I am bored with my job and want to change careers. I am already in my mid-30s, but have no degree. I create Microsoft Access reports for senior management in Houston. I have been here for only a year and make $50k/yr. I am already bored with the job and want to find something new. I want to make at least $75k/yr. Is it too late to change careers? What careers are available that wouldn't require 4 years of training or college?
Get into development... you'll be treated like crap, but can potentially make good money. lol. If you're doing Access reports, you may get into VBA/VB/VB.Net/C#, etc. Then again, you may hate that, too. What do you dislike about what you do?
I am frustrated with inaccurate reports, because the vendors haven't been able to fix their data transmitting issues. It's not any fun sitting in a cubicle and writing new reports, every day. I would like more people interaction. Development seems just as boring.
Never too late to change careers. Sit and brainstorm things that you would like to do that could yield your required wages. Problem is, most of them are probably going to require schooling or training of some sort.
I've worked in QA and done some programming and automation... I don't have a degree. I've been laid off and not really excited about the work. I just hate the corruption and lying in the software industry I keep running into. I like the work, though. I don't see myself doing this for more than another 5-10 years tops, to be honest. As for people interaction, I understand. The most fun I ever had was working as a pharmacy tech waaaaay back when I worked in a hospital. How about getting into sales, training, etc. Maybe you can switch to something else within the company - that's usually easier to do than switch to something completely different in another company - especially in times like these.
Never too late. I'm a step lower, in a long going regular job and need to change into career mode, stop idling around. Finally involving myself in the planning stages of that and it feels good. Dont want to be all "in this down climate" about things...I know 2 people at my company last year who got bored, quit and expored other ambitions. Now a year later they're hired back at the company... Wished it'da happened for them. Do what you have to do, dont hold yourself back. Just dont burn your bridges and tread carefully!
It's never too late but you have to figure out what you really want (and can expect) before you make a jump. My wife is one of those who was never happy for too long with her job. She is now but I think it was as much her attitude as it was with her new job.
Sure. But that's just part of it. For him to get a college degree by 40 will require him to quit working, go to school full-time, and spend about $50k. So now... is it better to be 40 with a college degree and $100k in debt (living expenses for 4 years too)?
why totally change careers? just switch to more exciting/paying skillset.. since you're working access, you can branch out to either be a SQL developer or work on another reporting tool like business objects/crystal reports or brio or cognos.. you don't have to get another degree but just take a short course or something..
If I were you I would just add your own little business on the side like designing and selling t-shirts or whatever your hobby is.
How long were you in QA before you got a chance to be trained as a dev? I've been one for a year, and with no one promoting, I'm considering going back to college into something finance related if things, aka salary, doesn't change. I don't mind the tediousness of QA, but I don't have the motivation to learn programming if it's not my task to do it.
I think most people in your situation (age-wise and career-wise) ultimately go for the MBA. It's short.. only 2 years (or 3 years if part-time).. and it can be cheap too if you do it at an online school.. or maybe at a state school. With an MBA, you can then probably land an internship in a totally different field.. and then eventually get a job starting at 75-100k. Especially with the economy down... I've read lots of people are doing MBAs now..
I never got into dev fulltime. I never would enjoy doing that for a company even though I've loved programming since I was a kid. I actually just wrote small tools in C/VB/VB.Net to help me do QA, picked up some VBScript, VBA, etc. along the way, and learned WinRunner. If you have several years of experience or become expert in specific niche tools like QuickTest Pro, LoadRunner, etc. you can easily make $70k. The problem is that in this market and with outsourcing the days of banking in QA are at the least taking a break. I remember back around the dotcom days, making $60-75/hr ($120-$150k doing LoadRunner was standard) and $40-$50/hr doing WinRunner was normal. Nowadays? Not so normal... Find something that's a niche market that you may enjoy doing. Don't just be another VB or C# or Java developer... they're everywhere... try doing something that not everyone's doing. If you're trying to stay in the development arena, that is... QA can be boring and tedious as hell, but if have a knack for it, it can be fun.
