big career changes?

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:26 pm

Has anyone ever made a massive career change?

I'm 24. I'm halfway through my PhD, have a part time job in my field and I'm in a fantastic position with colaborations and contacts what not, but I keep having thoughs of changing fields. I was told by everyone that halfway through a doctorate almost everyone cracks the shits, so I'm not suprised. It's not because I don't like what I'm doing, it's because I think maybe there might be something that could be more interesting or rewarding.

I'm just wrestless and looking for something to blame I guess... I think I need to move into a new house, or do something drastic, shits getting stale. I also think I need a really fun girl to come into my life and mix shit up a bit. lol where the fuck am I going with this thread.

meh.

discuss/help/talk about big life changes/get a dog up ya

kronz · Post by **kronz** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:28 pm

Whats your phd on?

Go carrots

mrj · Post by **mrj** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:31 pm

biggups carrots

Post by **lynt** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:32 pm

Um.

I had a massive career change. I was working in IT for about 4 years (from the age of 17 till 21 straight out of high school), then I found DJ'ing. After a while I started slipping from my responsibilities and was coming into work late etc etc. Eventually I was asked to make the choice between my IT career or DJ'ing.

I chose DJ'ing. I left my IT career and was extremely fortunate enough to get a job at DMC.

Never looked back.

Hatsudai · Post by **Hatsudai** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:34 pm

Sounds like youve got a pretty sweet deal goin dude....
PHD, PArt time job in your field of study, contacts.

Might be just mid PHD blues.

quick · Post by **quick** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:40 pm

Dude, you have George Costanza's dream job...

RMHC · Post by **RMHC** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:51 pm

are you still down in lonsdale flippo?

Zerotonine · Post by **Zerotonine** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:52 pm

I changed from 5 years in retail management, to finance. If you love what you do, then do it. I still liked the job, but I hated the hours and the hopelessness of basically getting as high as I could get. But I was comfortable, then I got sacked...best thing that ever happened to me, really. Now I'm in a great job, with great prospects, working for a good company with good people around me. And now I can slack off during the day too

.

LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” · Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:54 pm

i hear ya flippo ... im at a crossroad atm and really dont know where to go.. I quit my job in December.. yet im still working there huh !

drum & bass · Post by **drum & bass** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:01 pm

i used to be really really good. like around 94-99 or so... then i decided to become extremely shit and i regret it more than anything.

i wish i could go back to when i was fantastic and everyone loved me. every once in a while there is some hope but alas, im still shit and my future aint looking good.

i need help.

i like carrots.

Lephrenic · Post by **Lephrenic** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:01 pm

Finish your PhD.

Then you can whatever the crap you want.

gnat · Post by **gnat** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:03 pm

My big career change would involve going from working full time to not at all

:sugar daddy:

obliveus · Post by **obliveus** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:11 pm

Yeah, finish what you started.

I was stuck in a rut big time, moved to Oz, got married, had kids and now have a job I love and dj enough as a hobby to keep my musical interests fulfilled.

There was a point halfway through uni where I could've taken a better paid/more work position at my job (which had nothing to do with my degree) and I'm glad I didn't do that. If I did, I'd be making less than I am now and I'd be stuck in the same place and rut without my wife, kids and music.

DBoy · Post by **DBoy** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:09 pm

THE RULES:
fear change. You must stay the same.
Society will not reward you for taking risks.
Be like everyone else, this is the most important rule

quick · Post by **quick** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:13 pm

DBoy wrote:THE RULES:
fear change. You must stay the same.
Society will not reward you for taking risks.
Be like everyone else, this is the most important rule

shut up...

Little Evil · Post by **Little Evil** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:33 pm

I'm a qualified signwriter. Left school when I was 16. Did my apprenticeship then went back to school, did my VCE, went to Uni for a couple of years, and managed a climbing gym at night during uni for extra cash. (I used to be a hard-core climber, and to be honest spent way too much time in my youth spending money on climbing all round the world, and spending way too much time at climbing mecca's like Arapiles and Nowra to make anything useful of myself besides pushing up my climbing grades.

