ᐅ Continuing education for architects, fully qualified lawyers,...
Created on: 21 Mar 2021 07:31
S
Seven1984
Hello everyone,
I would like to hear the forum’s opinion.
I am 36 years old, have one child (6 years old), and although I am fairly well established professionally, I am very dissatisfied. I am a trained IT specialist and studied business informatics (bachelor’s degree) alongside a full-time job. My career steadily progressed. At its peak, I was an IT project manager responsible for an 8 million budget and 70 project team members spread across Europe and Russia. My then superior’s manager wanted to promote me into middle management. I work for a DAX 30 company. That didn’t happen back then, probably partly my fault. I think I also reached my personal limit at that level. That was about 1.5 years ago.
Currently, I have a job that allows me to build my house on the side, which hopefully will be finished at some point ;-) However, it is not satisfying at all, and I no longer really enjoy working in IT. I also expect to be offered a severance package in the next few years (standard procedure in large companies), so I will face the question of what to do next at the latest then. Since I like to take a proactive approach, I am not waiting that long.
IT is no longer an option for me, and I am now exploring long-term alternatives. After all, I plan to live for at least another 50 years, so in my opinion, it’s still worthwhile ;-)
As a child, I had two other career wishes: architect or fully qualified lawyer. Regarding architecture, I could imagine working as a technical expert or construction manager. As a construction manager, my project management skills would probably help, but I would likely have to be self-employed or work for another large corporation. Smaller firms tend to prefer, I think, master bricklayers or craftsmen with stronger hands-on skills. I have no reservations about self-employment but would need to clearly understand my added value and target market if I decide to go that route ;-)
As an architect, I would probably enjoy tasks related to obtaining building permits / planning permission, but I am not sure if I would be good at detailed design work yet ;-)
As a fully qualified lawyer, I would typically plan on working independently. I won’t elaborate on that here since this is not a legal forum.
I have not discussed this much with my personal circle besides my partner...
If you have alternative ideas or suggestions different from mine, feel free to share.
Regards
I would like to hear the forum’s opinion.
I am 36 years old, have one child (6 years old), and although I am fairly well established professionally, I am very dissatisfied. I am a trained IT specialist and studied business informatics (bachelor’s degree) alongside a full-time job. My career steadily progressed. At its peak, I was an IT project manager responsible for an 8 million budget and 70 project team members spread across Europe and Russia. My then superior’s manager wanted to promote me into middle management. I work for a DAX 30 company. That didn’t happen back then, probably partly my fault. I think I also reached my personal limit at that level. That was about 1.5 years ago.
Currently, I have a job that allows me to build my house on the side, which hopefully will be finished at some point ;-) However, it is not satisfying at all, and I no longer really enjoy working in IT. I also expect to be offered a severance package in the next few years (standard procedure in large companies), so I will face the question of what to do next at the latest then. Since I like to take a proactive approach, I am not waiting that long.
IT is no longer an option for me, and I am now exploring long-term alternatives. After all, I plan to live for at least another 50 years, so in my opinion, it’s still worthwhile ;-)
As a child, I had two other career wishes: architect or fully qualified lawyer. Regarding architecture, I could imagine working as a technical expert or construction manager. As a construction manager, my project management skills would probably help, but I would likely have to be self-employed or work for another large corporation. Smaller firms tend to prefer, I think, master bricklayers or craftsmen with stronger hands-on skills. I have no reservations about self-employment but would need to clearly understand my added value and target market if I decide to go that route ;-)
As an architect, I would probably enjoy tasks related to obtaining building permits / planning permission, but I am not sure if I would be good at detailed design work yet ;-)
As a fully qualified lawyer, I would typically plan on working independently. I won’t elaborate on that here since this is not a legal forum.
I have not discussed this much with my personal circle besides my partner...
If you have alternative ideas or suggestions different from mine, feel free to share.
Regards
P
pagoni202021 Mar 2021 09:15HilfeHilfe schrieb:
Interesting threadI think so, too. @Seven1984 I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts here, and I believe that personal well-being during and after building a house is very important.
Dr. Hirschhausen tells in his piece "Happiness" about a boy asking his grandfather whether he should become a musician or a forest ranger. Learn French horn 😀
From my own experience, I can say that it is right and necessary to consistently pursue satisfaction at work, although it doesn’t necessarily have to depend on the profession itself. Often, it is the surrounding conditions. A new job usually turns out differently than expected.
At this point, I would broaden the perspective and also consider options that might not be obvious right away or may seem impossible. Certainly, both of these career fields can be really enjoyable. If you have that basic feeling for it, that’s already an important first step. Psychosomatic rehabilitation clinics are full of people who didn’t recognize or act on this in time and eventually realize that you “can’t eat money.”
