Massive career shift....

17 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 20,2024 at 2:13PM UTC

   Stay the course! Also think outside of the box. Just recently I saw a Forbes article that listed bookkeeping as one of the few positions still being offered remotely.

   Stack jobs and work from home IMO.

2. AnonymousMarch 20,2024 at 2:29PM UTC

   Have you tried downsizing the way you live temporarily? Some ideas are to put some purchases on hold, move to a smaller/cheaper place, downsize your cell service and cable, and opt for public transit rather than driving. Trying to live up to a former standard (for all the wrong reasons) ruined my credit at a time when I needed it, and if I had it to do all over again, these are some of the things I would do before I had to do them. It took me ten years to get my credit rating back to a point where anyone would consider allowing me to use their credit card. I was paying double deposits for rent and taking out loan-shark level loans when an emergency expense came along (usually car repairs because I could not buy another one.) It is uncomfortable but certainly more comfortable than worrying about what will be repossessed next.

3. AnonymousMarch 20,2024 at 2:40PM UTC

   I've already done ALL of that. At this point, all the red lights are flashing on the dashboard of my life. I *have* to get my car repaired. Much as public transit would be a cost-effective choice, I live pretty rurally and it doesn't exist here. I have a small apartment below the average cost of rent for the surrounding area... god help me if the landlord raises the rent because my options are nonexistent. I get daycare and food assistance for my kids already... in the end, it's just not enough to go around and if I don't make a change, I will NEVER get out from this situation. When I say "I can't live the way I did" I mean that we had a house... and now I live in a shitty apartment in a shitty part of town. Not that I'm buying purses and Starbucks every day.

4. AnonymousMarch 20,2024 at 6:41PM UTC

   I hope you didn't feel disrespected because it was never intended to be that way. I was only relating some of my errors and don't wish them on anybody. You are already doing many things right. You have many options by returning to school for a bit of a pivot in your career, and who knows where this might lead. Take things one day at a time and breathe. Try things that help you relax, like exercise or listening to music. I know this might be scary, but you've been through some terrifying things lately and made it through them. I believe you can come through this much better than I did because you have already made adjustments I didn't until it was too late.

5. Michele LaCagninaMarch 20,2024 at 2:45PM UTC

   Congratulations! You are doing the right thing. Changing careers is scary but it sets you up for long term success since you're effectively doubling your skill set. I've changed careers twice and each time the adaptation period was faster because I had so much more corporate experience, regardless of industry. Good luck to you.

6. Barb HansenMarch 20,2024 at 4:12PM UTC

   Change is hard which seems like a trite thing to say, but I am sincerely saying 'change is hard' and it's okay to honor the parts of you that are struggling.

   Years ago, I made a huge career change (for some of the similar reason as you - divorce, financial and in my case, children) and parts of me spent months screaming at me that my decision was wrong, that I should metaphorically turn around, that safer was better even though safer was going to be a financial and personal struggle for me.

   I pushed forward despite the sleepless nights and growing imposter syndrome, and my decision to leave a clinical healthcare position and jump into tech was, other than the birth of my children, the best thing that happened to me.

   Here is what I started saying to myself when the internal screaming got to be too much, "I can always, at any time, switch back to my old career path but right now, this adventure is front of me and I'm going to do everything it takes to be successful." After a few career successes on this new path, that internal voice settled down to a manageable level.

   You can do hard things and nothing in your future path will be harder than that initial decision to make the change.

   Good luck, congratulations and we are here for you!

7. Elizabyth HarringtonMarch 20,2024 at 5:26PM UTC

   Is cybersecurity a topic that interests you? If you love it, then your passion will shine through and you'll be fine. It's always going to be a lot easier to make a change (drastic or otherwise) if you have an interest in the subject.

   However, if you are simply doing this because you read an article that says cybersecurity is the next great career, you may find it not as easy to break into it as you thought. The fact that your body is telling you something different than your head may be an indicator that this might not be the happy career path you envision. Trust your gut.

   Don't get me wrong. I'm a big proponent of change. I've picked up my life and moved to a new state (for no particular reason and without having any social network in place) 4 times now in my life. I've changed career paths several times as well. But in doing this I always trust my gut. If it says, "yes" then I go for it. But if it says "no", it's a hard pass. I've let my logical brain talk myself into doing too many things that turned out terrible to ignore it anymore. Never again.

   Whatever you decide, you have some great skills and knowledge picked up from your 15 years as a bookkeeper. In the meantime while you are sorting out your career prospects, consider picking up a side hustle or two. There are tons of small businesses out there that could use bookkeeping services without a full time employee. You might find you can make a pretty decent living freelancing.

   Good luck! I know we're all routing for you.

8. AnonymousMarch 21,2024 at 6:15PM UTC

   I mean... I personally want to become a hedge witch and have a dozen chickens and a mini farm wayyy at the edge of town. But even that much requires that I be able to purchase property, which right now is entirely out of my reach.

   I have no specific interest in anything.... I'd really like to work for a women-owned non-profit, but the specifics of that are fuzzy and vague.

   I had a god awful divorce that saw all of my assets go up in smoke to pay off debts my X incurred, and now I've got two kids that need to be housed and fed, him trying to reduce his child support every. single. week...

