Anyone interested in helping me figure out my life? (career change)

Off-topic
1

This is a bit of a personal brain-dump, so I apologize in advance for the length. I figured I’d post this here because I really have no other online communities I’m a part of, and I would really like to get some outside perspectives.

As I’m sure it is with other unicyclists, I’ve always been a person with a ton of interests and passions. This is my problem. I have way too many interests, and I feel like it gets me spread way too thin. I’m about 80% through writing a novel, have composed a ton of music in my home studio, frequently do graphic design and video production, etc.

Lately I’ve also been really getting into hands-on stuff; I’ve been learning to weld in my spare time, bought a project motorcycle to attempt to disassemble, etc. Whether it’s writing, music, or working with my hands, creative stuff really fuels me - if I don’t have it I go insane.

My background:
A little about me: I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology four years ago. I ended up with a fairly high GPA (3.8), and it was full-tuition so I have no debt toward that degree whatsoever. I’ve also always been a computer geek on the side (been repairing and programming since fourth grade) and have a lot of certifications (CEH, ACE, CHFI, A+, Network+) in that field.

I am also a certified personal trainer, and do a little of that on the side. I’ve also combined my interests and tried designing some fitness apps with my girlfriend, but my growing dislike for computer work has made it somewhat frustrating.

As far as my day job goes: After I graduated I volunteered for three months at a local private investigation firm, and after that I started getting paid a very decent wage for it. For a while I used to do the fun stuff - GPS trackers, hiding in a van with a camera, using covert video equipment, etc, but now I’ve been shoehorned into doing computer forensics. I’ve had a lot of great experiences for someone my age, including co-teaching a university course in cybercrime for two years. I’ve been with that company for four years.

While that sounds great on paper, sitting in front of a computer all day has never been on my list of priorities. I really don’t like the cyber-security industry, and I feel like I’m a bad person to have as a face for it when there is absolutely no passion there. I am very good on computers, but I have gotten to the point where I absolutely hate being a “computer guy.” I have zero drive for the computer industry and feel like my current job has turned into a typical geek sitdown job that I hate, as well as the stress that comes with looking at the nasty stuff people tend to hide on their computers.

My goals:
I want to do something that makes me happy. Not a bad goal to have, I think. I don’t need to be rich, I just want to enjoy my days and not live under a bridge.

Some options I have been considering:

  • Going back to school for another Bachelor's degree. I had originally considered pursuing my psychology degree higher (MS or PhD) but after a lot of soul searching it has occurred to me that I really don't enjoy sitting around and listening to people's personal problems. I do that enough in my current job and personal life, and it's just not something I think I'd enjoy as a career. Specifically, I've looked at mechanical engineering, and while I know I am capable of understanding and doing the math and physics (I took a lot of those classes for electives), I can say that I honestly don't enjoy doing math problems for the sake of doing math problems; this is one of the things that frustrated me about pursuing a computer science minor. Plus, while the pay might be better, from what I know engineers are rarely hands-on, and instead spend their time in front of a computer all day. I really don't like to sit. A downside to a second Bachelor's is that it will likely be the most expensive out of all the options.
  • Expanding my personal training career. I love exercise, and I plan on being a trainer on the side for a long time no matter what. As I've mentioned in other threads, I have a dream of doing unicycling classes and pushing it as the next greatest fitness activity. However, I don't think this is something I can make a full career out of, but instead more of a passionate side project.
  • Going to the local community college for an Associate's (two years) in their automotive technology program. This is mainly out of personal interest more than something I think I could make a ton of money at. I love working on machines and especially the hands-on portion, and my technical expertise is relatively low at this point so I'd really love to learn what they have to teach. I think knowing diagnostics from all my computer work would be useful as well. However, I've heard that actually working as a technician in the auto industry is very underpaid and a few of the grizzled older types have nothing but bad things to say about the future of the industry. The cost of this program would be very low compared to another BS or MS.
  • Going to school for some kind of Master's degree outside of psychology. Many non-psych programs - especially hard sciences - will require classes I haven't taken for my current Bachelor's degree, so I'd probably have to go back to school for remedial classes. This would probably be less money than a second BS, but still more expensive than a community college.
  • Pursuing some kind of art/music/writing program. I love this stuff, but again I'm not sure if it's just going to leave me in the same place I am with a Bachelor's in psych - a degree that doesn't do anything.
  • Buying a lot of lottery tickets. So far this one isn't doing much.

Anyway, those are just my ideas right now as I’m sitting here. I’m feeling frustrated because I don’t like the direction my career is going, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m moving backward. Either way, it’s an improvement from sitting here spinning in a circle while going nowhere.

I am open to any and all suggestions you can throw at me. I would just like some outside and unbiased opinions to really help me think my way through this issue.