Today, I might study law myself, although when I was young and choosing a career at 16 years old, I couldn’t have imagined that.
There are also lawyers working in the construction sector… I completely understand the desire for self-employment and would gladly accept the disadvantages that come with it.
Fully qualified lawyer = minimum study period of 7 years (full-time, not part-time)
Architecture = 6-8 semesters, starting a career is very challenging and low-paid. Becoming self-employed immediately is difficult. Usually, you first work as an employee to learn the job, not just the theory. Income starting from €50,000 per year.
And are these supposed to be your alternatives at your age?
Architecture = 6-8 semesters, starting a career is very challenging and low-paid. Becoming self-employed immediately is difficult. Usually, you first work as an employee to learn the job, not just the theory. Income starting from €50,000 per year.
And are these supposed to be your alternatives at your age?
H
HilfeHilfe21 Mar 2021 10:11nordanney schrieb:
Fully qualified lawyer = minimum study period of 7 years (full-time, not part-time)
Architecture = 6-8 semesters, starting a career is very challenging and low-paid. Becoming self-employed right away is difficult. Usually, employment is necessary at first to gain practical experience, not just theoretical knowledge. Income starts at €50,000 per year.
And these are the alternatives you want at your age?Ugh... and then at 45-50 years old, you’re not where everyone expects you to be.Examine your dissatisfaction more closely. Is it truly caused by the job itself, or rather by the environment, the company, or even yourself?
Changing careers does not always resolve perceived dissatisfaction with work. Sometimes the new job is just as unsatisfying because it wasn’t the actual cause of the unhappiness.
Are you familiar with the true story of the Swiss heart surgeon who wanted to become a truck driver and actually did? Spoiler: reality did not meet his expectations. (Apart from that, such a change only works one way—the truck driver is unlikely to become a heart surgeon at 36.)
Are there aspects of your current work that you enjoy? If so, consider furthering your education in that area and don’t let your existing knowledge and skills go to waste.
Changing careers does not always resolve perceived dissatisfaction with work. Sometimes the new job is just as unsatisfying because it wasn’t the actual cause of the unhappiness.
Are you familiar with the true story of the Swiss heart surgeon who wanted to become a truck driver and actually did? Spoiler: reality did not meet his expectations. (Apart from that, such a change only works one way—the truck driver is unlikely to become a heart surgeon at 36.)
Are there aspects of your current work that you enjoy? If so, consider furthering your education in that area and don’t let your existing knowledge and skills go to waste.
B
Bertram10021 Mar 2021 10:21Don’t let yourself be discouraged by the "traditional" career paths that most people suggest. At this point, the train has already left the station for you, and that can actually be your advantage.
Especially in self-employment, clients value good communication and expertise above all else. With a straightforward, no-nonsense approach, you have excellent chances to make a living. Since you’ve worn yourself out in a major corporation, you know what "too much nonsense" means and can create an alternative model (with or without IT).
And yes, pagoni is definitely right to point out the circumstances. It’s usually the circumstances that are so draining. Take a close look at what is currently costing you so much energy.
Otherwise, good luck. I’m from the same category (made a career change later in life). In my early 40s, I earned a qualification that now guarantees my self-employment. It’s all possible and makes me very satisfied with my life because I’ve created conditions that allow me a lot of freedom. That was important to me.
I once worked in the development department of a car manufacturer. Since then, I’m amazed that cars work so well at all. It was more about employee burnout than progress. Hardly anyone enjoyed the working conditions there. But the salary was good.
Especially in self-employment, clients value good communication and expertise above all else. With a straightforward, no-nonsense approach, you have excellent chances to make a living. Since you’ve worn yourself out in a major corporation, you know what "too much nonsense" means and can create an alternative model (with or without IT).
And yes, pagoni is definitely right to point out the circumstances. It’s usually the circumstances that are so draining. Take a close look at what is currently costing you so much energy.
Otherwise, good luck. I’m from the same category (made a career change later in life). In my early 40s, I earned a qualification that now guarantees my self-employment. It’s all possible and makes me very satisfied with my life because I’ve created conditions that allow me a lot of freedom. That was important to me.
I once worked in the development department of a car manufacturer. Since then, I’m amazed that cars work so well at all. It was more about employee burnout than progress. Hardly anyone enjoyed the working conditions there. But the salary was good.
Elokine schrieb:
Do you know the true story of the Swiss heart surgeon who actually wanted to become a truck driver and did so? Spoiler: reality didn’t match his expectations. Manfred Krug on the road as a child was actually one of my favorite series. How far it is from reality I see every day on the highway.