)
In regards to Uni, I eventually thought - fuck this, and dropped out

My Dad and I started a furniture company about 10 years ago. It became a multi-million dollar business in three years, but still had the highs and lows of any other business and was a high pressure job.
I did it for as long as I could, but got out of that a while ago.
I opened a record store -Boston Sound- then sold it a year and a half later - best job I had, ever.
Worked for my Dad again as well later, when we went through a real tough spell, and we made it through. Then I went out on my own again.
(Business is now back on track for him - and if you need any offfice furniture - he has a big shop/warehouse in St Georges Rd Thornbury)

Attempted to live off DJ'ing and promotion for a while, but unless you have mega-bux to get yourself started it's a hard, hard, slog.
I run Gimme with Guyno now, play the odd gig that's worthwhile, but have gone on the 'rock & roll' (dole) for a year to work my production, as I have found my calling - Music.
Have big plans for the coming years, and am the most driven I've ever been in my life - even though I'm on the dole?

Gets boring in the studio some days, it's hard to get motivated and Gimme can be a real stress, but I think of the bigger picture and push on.

Have pic/drawing on my studio wall, with a frog getting eaten by a pelican, but the frog has it's arms out of the pelicans beak, and is strangling it to death, with the caption 'NEVER GIVE UP' above it.
I look at it every day, and get to it on the music front.

There's some career changes for ya!

Post by **fooishbar** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:49 pm

hm.

i guess I've made some reasonably big changes. always doing the same stuff, but changes nonetheless. i was working steadily at trinity college, melbourne uni happily enjoying myself when I got the opportunity to do some part-time work for a US outfit. i did that, went to go to a conference in canada and ended up away for two months between usa/canada/uk/germany and deferred uni while I was there as I got a job offer from a billionaire cosmonaut (mark shuttleworth, google it if you like) and for the last while I've been doing a fair whack of travel and working from home or whereever the christ I am.

now I'm in my last week working for mark's company and I'm about to move to finland to work for nokia.

so far I've done about two semesters of uni. should get back to that at some stage.

quick · Post by **quick** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:51 pm

Not really career, but I lived in Perth till 2001, shit was a little stale, decided to move here for no particular reason... best decission EVER!!!!!!

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:53 pm

Kronz: biology and ecology of a bunch of rays

lynt: nice one mate.

. You def got it made. How long do you recon you will keep it up though? Can you see yourself pushing and spinning vinyl into your 50s?

Hatsudai: yeh it aint bad, I guess its a case of, what if the grass is alot greener somewhere else.

quick: lol, thats what lifes about really isnt it, foing what George Castanza would do.

Tiggus: yes mate.

Drum & Bass: are you Dillinja?

Hegg & obliv: I'm gonna finish it no matter what.

Dboy: I'm like no one else I know, so fuck up!

Basically, I keep thinking that I want to get into either music, in some shape or form, or..... *cough* theoretical physics....

did some thinking over lunch. What I'm really worried about is the finite nature of life, the fact that you only get one chance, and the fact that it just goes by so quick. It scares the shit out of me that I'm 1/3 to 1/4 of the way through my life. What else could I be spending my time doing? what if I get to the end and go, "well, that was pretty average, would have been better if I did this" But then again, if you keep changing your goals up, you may not acheive/finish much. I think the part that bothers me about my work is that it's lonley, and I'm a very social person. I spend alot of time either in front of the computer, or looking down a microscope, not alot of interaction. and all the people I work with are old, and not very social, plus all my mates live on the other side of Melbourne. I need glasses and I'm just tired and grumpy. I guess each day that goes by where I'm not interacting with freinds and laughing and shit seems like a waste of life, and there has been alot of those days in the last couple of years.

blegh, I recon once I have kids I'll be content and I wont give a fuck. heh.

Post by **lynt** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:14 pm

flippo wrote:lynt: nice one mate. . You def got it made. How long do you recon you will keep it up though? Can you see yourself pushing and spinning vinyl into your 50s?

Maybe not playing, but definately heavily involved in the music industry in any way shape or form.

I've also got NiceProduce to cover my arse too, thanks to good ol' IT experience. If you change careers, definately keep your interests floating about, you will always need something to fall back on.

