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[NecrosaroIII]

I've been in transportation and logistics for over 18 years. I've never really enjoyed my industry but it's what I fell into after I couldn't do anything with my degree.

My company I'm in has recently done a reorg that has made it unbearable. I want to change industries, but after doing this for 18 years, I want do something else. The thing is, I'm not even sure what I'd want to do. I made list of what I'd need from a job, here is what I came up with:

Needs:
Not logistics-based
Close to home
50k minimum salary (I'd be take a 30k pay cut, but since it's a different job I figure i'd probably need to take a cut)
Not customer facing

Dealbreakers:
Call center environment
Physical labor (I'm not in the best shape, but I'm working on it. But in the mean time, i wouldn't be able to do anything too physical)

How do I reclass? I was talking to one of my coworkers about this, and he's saying we're too old (I'm 36)

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

How do I reclass? I was talking to one of my coworkers about this, and he's saying we're too old (I'm 36)

36 isn't middle aged....
I'd say check out all the things you like and what it would take, I went to uni with someone who was 32 at the time, but if that's asking too much from you, look at things that only require courses or certificates; also check to see if your local governing body has any programs that lead to a job or a high chance at one.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

36 isn't middle aged....
I'd say check out all the things you like and what it would take, I went to uni with someone who was 32 at the time, but if that's asking too much from you, look at things that only require courses or certificates; also check to see if your local governing body has any programs that lead to a job or a high chance at one.

I thought about going back to school. I actually tried to go to grad school, but I did poorly on the GRE. And I'm not really sure what I'd major in. My previous attempt was logistics. But that's a non-starter since I fucking hate logistics.

 

[Northeastmonk]

You have to stick your foot in the door somewhere and learn a trade. Something you can pick up and just get better at doing it.

I feel like a lot of jobs are client facing regardless. You have to have some form of people skills. No more sitting in a dark room. Do you enjoy cabling, electrical work, plumbing, cutting steel? There’s a lot of good jobs that have good training out there.

I started my career close to 30. I wouldn’t consider myself middle aged at that point. I started an internship and worried more about learning what I needed to do. Don’t let age stop you. That’s losing the race before you even start. I swear a lot of older guys say that because they didn’t do anything besides b*tch their entire lives.

 

[Rockondevil]

Around the same age and I have wondered what I'd do if I ever wanted a change.
Trades aren't a terrible option. Could do an electrician apprenticeship? That's not as labor intensive as others.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Around the same age and I have wondered what I'd do if I ever wanted a change.
Trades aren't a terrible option. Could do an electrician apprenticeship? That's not as labor intensive as others.

I just got a network certification and I’m getting close to 40. I enjoy making my own cables and installing equipment. A lot of guys my age don’t care about certifications. I learned a lot and it just took time and effort. I’ve been interested in electrical work because I get to work with people who run that equipment behind or in front of what I’m doing. It’s totally possible. You have to put in some effort and it will pay off. I love what I do for a living and I will learn more as time allows.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I feel like a lot of jobs are client facing regardless. You have to have some form of people skills.

I can deal with people well enough, but after 18 years of constantly being insulted every day, it's worn down on me. One can only take so many years of being told "you're a fucking retard, you know that?" without wanting to kill myself.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I can deal with people well enough, but after 18 years of constantly being insulted every day, it's worn down on me. One can only take so many years of being told "you're a fucking retard, you know that?" without wanting to kill myself.

That sucks and no one wants to deal with that. Burn out and getting sick of the same type of person over and over again. It’s hard to not let it get to you. I’ve seen a complete rotation of staff at my job. A lot of guys I thought would still be around. One guy passed away.

There’s always new comers and people who will do the same exact job. I totally understand. There are times when my personal cell gets called about something not working or they tell me they think we suck. I bet you’ll find a company that can regulate that type of communication. At my job. I know my manager or the VP will step in.

