brainstorming career ideas - what should I do with my life?

[ijack]

I'm contemplating a pretty huge career change and since this is such a large varied group I was hoping y'all would help me brainstorm.
It's become apparent to me that I need to be engaged and passionate about what I do and being an electrical engineer is just not doing that for me. I need to help people in a more direct way. The area I'm most passionate about is helping the parents of preemies, my oldest was a preemie and being able to help other parents with pregnancy complications, navigating the NICU and live beyond, etc is something I love doing. But there are also lots of other things I'm passionate about (like a lot of the things we talk about here), I just have less experience in those areas and less awareness of what they might be.
My therapist has tasked me with coming up with actual job options that I feel I would really love and possibly be good at. I'm aware that whatever I choose with require schooling and probably a huge pay cut, but I'm ok with that.
If you were exploring careers within these parameters, what would you look into? Bonus points if you just tell me what I should do with my life

[josieposy]

When we were dealing with NICU life, the most awesome woman was the one who helped us with all of the medical assistance paperwork. I don't know if she was a hospital social worker or something like that, but those administrative people who really know their shit are unsung heroes in hospitals. We loved the nurses of course, but we were exhausted and overwhelmed from 6 weeks of hospital life and she was a huge help.

[mrsukyankee]

It might be worth seeing if you can talk to people who work with parents of preemies - from therapists to social works to admin to nurses and see if any of those jobs speak to you.

[Vespasia]

I will second hospital social work. I don't know if our hospital has a dedicated one (or more) for the NICU or if they are part of a general pediatric pool. We just got one to work with a subset of our specialty patients so it's certainly possible.

You may need to be willing to work in other areas first, I am not sure how many positions will be available in that specialty. For better or worse, there may be high turnover due to burnout which could make getting in easier. It's a really rough job. I know I wouldn't be strong enough to do it but I am so glad that others can.

[pugz]

I'd like to say "social worker" but that's pretty broad and being one myself I'm still not sure that I'm doing the right kind of work. Fortunately my MSW gives me a lot of options. I have been researching some volunteer gigs that might help me explore some other areas that interest me and see if I can find the right professional fit. Working in non-profits does not pay well but I think there is a lot of satisfaction to be found there.

[omgzombies]

I'm gonna be a bit of a debbie downer for a minute and also caution you that areas specializing in NICU tend to have a lot of burn out because of the emotional toll. So along with a career path that engages in this, I would also think about ways to transition out of it should that happen to you.

That said, I think it's definitely a path worth pursuing, and it's wonderful that you are trying to find a way to commit your time to such a worthy cause.

Maybe start by contacting the local hospital and volunteering your services there? Tell them you are interested in finding a career path along those lines, and they may be able to hook you up with some volunteer opportunities that will help you focus on a particular path, or at the very least make some contacts who can help guide you.

[winnieandwine]

what about SLP with a focus on pediatric feeding disorders? you'd naturally end up working with a lot of preemies and special needs kiddos. you could work in outpatient clinics, children's hospitals, NICU, private practice, etc.

[Deleted]

Wanna go to PA school with me? One of the programs I'm looking at is in Denver. I'm mostly looking at programs with strong rural medicine tracks though.

[ijack]

Dec 18, 2015 11:10:35 GMT -5 @ameliapond said:

Wanna go to PA school with me? One of the programs I'm looking at is in Denver. I'm mostly looking at programs with strong rural medicine tracks though.

yes, let's do it!!!

[Deleted]

Dec 18, 2015 11:14:28 GMT -5 ijack said:

Dec 18, 2015 11:10:35 GMT -5 @ameliapond said:

Wanna go to PA school with me? One of the programs I'm looking at is in Denver. I'm mostly looking at programs with strong rural medicine tracks though.

yes, let's do it!!!

I have a shitton of pre-reqs to do first. #theatremajor

[SallyJ]

We should get together and have lunch or coffee...both my husband and I have recently gone through this 'what do I want to be when I grow up'. It's easier to chat in person about how that has developed this year for us.