   This is a means to financial stability and security. I'm 100% trying to clear my debts, find and pay for a house, and eventually just settle into a routine where I'm not frantically trying to scrape up money every month. Bookkeeping does not get that done. I tried freelancing, but the income was so inconsistent; it's one of the first things that small business owners drop and try to do themselves. They almost always underestimate what it will cost in both time and money to fix their mistakes, and then getting them to pay up (even just the second half if the gave a deposit)... It just wasn't working.

9. Elizabyth HarringtonMarch 22,2024 at 7:56PM UTC

   Ah. I totally get where you are at - exhausted emotionally, psychologically, financially (and every other "...ally"). I can relate. I went through a particularly ugly divorce myself that turned into four years of hell. Fortunately, this is probably the bottom of the bottom for you, which means things are looking up. :) (I know - bad joke). But seriously. You CAN do this and it WILL get better (I know this because I survived the black hole of divorce myself and am now my own hedge witch on ten acres of forest outside of town - minus the chickens - but that's another story).

   Right now, you're first goal is to get through things and keep a roof over your head and take care of the kids. I get it. I don't know you and I don't know your personality type, so I can only say what worked for me. Right now I am a yoga teacher, graphic designer and digital project manager. I also get royalties for a few creative endeavors I've done in the past (actress and writer). But I also went through some really tough times as well. During my divorce I basically went freelance because I was too much of an emotional wreck to be able to hold down a regular job. I didn't have a support system, so I worked all the time and we (I have five kids) had times where I had to decide between paying the mortgage and paying the vet bill (vet won out). I had to declare bankruptcy, lost my house, moved to another state (because my ex was THAT abusive), went on food stamps for a bit and at one point took a minimum wage job at an adult group home because my bread and butter freelance client dropped me without warning. What kept me going was just thinking that tomorrow was a new day with new opportunities. I know it sounds cliche but it is actually true. Eventually things turned around for me and I have all the faith in the world that they will for you too.

   Good luck on the new opportunity - you might want to take a look into fintech when you get closer if numbers are still your thing. And as long as you're getting into tech, get a good grasp on Agile methodology. As a mom, you have all the makings of a great scrum master or project coordinator. Wrangling kids was the main skillset I brought to my first job in tech and it paid off in spades. Apparently managing a household and managing a project are not that far off in terms of day-to-day responsibilities... LOL.

   Take care and keep us all posted! We're rooting for you.

10. Kimberley Ferretti HammettMarch 20,2024 at 6:03PM UTC

    There's a lot to stress over living in today's climate.. but one thing that is just so cool about living in it is the opportunity. Our grandparents most likely had one, long career, maybe even at the same company. Once they learned a trade, that was their identity.

    Today, with so much access to information and sparks-notes from the people before us that took tons of specialty to learn, we have to opportunity to dip our toes into multiple careers in our lifetime.. AND we get to create from it! There are jobs that exist today that didn't exist anywhere just 5 years ago. The same will be true in another 5 years.

    You will learn more from this cyber-security bootcamp experience than just how to work in a cyber-security job. You will learn about a different industry, you might make your own discoveries about how it connects to other things you know from bookkeeping, you will learn to adapt, practice learning again and you'll remember how capable you are. This is the start of you becoming your own safety net, with the ability to be resilient and find a new path whenever the old one stops working. You'll probably have to do it again in your life, but that's the exciting part! This isn't it for you. You are more than an ex-wife or a bookkeeper or a cyber-security worker. You will survive and continue to evolve.

    YOU GOT THIS!!!

11. AnonymousMarch 21,2024 at 9:34PM UTC

    This is so true! As tough as the world can be right now, we do have many more opportunities than our ancestors did. This is great advice. Take a deep breath, change is scary. Keep your head high, your chin up and attack each day. Go get 'EM!

12. AnonymousMarch 20,2024 at 6:08PM UTC

    I actually do already have my QB ProAdvisor. I tried my hand at having my own company even... but the divorce agreement shattered my company in its cradle. I recently (6 months) took a position in an accounting firm because I figured I'd finish my accounting degree and go that route... and I can say with absolute certainty I do NOT WANT to work as an accountant. It is just not a good fit at all.

13. AnonymousMarch 20,2024 at 8:21PM UTC

    I think that this is a great idea, and I applaud you for your creativity and ingenuity.

    Congratulations for getting training for a new career that is in high demand!

14. AnonymousMarch 21,2024 at 2:43PM UTC

    Why not become a CPA instead? It's closer to bookkeeping than cybersecurity. It pays less than cybersecurity but more than bookkeeping.

15. AnonymousMarch 21,2024 at 6:05PM UTC

    Because I work for a CPA right now and it is the most awful work environment I've ever been in. 90% of that is the personality of the senior accountant, but just generally speaking, I cannot see myself transitioning to that role.

16. AnonymousMarch 22,2024 at 1:02PM UTC

    Go for it! Also, you might want to check out research universities and apply for any grants positions they have available. It’s mostly finances and compliance. I was a bookkeeper before going into Grants Administration. Most universities provide educational benefits for full time employees.

17. AnonymousMarch 23,2024 at 2:54AM UTC

    I'm looking to do something similar. I don't have an ulcer (yet) but there is plenty of pepto in my bag. Let's hope one or both of us win the lotteries. If I had my choice, I would like to go to university and start my life over.