Welcome to my crazy office podcast with the
authors of working with you is killing me,
working for you isn't working for me and
mean girls at.
Cassie El and Catherine Crowley. They are committed
to creating world peace, 1 crazy office.
And now, here are Cassie and Cassie.
Hey, everyone. I'm Kathy El, and I'm Catherine
Crowley and welcome to my crazy office.
So today, we're going to discuss, a crucial
question
that some of you may be asking yourselves.
Is it time to make a radical change?
We start with a question from someone who
has been in a boring, but secure job
for 15 years. A recent lay is making
this person consider whether it's time to go
back to school and pursue a degree in
something they've always wanted to do.
Oh, yeah.
It's you know, radical career changes can be
very exciting, but also very scary. Yep. So
I'm really glad we're. Talking about this. I
hope more people will send questions like this
to info at my crazy office dot c.
So here's the question we're answering.
I've been working at the same job for
15 years, doing work that no longer interests
me.
But I've earned a good living,
I just got laid off, and now I'm
trying to be honest with myself.
Maybe I should take this opportunity to make
a radical change, go back to school, and
do what I've always wanted to do. I
could also just go back and get another
boring but secure job in the same industry.
What should I do?
Yeah. I mean, I they say most people
will have 3 careers in a lifetime
Definitely on my third. Maybe they'll be a
fourth. Not sure. You know, what goes a
pottery.
Yeah.
I and know, you know, you never know.
But,
I think that,
you know, that that's kind of a joke.
But, you know, I started out, in the
fashion industry. I've had major career changes.
So I... I'm a believer in this that,
you know, if you're not too old. I
mean, there may be a certain point where
at 60, it's probably not a smart thing
to do. Although it some people it can
work,
you've got enough savings and you can put
yourself through school, why not?
If it's a career that will... You can
work in for quite a while.
But I think, you know, I've seen people
in their early thirties and then early forties,
and even early fifties
make major career shifts. And there's nothing wrong
with it? It's scary? You don't know it's
gonna turn out, but why
stay in something you don't like?
And right? You know, and.
You've always known. You know, you wanted to
be a nurse. So you've always...
Known and you wanted to be a librarian.
But yet, you didn't wanna take the time
to go back to school. And there's just
some part of you that didn't allow you
to do it because she would had a
secure job, and it was interesting
enough. Wow. But but, you know, if you're
in a position now where you're laid off,
and you have the resources to do it
or get a boring job so that you
can go back to school at night or
a part time job so that you can
go back to school to and move forward
in the career you've always wanted. Yeah. I
completely agree. And I think it's not an
either or thing. It's not either go to
school full time or get a boring job.
It's probably
go back and get a job where you
know you can to pay for your life
if you need that,
while
pursuing your dream job or your dream career.
Mh. Wanted to do. And I... 1 of
the things that it's is striking to me
as this person has been the say job
for 15 years. So probably in their thirties.
Right?
And what I've seen developmental mentally is that
there is something that happens in your late
thirties, early forties
and definitely very striking, by the time you're
50, where you know
so much more about who you are and
what you really want. And you've probably full
filled the obligations that other people wanted you
to do, you know?
So maybe you became a lawyer or you
went to some... You know, got a marketing
position or you got a standard job that
you thought was what you were supposed to
do, And now as the real you emerges,
you discover that probably something you may have
had a passion for in the... Past or
something you do as a hobby
is how what you really want to do.
Yeah. It's hard for me to believe that
people deny that part of them themselves that
they don't actually see them see themselves
through,
something that they've always wanted to do. It
just I I feel terrible for people that
are in situations where they can't do that.
Yeah.
And sometimes you just can't... Maybe you have
a lot of children and maybe the o
the overhead is just overwhelming and you just
have to keep a roof over your head.
And that I understand that I respect that.
But if there is a chance that you
can
do this that you can get the boring
job that keep... You employed while you're going
back to school, I'd say do it. Yeah.