[memenee]

Nursing and healthcare related career changes are good ones. I was a career changer as well as an adult and went back to school for a nursing degree. It was a massive change from previous career but it has been awesome. It is truly rewarding to take care of patients and their families and it also allows for flexible hours which pretty much let's me be a SAHM while still earning an income.

I loved my rotation in nursing school in the nicu, but I won't lie and say I wasn't terrified. Those sweet babies were so tiny and so fragile!

In my job as an RN I do a lot of discharge planning with the social workers and it's really interesting what they do.

I wish you lots of luck in your career change - it's really so exciting. Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. GL!

[twotrue]

I worked for the March of Dimes very briefly but I recall them having staff that did parent education in the NICU. I believe most of those staff members were parents of premies. It might be something you can do without schooling and it would, at the very least, see how well you like that type of work.

[bronxgirl]

I'll put in a plug for occupational therapy. You get to work with people directly and see the progress they make which is really rewarding. There as a lot of different specialities and age groups you can work with, including NICU

[Deleted]

ijack Not to be a debbie downer, but "knowing" you, I'm not so sure that social work, especially in the NICU would be the best fit. Of course there are a lot of success stories, educating and happy moments, but there are a lot of not so happy moments as well. I'm sure you know that, but dealing with kids and death isn't for everyone. 

Nursing, being a PA or midwife are other options. As far as I'm aware, in general those pay better than social work as well. 

I'm not sure what the non-profit sector is like where you live, but you could always start just by looking at the non-profits in your area and see if any of them are hiring on the business side of things for jobs in which you'd be qualified to apply in order to get your foot in the door. I've had good experiences working for non-profits in that I've loved the in general laid back atmosphere and fun people, but it isn't always puppies and rainbows either. 

[underwaterrhymes]

My mom volunteers holding babies in the NICU. Could you maybe look into this first to see how you like it? It might be that four or five hours a week is enough to help you feel fulfilled without the burnout factor or necessitating a career change / pay cut / more education.

[Deleted]

Why did you become an engineer?

I suspect that there is something you can be passionate about that is closer to what you already do. It would be nice if you could incorporate all the experience you have.

What about teaching science? An organization that repairs or supplies homes/businesses for people? Building machines used in NICU? Pediatric clinical trials?

What tasks get you the most excited? Problem solving? Strategic Planning? Detailed work?

[lexus]

Dec 20, 2015 8:02:44 GMT -5 @wandering said:

ijack Not to be a debbie downer, but "knowing" you, I'm not so sure that social work, especially in the NICU would be the best fit. Of course there are a lot of success stories, educating and happy moments, but there are a lot of not so happy moments as well. I'm sure you know that, but dealing with kids and death isn't for everyone. 

Nursing, being a PA or midwife are other options. As far as I'm aware, in general those pay better than social work as well. 

I'm not sure what the non-profit sector is like where you live, but you could always start just by looking at the non-profits in your area and see if any of them are hiring on the business side of things for jobs in which you'd be qualified to apply in order to get your foot in the door. I've had good experiences working for non-profits in that I've loved the in general laid back atmosphere and fun people, but it isn't always puppies and rainbows either. 

This! I don't know you but after losing my son we have met a lot of people who have experienced neonatal loss. I would also caution anyone getting into midwifery or Labor and delivery nursing. There isn't always a happy ending and those patients needs are very different from those who do get the ending you expect. As long as you are emotionally prepared I imagine it would be rewarding.

[underwaterrhymes]

Dec 20, 2015 12:56:28 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

Dec 18, 2015 10:29:40 GMT -5 ijack said:

I'm contemplating a pretty huge career change and since this is such a large varied group I was hoping y'all would help me brainstorm.
It's become apparent to me that I need to be engaged and passionate about what I do and being an electrical engineer is just not doing that for me. I need to help people in a more direct way. The area I'm most passionate about is helping the parents of preemies, my oldest was a preemie and being able to help other parents with pregnancy complications, navigating the NICU and live beyond, etc is something I love doing. But there are also lots of other things I'm passionate about (like a lot of the things we talk about here), I just have less experience in those areas and less awareness of what they might be.
My therapist has tasked me with coming up with actual job options that I feel I would really love and possibly be good at. I'm aware that whatever I choose with require schooling and probably a huge pay cut, but I'm ok with that.
If you were exploring careers within these parameters, what would you look into? Bonus points if you just tell me what I should do with my life

Child life specialist. Our local hospital employs them
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_life_specialist

I meant to suggest this as well. One of my friends is one and she loves it. If I ever was going to go back to school, this career really speaks to me.