That says a lot about your manager or your company if they can’t protect their own employees. That’s harassment if you ask me. I think you need to look around. There’s a lot of good companies out there. What you need is a company that has a strong culture and one that will assist you when times get tough. Trust me, they exist.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

.That says a lot about your manager or your company if they can’t protect their own employees. That’s harassment if you ask me. I think you need to look around. There’s a lot of good companies out there. What you need is a company that has a strong culture and one that will assist you when times get tough. Trust me, they exist.

I've worked at 5 logistics companies in my time. It's just the nature of the industry. No one likes their shit coming late. Let me put it this way, if you were eager for a brand new game that you were supposed to have delivered on launch day, how pissed would you be if you found out it was delayed a day or two?

Now imagine that, but instead it's a kidney that's needed for transplant, but the driver delivering the shipment didn't make it to its flight in time due to traffic caused by the president being in town, so now it's going to miss the surgery it's needed for and no longer be viable? Or you have a part that is needed to fix an airplane, but the only option is to take it into an airport that will be closed when the flight lands so it won't be delivered until the next morning, and every hour that plane is down, you're losing $100k

People tend to shoot the messenger a lot in this industry.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I've worked at 5 logistics companies in my time. It's just the nature of the industry. No one likes their shit coming late. Let me put it this way, if you were eager for a brand new game that you were supposed to have delivered on launch day, how pissed would you be if you found out it was delayed a day or two?

Now imagine that, but instead it's a kidney that's needed for transplant, but the driver delivering the shipment didn't make it to its flight in time due to traffic caused by the president being in town, so now it's going to miss the surgery it's needed for and no longer be viable? Or you have a part that is needed to fix an airplane, but the only option is to take it into an airport that will be closed when the flight lands so it won't be delivered until the next morning, and every hour that plane is down, you're losing $100k

People tend to shoot the messenger a lot in this industry.

That sounds like hell. I know my logistics team speaks to clients and they do follow up phone calls. One lady cried because this car dealership owner was a jerk on the phone over his intercom system. I totally see why you want out. Maybe you need to look at a couple fields and try each one out.

I see guys who worked for internet service providers move into copier service techs or copier installers. One guy use to install alarm systems and now he’s installing copiers. Sometimes the change can be what you need. It sounds like you’ve been checked out for a while and now you just need a good reason to quit.

 

[Durien]

So the last 3 teams I have been on, they laid us off and outsourced to India to save cash ( our last team of 5 was replaced with a team of 12 from India and still saved money...) I was in the tech industry since 97.

I am back at school about to get my AA at the end of the quarter and transferring to University of washington spring quarter. Luckily I have my wife who gets paid a great salary and our house and cars are paid off so she said screw it, go back to school if you want. I love learning so it was really win win for me. I plan on doing a psychology gig part time (doing something similar now working with mentally disabled kids). If you can do it, go for it. Even the kids I have been in class with for the most part have been great. My biggest complaint is they wait until the last minute to do stuff on group assignments lol

Oh and I'm 50..

 

[AJUMP23]

Do you have a degree? If so I think you just tailor your resume for an industry adjacent to what you currently do.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Learn to code?

 

[Rentahamster]

I didn't start renting hamsters until I was 1 year old! Which is 58 in human years.


You can do it!

 

[FunkMiller]

Christ. 36 is not middle aged, dude

 

[nush]

I've been in transportation and logistics for over 18 years. I've never really enjoyed my industry but it's what I fell into after I couldn't do anything with my degree.

My company I'm in has recently done a reorg that has made it unbearable. I want to change industries, but after doing this for 18 years, I want do something else. The thing is, I'm not even sure what I'd want to do. I made list of what I'd need from a job, here is what I came up with:

Needs:
Not logistics-based
Close to home
50k minimum salary (I'd be take a 30k pay cut, but since it's a different job I figure i'd probably need to take a cut)
Not customer facing

Dealbreakers:
Call center environment
Physical labor (I'm not in the best shape, but I'm working on it. But in the mean time, i wouldn't be able to do anything too physical)

How do I reclass? I was talking to one of my coworkers about this, and he's saying we're too old (I'm 36)

Do what I do, present yourself as an Administrator, then find companies in fields you are interested in because they all have some level of Administrator. Get in, work your way up.

