If you were going to go back to school/ re-train with the plan of totally switching careers what would you choose?

I do not know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to get a degree or even better get certified in something and make a good living...other than that I have no clue.

I have a AA in psychology with quite a few of my credits done for my BA, but it is useless, I don't want to be a pyschologist or do social work or anything in the related field.

Art therapy would be fantastic, but I don't have the time for that much school before I can really get to work.

Same with being an art teacher, it would be wonderful, but there are few job openings and the state of the education system makes me want to run the other direction.

Everyone says I should go into nursing...but frankly I would not do well with that, at all.

I am seriously considering a paralegal program and NALA certification to fine tune my office skills and make myself more marketable but I know that the legal field is overstuffed with new graduates right now.

Why not teacher? The best way to change a dismal situation is from within.
Yeah, art is an underappreciated part of education (imho) and getting a job as an art teacher may well be a nonstarter. But, language, math and the sciences are highly sought after. Get your foot in the door with certifing in one of those and have the art as a bonus the school can use for that odd period.

What age group would you be interested in teaching.

I'd worry a little less about marketability and focus more on what floats your boat so to speak, the level of wage you're looking for, and what kind of work commitment you really want.

For instance my brother is a tax accountant who makes a fantastic wage anyone would be thrilled with. However, his work commitment some weeks is 7 days a week 16 hrs on average a day. He's learning in short order that life is happening without him.

My sister on the flip side of that works in public education with special ed students which she loves. She also has all the breaks off work including summer with her kids. The job pays crap for the responsibility and the hours she keeps, however it does cover the bills and is moderately secure, but part of that is choice as well. Teachers who care tend to put in a few more hours than those that don't.

Personally I'm looking at research fields and getting my lab tech certificates. It's not that I'm unhappy with my job, I just really hate the wage level you're stuck at for this gig.

If I was going to teach something besides art if would be elementary education. Not kindergarten, but older elementary kids are a lot of fun.

Nobody would want me anywhere near a math classroom, not even in elementary school though.

I would happily teach art classes to just about entity that would come to class

 Quote: Melissa Thom

I'd worry a little less about marketability and focus more on what floats your boat so to speak, the level of wage you're looking for, and what kind of work commitment you

Part of the problem is that lots of things float my boat.
I'm not looking to get rich, I just want to pay my bills and have a little left over for life.

I also don't hate my current job, but it isn't going anywhere and I want something more financially stable.

My biggest concern is that I am going to spend the time and money to go back to school, and end up back slinging food because I can't find a job in my chosen field.

Don't know about your part of the world, but here with almost any kind of college education a teacher certification doesn't really take that long at all.......well depending on what you want to certify in and what you've covered in your schooling already that is.

Your major was psych? Have you chosen a minor?
Don't say art!

Edited by randy allen (12/16/2010 10:37 AM)
Edit reason: I could stand to take an English class

Um, not art

Teaching may be an option, Special Ed would be something I would be interested in, those kids really need people on their side in the school system.

But then I also have to wonder if I would end up totally frazzled and burned out working with kids all day and then coming home to evenings with my own challenging child.

Other than what has been mentioned above, I really like books, and dogs, and am really really good at sales and with customers even though as a rule I don't like people.

I also work best under pressure so I need something relatively fast paced, or at least stressful enough to keep my rear in gear.

Hubby always tells young folks to consider the health care tech jobs, like
anaesthesia tech, that's his favorite. You are in the OR so the patient is asleep (no bed pans etc.) the pay is great and it has predictable hours. It's also a portable job if you move, always in demand. The OR is exciting, kind of a secret society, down there in the bowels of the hospital.
If you want to be home, medical transcriptionist is good. People do it from home now. Only qualification necessary is familiarity with medical type words, which you probably have already.
Pathology tech is interesting too.

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

Other than what has been mentioned above, I really like books, and dogs, and am really really good at sales and with customers even though as a rule I don't like people.

I also work best under pressure so I need something relatively fast paced, or at least stressful enough to keep my rear in gear.

Boy, you just described me. No wonder our kids are so much alike!

I am mulling over a career change also, for pretty much the same reasons that you are. I am considering going back to school and getting an AA in physical or occupational therapy assistance. (I have a BS from a long time ago, but in order for me to do anything with it I'd really need to pursue a Master's degree)

Anyway, back to PT or OT: It's a 2 year degree and generally available through community colleges. Pay is reasonably good and these fields are expected to grow much faster than the rest of the economy over the next 10 years.

I am really good at figuring out what I don't want to do...I guess that is useful but it would be easier if I could say YES! that is what I would like to do.

Betty,
Working from home didn't work for me, I had a successful small business, but I hated being home. I need to be out in the world mingling with all those people that I don't really like LOL!

Surgical tech would be interesting...especially when they had to peel me up off the floor. I don't do well with that. I couldn't even watch them clean and suture my son at the ER and it was minor.

Pathology might be interesting though, are they the people who actually take the samples, or are they ones who analyze them?

Lynne,
I have been reading about both PT and OT too, even though they are in the medical field. OT sparks my interest since it is so hands on and sort of a creative process.


Part of my problem is that a lot of the stuff I am really interested in takes a post graduate degree, and frankly I suck at the process of school.

The thought of slogging through 6-8 years of it only to be stuck in acedemia gives me the heebie jeebies.

Research librarian, anthropologist, historian....all of those would be great, and I would be really good at them, except for all that school getting in the way

And as much as I love Dogs, being a groomer is out of the question, I value my ability to breathe too highly.

I thought I wanted to be a vet, or vet tech until I actually worked at a vet's office my senior year of high school. I came home and cried every night,all those sick and hurt animals just does me in.