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Good Morning.
I am feeling very frustrated and depressed. I come from Advertising Sales (almost 20 yrs). Loved it. I am a Sales professional. Love helping clients , account mgmt , looking for new business, etc. Have been laid off right before the pandemic. Right before the pandemic, I was looking in switching careers and had several informational interviews in the nonprofit area, specifically in the healthcare sector. But since Covid hit, I stopped reaching out to my contacts there for obvious reasons. I had also interviewed with some Out of Home Adv. co. but nothing came of it. That Industry is not the same , due to Covid as well . With kids homeschooled/ hybrid schedules I went back to school last Dec and got my Real Estate Lic. just so I can challenge myself and feel like I am doing something! It does speak to my strengths (theoretically, but I haven't had the opportunity to work with any buyers/sellers yet).I have since joined a Brokerage and recently a Team within the Brokerage. The Team environment is more "structured" than independent, which suits me, but I am not getting enough business. I just started with the team and look forward to a busier fall . I know it take a while but I would settle for 1 or 2 experiences so I can "learn on the job". I miss being busy (especially at the pace that I was on in Advertising). Part of me would love to "go back to work" but with this new variant and a child to young to be vaccinated yet, I feel like I cant really look for another position in another industry. I am staying on track with RE for now. I feel like I have been hit both with Ageism on top of what is happening with the workforce due to covid. I guess I am just venting but also seeking word s of encouragement and advice on what to do moving forward .
Hi,
I feel your pain. It sounds like you are fairly clear on your strengths area, that is great and stick with that track. It sounds like you enjoyed sales and account management, why did you leave?
As far as other industries, I will say there are many, many open positions in all industries, so it actually may not be a bad time to switch industries, that is, if you feel comfortable. With a young child and such you may want to look for positions with remote or flex schedules.
I am running a program called Changing Careers After 40 that starts in Sep 28.
Feel free to DM me if you want more info!
All my best,
Erin
Everything happens for a reason.. take time to think about your options ... your blessings.. and your experiences.. with 20+ years maybe you can take what you have learned to new heights! The virus has opened new doors in remote working. Maybe explore more options from home.
Hi! I work for a female-founded start-up that helps professionals with career transitions like your talking about! Our programs help you define what field(s) would be a good fit and how to truly highlight your skillsets to find a career that fulfills you. Take this short quiz to see if our programs would fill your needs!
https://arcvida.typeform.com/to/wjWN56NF
For what it’s worth: you’d be very busy in the nonprofit healthcare sector, sometimes too busy so it’s a great industry but you need to choose a company with good organization and culture. You could do this by volunteering for awhile to see where you enjoy working. On a
New job search: Ive been told in job searching advisement to only to list past 10 years of experience on a resume. On a cover letter or other documents, say over 10 years experience in x. It helps them count you out of discrimination but assuming you are older since you’ve got a lengthy experience.
Thank you. I tried to tap into the foundation Depts of Hospitals via informational interviews. I have had a few prior to covid but none since. I dont know what other nonprofit healthcare areas to look into. (NJ based).. suggestions?
Development or marketing?
Day at a time! It will take you time to build clients and sales in RE. Establish yourself, then it will become word of mouth. Keep yourself moving forward. Don't look in the rearview - it will not serve you. Stay strong. You've got this!
After reading your post... thank you for saying Ageism. I feel the same way in my searches in other industries. When it comes to young children not yet vaccinated , this COVID Delta variant and others are scary. {I am a previous childcare owner, closed temporarily due to pandemic.} Have you tried remote positions?
Elyse,
Thank you for sharing - even if you feel it's venting. It takes a strong and amazing person to do so!
Been at my job for 18 years now; I work for a Sales/Marketing firm. This in itself is funny because I absolutely HATE anything Sales related. Fortunately, 99% of my job is support related which I excel at.
However, being in an office and doing what I do - despite having a career that now spans three decades - is something I never wanted. I've always wanted to teach. So at 45 I got my BS in Education. And I'm looking to start on my Master's this year.
Until I can leave here and teach full time, for the past 8 years I've been tutoring. I'm using this time to build a teaching portfolio and to gain experience.
Think of what you're doing right now as the same. You are bettering yourself and doing what you need to in this situation.
All the best!
It sounds like you’re just plain frustrated with the world right now, pretty much like the rest of us. And that is OK! It is a challenging time for everyone, so take a deep breath and try to roll forward.
Can you talk to the leaders in your brokerage and ask them for a mentor? Someone you can follow, ask questions, bounce ideas, etc.? You seem like you’ve always been high energy, and sitting awaiting for things to happen isn’t going to suffice. Go MAKE things happen. Join a women’s networking group, take up a wellness class or hobby. Get on LinkedIn and join some networking groups in your area. Try to keep yourself in the forefront of people’s minds and take advantage of this “down time” to gain insight, learn, and grow.
What I just read was a talented, intelligent, hard-working woman who wears multiple hats, hustling the best she can with cards she's been dealt.
I promise you friend you are doing great!
But I also ask you to give yourself a little grace, nobody signed up for this pandemic thing or all the fall out from, you have some unique stressors in your life and while this might feel like winning, you are still moving forward
RIGHT ON FRIEND! - you got this =D
Thank you