 

[bitbydeath]

There’s a lot of different jobs out there, so first step is to narrow down the list, you don’t want to get into another job you don’t like.

 

[KrakenIPA]

Go into hotel work, you start as a housekeeper then move to front desk in a week. Then you start doing night audit, its sooo fun.

 

[Kenpachii]

Funny enough most people that shift professions are around 35 here.

 

[Mistake]

The more you change jobs, the easier it is to find something you like. I don't mean switch jobs once a year or anything, unless you're getting into a new field, but don't put yourself in a position that is soul sucking and repetitive. It's legitimately bad for your health.

That being said, I have an uncle that just got his law degree at 50. I'd only worry at 70, and heck, then people will just find you more inspiring

 

[Mr Reasonable]

36 is nowhere near too old. But it doesn't mean you've got lots of time either.

If you can afford to go back to education it's probably only worth doing if there's a clear route to what you want to do. By that, I mean some qualifications might get you a job, some definitely won't.

I would also look at the experience you've got. Transportation and logistics might seem quite specific, but it might have transferable skills if you look at how to pitch the things you have experience doing - planning and scheduling, ordering, hiring, etc. etc. (I've no idea what you actually do day to day).

If you went to an employer advertising for a role at their table making company (random selection) and said "hey! I'm really enthusiastic about tables and would love to work for a table making company! I know how to plan projects, how long it takes to get materials, and I hired a number of short term contractors regularly and managed their workload" then that might be quite attractive to an employer. And if you're keen on tables too, then that could swing things your way.

A lot of times it's about how you present yourself and your skills more than anything else. You could do any number of jobs, and could likely be really happy doing them, but you probably need to work out what it is you'd like to do, rather than just how much you need to get paid and where you want to be while doing it, because there will be loads of jobs that will fit that criteria that you'll hate.

 

[Little Mac]

Christ. 36 is not middle aged, dude

According to google:

“As of 2021, the average age of death in men is 73 years old, with the most common causes of death being heart disease, cancer, unintentional deaths, COVID-19 infection, and stroke.”

This is for males in the United States. OP is middle aged.

 

[nush]

According to google:

“As of 2021, the average age of death in men is 73 years old, with the most common causes of death being heart disease, cancer, unintentional deaths, COVID-19 infection, and stroke.”

This is for males in the United States. OP is middle aged.

yeah, about that and Google being the source.

 

[INC]

Around the same age and I have wondered what I'd do if I ever wanted a change.
Trades aren't a terrible option. Could do an electrician apprenticeship? That's not as labor intensive as others.

I've literally done this, 2 years ago (38 years old) I took risk and started a fresh, going back to college under an apprenticeship to be a fully qualified electrical engineer (not just a basic sparky), 1 year left now at college, and about to be promoted and run my own department.

Its possible

 

[AJUMP23]

Christ. 36 is not middle aged, dude

Maybe he plans on dying at 70.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

According to google:

“As of 2021, the average age of death in men is 73 years old, with the most common causes of death being heart disease, cancer, unintentional deaths, COVID-19 infection, and stroke.”

This is for males in the United States. OP is middle aged.

Middle age doesn't mean "mid point of total lifespan" most people understand it to be mid forties (or older) onwards, it's not precise like "teenage" is. You could say that it's as much a lifestyle and outlook as a measure of a stage of life.

People in their 30s aren't middle aged.

 

[Bojji]

Learn to code?

To be replaced by Ai?

 

[Mr Reasonable]

To be replaced by Ai?

Yeah, I would assume this is a big part of the conversation to be had too - what would you like to change your career to that won't be done by AI in 5 years (or less)?

