Choosing A New Career Path

[CosmicG]

I am twenty five years old, and for the last ten years of my life I have worked in the food industry. I am a talented cook who lost his passion for food a long time ago. The hours are brutal and the days are long. The atmosphere is very negative, and although I am not by a nature a negative individual, being constantly surrounded by it has certainly begun to take its toll. I try the best I can to relate but I do not have much in common at all with my co workers, besides the fact that we work at the same place and like to use drugs and drink. Lately my drug and alcohol use has begun to weigh me down as well, and it only seems to be getting worse. I want to get better, but unless I can find the courage to take chances and make the necessary changes, I will forever be trapped in this continuous cycle of work and self destruction. My soul is wearing thin.

Before drugs I was a bright kid with a seemingly bright future. All the support and opportunity a kid could ask for. I took all of it for granted and now find myself where I am today. Lost. I feel the first step in changing myself should be to change my surroundings and work environment. I would like to work alone personally. Working in a kitchen is constant work and drama. i would really like to look into possible trade jobs such as an electrician, plumbing, heating and cooling installation, etc. I know that there is a high demand for people in these fields, and I am extremely hands on when it comes to learning new things. I find great satisfaction in completing tasks and jobs. These fields seem promising because they pay wonderfully in comparison to what I have made my entire life and am now currently making. Not only that, I could work first shift, earn paid time off, have decent insurance, and a better work life balance overall.

I also would like to move one day and feel I would have no problem finding a job that has good benefits wherever I choose to go in the near or distant future. I am too smart to wast my life being miserable, and life is about taking chances, right? I know that I was meant for something much greater then this.

My main concern is that I take a course to become certified in one of the careers mentioned above, but then can not get a job because of my criminal record. I have no felonies but more misdemeanors then I can remember, including two theft charges stealing beer when I was eighteen, a DUI, disorderly conduct, trespassing, etc. I would get them expunged but have been told that it is not a possibility due to the number of charges I have. Any advice or experience working in these fields? Any thoughts at all are greatly appreciated. Thanks guys

 

[Journyman16]

How long ago were the latest charges? Have you been stable enough to get some character refs from people who have known you for years?

You could begin a course and also look for work as a labourer in a related job. There is a shortage of people willing to do manual work these days, which is partly why so many migrants get on - pay is good if you're willing to work. Build a bit of a work rep while learning the trade and I doubt you'll have any issues getting a job afterwards. You might even have enough to start your own business.

 

[Blue Kuru]

I don't think misdemeanor will hold you back. Felonies are what employers look for really and even then there are employers who will hire felons. But that's not the real issue I want to address.
It's time to do some real soul searching my friend. How old were you when you began using alcohol and drugs? How much of a hold do you feel they have on your life? Are you currently using to cope with your work situation or are you coping with other things in your life? What drugs are you using? There are many questions you need to ask yourself about drugs and one answer will open another questions so I guess I don't need to continue on asking you more, unless you want me to.

The reason I ask is when I was your age I drank and used drugs to cope with crappy jobs and relate with people I wouldn't otherwise associate with or so it seemed on the surface. It is a natural thing to do for someone in their mid-twenties who doesn't have a strong sense of direction. I too questioned if I was on the right path but chose drugs over pursuing a valuable path. Not to say drugs weren't valuable experience, they were only I went in too deep and now ten years later I am finding the deeper reasons of why I transitioned from experimentation to addiction.

You are right. You are smart. You are questioning your reality. You are mustering the courage to change. You mentioned you had all the support in the world. You still do. Perhaps something happened to make you think otherwise but trust me that support is still there. In your soul searching you will dredge up memories of fights with loved ones. Try to see your role in the situation. Once you identify it, rectify it.

Cultivate the power of empathy and you will attract people who will have empathy for you i.e. employers. So you acted out as a kid, I'm certain many people with the power to give you a job will be able to relate. Just don't tell them about that one time you woke up in jail wearing a tutu.

 

[Blue Kuru]

You can also do a background check on yourself.

 

[tantric]

assuming you have a HS degree but no college, buy some software that lets you take a practice SAT test. do one every day for a month. the skills are actually very basic, and you can *dramatically* improve your score. the equivalent for grad school is the GRE. the first time i took it, i got a 1260/1600 - less than my SAT because i was so out of practice. i did something about it - i got asian on the MF (i was actually accepted as an honorary asian). i did practise tests every day, read vocab lists and then took it two more times. my last score was 1540/1600, which got me a two year full ride (well, grad school is free, but they paid me $1200/month for two years like a job). for a month of work. year - you know the value of money, unlike most incoming students.

 

[packet_sniffer]

I have some advice for you. I was in a similar position to you. Working a job I hated. I did not enjoy life. I used drugs and alcohol to escape. It was a very bad time in my life. I hated my life and work was killing me. I have since changed careers to a totally different field of work and I love it. It is very challenging. The money is great. And best of all I don't work weekends anymore.

You will have no trouble finding a manual labor job as a tradesman. They are in very high demand and pay is excellent. You can also be your own boss and start your business. You also wont have to work nights. You can work a 35 hour week. You don't deal with people just work with your hands. You don't come home exhausted.

Now it wont matter if you have a record. Even if you had serious felonies which you don't you would still get work.

So what is stopping you? Change careers now!

 

[SmokingAces]

Just becoming a tradesman is not for everyone, and is definitely hard work. I did a year as an apprentice plumber working away for 3 weeks at a time (home for weekends) I fucking hated it. Not because we were away but because the work was just relentless, at the site by 6.30am and working til 6.30pm everyday. No thanks not my thing.

I'm looking to go back to education and get a degree. I'm thinking maybe PR and marketing. I missed this year by a hair with the application process, as my life was a mess, I'm currently recovering and sorting my act. I've also just begun learning Spanish.