Anyone ever confront a career change?

[zenbudda]

I haven't posted in a while due to some "somewhat expected" events. My gf was recently let go from her job due to downsizing (she's in the clinical trials field). I also just found out the company i work for is moving to a new software system (possibly consolidating packages with a parent company). I'm a database programmer by profession and have about 8 years experience but i'm not quite an expert yet. The type of server i work on is very rare (AS/400 or System I as it's called now) and I'm finding the market for that type of server is going to continue to decline. While this server does support most of the newer programming technologies (Java, XHTML, CGI, PHP, SQL), I am only somewhat fluent in SQL and CGI. In trying to look forward in my career, (keep in mind i'm 36) I am starting to wonder if now is the time for a career change. The reason I think this is in order to compete in the Java, SQL/PHP and .net/.asp market, I have to have 3+ years solid experience OR be a fresh college graduate. I do have insurance experience but something tells me that business knowledge will only help me in a government position (which we still don't know how NHP will unfold).

ANyway, in the meantime I'm trying to do some soul searching to see what else I'm capable of doing and what I'm willing to do. I do like teaching but I doubt very seriously i have the patience or guile to deal with today's nonsense in schools (unless i'm in a highly conserative private school). i'm considering using my alumni status to see if there are any resources available to me through the university i graduated from (career advice, aptitude tests etc). I'm wondering if anyone else here has encountered a similar scenario and what they did to achieve their goals.

[Malsua]

AS/400s are NOT rare.

If you are a reasonably competent AS/400 guy, you can get a job. You may have to move, but you can get something.

I used to be primarily a Database programmer but I've moved on. Now I write front end applications for hardware. Basically I parse AS/400 output and control a piece of equipment with it. Like this app that I wrote to control a LINOTYPE machine. heh

http://www.youtube.com/watch_private...5an4DUUUnXhg==

As for changing to something else, that is a tough one. Figure out what you like to do and then try to figure out a way to make money at it. I'd like to develop video games for a living. I did it back in the 90s and never made any money at it but boy was it fun shaping a world for others to play in.

[Backstop]

Anyone ever confront a career change?

Yes.

I did 20 yrs in the mil, and now don't do anything even remotely related.

And now I'm bored.

So next year sometime, I'm planning on quitting work, and applying to the Physician Assistant Program here in town.

That's a change, but I'm going back to the medical field, which is what I did in the mil.

zen, if you want something, go get it.

Manipulate your lifestyle to achieve the goal.

It really is just that simple.

Best of luck.

[American Patriot]

I got out of the service in 1989 (active duty) and enlisted in the Reserves. At the same time I took a job in Denver working on radio systems. Long story short, the woman who owned the company only wanted to use my resume to get a contract, when that didn't happen, she fired me and then said many bad things about me to prevent me from drawing unemployment. In the end, her lies were uncovered and I spent the next three months seeking a job.

We were down to running credit cards up and taking loans out, selling things to keep our home and feed the kids.

I'd been putting in resumes everywhere and no one would talk to me... I'm sure it had to do with the company that had fired me.

One morning I dropped the phone book and it fell open to "schools". I picked up the book, looked at one called "Technical Trades Institute" and called them. The rest is history, the man who answered the phone was the director. I told him my predicament and what I was up against. He asked me if I was qualified to teach electronics and I said "I am pretty sure I am, but I'd be happy for just an interview". He told me to bring my resume down and he read it, asked me a few questions on theory and handed me a book and said "This will be your text book. You start tomorrow, and you're going to be on a contract with the state to teach at a prison".

Twelve bucks an hour..... twice what I'd ever made in an hour. I took the job and stayed with them for six years.

So going from an electronics tech in the military and civilian world to a teacher overnight was something else. Then I went into computers, and now I'm in "security systems". All related to electronics, but all very, very different careers.

[Beetle]

Hey Zen,

I had been in and out (mostly in) the IT field since 1987. One thing I learned is that you must keep learning. The hardware and software I worked in 1987 doesn't exist anymore or is rare. I kept reinventing myself. My last IT job lasted ten years and I did not finish with the job I started with. So, you have to find ways to keep learning and reinventing yourself.

To tell the truth, I am tired of the IT field. I am interested in a career change. I used to be an announcer on a 100,000 watt station in South Florida. It was the funnest job I ever did. I didn't look at it like a job. I wanted to go to work early and leave late. Not many of those jobs are available now a days. But no matter, I keep banging on doors and I feel that one will open. Starting out, and if I do not get good at it, I will make little money. But that is OK, my bills are low. All I want to do is look forward to going to work again. I know that involves a mic or it involves a lot of outdoor work. I am tired of controlled environments. I just want to let it all hang out in the wind. OK, maybe not all. No need for embarrassment, if you can avoid it.

I guess the best advice I can give you is to learn everything you can learn and then try to find work with what makes you happy. Your hapiness will effect your wellness.

Anyhow, y'all wont have me to kick around much. :-) Hello, my name is Beetle and I am addicted to the internet. To break my addiction, I am getting away from this 'puter. If I want to accomplish things, I have to turn this off. I can't spend all day yacking on the net. So, I won't be online much. I got a bunker to build, several foxholes to finish, and I have to set some more bear traps. :-) I said that for Mal. BTW Mall, I printed the picture you drew and put it on my fridge. HE HE No, not really. I am just kiddin'. I should have though. That was some kind of art.

Keep up the good work here folks. I'll see you around.

