I've been thinking more about retiring from my current career and doing something different. I doubt I will anytime soon, but it's interesting to reflect on and maybe put some feelers out. Have you thought about changing your profession to something different? Or have you done it? I realize the employment situation may preclude actually changing, but what would you do if you could change? For those already retired, would you come out of retirement for a new challenge/interest?

 

I did it. I gave up an exciting and glamorous life as a parole officer in a major US city and moved to a different part of the country for a rather uneventful life - by comparison - in academia.
I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Well, maybe not all of it. There's a couple of things I'd prefer to dodge the second time around.

 

I changed professions 3 times during my working career. Every time I did it, I regretted it for about a month until I got accustomed to the new position, but every time I did it the change was for better pay, etc., so at the end of the day I was glad I changed. If a new and interesting opportunity presented itself, I'd go for it even after having been retired for more than decade. Sometimes I think about it and then discount it since at this particular stage of life, I need to be where I am. I'd love to do something really interesting and exciting but maybe on a part-time basis. I troll the help wanted websites at least 2 or 3 times a week.

 

I guess I did change careers in a way, since I started out as a foreign language translator (for a year), then moved into technical writing and editing (four years), then into information management (law library - five years) then into automated information management (computers). But I've been in computers for so many years, I kinda forgot about those other jobs.

 

I made a couple of moves over the years, from tech jobs (fixing copiers, computer system support...) to sales and back and forth. Almost made a move to academia, but, stock options cleared my head of that endeavor.

 

Yes, well, the question is: How different?

Deb, your transitions seem like a logical progression (not obvious in advance, but quite reasonable in retrospect). Different, but not completely so. (If you'd changed into, say, a hairdresser, well...)

One thing I've discovered in a rather peripatetic series of transitions is that the closer you get to retirement the harder it is to make such moves. Not that employers employ age discrimination, mind you (Ha!), but they do look harder at a training investment that may not have so many years to pay off.

A lot of people who retire early do something independently: consulting, start a small business, follow a dream. I once thought I might do this with my mystery novels, but I've come to realize that being a slave to some publisher doesn't seem so much better than what I'm already doing.

So the real question is: What do you really want to do? HPH

 

I've never had a profession. The "Professions" are things that require a LICENSE, not a certification. Like Law, Medicine, Nursing, CPA, Realtor, etc.

I bounced around some blue collar jobs; I was working in a warehouse for a tool company when they moved their production facilities to Mexico. It became apparent that they didn't intend to continue to pay me enough to continue to live the way I'd become accustomed to. So I left, got a Computer Science degree, and changed career paths. But I'm not a professional: there's no license required to do my job.

 

Deb,
I just retired in June....best job I've had.
I'm not looking for another job though for the next few months I'll be helping a friend doing taxes, a part time job I've done for quite a few years now. Just enough to get me out of the house till spring.
Levi

 

Well, I guess my career could be more a progression. As for the definition of profession, most don't indicate a license requirement:

1. an occupation that requires extensive education or specialized training

I was going for a substantive change in direction, such as Dean's - from parole officer to academic.

I have been considering retiring from my current job and working only part time. Perhaps technical writing and editing again. Something I could do from home and have more flexibility. My current job doesn't allow for telework, because of the nature of the work (computer security).

 

I'm a retired electrical engineer who worked for the local distribution company. I held five (5) different jobs, with multiple titles, and earned my engineering degree while working there. I'm back working for them on a contract basis. I figure I'll be done with this assignment about the time I bring my S2K out of winter storage. No regrets.....