 

[ThatStupidLion]

going through the same thing, but in the VFX & CG industry - turn 38 in two days. have 3 kids. cant get a lick of work since being laid off last fall. i've tried applying to adjacent roles in the same industry.... i've tried applying to roles i thought i'd be interested in in diff industries... not even a side glance...

being a professional animator was my childhood dream and quickly actualized it out of college. succeeded doing it for over 15 years...the average burnout rate in the industry was 8 years last I heard, so doubled that at least.

but my priorities and life have changed. I dont have the want to fight and deal with all the shit that industry is composed of. the magic has been stripped away and lost. Covid, the hollywood strikes, Ai, mass gaming layoffs, jobs going overseas, content bubble bursting....

having realized my dream job though, i've lost the ambition or desire for any new dreams which has made it extra difficult now that i need to change into something else.

really not sure what to do....and its only getting worse every day that goes by... i need to be bringing money in. im in a hole and its quickly getting deeper


I've heard life coaches/career coaches really only help if you already know what you want to do...so i havent sought them out... maybe could help you? personally I have no idea whats skills adjacent to a logistics career.

I've literally done this, 2 years ago (38 years old) I took risk and started a fresh, going back to college under an apprenticeship to be a fully qualified electrical engineer (not just a basic sparky), 1 year left now at college, and about to be promoted and run my own department.

Its possible

did you have to go into debt to go back to school? where abouts is your general salary? how long was the schooling?

I always had an interest in engineering, but I went to art college....dont have any transferrable math or science courses, so i'd really have to start anew i think.

 

[INC]

going through the same thing, but in the VFX & CG industry - turn 38 in two days. have 3 kids. cant get a lick of work since being laid off last fall. i've tried applying to adjacent roles in the same industry.... i've tried applying to roles i thought i'd be interested in in diff industries... not even a side glance...

being a professional animator was my childhood dream and quickly actualized it out of college. succeeded doing it for over 15 years...the average burnout rate in the industry was 8 years last I heard, so doubled that at least.

but my priorities and life have changed. I dont have the want to fight and deal with all the shit that industry is composed of. the magic has been stripped away and lost. Covid, the hollywood strikes, Ai, mass gaming layoffs, jobs going overseas, content bubble bursting....

having realized my dream job though, i've lost the ambition or desire for any new dreams which has made it extra difficult now that i need to change into something else.

really not sure what to do....and its only getting worse every day that goes by... i need to be bringing money in. im in a hole and its quickly getting deeper


I've heard life coaches/career coaches really only help if you already know what you want to do...so i havent sought them out... maybe could help you? personally I have no idea whats skills adjacent to a logistics career.



did you have to go into debt to go back to school? where abouts is your general salary? how long was the schooling?

I always had an interest in engineering, but I went to art college....dont have any transferrable math or science courses, so i'd really have to start anew i think.

Apprenticeship so I don't pay a thing
3 year course, on 2nd year
They teach you all the maths and science

Earn about £45k about to go to around £60k+

 

[Aesius]

I'm going through this a bit as well.

I would look long and hard at careers that are adjacent to what you do. ChatGPT can actually be helpful for this. I've been using it a lot for brainstorming ideas and even creating step-by-step plans for transitioning into new industries.

I would honestly only do a total "re-roll" of my skills/education if I was dead set on a new path and knew 100% what I wanted to do. I'm in advertising/marketing and it's ground zero for AI replacement, but I still enjoy it for the most part. So I'm eyeing management roles that will be less susceptible to AI replacement. Need to boost my skills/education/certifications to be in the running for those roles, though.

If I was going to completely start over, I'd probably look for something in healthcare. My wife is a nurse practitioner, makes really good money, and will never be out of a job.

 

[EviLore]

I did poorly on the GRE

Did you prep for it? A lot of people prep for months.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Meet with people who are talented in a work area you want.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Did you prep for it? A lot of people prep for months.