[cst2cst]

You've gotten good suggestions. I'm a NICU social worker and wanted to add that you should pick the general area that interests you most, even when you remove the NICU aspect. For social workers, medical social work is very specialized field and can be hard to break into if your MSW internship isn't in a hospital. Pediatrics in general is specialized and the NICU is even more so. Although you can tailor your experience and education in that direction, there is no guarantee that you'd end up in a NICU right away.
That being said, a lot of your interests are transferable. You'd still be assisting and guiding patients and families in any of the positions mentioned in the thread.

[ijack]

Dec 20, 2015 8:02:44 GMT -5 @wandering said:

ijack Not to be a debbie downer, but "knowing" you, I'm not so sure that social work, especially in the NICU would be the best fit. Of course there are a lot of success stories, educating and happy moments, but there are a lot of not so happy moments as well. I'm sure you know that, but dealing with kids and death isn't for everyone. 

Nursing, being a PA or midwife are other options. As far as I'm aware, in general those pay better than social work as well. 

I'm not sure what the non-profit sector is like where you live, but you could always start just by looking at the non-profits in your area and see if any of them are hiring on the business side of things for jobs in which you'd be qualified to apply in order to get your foot in the door. I've had good experiences working for non-profits in that I've loved the in general laid back atmosphere and fun people, but it isn't always puppies and rainbows either. 

This is definitely something that I'm talking about with my therapist, and I am keeping it in mind thank you

[ijack]

Dec 20, 2015 11:01:58 GMT -5 @kcpokergal said:

Why did you become an engineer?

I suspect that there is something you can be passionate about that is closer to what you already do. It would be nice if you could incorporate all the experience you have.

What about teaching science? An organization that repairs or supplies homes/businesses for people? Building machines used in NICU? Pediatric clinical trials?

What tasks get you the most excited? Problem solving? Strategic Planning? Detailed work?

Because it was "easy." Originally I was a psych major and wanted to become a psychologist because it intrigued me. I spent my freshman year at a private university as a psych major and realized it was going to be hella expensive and I would need a lot of school. So I transferred to an in state engineering school because it was easy to fall back on. I'm good at math and science and everyone was always pushing me to be an engineer so I just did it. I do love math and I love figuring out problems and offering solutions. What I do now isn't hard core engineering, but I do use a lot of my schooling. I do like certain aspects of my job (calculations) but I am really really unhappy here. I know that some people can work in a job they aren't thrilled about and then do something they're passionate about on the side, but it's not working for me (mainly because I don't have time to do anything on the side) and this job is slowly killing me. I am so miserable and I know I need a change
I started a NICU support group a couple years ago and it made me so happy. I love being able to help people during their time of need, but @wandering made a good point that I'm also super sensitive and dealing with sadness is hard for me.

[SallyJ]

Dec 21, 2015 10:23:09 GMT -5 ijack said:

Dec 20, 2015 11:01:58 GMT -5 @kcpokergal said:

Why did you become an engineer?

I suspect that there is something you can be passionate about that is closer to what you already do. It would be nice if you could incorporate all the experience you have.

What about teaching science? An organization that repairs or supplies homes/businesses for people? Building machines used in NICU? Pediatric clinical trials?

What tasks get you the most excited? Problem solving? Strategic Planning? Detailed work?

Because it was "easy." Originally I was a psych major and wanted to become a psychologist because it intrigued me. I spent my freshman year at a private university as a psych major and realized it was going to be hella expensive and I would need a lot of school. So I transferred to an in state engineering school because it was easy to fall back on. I'm good at math and science and everyone was always pushing me to be an engineer so I just did it. I do love math and I love figuring out problems and offering solutions. What I do now isn't hard core engineering, but I do use a lot of my schooling. I do like certain aspects of my job (calculations) but I am really really unhappy here. I know that some people can work in a job they aren't thrilled about and then do something they're passionate about on the side, but it's not working for me (mainly because I don't have time to do anything on the side) and this job is slowly killing me. I am so miserable and I know I need a change
I started a NICU support group a couple years ago and it made me so happy. I love being able to help people during their time of need, but @wandering made a good point that I'm also super sensitive and dealing with sadness is hard for me.

