my next life
my next life
(OP)
I'll try to say this as short as possible. In December, 2011, I finished my 37th year of engineering practice in the private sector. Prior to 2008, I thought I could actually retire someday, but it's not looking good coming up on age 60. While I've mostly enjoyed many aspects of my career, it's becoming obvious to me that my next adventure needs to be something different, especially if I need to work for another 10 - 15 years. Frankly, the responsibility and the stress weigh on me heavily from time to time.
Walmart Greeter is out, since I have some golden handcuffs, (mortgage, 1 kid still in college, etc). Scaling back on my current job doesn't sound real good either, since the same deadlines and stress will always be there, even with a reduced workload.
I still work fulltime; my wife & I are still healthy; I have hobbies; I'm trying to teach myself a foreign language (German); I volunteer regularly for a couple of organizations; my wife and I love to travel, but I didn't have to travel much for my career.
Somehow, I'd like to combine my "other skills" picked up over 37 years, as well as language and travel, into my next adventure. The kicker is that I'll need to pay the bills and cover healthcare costs for another 10 – 15 years until I really can retire.
Does anybody know of any success stories of friends, acquaintances, or co-workers who have rolled their life skills into a successful second (non-engineering) career, and actually made it work?
Walmart Greeter is out, since I have some golden handcuffs, (mortgage, 1 kid still in college, etc). Scaling back on my current job doesn't sound real good either, since the same deadlines and stress will always be there, even with a reduced workload.
I still work fulltime; my wife & I are still healthy; I have hobbies; I'm trying to teach myself a foreign language (German); I volunteer regularly for a couple of organizations; my wife and I love to travel, but I didn't have to travel much for my career.
Somehow, I'd like to combine my "other skills" picked up over 37 years, as well as language and travel, into my next adventure. The kicker is that I'll need to pay the bills and cover healthcare costs for another 10 – 15 years until I really can retire.
Does anybody know of any success stories of friends, acquaintances, or co-workers who have rolled their life skills into a successful second (non-engineering) career, and actually made it work?





RE: my next life
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
They don't have kids.
To the best of my knowledge, the Inevitable Express Train Of Life's Pain & Sorrow hasn't run them over, either.
TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com
RE: my next life
If you've given up engineering, learning German is a waste of time. Learn something more beautiful, like Lain. Note to self: "learn Latin".
- Steve
RE: my next life
I have the desire to work in some other field than engineering. I can't for the life of me figure out what to do next.
I've worked since age 13, always had a job through high school and college. It sucks not having work to do everyday. Got real close to taking a part-time job at Home Depot at $8.50 an hour.
I, too, believe that a career (and that's what 35+ years is) of engineering develops skills which should be transferable. But.... no luck for me so far.
I truly wish you the best, and hope you are able to find a way.
RE: my next life
I also maintain a "side" practice which pays for for a lot of more fun things.
So - I figure I will work until I die......
Do you want some cheese with that whine???
RE: my next life
- Steve
RE: my next life
I'm only half kidding. Life is short. Make a plan and get rid of the stress.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies
RE: my next life
Oh, BTW, SomptingGuy, part of my life skills are 4 years of High School Latin, so I'm done with that too.
Auf Wiedersehen.
RE: my next life
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
I'm probably mid way through my career and will add that more often than not the grass is always greener on the other side. I look at a lot of friends, doctors, lawyers, engineers, pharmacists, and none of them seem to be in a great position.
If the OP is in a position to drop everything and switch professions, have you considered becoming a Realtor or getting into the property insurance business? Not engineering, but it would give you an interesting background to build upon.
And of course, buying lottery tickets couldn't hurt.
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
Enron vastly changed the market my business covered so in the aftermath of that debacle I had to go back to a day job as I was at a station in life where I felt it was too late to start over and do it all over again. I collected my first SS check as well last year too, so that will give a guess at my age range.
Now I have moved back into pure engineering and work with a company that has little to no in-house experience in the areas I do while needing about 10 more with my type of background and one that has a large department of young engineers. After letting me go through the learning process of the paperwork "system", they now keep me away from it preferring to let the younger kids do that tedious work while utilizing my experience to guide and direct their work technically. I don't use the word kids in a negative way, they are probably all better Engineers than I, just that they have no real world experience and their hands are pretty "unsoiled." I have hard knocks all over me.
After all those years of fighting cash flow and holding on to pay checks before cashing them, there is something really kind of magic about a paycheck just showing up in my bank account twice every month no matter what. It is a very adequate check too.
Even though I typically work a few more hours than 40 hours every week, I work much less hours than I did when I was my own boss.
I tell my close friends and former business associates that I am having the time of my life - don't know if I ever had this much fun. I am valued and highly sought out all across the business and have a deep sense of satisfaction that I contribute in a meaningful way.
