration in the 50s, and from 68 until she passed, she not only held down a FT job but was also the CFO for my dad's small business. I saw how she was frustrated looking for a new position in her 50s but not having her CPA designation, nor her MBA. She actually enjoyed statistics!
There is a huge demand for accountants around here, though I suspect it will slow down a bit by the time I graduate. Eventually I'd like to be a financial planner-I've been interested in that field for about twenty years, and I expect the field to grow with more baby boomers (last crop of them turn 50 next year!) to continue to grow. I've also done some financial investigations when I worked in loss prevention, so forensic accounting is another field.
I want to get into a program where my skill set doesn't become obsolete so quickly. Photography and graphic design change rapidly, sometimes even before a class is over!
I appreciate the support-I spoke to a group at Cafe Mom, and 90% criticized me because of my student loan debt and told me to continue in my studies. I expect that to cost another $35k or so -and that doesn't include books!
@AidaLily (1450)
• United States
22 Apr 13
I have a few classmates that found out how much work went into accounting and changed careers after starting. Honestly, for financial planning, if you want to work for someone then yes you will need a bachelor's. I plan to have my bachelor's by 2015 if for nothing more than needing them for the certification tests. My friend managed to self learn programming and pass the certification tests for it. She had been doing it since high school though and self teaching which is what I did for accounting.
I wouldn't mind being a personal financial adviser as it is what I am doing to make some extra money now and plan to open my own business including renting out real estate. I don't want to move out of state for work but I might have to. You'd think being just outside of a big city, that there would be more entry level work but there isn't. I got offered a job that I turned down because it was in Idaho with a newer firm.
I don't go on anymore mom sites. The last one I went on, the women were criticizing me constantly because I don't want to be a stay at home mom or I kept working while I was home. I get criticized by some of the mom's at the family center I go to because I am working from home while taking care of my home and family.
Having some knowledge helps out a lot. There are also a few websites you can go to and read up on everything. MBAs now are like a dime a dozen unfortunately but many of them don't have any concentration in Accounting, Finance, etc. So it will be fine.
I would suggest taking Finance classes and if you are up for it learning a new language. If you have a Half Priced Books near you, then whenever you are able to get language books and learn the languages. I plan to self teach myself Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. I should probably learn Arabic but I don't plan on taking a job where I'd have to travel to the middle east. The spanish and chinese come first. :)