What about using your engineering degree to make medical devices?

[wawa]

Dec 21, 2015 10:23:09 GMT -5 ijack said:

Dec 20, 2015 11:01:58 GMT -5 @kcpokergal said:

Why did you become an engineer?

I suspect that there is something you can be passionate about that is closer to what you already do. It would be nice if you could incorporate all the experience you have.

What about teaching science? An organization that repairs or supplies homes/businesses for people? Building machines used in NICU? Pediatric clinical trials?

What tasks get you the most excited? Problem solving? Strategic Planning? Detailed work?

Because it was "easy." Originally I was a psych major and wanted to become a psychologist because it intrigued me. I spent my freshman year at a private university as a psych major and realized it was going to be hella expensive and I would need a lot of school. So I transferred to an in state engineering school because it was easy to fall back on. I'm good at math and science and everyone was always pushing me to be an engineer so I just did it. I do love math and I love figuring out problems and offering solutions. What I do now isn't hard core engineering, but I do use a lot of my schooling. I do like certain aspects of my job (calculations) but I am really really unhappy here. I know that some people can work in a job they aren't thrilled about and then do something they're passionate about on the side, but it's not working for me (mainly because I don't have time to do anything on the side) and this job is slowly killing me. I am so miserable and I know I need a change
I started a NICU support group a couple years ago and it made me so happy. I love being able to help people during their time of need, but @wandering made a good point that I'm also super sensitive and dealing with sadness is hard for me.

Engineering is a wide wide world. Have you thought about just switching jobs rather than careers?      Not that I don't encourage you to follow your dreams, but when your dream is something as amorphous as "help people" it might not be a bad idea to think smaller changes first. I don't know exactly what you do to give you a more specific idea, but there are options out there. (eta: yeah, like what SallyJ said!)

I feel like a buzz kill here, but I figured it was worth saying.

[ijack]

Dec 21, 2015 10:51:03 GMT -5 SallyJ said:

Dec 21, 2015 10:23:09 GMT -5 ijack said:

Because it was "easy." Originally I was a psych major and wanted to become a psychologist because it intrigued me. I spent my freshman year at a private university as a psych major and realized it was going to be hella expensive and I would need a lot of school. So I transferred to an in state engineering school because it was easy to fall back on. I'm good at math and science and everyone was always pushing me to be an engineer so I just did it. I do love math and I love figuring out problems and offering solutions. What I do now isn't hard core engineering, but I do use a lot of my schooling. I do like certain aspects of my job (calculations) but I am really really unhappy here. I know that some people can work in a job they aren't thrilled about and then do something they're passionate about on the side, but it's not working for me (mainly because I don't have time to do anything on the side) and this job is slowly killing me. I am so miserable and I know I need a change
I started a NICU support group a couple years ago and it made me so happy. I love being able to help people during their time of need, but @wandering made a good point that I'm also super sensitive and dealing with sadness is hard for me.

What about using your engineering degree to make medical devices?

Maybe? Though I'm not even sure how to make that change.
wawa - I have an EE degree and currently work as a product developer for the local utility. I design energy efficiency program for our customers. It involves a lot of spreadsheets and calculations (which I love) and a lot of political BS (which I don't love). My background is mainly in project management type positions.
And I do know think that switching companies would help, but I don't know that it would help enough. And if I'm being honest I've never loved engineering or any of the engineering positions that I've had.

[wawa]

Dec 21, 2015 11:14:09 GMT -5 ijack said:

Dec 21, 2015 10:51:03 GMT -5 SallyJ said:

What about using your engineering degree to make medical devices?