If you made it this far, I’m very impressed that you navigated through this chaotic mental labyrinth I’ve constructed. Thankfully, there was no minotaur.

Thanks for reading.

2

Yeah, you need to write shorter posts with more specific questions

I didn’t read all that. I’m just our resident jerk who tries to pretend he does read posts that long. Nah, just faking it. We love you though, and welcome to the forum. Not so sure we want to read your novel on your first post.

3

Thanks, but it’s more for the “just conversation” part as opposed to the “introduce yourself” part. I’ve been on here for a little while now.

Thanks for pretending though! :stuck_out_tongue:

4

Yeah, not so sure how helpful I am

But if I faked you out I guess it worked.

Really, IMHO anything that’s tears you away from the monitor is a good thing.There is no such thing as bad exersize, just stuff you don’t like and don’t keep doing. I have even tried to dance, I suck at it, but pick up girls anyway. Get out there.

5

You sound like a really fascinating person. At first you reminded me of Corbin Dunn. He used to post on here a lot. One of his websites is corbinstreehouse.com. He built a treehouse that he used to live in. And unicycles (including a tandem). And an electric VW Bug. And Cyr Wheels. And he’s a really, really GOOD unicyclist! But for his day job he works at Apple. He helped design the original iPhone. That’s not you.

So with your growing lack of interest in sitting in front of computers, you reminded me of Bruce Bundy. Also a Bay area computer guy, Bruce came around in 1997 (second Muni Weekend). He had spent the whole summer just riding unicycles and had gotten very good at rough terrain! He told me at the time, that he was so tired of looking at code it made him want to throw up. So he would do it on and off, and do amazing sports in between. He was probably the main guy to introduce using 3" downhill tires to unicycling.

Or if you have ADD (or similar) you would remind me of Terry Peterson, the “Uni Geezer” down in LA who makes all the YouTube videos. He’s an inspiration to many of us aging unicyclists (I think he’s 5 years older than me). Keep on being interesting.

Well, I think you’ve come to the right sport then! You should try to monetize it! :slight_smile: It won’t be easy, but it’s not only possible, but more doable now than it ever was in the past, I think.

I just read (and responded) to your unicycle/fitness training idea in that other thread. It can work. If successful, it could be franchised out around the country, then around the world!

6

The quality of music in most unicycle videos sucks, imo. People, the six-foot drop was awesome, but your favorite band sucks. What I am looking for in video, is Wagner’s conception of the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’, or universal artwork. For example, in some better-produced video, the video clips change with the rhythm of the music. It can get better…imagine that, every time someone caught air, there’d be a guitar solo/fill taking up that exact amount of time. Or a power-chord right when the tire compresses on a landing…reverse-engineered choreography, where the dance (riding) happens first, and the music is written/performed/synced later. FoxxyD, it sounds like you have the skills to make this happen. You mentioned an interest in promoting unicycling. Videos of extreme riders may help some people get interested in unicycling, but a well-done video of little kids and old people doing modest tricks (idling, riding off curbs, etc.), with well-choreographed music…that’d be more appealing.

The only problem is, you mentioned wanting to get ‘away’ from the computer screen. Sorry.

7

It’s funny you mention Corbin, Bruce, and Terry, because while I haven’t been an active member of this site for long, I have been lurking for quite a while now and I am very familiar with each of them. To be honest they are all huge inspirations to me both as a unicyclist and as a human being. Anytime I see somebody with more hobbies and passions than me, I immediately realize they are worth taking inspiration from.

No matter what, I am definitely interested in pushing unicycling as an awesome fitness activity. I agree with you; it’s going to be hard, but if there was ever a time when the stars lined up for it to take off, it’s now.

For what it’s worth, I’ve done a lot of non-unicycling videos like this and I really do enjoy the process. I had a pretty decent street luge one when I was into that hobby, and I also remember spending 48 straight hours doing a musically choreographed Flash animation for a contest back in high school.

In fact, I enjoy doing video and music work so much that I can actually sit in front of a computer and not feel like gouging out my eyeballs, and that says a lot.

I spent a lot of time last night soul-searching (while riding unicycles) and it occurred to me that, above all else, four things matter the most to me in terms of personal passions: making music, fitness (including marketing my unicycle idea), creating videos, and writing.

I figure that if I divide my time between those, I can’t go wrong, even if I’m not exclusively paying the bills with them quite yet.

8

About the auto tech thing

I lived in a 65 econoline that I paid 100$ for, for 11 years and 100k miles 40ish dead shows. Not that I always lived in the van, just usually.

I took some community collage classes in mostly motorcycle mechanics. This was invaluable. I spent 200$ on my tool box, and 100$ on my van. Most engines are the same, at least the old ones. Marine, truck, motorcycle, if you understand engines, it’s just a similar version in a different setup.