[zenbudda]

Haha malsua that was great! I don't know what the machine is but it's funny you guys are running that using an AS/400. as for my comment about "very rare", in retrospect, i meant to say "becoming more rare". And you're right there are jobs out there but most of them are entry level or sr. level / guru level (not me...yet). i appreciate your input though, especially that you have AS/400 experience.

so i looked up the definition of the linotype machine, and it has me curious. is that thing you interfaced with setting up the slugs in sequence to generate a printing press?

[Malsua]

Haha malsua that was great! I don't know what the machine is but it's funny you guys are running that using an AS/400. as for my comment about "very rare", in retrospect, i meant to say "becoming more rare". And you're right there are jobs out there but most of them are entry level or sr. level / guru level (not me...yet). i appreciate your input though, especially that you have AS/400 experience.

so i looked up the definition of the linotype machine, and it has me curious. is that thing you interfaced with setting up the slugs in sequence to generate a printing press?

A linotype machine produces lead slugs that are "type". The slugs can be used to print on paper or emboss or hot foil stamp on a variety of materials. They were first built in the late 1800s. The last machine was probably built at some point in the 70s. Every part on them is repairable so they could run another 100 years or more as long as it is the best way to produce a line of type.

Pretty much every older newspaper in the United States used Linotype machines for the daily paper at some point. They were later replace by things like the Heidelberg rotary presses.

What my program does is take imprinting lines from the 400, add some special machine markup codes for the linotype machine like "elevate"(make the type) and I turn it into a user friendly touch screen application. They select an order to produce, preview the lines to make or choose specific lines, and hit go. The program does the rest. It encodes solenoid pulses which cause specific keys to activate when the TTS(keyboard) unit cycles around. The big letters you see are which mattes that were last called for. If the machine doesn't drop a matte after it was called, it stops. The operator looks at the screen to determine which character matte was missed, puts the matte into the assembler and presses button to continue.

The operators love me. We used to have this old POS "black box" that drove the TTS unit that was very very basic and hard to use. Just one step up from punch paper.

[American Patriot]

My dad used to actually run a Linotype machine at the Barbourville Advocate - the local newspaper in Barbourville, Ky. I remember he gave me a few of the "slugs" that had something on them. Probably lost them someplace.

The lead is typically remelted in a pot on the machine and recast, at least on the machine I remember seeing.

When I was in about the 7th grade I took a "print shop" class and learned out to set type by hand. Upside down and backward. I can still read that way too. LOL

[Malsua]

My dad used to actually run a Linotype machine at the Barbourville Advocate - the local newspaper in Barbourville, Ky. I remember he gave me a few of the "slugs" that had something on them. Probably lost them someplace.

The lead is typically remelted in a pot on the machine and recast, at least on the machine I remember seeing.

When I was in about the 7th grade I took a "print shop" class and learned out to set type by hand. Upside down and backward. I can still read that way too. LOL

We remelt used slugs in a big pot into "pigs". The pigs hang on chains that slowly lower them into the pot on the machine. You could just toss them into the pot itself but we do probably 10,000 slugs a day or more.

When I time-tripped back to the 60s, I made an Anomalies.net slug.

The picture is around here somewhere.....

[Backstop]

Hey Zen,
Anyhow, y'all wont have me to kick around much. :-) Hello, my name is Beetle and I am addicted to the internet. To break my addiction, I am getting away from this 'puter. If I want to accomplish things, I have to turn this off. I can't spend all day yacking on the net. So, I won't be online much. I got a bunker to build, several foxholes to finish, and I have to set some more bear traps. :-) I said that for Mal. BTW Mall, I printed the picture you drew and put it on my fridge. HE HE No, not really. I am just kiddin'. I should have though. That was some kind of art.

Keep up the good work here folks. I'll see you around.

I envy you, Beetle.

Stay safe, have fun, and I'll see you around.

[American Patriot]

We remelt used slugs in a big pot into "pigs". The pigs hang on chains that slowly lower them into the pot on the machine. You could just toss them into the pot itself but we do probably 10,000 slugs a day or more.

When I time-tripped back to the 60s, I made an Anomalies.net slug.

The picture is around here somewhere.....

Hehehe about the time that cup was made?

[Malsua]

Hehehe about the time that cup was made?

Yeah, somewhere around that time. Early 2004 maybe.

[American Patriot]

I've always collected coffee cups. That will be one of them that makes its way to my new home someday, on the ship.

[Beetle]

Hey Rick,

I have an idea. Let's ask the guvmint for a grant to study how we can travel into the future one second at a time.

Hey Backstop,

No need for envy. I envy you. Going back to school is great. I am thinking about taking some 2 cycle engine classes, so I will have an idea on how to fix my own boat.

Here is something you may envy. I caught a seven pound stripper last wednesday and it was delicious. I cooked it on a open fire in foil. I used butter and garlic powder. It lasted three days and my Dad took a peice and froze it for later. Good stuff. I don't mean to make you envious, I just thought I would brag. Now that I have bragged I probably won't catch another one for a month or two! I hope not, they are great eating. A lot of meat on them bones.

See you around. Probably next week some time.

[Backstop]

Oh man Beetle. You're killing me here.

[Beetle]

Oh man Beetle. You're killing me here.

Sorry 'bout that!

And I shouldn't have bragged. I can feel it in my bones. I won't catch one for days, weeks, maybe even months. I should have kept my mouth shut!