Maybe? Though I'm not even sure how to make that change.
wawa - I have an EE degree and currently work as a product developer for the local utility. I design energy efficiency program for our customers. It involves a lot of spreadsheets and calculations (which I love) and a lot of political BS (which I don't love). My background is mainly in project management type positions.
And I do know think that switching companies would help, but I don't know that it would help enough. And if I'm being honest I've never loved engineering or any of the engineering positions that I've had.

you say the bold, but you also say this: "I do love math and I love figuring out problems and offering solutions. " 

That right there is engineering in it's purest form.  Using mathy/sciency methods to solve problems.   So...do you actually love that, or not?  Would you find something that cut through more bullshit to more directly connect you to that aspect of engineering appealing, or do you actually not love it?   Because your life will be a shitton easier if you can leverage your existing education and experience into something you like better rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater because you're not enjoying the day to day of your current path.

I say this a lot - but at least in engineering it's VERY true - career changers should talk to an engineering recruiter.  They know what's out there.  They know what kind of experience gets hired for jobs.  It is their job to know this stuff.  Make sure your resume is up to date on linkedin and then find a couple of recruiters and tell them that you're looking for a shift out of your specific field and into something with a more human face that helps you directly connect to the people you are helping.  See what they say.  Maybe they'll have a good idea for you and you can be happier faster by staying within the general umbrella of engineering.  Or not...and then you pursue some of the suggestions here that involve a total reboot. 

[SallyJ]

Our school has a lot of pull in the engineering world so changing engineering jobs likely wouldn't be hard. Our degrees are worth a lot! I actually have a good friend who is an EE and has switched careers from aerospace to medical devices. I can reach out to her and make an introduction if you would like. She is also a "help people" type of person.

[ijack]

Dec 21, 2015 11:31:23 GMT -5 SallyJ said:

Our school has a lot of pull in the engineering world so changing engineering jobs likely wouldn't be hard. Our degrees are worth a lot! I actually have a good friend who is an EE and has switched careers from aerospace to medical devices. I can reach out to her and make an introduction if you would like. She is also a "help people" type of person.

I would love an introduction, thank you
As for liking engineering, I guess I'm not sure. I do get excited doing calculations and challenging my brain, but I never really liked my classes and I haven't loved any of my jobs. I feel like the more I try to figure out what makes me happy and what I actually like doing, the more frustrated I get with this whole process

[SallyJ]

You aren't the only female enginner I've heard say this, myself included. I try to find the small things I really enjoy about my job and focus on those. I remind myself that I don't need my job to fulfill me nor do I need to feel passionate about what I do. A job is practical for me, a way to pay bills or live a certain way. It does help that I have come up with an exit plan in the next 2-5 years.

It's ok to transition to a new engineering job or to a new career. Consider smaller, easier changes that will lead to bigger changes. What if you ended up in engineering medical devices and then transitioned more into a service role that helped teach families how to use the devices. Really you could end up in some hybrid career by making a small change.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2015 10:23:09 GMT -5 ijack said:

Dec 20, 2015 11:01:58 GMT -5 @kcpokergal said:

Why did you become an engineer?

I suspect that there is something you can be passionate about that is closer to what you already do. It would be nice if you could incorporate all the experience you have.

What about teaching science? An organization that repairs or supplies homes/businesses for people? Building machines used in NICU? Pediatric clinical trials?

What tasks get you the most excited? Problem solving? Strategic Planning? Detailed work?

Because it was "easy." Originally I was a psych major and wanted to become a psychologist because it intrigued me. I spent my freshman year at a private university as a psych major and realized it was going to be hella expensive and I would need a lot of school. So I transferred to an in state engineering school because it was easy to fall back on. I'm good at math and science and everyone was always pushing me to be an engineer so I just did it. I do love math and I love figuring out problems and offering solutions. What I do now isn't hard core engineering, but I do use a lot of my schooling. I do like certain aspects of my job (calculations) but I am really really unhappy here. I know that some people can work in a job they aren't thrilled about and then do something they're passionate about on the side, but it's not working for me (mainly because I don't have time to do anything on the side) and this job is slowly killing me. I am so miserable and I know I need a change
I started a NICU support group a couple years ago and it made me so happy. I love being able to help people during their time of need, but @wandering made a good point that I'm also super sensitive and dealing with sadness is hard for me.

What parts of your job make you unhappy?