Post by **lynt** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:17 pm

flippo wrote:Basically, I keep thinking that I want to get into either music, in some shape or form, or..... *cough* theoretical physics....

did some thinking over lunch. What I'm really worried about is the finite nature of life, the fact that you only get one chance, and the fact that it just goes by so quick. It scares the shit out of me that I'm 1/3 to 1/4 of the way through my life. What else could I be spending my time doing? what if I get to the end and go, "well, that was pretty average, would have been better if I did this" But then again, if you keep changing your goals up, you may not acheive/finish much. I think the part that bothers me about my work is that it's lonley, and I'm a very social person. I spend alot of time either in front of the computer, or looking down a microscope, not alot of interaction. and all the people I work with are old, and not very social, plus all my mates live on the other side of Melbourne. I need glasses and I'm just tired and grumpy. I guess each day that goes by where I'm not interacting with freinds and laughing and shit seems like a waste of life, and there has been alot of those days in the last couple of years.

blegh, I recon once I have kids I'll be content and I wont give a fuck. heh.

I can see where you're coming from. But a lot of people will "use" jobs or careers to fund their creative path and ultimately lifestyle. Hobbies and creative outlets help with the "life is too short" factor, well with me anyway.

dj awesome · Post by **dj awesome** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:41 pm

i went from faffing around clubs pretending i had a real job and actually went and got a real job after realising my HECs debt wasn't going anywhere - was the best thing I've done.

Haven't had to sacrifice anything and feel I've got more freedom now then I did before.

Post by **breaksRbest** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:43 pm

you can always go back to doing what you did before if the new thing doesn't work out

fmf · Post by **fmf** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:52 pm

flippo wrote:Basically, I keep thinking that I want to get into either music, in some shape or form, or..... *cough* theoretical physics....

I decided to do that about 4 years ago (applied physics but there still was a fair chunk of theoretical) on a bit of a whim coz i was a pothead without any qualifications... now i'm a pothead with a $20 000 piece of paper

quiet roar · Post by **quiet roar** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:53 pm

I need a career change.

Spent the last year thinking about what I could do that would be enjoyable (at least a little bit) and will provide enough money to keep the family living well. I can tell you that, as yet, I haven't come up with something that fits both criteria.

Evil one, I will be picking your brain next time we see each other out.

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:57 pm

breaksRbest wrote:you can always go back to doing what you did before if the new thing doesn't work out

yes very true. Shark and ray research is really competative though, there arent alot of jobs there, so if you have momentum and your in the right place at the right time with your work you kinda need to keep running with it or you will struggle to get back onboard. Of course it would not be impossible to come back to later, but it's still a factor to consider.

Lynt: I got plenty of hobbies, fishing, diving, making music (guitar, computer), surfing, working on my old volkswagens. Hobbies are a must really for anyone I think.

I'm just a bit down latley, I should stop whinging.

Its interesting how when people make a huge change they almost always say "I've never turned back" or somthing to that effect. I guess it's simply because when people make a drastic change, it's for good reasons.

Little Evil · Post by **Little Evil** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:57 pm

quiet roar wrote:I need a career change.

Spent the last year thinking about what I could do that would be enjoyable (at least a little bit) and will provide enough money to keep the family living well. I can tell you that, as yet, I haven't come up with something that fits both criteria.

Evil one, I will be picking your brain next time we see each other out.

Please don't become a dole bludger like me mate - you got a family.

quiet roar · Post by **quiet roar** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:01 pm

Yeah, I would need to pop out at least another two to make a good living out of it but it ain't worth it

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:10 pm

fmf wrote:
flippo wrote:Basically, I keep thinking that I want to get into either music, in some shape or form, or..... *cough* theoretical physics....
I decided to do that about 4 years ago (applied physics but there still was a fair chunk of theoretical) on a bit of a whim coz i was a pothead without any qualifications... now i'm a pothead with a $20 000 piece of paper

haha. Did you enjoy the course though? Thats the other thing, id say in theoretical physics if you wanted to work in the field it would require another PhD, and then the fast majority of work would be academic through uni's. Undergrad minus the first year science, plus honours, plus masters/PhD, I'd finish at like Mid to late 30s if I went right through non-stop. Plus the maths in is pretty fucking dramatic and scary.

oh well, its good to question wtf you are doing I guess.

cha_chaos · Post by **cha_chaos** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:39 pm

flippo wrote:I also think I need a really fun girl to come into my life and mix shit up a bit.

discuss/help/talk about big life changes/get a dog up ya

aw, dont we all

mecka · Post by **mecka** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:02 pm

dr flippo has a nice ring to it.

marke · Post by **marke** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:11 pm

tiggus85 wrote:are you still down in lonsdale flippo?

biggups lonny town, nice little dnb community happening...

oh sorry flipo.. careers, my mate has changed 3 times now..
do what makes you happy, thats all i got ta say....