I think also, I mean, great that this
person is saying
that they've
had time to be honest with themselves. And
I think that's part of a too Cathy
is. To that you... It may take... Before
you even start a radical change. It may
take some soul searching to figure out what
that would really be for you. And you
also have to deal with your fear. Because
I think very often what stops people from
pursuing what they really wanna do is the
fear. Either the fear that is not secure
enough, or they won't find a job
or that is it not gonna work out
or they're not really good at it. I
was thinking of some of the career changes
that I've seen and there spanned the gamut
from
someone who is a photo style stylist who
became a special ed teacher.
Mh.
Portfolio manager who became a small business owner,
a marketing marketing strategist who became an urban
tour guide,
you know, a lawyer who became a psycho.
So these are big changes.
Yeah. And so I think you need... It
takes time. It takes contemplation. It takes a
plan and it takes support
to make that kind of a shift.
Yeah. I mean, I I always think of
my friend, Christine,
could worked for us for a while. She
was... Had been laid off in the fashion
in street by Liz Cla. And finally, the
last time they laid her off, and they're
they're now gone. Yeah.
She just sold her apartment, moved to a
cheaper apartment. And put herself through college,
and then her master's degree and became a
librarian and very successful and is now finally
retiring.
But that was a major shift. And I
don't... I think I really supported her through
that. So did you, But I think a
lot of her family.
Did not.
But, of course, finally when it was done,
they were very impressed. But
you know,
she she could never have been happier.
You know, to have accomplished that. So, you
know, don't sell yourself short. If you can,
try to get the education you need
and
move into the career you've always wanted or
the core you think you will vote always
wanted. It's not gonna hurt to go back
to school. It's always helps.
Yes. Well, the great thing about school is
it's a gradual
process this. Right? You take and you could
even start just taking a course or 2
in your area of interest to see if
it's true for you.
And then build on that. And I think
that's part of it too is the willingness
to persevere
and expect this to be
I mean, what would you say Cathy, it's
probably usually about a 4 year process for
a person to really change
Yeah. Ears and industry and the whole bit.
Yeah. But 1 thing I wanna say, going
back to school as an adult, they tend
to do better than when you to college
right out of high school. Yeah you... For
some reason, you're able to study better, or
you have wisdom based on your life. So
they tend to do very, very well. And
you may be in a class where you
may be older than your teacher, but it
doesn't matter.
Yeah.
You're still learning something that you wanna learn.
Yeah.
So I'm a... I know, we both are
big believers in this that if the... If
you've have denied yourself or or for some
reason gotten into a career that
war thin for you at a certain point.
There's nothing wrong with stepping back
and
and starting a new career path and not
every career needs
education. Right certain careers that you don't need
it. And I encourage you to do that
also.
And sometimes you have to step back and
take a lower position, but those people tend
to move up the ranks pretty quickly. Yes.
I really appreciate.
Right? I appreciate you saying that. Because because
they had the work experience and they know
how to manage people and they know how
to be in the workplace So they tend
to do very well.
So don't be afraid to go back.
Yeah. Well to the beginning steps because you
will move through them pretty quickly.
So I think what we're saying to this
individual is, yes,
do take this opportunity to make a radical
change, Mh.
Go back to school,
but you may also need to get a
boring and secure job. Right. In to be
able to do it. Yes.
But, yeah. I give this advice
many more times than people take it. Yeah.
So I know it's not an easy decision.
No. And it takes a lot of courage
and perseverance,
and I think discipline.
It's why it is so important to have
support. In doing.
Yeah. So, I know that people sell themselves
short,
and they they don't do it. But, you
know, as the years
pile and you become older and and and
and... That's your industry now because you've really
climbed up of that ladder
it may,
you know, how can you forgive yourself? You,
for not having
changed careers. Yeah. So I I think it's
an important thing to do if you can,
and, yeah. So we're encouraging you to do
it. Go for it. Yeah. So that's it
for this podcast. If you have any further
comments or thoughts on this topic, check us
on an Instagram in my crazy office.
And if you wanna subscribe to our podcast,
go to my crazy office on our website
and hit the subscribe button.
Finally,
don't forget to send your questions and stories,
to info at my crazy office dot c.
My crazy office is produced in New York
City at k studios.
Day crazy,