I did. I spent about 6 months prepping. But my math skills are poor and that's what got me. I did okay on the other section.

 

[AlphaDump]

You can get off the bat certifications for IT security but I can't promise you won't be in a help desk role to some degree..

If you're interested, look into CompTIA for entry level and ISC^2 for more advanced certifications. I believe ISC^2 provides a free entry level certification for cybersecurity, too.

You can also pass an advanced certification and put that on your resume stating you still require work experience to become certified.. Some employers will open the door for you to gain that experience.

 

[Porcile]

Skills and way of demonstrating those skills. I know a couple people trying to get into IT/software but the only thing they have is skills on paper. They don't have a portfolio or some proven projects to back up their qualifications, and it is obviously the thing holding them back.

 

[AJUMP23]

I thought about going back to school. I actually tried to go to grad school, but I did poorly on the GRE. And I'm not really sure what I'd major in. My previous attempt was logistics. But that's a non-starter since I fucking hate logistics.

Take it again it doesn't matter. I know it cost money, but there is a ton of online free prep you can do. When you want to change something it takes effort. You can do it, write down your GOALs, place somewhere you can see it and do things that bring you closer to it.

 

[DeceptiveAlarm]

My Dad wore dress clothes every day as a salesmen. His store closed so he went to get his CDL. Now he does line painting on the highways. Makes more money and he's off all winter. He was around 50 when he did that. So your definitely not too old.

 

[DosGamer]

Bro.. youth is on your side. I just turned 50 and I am in something of the same boat. I have been in health care mgmt for the past 21 years. I am so burned out its not even funny. I know this sounds really bad, and I dont mean it to, but I am tired of being around and seeing sick people everyday. Its taxing and depressing.
I am looking to get into cooking or something to that effect. The pay decrease is scary, but the happiness may be worth it. who knows until you try!

 

[WoJ]

OP, I am a bit older than you (turn 42 in April) and working on a career change after 15 years in my current industry/functional area.

It is cliche and corny to say, but it's also true. Networking. Figure out what you want to do and the industry you want to do it in and start calling/emailing companies (preferably smaller ones) and just introduce yourself as someone who is interested in doing X job in that industry and say you're reaching out because they seemed like someone who had an interesting background and wanted to hear about their experience and learn what it took for them to be successful and use it to ask about how someone in your position could successfully make the change you are looking for. I've found most people receptive to this and you often get names of other people to talk which can lead to job offers.

Go to industry association events and have the same conversation I described above with people you meet.

By doing this you're bypassing the process of randomly applying for jobs and also getting your name out there. At a smaller firms they may not have jobs posted on LinkedIn or indeed. Plus I think business owners appreciate the engagement, proactiveness, and enthusiasm this approach shows. Don't specifically ask for work at first, but information. As you get to know people the conversation will naturally shift to that or approaching it by asking something like, "So I've been learning about the industry for the last six months. Started working on x certification, what do you think would be a good approach to trying to find a job." If they have one and like you they may want to have that conversation. They may put you in touch with people they know who are hiring or they may have nothing to offer.

Also, learn what, if any, certifications the industry values and start working on them. Or even if there aren't certifications, determine what skills are needed and start putting together stuff on your own time that you can use to show you are serious about succeeding in a specific role or industry.

As I said, I am currently working on a career change myself to an entry level role in a new industry and I've met people strictly by calling/emailing them directly or at industry networking events. One person I met at a industry event last year I've had coffee with a handful of times since then and he recently reached out to me to schedule a lunch with me, his firms founder and another of their directors this Friday. It's a 10 person firm so I am hopeful it turns into a job offer since it's so small and 30% of their staff is having lunch with me.

I also figured out what certifications I needed and got one of the cheaper ones that was respected to show I was serious about career change and then enrolled into a program for the "gold standard" industry cerification which I am currently working through.

Good luck to you. It is hard but can be done.