SoulWhiteMan · Post by **SoulWhiteMan** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:22 pm

mecka wrote:dr flippo has a nice ring to it.

"and I present to the trustees this thesis for your consideration, by one Mr. Flippo"

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:49 pm

marke wrote:
tiggus85 wrote:are you still down in lonsdale flippo?
biggups lonny town, nice little dnb community happening...

oh sorry flipo.. careers, my mate has changed 3 times now..
do what makes you happy, thats all i got ta say....

whaat? no way, an MB.C bass head from point lonnie! haha.

Mate you ever seen a light green kombi driving around, most likley with some really loud b-lines pumpin? that's me.

Yeh, it is good work, I'm not complaining about the work really, I used to do 90 hours a week of carrying bags of potatoes, I know what a shit job is. I think its more that I notice the lack of social contat in my work because my living arangments are kinda, hermetish. i'm used to being in really busy households, and being within walkind distance of freinds. I think I just need to move out with a few people who are strangers, make some freinds on this side of the bay. Will make life more bearable. Surley not all geelong people are bad! That and some cognative behaviour therapy, so I can get over the fact that lifes not forever, and not go into a 12 hours long panic attack and internal metaphysical discussion everytime I see a bottle of formadehyde or random carcinogen.
That's wicked Steve, seriously much respect to anyone who gets into nursing, it's a tough game, can't be afraid of a bit of graft. And you gotta be strong for for people who are down and weak. I know a few nurses, they enjoy what they do although its pretty tough.

intersting discusion though, carry on

mecka · Post by **mecka** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:53 pm

AC23_steve wrote:Contimplating changing into the Nursing degree (plently of people have taken the piss and think its soft, not arsed. :middlefinger: ) ...Looking after people, tryna make some sort of a difference to peoples life...Intensive care....Parametics are big dance events...etc. Got to be more to life than meking loads of money.

Never seen the softer side of Steve that isn't hairy and smells a little off

Nah bigup to u man, somebody who has a little bit of a social conscience instead of being all about the cash.

Lil MiSbreaks · Post by **Lil MiSbreaks** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:04 pm

Interesing thread...

We all work for money, captain obvious please stand up, but then you also have the different satisfactions you can get from work. I took a big step and quit my full time job end last year, for a few reasons, one being that I wasnt getting ANY satisfaction out of it whatsoever. And I mean zero. Just cash.

A few months later (being now) I need to work a bit cos im dead broke, but because my primary interest - being djing, etc - is fullfilled, I dont give a shit what kind of job I do.

Makes it easier to go to work when you know the actual reasons for going there.

So I went from Insurance claims officer, to being free to pursue what I really love. And I couldnt be happier.

Had to sacrifice a lot of stuff, like food, cigarettes, drinking

what felt like a sacrifice in the initial stages, but then when my new life sunk in, wasnt a sacrifice at all. Who cares if you cant by that outfit, I work doing what I love!

I guess you also need to way up how much work youve already done and would you be going backwards by changing. But follow your dreams I say.

DC · Post by DC » Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:08 pm

In the middle of one. Ill keep you posted. If im not here in 6 months...you'll know it didnt work.

Little Evil · Post by **Little Evil** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 11:54 pm

DC wrote:In the middle of one. Ill keep you posted. If im not here in 6 months...you'll know it didnt work.

Hans is a 'duster' in porn flicks.
He gets paid by the stroke.

kronz · Post by **kronz** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:21 am

AC23_steve wrote:
Contimplating changing into the Nursing degree (plently of people have taken the piss and think its soft, not arsed. :middlefinger: ) ...Looking after people, tryna make some sort of a difference to peoples life...Intensive care....Parametics are big dance events...etc. Got to be more to life than meking loads of money.

i met a dude about 5 years ago during my first year of uni and he was 1 of 2 guys doing nursing in a 500 strong class. he loved it he claims he had his choice of girls. could be good. are you prepared to take someones temp throught their arse though??

Melbourne Beats

big career changes?

flippo has lost it again

big career changes?

Re: big career changes?