I work hard at staying fit so that I can keep on working and in general enjoy good health. I take no medication. One of the unfortunate things about being your own boss for so many years is that it is always difficult to be able to pull enough out of your company to do a good job of retirement planning, (not that a lot of peers with 401K's are any better off) so not working means living under a bridge.
I feel I have to maintain my health to keep going, but as of right now, I have no desire to do anything else. How could retirement ever be this much fun?
rmw
RE: my next life
MainMan10, thanks for the suggestions, but I know I couldn't be a Realtor - I value my evenings and weekends too much. I doubt that property insurance would be a fit, either.
RE: my next life
how about flipping houses as a money making hobby? better to learn spanish, not german
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RE: my next life
Spanish is not a bad suggestion, but I think you have to follow your passions - mine has always been German, never could really figure out why.
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
I've been half considering going back to school in some sort of technical training/apprenticeship to spin some of my engineering skills I've developed (e.g. technical drawing, attention to detail, etc.)with my artistic skills and talents with wood & stone carving, calligraphy, etc., but I don't want to spend years doing it,(schooling, that is), paying a fortune for the training, and I don't know if the end pay result starting out would be enough to keep us afloat anyway.
I'm picturing a job in an architectural stone shop doing architectural restoration carving or matching of existing detail work on existing stone building facades. Heck, I'd even consider working for a stone monument company inscribing cemetery stones. Working under the tutelage of a Master Wood Carver would be kind of nice, too, doing the same type of work.
Relocation is out of the question at this stage of my life, (although a short temporary apprenticeship in Europe sounds kind of nice for the initial training). Self doubts about others' perception of my talent level is a concern - if the pro's don't think I'm talented enough to pull it off, I'd hate to spend the money up front for the training.
There it is. Tell me why I'm crazy considering it.
RE: my next life
My #3 is son is taking an online course in Latin, to satisfy his school credit requirement for foreign languages (they cancelled Spanish classes at his school, and busing to the school that kept it would cause him to miss out on music). His teacher gives her students work in conversational Latin too, via Skype "parties". Suggesting you check into it, he is having fun with it apparently (based on the lack of vocal complaints about it).
RE: my next life
Maybe you could just go work for tumbleaves' company? He/she will be glad to give you a reference!
I see nothing crazy about the stone gig, seems very niche, just do your market research before making the leap.
Not many other ideas for staying at the same pay rate, but there are lower stress options if you can absorb some wage decrease:
Teaching at the tech/community school? Seems like they need "old" folks real life expereince in those positions.
May seem sarcastic, but what about government? Plan review for the local municipality?
Last one would be an organization, ACI, ASCE, AISC, etc, etc.
IC
RE: my next life
You've posted lots of good suggestions, (I gave you a star for that). So far the stone gig is the most sexy, but the market research may shoot it down in the long run. We'll see.
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
Ultimately, I think the attraction is probably going to be something 180 degrees from what I'm currently doing.
RE: my next life
For instance, I am a civil that was doing storm sewer design and was really bored with it. I wanted to get into something different but didn't know what. Energy seemed like a good idea and I thought "well i probably need to go back to school for that since i have no experience in the industry". Fast forward a few months and I apply for a natural gas engineering position that I was not sure I really qualified for. Turns out I got the job and I'm working in an industry I never really expected to be in.
I guess my point is the more you try and plan for your ideal career, the more you miss opportunities that are right in front of your face. It may not fit your grand plan exactly, but what in life does?
I think going back to school is great, but sometimes it really can be a waste of time if your objective is just to find another career. You don't always need school to do that. That being said, you are never too old to go back to school and it could open up opportunities as well.
RE: my next life
RE: my next life
Like John Lennon once said, "life is what happens while we're busy making other plans", (or something like that).
trey: I'm not a big fan of having to go back to school, and I have been trying to keep my eyes open for other opportunities in other things that seem to fit my eye, but, when you're not sure where you're headed, other than "not engineering", that leaves a lot of possibilities. But I've been looking for quite a few years now, and, with my age creeping up on me, I'm just trying to jump start the process a bit. I'm thinking maybe some additional training may be the kick start I need.
I agree, lisa, that my chances of an apprenticeship in Europe are slim to none, but it sure would be sweet if it happened, kind of like winning the lottery.
RE: my next life
here we have everyone trying to think themselves into happiness. :) it's quite strange, isn't it?
i'm 26 so I have yet to hit the point of most of the posters here, but I'll tell you that music has always been my best counter-weight to the engineering world. no thinking, just feeling.
any time you find yourself wondering where the time went, take note of what you were doing. maybe you'll realize something and it can lead to a great job opportunity where you truly enjoy what you're doing?