Advice from anyone who has changed careers

[alwaysafraid]

If you have read any of my other posts this one is quite different. I have come a long way personally and learned a lot about myself. Most importantly that I never do anything challenging. I am 25 years old last year I moved away from my friends and family for the first time. It was very hard and it took a lot to get used to. I now know one of the main reasons I left was because of my job. Its weird I know why not just get a job in the same town. I loved the people I worked with, but the job was killing me I had to go to the doctor and I had such high levels of stress and anxiety. In order to leave my job and not feel bad I moved(there were other reasons). Well I started working ina clinic and when some of the people there found out my research background I was moved back into the same job, I should have known it was a bad idea, but if you read my other posts at the time doing something familiar was what I needed. I took the position because it was the easy thing to do. I have never been happy here and have made the decision to leave. If you have made it this far thank you for staying with me. I have applied for school in the fall full time I don't know if that is going to happen yet I have also looked into joining the army national guard. At this point in time I feel that would actually be the best thing for me. Everything to me has been fairly chaotic and the sense of order and regiment that it involves appeals to me. I don't know if I am just looking for anything to stimulate me anyway that it can for the past year I feel I have been walking around in a daze my mood being depressed to apathetic this is not the person that I am and I hate it. I see this opportunity as something that would help me at the same time I question whether I am making the right choice. I know the right thing is to leave my job, but what do you think about someone like me joining the military. I know only I can make the decision, and right now I feel that I would thrive in that environment but I also now that I am prone to act rashly. I have talked to people in the military and non-military people and their responses are divided. I know thise is terribly long and probably not as clear as I would like it to be, but I have sought advice here before and found comfort and help and this seems like a good place to go to. Thank you for anyone who read through this far and more thanks if you have any advice.

[sweetharmony]

I can relate to you. I am also 25 and thinking about a possible career change b/c of anxiety and stress. thought the career I'm thinking is Nurse Practitioner- whcih is also high stress. I can deal w/ stress, it's just different kind of stress. I have thought about joining the air force too or Peace Corps. What do you want out of the Military? What is your purpose for going into it? money for school? do you have national pride? do you want to get good experience doing something you are passionat about and woulnd't be able to get into the field otherwise? I thought about joining the military b/c of the $ for grad school and also getting into a firled that would be dificult otherwise- sometimes you can get great experience going in as an officer. i'm still confused b/c i feel there are so many things I love to do. architecture, medicine, art, philanthropy, archaeology. why is it so hard to choose something. i always feel like i'll never be happy, always wondering if this is the career for me and wanting to experience others. I bought this book, called "waht color is your parqachute." it is an excellent book that guides you on how to choose a cereer and how to move into that career from one that is totally unrelated. that was a godsend after I graduated from college and didn't have a clue as to what I wanted to do. I found a great field, got incredible experience and now I'm moving forward. i love my career, i just feel stuck and stressed. maybe i'll saty in it or maybe not- i know I need to go to grad school, though.

good luck. If you want to talk more, that would be great.

[Scout]

I don't have any specific advice, but hopefully some words of encouragement as you think carefully about what path in life you'd like to take next.

 

I am struck by your post name "Always Afraid." I kind of know what you mean, for so long I was that way too, and it was mostly because I was afraid of failing. So ask yourself this, whenever you really, really want something: "What would I do to accomplish this if I wasn't afraid?" And really focus on your answer, not the fact that you're afraid to do it. Believe it or not, this little trick will make the possibility of accomplishing your goal very realistic and within reach.

 

Best of luck!

[Ingrid]

I have been in the military, just for the summer though, as a student in the reserve. May be you should try it out this summer. Here in Canada they hire early June for the summer. The salary is excellent, the food too. It's a great experience for those who love sports and the outdoors.

 

If you like it, you should join and get a few free degrees, at least one. You should know they make you work seven days, but you'll learn a lot.

 

There is also a good choice of good men in the military. If you ever join, don't start dating someone right away, but find out which is the one you really like.

 

Good luck!