As a job though, I quickly became disillusioned. It’s hot sweaty work and your hands get covered in oily dirt. Everyone blames you for everything that go’s wrong. Like if you change the brakes and the engine goes south, it is your fault. This is why they charge 100$ hr. This is why I gave up working as a private mechanic. You need a huge guy called service manager , usually Mike , who does nothing much but carry a 20 lb wrench around and “manage” irate customers. Everything that goes wrong on a vehicle after you touched it is your fault, and customers will get pissed and expect you to fix it for free.

9

I can see where a “Mike” would come in handy in that kind of situation. I definitely understand the irate customer issue - when I did computer repair as a side job in college, I dealt with the same kind of thing. “You fixed my computer two month ago and now I have a virus. I need you to fix this for free.” Well, lady, two months is a lot of time to surf the adult entertainment websites you like to frequent. Anything can happen. :roll_eyes:

$200 on tools for class seems more than reasonable. Last night, when I looked into the “additional costs” section of the auto-tech program I was interested in, I found a handy little footnote saying they expect you to buy $6000 worth of tools before the first day. Yikes! Even the motorcycle program expects around $3000 worth of tools in addition to tuition.

10

Yeah, I went to school in the 70’s

It does help to show up looking for a job with a big roll box of “Snap on” tools. Brand name. They go to the shops weekly with a truck and sell tools, and also replace damaged tools for free, no questions.

I would say for home wrenching Craftsman is a better bet. Snap on is unquestionably the KH of tools, but you will pay. For a serious professional, it is your best brand. A truck will show up at your shop and replace any damaged tools for free, every week, for life. The sockets are thinner, the metal is harder, the tools are unquestionably better, but sure, 10K$ for a decent Snap On chest is about right. You could get a comparable chest from Sears on sale for less than a grand.

11

You have LOTS of academic smarts. I’m wondering how it is for you occasionally to be in the presence of (and work to resolve) intense emotion --anger, sadness, guilt, shame. Unfortunately, as an undergraduate, you never got to really experience what psychologists/counselors/MFTs/MSWs/etc actually DO. If they are “sitting around listening to people’s problems,” then they aren’t doing their job.

The fun is in moving people around, getting them thinking and seeing things in new ways, empowering them in their relationships, balancing couples with their partners so they get fairness, justice, and consideration; solving complex puzzles with interpersonal finesse; helping people up difficult paths. Like being a personal trainer, if every client was a different species with a different number of legs, different anatomy, and you have to actively play and experiment to figure out how to strengthen them; but more like a chiropractor who could make lasting adjustments so people function better, in just a few visits. “Sitting around listening to people’s problems” cheats them out of the life they could be living --it’s unethical.

Here’s a 9-month program that could get you into lots of FUN! http://www.opencenter.org/blog/2015/02/18/become-a-life-coach-in-2015-2/

These programs are everywhere, you don’t have to come to NYC for it. Even if you choose not to pursue it, I’ll bet you have enormous clarity about what you actually WANT to do and what makes you happy.

12

Interesting idea. I appreciate the insight and it’s definitely something to consider. While I may have sounded dismissive in my assessment of psychology as a profession, I have nothing but the utmost respect for any and all professionals in that field. For what it’s worth, during my undergraduate program I did indeed spend a great deal of time working directly with practicing therapists, more as an extracurricular activity than anything as a part of the coursework.

It was honestly something I considered for a long time. I had met with my old professors just a few months ago and they all encouraged me to go for the PhD, as well as each promising a shining letter of recommendation. I do still consider that - and other directions in mental health - as a valid option, but that’s definitely a decision to be made with 100% certainty, especially when considering a PhD.

Let me ask, are you a Life Coach? I am familiar with the term in passing but have never worked with one directly. Presently, I feel like the idea of me offering life advice to anybody would be like someone who has never played baseball signing up to teach the Yankees. But I think my head-screws are a bit tighter since I got this out of my system, and hope I’m headed in the right direction.

13

If you want to go travel for a while I have a van to sell you in New Zealand…

But seriously if you aren’t too tied down travel can do a world of good re-setting your thought process and figuring things out.

Plus my van fits a 36 with a touring handle no problem :stuck_out_tongue:

14

Stay the course.

I’d stay the course with your current, full-time job, and try to either move up within it–including possible transitions to other companies with more upward mobility.

Live your passions in your off-time. Too tired? We all are.

Few love their job; many will take a passion, make it their career, and then hate every minute of it. It’s a fact of life.

Save, invest your money wisely–earn money by working smarter, not harder–and you can retire early and pursue your passions to your hearts content.

Stay the course. Doesn’t mean to not move forward, it just means to move upward within what is already giving you a paycheck. :slight_smile: