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ratbastid · 03-31-2010, 08:21 AM

I'm unemployed. Have been since a programming contract position ended last June. I've been a web developer (LAMP) since 1998, and I'm good at it. But positions to do that sort of thing seem hard to come by around here, and few companies seem willing to hire somebody to telecommute.

After geting turned down for two jobs the other day--each of which seemed like a complete slam-dunk--I had a sort of epiphany. If I actually look at my work history, I've got lots of stuff on there that's not about sitting at a computer and writing code. I've managed people, managed projects, done sales and marketing, accounting, I've worked retail... There's LOTS of stuff I could be doing. It was shocking to see just what blinders I've had on about what my next options can be.

So now... The sky's the limit, but what should I choose?

I'm 35. I have a BA in English Lit and 11 years of on-the-job training in writing Perl and PHP web applications. I used to work in the marketing department of a large gourmet food shop, doing in-store promotion materials and running the e-commerce website. I have done technical sales, customer service, and tech support pretty much my whole career either as part of my job description, or on an ad-hoc basis.

My other thought is: Get a part-time job that will sustain me a bit, and go back to school! CS is the obvious choice, but frankly I think a career in social work or counseling would be something I'd do really great at and I'd love to make a difference in people's lives that way. I think I'd love to be a lawyer, but I'm not sure I'm game for the investment that would take.

One thing about me is, I'm a member of a non-traditional family. The polyamory community is WAY underserved in terms of lawyers, counselors, etc who are aware of and sensitive to our issues. And that's a market I expect to grow. So it's be a great way of serving "my people" while also setting up something with some future to it.

How about it? If you were going to make a major career turn, like a fresh start, but with all the background you have now, what would you pick? Where do you see growth over the next decade or so? What do you think you'd just find interesting?

03-31-2010, 08:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	What should I do with myself? I'm unemployed. Have been since a programming contract position ended last June. I've been a web developer (LAMP) since 1998, and I'm good at it. But positions to do that sort of thing seem hard to come by around here, and few companies seem willing to hire somebody to telecommute. After geting turned down for two jobs the other day--each of which seemed like a complete slam-dunk--I had a sort of epiphany. If I actually look at my work history, I've got lots of stuff on there that's not about sitting at a computer and writing code. I've managed people, managed projects, done sales and marketing, accounting, I've worked retail... There's LOTS of stuff I could be doing. It was shocking to see just what blinders I've had on about what my next options can be. So now... The sky's the limit, but what should I choose? I'm 35. I have a BA in English Lit and 11 years of on-the-job training in writing Perl and PHP web applications. I used to work in the marketing department of a large gourmet food shop, doing in-store promotion materials and running the e-commerce website. I have done technical sales, customer service, and tech support pretty much my whole career either as part of my job description, or on an ad-hoc basis. My other thought is: Get a part-time job that will sustain me a bit, and go back to school! CS is the obvious choice, but frankly I think a career in social work or counseling would be something I'd do really great at and I'd love to make a difference in people's lives that way. I think I'd love to be a lawyer, but I'm not sure I'm game for the investment that would take. One thing about me is, I'm a member of a non-traditional family. The polyamory community is WAY underserved in terms of lawyers, counselors, etc who are aware of and sensitive to our issues. And that's a market I expect to grow. So it's be a great way of serving "my people" while also setting up something with some future to it. How about it? If you were going to make a major career turn, like a fresh start, but with all the background you have now, what would you pick? Where do you see growth over the next decade or so? What do you think you'd just find interesting?